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Universal opensource arcade machine

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IzidorM:
Hi,
3 years ago I had an idea of building an arcade machine. After thinking over what kind of an arcade machine I want, I came up with following list:
- universal (it should run games from various platforms (mame, snes, dos, genesis, ...)
- original look and feel (no interaction with operating system, ...)
- everyone should be able to make one (as cheap as possible, opensource)
- everyone should be able to use one (as simple to use as possible)

I looked around the web to see if something similar exists, but at that point I didn't find anything that had all the features listed above.

So I started my own arcade machine project and after 1 year I end up with this:


So you may wonder why is there an usb key and a weird red board on the picture. Well this are the heart and soul of my arcade machine. Let me explain.

I want an universal arcade machine, so it was obvious I need to use a PC to emulate old consoles/arcades. But we all know, that a standard input device on PC is a keyboard and all the emulators use it as a default input device. But different emulators have different default keybindings. So we need an keyboard encoder that can be reconfigured on the fly. So this is what the red board on the picture is all about. It is an on the fly reconfigurable keyboard encoder with 35 inputs.

But to get oldschool look and feel some other things are also important. The first, most important thing for me, is that you don't see an operating system gui when booting the system. The most ugly thing is to see windows logo before you start your frontend/game... This is why I wrote my own frontend for a Gnu/Linux operating system.

At last I want to make my project as easy to reproduce and as cheap as possible. This is why the usb key is on the pic. I made an bootable linux image, where you can add games and emulators. When you want to convert your pc in an arcade machine, you just need to boot it from the usb key :)

So let me sum up what i did:
- on the fly reconfigurable keyboard encoder, which uses a program on your pc to map your keyboard controls to keycodes. It is based on this hw:
https://www.olimex.com/Products/ARM/NXP/LPC-P1343/
- frontend which support different emulators and can reconfigure my keyboard encoder automaticaly, when you start a game. You can also make your own graphics for it...
- packed all the software and made an usb bootable image with 2 partitions. So you can easily add new games/emulators and config files even from windows pc :)

At the end I also build a little cabinet. It is just a cabinet with an lcd and speakers build in it. I didn't put an PC inside, because I want to make a "portable" cabinet, that can be connected to my laptop :) I build this cabinet 1.5 years ago and it was in use for all this time in a local skate park :)

Total cost of the material for the project:
- old P4 pc (2ghz celeron, 512mb ram) 20$ on ebay
- old 15inch lcd display 20$ on ebay
- old pc speakers 10$ on ebay
- hw for keyboard encoder 20$
- arcade sticks and buttons 40$
- Plywood or Particle board for cabinet, around 15$ for square meter
sum 110$ + cabinet material

Here are also 2 pics and a video:



In the video you can see booting, frontend and 4 games:
- super mario world (snes)
- prehistoric (dos)
- metal slug (mame)
- teenage mutant ninja turtles (genesis)



So I hope you like it. I didn't go in any details, but if you have questions ask. I will update this project until summer with some new features and with documentation, which I didn't have time to write yet, so new developers could join the project :)

P.S.: Sorry for my English, I am form EU so it is not my native language :)

Le Chuck:
Welcome,

I don't get the fundamental difference of watching windows boot vice watching linux boot.  Both are operating systems that can immediately drop you into a front end.   :dunno

That's not to argue the benefits of one over the other, just that I question your reasoning that because it's not a windows boot sequence it's somehow a more acceptable boot sequence - not to mention the fact that you can hide windows boot sequence with boot skinning fairly easily. 

Your build is pretty rough but you're headed in the right direction.  You've clearly spent a long time on the software getting it where you want, I suggest you focus on the cabinet side to get a nice looking form to show off all that hard work you've done.  Keep after it!

IzidorM:
Hi Le Chuck,
well you are right about the boot sequence. It can be done on windows as well. But I like the linux default boot sequence. No fancy graphics, just text flying by  :)
But booting was not the main reason for choosing Gnu/Linux. With proprietary software used in the project, it wouldn't be possible to give bootable image away for free :)

The cabinet is rough, because it was just a prof of concept :) The point of this project was the software and hardware part :) The problem is that i need to write some documentation and tutorials about using this sw/hw, because right now I am the only one able to extend/upgrade it  :timebomb:

kahlid74:
Cool beans man.

The Keyboard encoder on the fly for me isn't really that big of an issue.  I usually boot every emulator once, set it and then forget it with an I-Pac or one of Vigo's encoders.  I do like though your entire system in a ready to rock fashion.  Should help a lot of people who are just starting in the arcade realm get their feet wet without knowing everything.

eldiau:
Hi IzidorM,
I like the idea of linux booting from an USB key, I'm using Linux too on my cab (lubuntu with wahcade). I was thinking about switching to tinycore linux booting from an USB key too... but I'm too lazy and the hard disk installation it's so easy to setup ;) would you mind sharing your usb key image?

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