Project Epic Arcade

[epicfatigue]

Hello Everyone,

Love this sight for the past year i have spent a large amount of time reading it, and dreaming that one day i would be able to set forth and build an arcade of my own that i could sit down with my daughter and play.

I have posted bits here and there around the net but that all ends now.

I would like to create a small thread on here and list my project as it happens here on out to gain valuable input from you all, as i have alot to learn and may be over looking the simple things.

If there is anything i am doing you would do different please let me know, also please note the build as it is now will be fully stripped once i have it the way i want it to be so i can restore it to show room condition.

I know that is alittle backwards from how you should create a cabinet but to be honest i just wanted to get on the beers with mates here and there and have some fun like the good old days.

[epicfatigue]

I had been searching for a very long time for an arcade cabinet as they are becoming
harder and harder to find. Whilst driving I came across an old bike shop that was
closing down.
By chance out the back they had an old arcade machine that was not functioning.
I offered to buy the machine and to my surprise the owner was happy to part with it.


The next day the machine arrived at my door, it was in very poor shape, the game
board was missing the coin door has been stolen and the back of the machine was
missing.
None of this really bothered me to much as I wanted to restore the cabinet and was
just happy to finally have a starting point.

[epicfatigue]

The monitor had seen better days it was a WGK7000 and was made in the early 1980’s. The screen was excellent however the monitor chassis being so old many of the components had exceeded their expected life span.

I removed the monitor which is always a fun experience as you have to discharge the 5000volts out of the unit using a screw driver which always leaves your heart racing!

Here is a before and after shot of the monitor prior to restoration.
As you can tell there is a noticeable difference. (Please note i did try and adjust the monitor in the before shot but it would not clean up for the life of it)
Before

After

[epicfatigue]

One of the largest issues I faced was having a machine that could go the distance, as many arcade games out there today are still unplayable do not utilize Graphics cards for game processing.

One of these games off the top of my head is Gauntlet Legends, which this machine runs perfectly.

The largest issue was getting the correct resolutions into the machine, for this we used a HD4890 and Calamity created a special set of drivers that allowed the creation of 200 original resolutions that would suit all the Arcade games emulators and PC games.

CPU-------------- Intel Xenon E3120
Cooler----------- Corsair H100i
RAM------------- 8GIG HyperX 1066 Kingston DDR2
Mother Board--- Asus Rampage Formula X48
GPU 1----------- Arcade VGA (Native 15Khz)
GPU 2----------- HD4890 (Hacked Drivers)
PSU ------------- TBA
Case ------------- TBA
Speakers--------- Logitech Z-640
 

[epicfatigue]

Since the machine features two graphics cards, one for native bios support the other is software controlled using hacked drivers the monitor would normally have to be switched off during boot.

So I created an Automatic KVM switch, this device allows the Arcade machine to be booted with once graphics card and once Windows has loaded the device will then trigger and switch to the second internal graphics card.
This device is not on a timer, it has a custom driver that will talk to the KVM and let it know when it is ready to switch. You can see it in action here in a video I created for you.         
     

[epicfatigue]

I wanted to keep the arcade spirit alive by keeping the coin door and all its functionality in place. However someone had stolen the door and I had to acquire a new one. I managed to locate an original door from a local arcade.
I also wanted to keep the coin counter fully functioning but the problem I had was the originals generated a large EMP pulse that would destroy modern day electronics while connected (The IPAC that controls PC Input)

I used a custom circuit that allows the coin counter work fully on its own separated from the Computer hardware, when a coin is inserted it triggers the counter which then flashes an Infrared beam that triggers a Phototransistor and lets the computer know a coin has been paced into the machine, here is a short video.



FYI Resetting this was a world of pain, i am now a master of this can do do it very quickly but nutting it out was not much fun, and the drunker i got the harder it was!

[epicfatigue]

The unit has the ability to be able to use 4x Xbox360 wireless controllers; this is used for various reasons.  There are a lot of PC games out there that require analogue Joysticks (Mainly PC Games) the purpose of the machine before any other is to keep the true arcade feel and I didn’t want to over complicate the Unit with multiple joysticks so I decided the ability to pull out a wireless controller would be a fantastic idea.

The issue that I imminently faced was there are no drivers written for the Xbox360 receiver for windows XP 64. It is not possible to install Windows 7 due various reasons, mainly the resolutions switching feature will not work as components had been removed.

So the decision was simple.... I had to write the drivers myself!
Here is a very short video using the Xbox 360 controller.



Unfortunately my wife is away while I was drafting this letter for you and I didn’t have a second person to use the Namco Gun.
The idea is to turn an all-time favourite of mine into a 2 player game.
One person would move the character around reload etc.
The other would use the Namco gun to Aim and shoot with recoil.

It takes BOOM HEADSHOT to a whole new level, and is a crazy amount of fun!

The machine uses a program called Xpadder that allows multiple mappings of profiles for different games; the program will sit in the background and load the appropriate profile when it detected a game that it is configured for.

[epicfatigue]

When building the cabinet I wanted to be able to play gun games, not just for arcade games but console and computer games.

Playing Duck hunt or Wild-Gunman with a Namco recoil gun has to be the most fun I have done in a long time. Forget the ZAPPER - this is the way the game should have been!

The ability to play all the classics on all the consoles gives the user a wide variety.
The machine also features Steam support, and 8000 of my favourite dos games.

However the issue I had when I first installed the gun circuitry was the recoil would only fire when the trigger was pressed. This was perfectly fine for majority of the arcade games and consoles. But modern games when using a machine gun the one recoil just was not enough.

This prompted me to create a rapid fire mode and build it into the guns, there is a push button switch that will allow you to be able to switch between full Automatic and the regular Semi-Automatic.

Here is a video of the Gun in action on House of the Dead.



The Guns themselves are fitted with an Aimtrack module, it emulates a mouse and its accuracy is amazing, I tested its competitors and they all fell well short.
The guns are original Namco Guns, and the kickback (Recoil) is very strong.






i Am currently fine tuning this it is almost done, if someone would like one and are happy to pay for shipping and materials please raise your hand, if you would like to make your own i will post a schematic soon!

[epicfatigue]

The machine is equipped with the following emulators, and I personally own all of the games that are installed on the machine, as I am a collector of retro consoles and games.

•   Nintendo Entertainment System
•   Super Nintendo
•   Nintendo 64
•   Nintendo Wii
•   Microsoft Xbox
•   PlayStation
•   PlayStation 2
•   Sega Mega Drive
•   Sega Master System
•   Sega Dream Cast
•   MAME

The machine also features Steam support; any game purchased on the steam account will show up under the steam menu and display all information about the game and the trailer.

The unit also has a MS-DOS section that has all of the dos game I have purchased over the years, my collection totals to just over 8000 Dos games.
To Name some of my favourites to play on the machine are as follows.
Doom, Wolf3d, Commander Keen, Paganitzu the list could go on forever!

[epicfatigue]

Will add to this tomorrow, let me know what you think thus far people,

I have so much to learn as i want this to be a machine that i can sit back and look at whilst having a beer with my head held up high know that i built it!

 

[epicfatigue]

And the moment alot of you have been waiting for.

Its a very simple circuit, this is just for rapid fire,
When the SPDT switch is on rapid fire will be active, the recoil will act as normal.

[CpCaveman]

No offense meant, but.. FIRST arcade build my arse

[epicfatigue]

No offense meant, but.. FIRST arcade build my arse

Thanks, ill take that as a compliment and that i am on the right track!

[Drnick]

Welcome to this small part of the webiverse. As someone else once sung " You can go big or you can go home".  In your case sir you are definitely going for big on a first build.  I have nothing but admiration for your work,  a watercooled 5Ghz for the arcade, Now that's future proofing.  I am guessing you are very comfortable around electronics 

Have you got any plans for a theme on the machine?  Does the cabinet need much remedial work?

[epicfatigue]

Welcome to this small part of the webiverse. As someone else once sung " You can go big or you can go home".  In your case sir you are definitely going for big on a first build.  I have nothing but admiration for your work,  a watercooled 5Ghz for the arcade, Now that's future proofing.  I am guessing you are very comfortable around electronics 

Have you got any plans for a theme on the machine?  Does the cabinet need much remedial work?

Hey thanks for your kind words, the cabinet has some damaged corners and the typical bad spelling etched in the side of it etc etc.

When i am ready i will use a heat gun to strip machine sand it back, and fill all the imperfections.
The biggest issue is the Control panel.

It has had so many holes drilled in it during its life there is not much left to work with i have plexi glass ontop of it and a back plate as a temp option till i work out what to do there.

Tomorrow i will upload some pictures to show that part of the machine.

In terms of artwork i am torn with doing something classic or maybe going for an post apocalyptic scene.
I had a guy draft up some things but he has vanished not sure what happened there.

[rCadeGaming]

Wow!  Very impressive!   

[epicfatigue]

Wow!  Very impressive!   

Thanks

[epicfatigue]

So this is the largest hurdle i have to get over, the control panel....

From the first picture before i touched it it looked pretty good, well i was in for a surprise when i lifted the plexi and the sticker!
most of the CP metal is gone, i am either left with the options of cutting it right out and getting a new part welded in, or getting a whole new one made.

So as a temp solution i created a back plate
This goes underneath the panel as there is still structurally enough to give the panel  overall support.
As a temp solution i have used Black Plexi until my artwork is done so it doesn't look like a complete mess!

A Part of me wants to make the control larger but i want to keep the outside as original as possible

[Mr Wilson]

quality 

[epicfatigue]

Now i like things to be looking perfect, i know thus far it doesn't look that way, but i have learn t over the years that i will always change  something a million times before i have it the way i want it.

That is why i have taken the approach of getting it up and running and ironing out all the faults.

However the first thing i wanted was a modulated Control Panel, i wanted to be able to fully remove it if needed.
As later down the track i may think about building a bolt on Steering wheel etc etc

Now once i am finished i plan to have all of my cables soldered (I am not a connection man hate the stuff)
Then i will sleeve all cables to go with the appropriate theme inside, as i want this thing to look as good in as it does on the outside!

So this means i will have to modulate the IPAC as i would like to house this inside the machine as i dont wont it to be knocked or damaged.
I will paint the unit when i have settled on the look for the inside but i can not do that untill i know whats happening on the outside!

[BobA]

Over the top but great start.   If you cannot run it please tell us and we will give up on the game for 2 or 3 years.  Looks great so far.  Remember to give the cab some of the same love you gave your computer so it will really shine.

[brad808]

I have a watercooled/ overclocked system in my mk2 cab and if I can make a suggestion to you: decase the computer. It'll help the whole system stay cool and it doesn't need to sit inside of a case, inside of a cabinet. Just pull all the parts and mount them onto a board for nice airflow.

PS looks awesome. Good job 

[epicfatigue]

I have a watercooled/ overclocked system in my mk2 cab and if I can make a suggestion to you: decase the computer. It'll help the whole system stay cool and it doesn't need to sit inside of a case, inside of a cabinet. Just pull all the parts and mount them onto a board for nice airflow.

PS looks awesome. Good job 

Hey thanks for that, unfortunately i can not decase this system it would die, i did originally try this and the issue is since its a x48 chipset they run very hot (hence the massive cooler on NB)
I will either buy a very nice corsair case, or i will create my own as i will require a large amount of static pressure to ensure a decent amount of airflow through the system

[epicfatigue]

So i have never been happy with the temps on the factory Overclocked HD4890 and it has always generated alot of noise.
The fact i want this machine to keep on ticking over for at least 8 years (the pc)  i needed to address this issue.

The main issue i was having was the VRM temps, after pulling it apart i quickly discovered why.

For some silly reason this model either didnt come with cooling and relied on airflow... or some nub took them of at some point in the cards life.
This was quickly addressed like so
One

Two

And Three


I am currently running in the thermal compounds i will put it to the test shortly and see how it goes

[kahlid74]

You've added a boat load of complexity there you didn't need and I love it.  The spirit of this site for me is building something you envision and want to be challenged by and you have done that here.  Great job so far!  Keep on pushing!

[rCadeGaming]

Stunt Race FX.  Nice.

[dandro]

is that a "555 Timer" book under that thing??? 

[rCadeGaming]

Probably one of those "cookbooks" with a thousand different application for one.

[epicfatigue]

You've added a boat load of complexity there you didn't need and I love it.  The spirit of this site for me is building something you envision and want to be challenged by and you have done that here.  Great job so far!  Keep on pushing!

Thanks Mate, i can not wait till i have the internals sorted out the real joy for me is going to be completing the outside!
I plan to spend more time on that then anything else.

Stunt Race FX.  Nice.

Yeah there is about 100 carts behind that one, i collect all things retro, and the rare games i can not get i make myself and install them into silly horse racing carts.

is that a "555 Timer" book under that thing??? 

Yes it most certainly is, i needed to understand exactly how the IC operated to create the KVM and also the Namco rapid fire.

Probably one of those "cookbooks" with a thousand different application for one.

Right you are Sir


Thanks all for the feed back and comments guys, makes me want to push on and keep this thing going.

[epicfatigue]

And here is the moment of truth.

I bench marked the cards, the top temperature set is with the Original HSF and the below is with passive cooling.
Note i have not added a fan yet this should decrease the temps by at least 10-18 deg!

I am still not happy with my VRM temps they are good but i want perfect, the glue that came with the chips is nasty as all hell.
I Will Glue them on with a special Epoxy when i install it into its final resting place

[rCadeGaming]

the rare games i can not get i make myself and install them into silly horse racing carts.

Talking repros?  That's cool.  I got a ROM burner last fall to put some fan-translated and bug-patched ROM's in a Final Fantasy IV Super Famicom cart.  English FFII for SNES is cheap, but the original translation wasn't so great and they made the game too easy.

That's the only one I've done so far, but I have a big to do list, like MUSHA and Little Samson/Lickle and such.  Have you done any that were particularly tricky?

[epicfatigue]

Talking repros?  That's cool.  I got a ROM burner last fall to put some fan-translated and bug-patched ROM's in a Final Fantasy IV Super Famicom cart.  English FFII for SNES is cheap, but the original translation wasn't so great and they made the game too easy.

That's the only one I've done so far, but I have a big to do list, like MUSHA and Little Samson/Lickle and such.  Have you done any that were particularly tricky?

Hey This is how i do mine.
I have not found any to be overly hard, it all comes down to the equipment you have, i own a EMC rework station so dealing with SMD Chips is easy as, heat remove replace etc.
Its like anything if you read enough about something its nice and easy, i have always been a fast learner and not afraid to give it a crack, i also etch circuit baords etc etc.
Drop me a pm sometime if you get stuck.

[rCadeGaming]

I just used some ROM chips that were the same physical size as the originals.  I fixed the pinout at the board by cutting traces and moving things around with small wire-wrap connections.  I haven't seen anything hard yet, but I've only looked over my planned Super Nintendo projects.  I hear NES is a little more complicated.

[epicfatigue]

For all the people out there that wanted this.

All in one pcb has recoil and rapid fire.

Very small will mount under the soliniod just wire in

[yaksplat]

Did you change your design?  I'm just comparing the png to the hand drawn schematic and T2 changed.  Is T1 still the same?

[epicfatigue]

same design the they just didnt have the same transistor i used in the program i etched it with

[mitsurugi]

will you sell this pcb?
Thanks.

[epicfatigue]

pm me, iv made over 10 so far for people that didnt want to build it themselves.
 

[DaOld Man]

I am very impressed! Nice work.
Just put a rotating monitor on it and it will be perfect.

[epicfatigue]

i want to do that so bad!

I am yet to see any good posts on how to make one to get some ideas flowing.
If  i could find some good material i would attempt it!

[kahlid74]

i want to do that so bad!

I am yet to see any good posts on how to make one to get some ideas flowing.
If  i could find some good material i would attempt it!

Several people have done it and done it well.  DaOldMan, TopJimmy and Ond have all done it.  DaOldMan and TopJimmy used Lazy suzy's and Ond used bearings:

Ond's Approach - http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,88912.0.html
TopJimmyCooks Approach - http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,112424.0.html
DaOldMan's Information on rotating monitor - http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,108836.msg1155364.html#msg1155364

[epicfatigue]

Thanks Guys for the info,

I have come up with how i will do my rotation, i am just now working out the motor and how it will drive, as i want it to be fast and silent.

My issue i think i am going to be facing is dealing with the CRT getting distorted while turning.
And i do not have a printer port in my unit, so i will have to reinvent the wheel and make a USB controlled PIC similar to my KVM.

Might go with a PIC to start the motor till it hits stop and if it doesnt hit stop after X seconds to disengage if there is a fault.
Will also send a signal to a contractor to disable to monitor before and after to fire the coil.

For the motor i think i might use a windscreen wiper motor as they are geared very well, but there will be lots of testing for the motor first thing is first is to make the rotation.

The rotation itself i think a Bicycle rim with 4 wheels for support should be very fluid.

[kahlid74]

Thanks Guys for the info,

I have come up with how i will do my rotation, i am just now working out the motor and how it will drive, as i want it to be fast and silent.

My issue i think i am going to be facing is dealing with the CRT getting distorted while turning.
And i do not have a printer port in my unit, so i will have to reinvent the wheel and make a USB controlled PIC similar to my KVM.

Might go with a PIC to start the motor till it hits stop and if it doesnt hit stop after X seconds to disengage if there is a fault.
Will also send a signal to a contractor to disable to monitor before and after to fire the coil.

For the motor i think i might use a windscreen wiper motor as they are geared very well, but there will be lots of testing for the motor first thing is first is to make the rotation.

The rotation itself i think a Bicycle rim with 4 wheels for support should be very fluid.

Silent is fine, but fast may not be something you want to push so hard at when rolling with a CRT.  TopJimmyCooks approach is pretty fast but still stable.

I would really lean on DaOldMan's approach for this.  Think of it like a CNC machine and install stop switches.  When you go in either direction and hit a stop switch electricity is cut off to the motor.  It's really the go to way and prevents you from having to worry about steps/mathematical equations as to when to perfectly stop.

Wiper motors are good.  Strong and powerful but be careful of the AMP draw.  It may be more than the source you intended to originally use will support.  I ran into issues with my hatch door system and AMP draw.

[epicfatigue]

Thanks for that, i do plan on using stop switches aswell.

I am just having alot of trouble with the dimensions at this point.
Since the monitor is so large i am going to have to rout out 4mm top botton let and right just  to fit the disc in, and i am also designing a custom mount ontop of that.

Its going to be a tight fit, there is still a chance it may not all fit, but i am not giving up until i have exhausted all options.

[kahlid74]

Thanks for that, i do plan on using stop switches aswell.

I am just having alot of trouble with the dimensions at this point.
Since the monitor is so large i am going to have to rout out 4mm top botton let and right just  to fit the disc in, and i am also designing a custom mount ontop of that.

Its going to be a tight fit, there is still a chance it may not all fit, but i am not giving up until i have exhausted all options.

Rotating that monitor in that cab may prove difficult.  Usually cabs are built with rotation in mind and allow the use of it.  There was a gentleman on here who did a rotat similar to you but he had the disc rotate outside of the box.  Personally I don't think it looked good but it worked really well for him.  Something for you to think of.

[epicfatigue]

Hey,

Yes i did see that, thanks for bringing it up but if i had to do it that way i would leave it alone, as much as i am modifying the cabinet i still want to have an arcade feel and that would kill it for me.

But other news work has begun muahahaha!


So here is my design. the sketch is horrible but i thought i would share it anyways!

The Idea is the monitor will be sandwiched between Wood mount 1 & 2.
Mount 1 will have be routed from the back as the monitor will be screwed to it backwards as it can not go the other way as i am restricted but size.
Then it will be drilled into mount 2 creating the sandwich effect that will hold the monitor in place.

Mount 1 will have a diameter of the outside of the RIM
Mount 2 will have the diameter of the inside of the RIM.

When mount 1 & 2 are secured together it will be able to slot perfectly inside the rim.
It will be held into place using tekscrews through the spoke holes.

This will then fit inside the existing cavity by routing out a small amount of the internal surround 3mm on each edge.
The whole thing will be held into place by 4 Rollerblade wheels that fit perfectly inside the rim and offer a fluid movement.
 





All that aside let the work begin, i wont be able to go any further till the following week as its mothers day this weekend and need to do something special for the wife.

All i did this weekend was measure plan measure plan  made sure it all was going to fit, once all that was over it was time to cut a perfect circle.....

Yeah right i am no wood worker this calls for some cheating!!!!
I decided i would make myself a router jig, was simple enough just get  some wood cut it to size route it out so i could get the required depth then drill some holes to keep it steady and the required size. This will allow me to have my perfect circles !!!

[lcmgadgets]

Holy cats! This is your 1st build?! I'm embarrassed, you're so far beyond what I'm capable of doing! I can barely dream of what you've already accomplished! Keep up the fantastic work, I love your philosophy, & document document document for those of us who have to steal!

[kahlid74]

Yaksplat did a write up on cutting circles/radius that you might find usefull - http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,121083.msg1284333.html#msg1284333

[epicfatigue]

Thanks All, for your input its nice to have some encouragement but this will be a slow build.

I spend about an hour aday every day looking at the hall of fame, i know i will never be in there but i can dream!

Who knows i might come up with enough cool concepts to wedge my way in there one day!

I am addicted to this machine and sadly i don't want it to come to an end, its still got along way to go and with kids its hard to get the time.

[epicfatigue]

So while i am unable to continue work on my monitor till the following weekend as by the time i get home to kids are in bed and drill will = me sleeping in a car. I decided i would continue to work on the Computer side.

Currently the machine has dual Ethernet ports as your performance online games sucks via wireless.
However this got me thinking why would wireless suck so bad?

This called for some investigation with some equipment sadly i can not show in this post.
Turns out the reason being is the quality of the antennas used in Wireless cards.

A mixture of DB build quality and most of all tuning is what it appeared to come down to.
Well me being me and luckily enough to work in the RF Game i had a number of things to use testing wise.

So i introduce to you the winner and the new Antenna that will be mounted on my cab hidden from view.

I have the same connection speed ping and gameplay wireless as i do wired!
The price is not cheap, but come on we cant skimp out on this now can we!
Having a Unity Gain is just perfect!
http://www.theantennafarm.com/catalog/laird-tech-trab24-49003p-6182.html

[kahlid74]

Family comes first man so take your time, the journey is often the best part.

As for RF/Antenna, don't forget that many of today's house hold products create interference on the 2.4Ghz band.  Without doing a detailed spectrum analysis you may not know if you're resolving the true issue.  The antenna's on cards are weak, no doubt, but just be careful.  Old Microwave's have been known to annihilate Belkin routers.

The best part about BYOAC is that it's a community that encourages it's members to build what they want.  Sometimes feedback given can be negative but most of the time it stems from what others have experienced first hand.  You're mentioning wireless so I'm assuming you're either going to be playing PC games or console games.  Neither of which in all honest you will be playing for very long.  No matter how we try, Console/PC games just don't translate to an arcade cabinet.  They require more "finesse" and "detail" and as such can be significantly longer than your average arcade game.  As such, you don't want to stand that entire time or sit on an awkward bar stool.  Controls also can be quite difficult to map correctly for things like analog sticks, etc.

I've built console games into cabinets before but I don't do it anymore.

[epicfatigue]

Like always anything i do/create  is free to anyone if you want this modified driver its yours pm me

Hey thanks for your input i take everything on board,
I agree with the PC games on Arcades, however i have a few tricks up my sleeve that i wanted to save but i will bring to light.

The purpose for my stupidly powerful arcade machines was to be able to play games that are un-emulated but also the new.

The arcade machine has full wireless support, it has 4x wireless Xbox 360 controllers, now the issue i faced was they only work on Windows XP 32.

A 64bit driver was never released for XP, so i had to write my own, took awhile but it works flawlessly, this with Xpadder allows me to play those games but as you said who wants to stand there for hours on end.

When i play the machine it with mates over a beer or ten.

Now i am a NBA-Jam fan the thing i loved about the arcades was team work, i feel this has been lost in translation in today's games.

I am a Counter-strike fan have loved the game forever but it was something you could not play two player.

So i figured wouldn't it be fun to have someone use a xbox360 controller to run around jump duck etc and another to use a NAMCO recoil gun to shoot.

Takes boom headshot to a whole new level.

This is why i created to recoil circuit, it allowed a person to get off the required rounds and make use of machine guns.
I know this may sound a little silly and not fun. But man it is fun.

Blind drunk on the internet with your mates shooting people, the accuracy is so so good because you are completely ready for it.

Here is a short video i filmed of the controller working my wife was not home to show how it all unfolds 2 player.
The video is horrible i would create a new one but i have everything apart



Like always anything i do/create  is free to anyone if you want this modified driver its yours pm me

[lcmgadgets]

THIS is a slow build?! Then mine is positively glacial! Having said that, I'll add, don't let the slowness discourage u. If I ever reveal how long I spent on that 'kvasar dream mask' (google it), people'll wonder what the heck's wrong with me.

[epicfatigue]

Hey everyone, so while i am waiting to get back to work on my machine (its killing me waiting) i am looking for some advice.

My current control panel has 8 buttons per player, i will be dropping 2 per player as i am unaware of any games where i would need this many.
I find it feels to tight while playing two player, and i am tossing up about maybe removing the original and creating my own CP to slide in so i can have a little more room and maybe even add a track ball.

I am worried if i do this i will detract from the original arcade feel.

What are your thoughts?
Why is it so cramped, have i gotten fat in my old age?
Are there many good games out there that would make use of a track ball?
Will i need more then 6 buttons for games?
Should i extend the cp?

Thanks all?

[EMDB]

What are your thoughts?
Why is it so cramped, have i gotten fat in my old age?
Are there many good games out there that would make use of a track ball?
Will i need more then 6 buttons for games?
Should i extend the cp?

Thanks all?
...

- The CP has not much space to rest your hand palms.
- 6 buttons is enough but for NeoGeo games you could want 4 in a row (therefore I use 7 buttons myself)
- I guess you could use some admin buttons (Exit, Pause, ...)

[epicfatigue]

Hey i think thats exactly my problem i get a sore wrist when playing.
As for console buttons, i am using a Ipac so i can hold Player 1 button and that gives me more the enough extras.

I Hate the fact i have to put the start buttons down the bottom.
However i am finding it hard to in-vision making a new CP how it would sit etc.

[lcmgadgets]

Are there many good games out there that would make use of a track ball?

...R there?! Check this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_trackball_arcade_games

& note the line that says 'this list is incomplete'.

[epicfatigue]

Yes there are some good games in there, but i am still tossing and turning about the idea of throwing one it.
I want to avoid that mame feeling control panel but at the same time i want to be able to play it without having a sore wrist!

So if i were to modify the CP i think i would lean more towards doing it this way.

The only thing that concearns me is i will have to be very careful as to how far i bring it out. (i don't want it to come out a mile)
Just enough to sit my 2 joys and 6 buttons each.

The thing that always made this cabinet though was how the front extended with it, if i was to do this i think i might have to move the front out a little. but i would rather not!
What do you guys think?

[epicfatigue]

Well guys after a week of hard thinking i think i am going to go with the above control panel and extend the bottom of my machine just alittle to give it that bulky look!

This will fix my control panel problem of having no where to rest my hands and will give me the added room to get a track ball and 2x servo sticks.

Then i will have an auto rotating monitor along side auto 4 to 8 way.


Could i have anyones thoughts on going with this style of control panel?
 

[orion]

Honestly, with all the work you are putting into the electronics in this machine, I feel that the cab you picked up is totally inadequate for what your wanting to do. Cabs like that with that style CP lend themselves perfectly to the very classic titles and not much else. I would do a simple MAME machine with that or just thow in a 60in1 or 19in1 in that particular cab. If I were you, I would scratch build the cab for this project and get exactly what you want. Just don't go crazy with the CP.

[epicfatigue]

Honestly, with all the work you are putting into the electronics in this machine, I feel that the cab you picked up is totally inadequate for what your wanting to do. Cabs like that with that style CP lend themselves perfectly to the very classic titles and not much else. I would do a simple MAME machine with that or just thow in a 60in1 or 19in1 in that particular cab. If I were you, I would scratch build the cab for this project and get exactly what you want. Just don't go crazy with the CP.

Thanks for your input, sadily arcade shells in Australia start at 600 with nothing in them machine like a mk2 with a large monitor your looking at 3k.

I know my machine is alittle on the small side having a 20inch WG but for me its perfect, it fits through a door way, i can have it in my house without consuming a whole room. (i rent) it suits my needs.

Plus money is an issue, i was more asking input about the style of cp, because its not hard to make a new one, i just notice everyone seems to go these really curvy style and just wanted to see what people thought of the classic fighting style.



But in other news i got some time today to work on my rotating monitor here is a little update

Today i managed to cut the inside and outside part to my design of the rotating monitor, i created a nice little lip on the wood for the inside of the bike rim to allow it to sit nice and flush.



Its a very small lip only 2mm but its perfect


Here is the two parts side by side.


A view from the back without the rim.


A view from the back with the rim!


And finally a view from the top with the rim.




Im pretty happy with how it came out, the photos dont do it justice it was taken with my Phone and it was covered in MDF dust! evil &**(& that is!
If i get alitle more time this week i will try and cut out the monitor and rout out the face plate for it.

I feel i did well for an newbie to wood work, first thing i have done in 15 years.

[lcmgadgets]

For what my opinion is worth (very little), I think you're doing an amazing job!

I take it swappable control panels r out of the question?

[orion]

I'm not trying to be negative, I just think that all your cool ideas might work better if you designed and built your own cab for it. It would be easier to get the monitor rotating and you could get your CP just how you like it. Your talking about modifying the control panel and the base of the cabinet, that could get tricky. Then you will have a lot of bondo work ect... All I'm saying is you have a lot of creative ideas, and going the custom cab route will give you more freedom than trying to make the cab you have suit. Just a suggestion.... Awesome thread and great work!

[sabreerbasAlpha]

I'm not trying to be negative, I just think that all your cool ideas might work better if you designed and built your own cab for it. It would be easier to get the monitor rotating and you could get your CP just how you like it. Your talking about modifying the control panel and the base of the cabinet, that could get tricky. Then you will have a lot of bondo work ect... All I'm saying is you have a lot of creative ideas, and going the custom cab route will give you more freedom than trying to make the cab you have suit. Just a suggestion.... Awesome thread and great work!

I have to say I'm in complete agreement Orion & others above here. What you have done so far is excellent and you are clearly up to the job. So for the sake of a few more days and bit more designing and cutting you could have a custom cab Just how you want it. That being said, Excellent work so far especially on the rotation plate, Very nice.

[epicfatigue]

Hey thanks all for your comments and encouragement, i would love to build my own cab and i hope to one day but i am in love with this one and it isnt worth anything to sell as it has alot of damage, The front where the coin box sits has been kicked in and needs replacing and the side lower panel has been kicked off aswell, and the issues with the control panel above being cut into a million bits.

I am already in for alot of repair work, but i want to keep a bit of history alive with it, plus the machine was made the year i was born, 1987.

So if i was to replace the front repair the side and rebuild the same control panel i thought maybe i would just do some minor changes to it, i didn't think it would be overly hard to make the changes i was thinking, (maybe i am wrong).

For what my opinion is worth (very little), I think you're doing an amazing job!

I take it swappable control panels r out of the question?

Thanks mate, no my panel will be switchable but mainly if i didn't like the modification i did i would like to be able to take it back to its original form.

[epicfatigue]

Well i could not help myself so i had to have a quick look and make sure my measurements were correct.

So i quickly took the monitor out and is just as i thought!.

Perfect fit, i just have to take out 2mm either corner of the disc and it will fit nice and snug

this gives everyone a little idea of how it will look

[orion]

Hey thanks all for your comments and encouragement, i would love to build my own cab and i hope to one day but i am in love with this one and it isnt worth anything to sell as it has alot of damage, The front where the coin box sits has been kicked in and needs replacing and the side lower panel has been kicked off aswell, and the issues with the control panel above being cut into a million bits.

I am already in for alot of repair work, but i want to keep a bit of history alive with it, plus the machine was made the year i was born, 1987.

So if i was to replace the front repair the side and rebuild the same control panel i thought maybe i would just do some minor changes to it, i didn't think it would be overly hard to make the changes i was thinking, (maybe i am wrong).

For what my opinion is worth (very little), I think you're doing an amazing job!

I take it swappable control panels r out of the question?

Thanks mate, no my panel will be switchable but mainly if i didn't like the modification i did i would like to be able to take it back to its original form.

Lol, that's why I had suggested you 60in1 that cab, and build a scratch cab this project... OK I just wanted to see two cool projects!  I know what you mean about getting a bit sentimental with a cabinet. I have a Galaxian machine that was manufactured on my 7th birthday. I will never part with that machine. Anyway I am really enjoying this project, as you are doing some cool and different things with it.

[epicfatigue]

Thanks Orion,

Its always been a curse of mine to try and reinvent the wheel, i just like to have something i own and be able to say i designed and built that!

Hope to have the monitor in next week, just going to be researching what wheels i will be using as mounts, still a little undecided i will try and few different ones, want it to be fluid as when it spins, and i am also working on my controller for the motor, i dont have a Printer port, so i will be building a USB controller, i know i can get a PCI Printer port but have to think for the future.

[epicfatigue]

So slowly over the last 2 days i have been chiseling out the 3mm either side so the plate is able to slip it,
I just have to sand it back and make it nice and tidy now.

I am looking at the types of wheels and mounting methods, once i find something that suits it will be time to pull it all out and install the monitor into the mounting place.

Here is a few pictures.
Please note it does need a tidy and the original face plate will not be used.

[kahlid74]

So, it'll be a really big challenge to extend those side/make the CP bigger.  I'm not going to come right out and say it's impossible, but I will re-itterate what others have said, you would be better building a cab from scratch if you wanted to do that.

Now back to your progress.  You had me for a sec with the old monitor bezel.  I was like, NO WAY that turned that way inside the cabinet and then I was like OHH, he just picked it up and turned it lol.  Looking good and glad to see you get your rotating system up and running.

Keep rocking!

[epicfatigue]

So, it'll be a really big challenge to extend those side/make the CP bigger.  I'm not going to come right out and say it's impossible, but I will re-itterate what others have said, you would be better building a cab from scratch if you wanted to do that.

Now back to your progress.  You had me for a sec with the old monitor bezel.  I was like, NO WAY that turned that way inside the cabinet and then I was like OHH, he just picked it up and turned it lol.  Looking good and glad to see you get your rotating system up and running.

Keep rocking!

Haha Thanks, well now 3 people have said its going to be hard and i am better of building my own.... i have to do it now no matter how painful!
I have been working on my Monitor rotation program, its USB interfaced you just send command line and it turns one way then the other, but also turns the monitor off while doing it.

I am tinkering with a few other things as i have so many damn extra ports on this thing i cant let them go unused! im using a PIC18F4550 microcontroller.
Im going to move most of my stand alone electronics into it to consolidate them (which was always the plan) that way i will just have one custom manageable board in there that will be comprised of alot of transistors resistors and one controller, that way the only point of failure will be the Microcontroller and ill keep the Hex code on a usb stick inside.

Can anyone think of some neat things to put inside it?
I can do all kinds of things.

I was thinking maybe i would remove my coin counter circuit  and have have the Pic listen for 1 ,2,3 & 4 and when it hears them flick the counter, that way if i dont use the coin slot i still count my credits also frees up a tiny but of space!.

I Would also put my KVM into the PIC and remove the need for a 2x Relays and a Timer, that frees up a little more as-well.

For now i will build a simple circuit and finish the PIC off in the last stages as this will need alot of changing as time goes on, and when its all good and i am happy with it and i feel nothing more needs to be added i will etch a circuit board print it and then it will look the part.

 

[orion]

Lol! I like your spirit! It's not just the difficulty your going to have modifying this cab and its control panel. Let me just say this, then I will shut up. You have a lot of creative ideas, damn cool ones as a matter of fact. I am afraid that the restrictions of modifying a pre exiting cab will limit some of the cool things you can do, that's all.

[epicfatigue]

Lol! I like your spirit! It's not just the difficulty your going to have modifying this cab and its control panel. Let me just say this, then I will shut up. You have a lot of creative ideas, damn cool ones as a matter of fact. I am afraid that the restrictions of modifying a pre exiting cab will limit some of the cool things you can do, that's all.

ahah thanks mate,

When the time is right i will be building my own machine is see this happening in a few years, but it will be a monster and i hope to make my way in the hall of fame with it.

As for this one its my learning curve, and i can not see any restrictions holding me back from my ideas, as i will just sit on it for a few days and come up with a solution, my curse is i am thinking all the time, this project is just keeping me focused on one thing which is good.

i finally picked up a heap of things during the week and am looking forward to getting some time on the weekend to execute some more work and upload some pictures!

[epicfatigue]

woot the weekend is here and its time to get back into it just waiting for the rain to stop.

While i was waiting i made an executive decision to take off the water cooler, the cooler was nice but i didnt like the idea of the pump failing one day and loose a system over it, and my plans of how its going to be mounted would be risky with 240v.

However i got a better cooler the only downside is the size, but over all it had a positive effect lowing vrm temps and mb temps and even CPU temps.

Having it sit flush against my my nb cooler even reduced its temps. WIN WIN

[epicfatigue]

So rain stopped for a little and i got the rim mounted in, now all i need to do is measure correctly for the monitor cut it out and mount it in. Here is how it is looking.

[lcmgadgets]

Hey--those 4 wheels mounted around the rim--r they...roller skate wheels?

[epicfatigue]

Hey, yes they are rollerblade wheels, got 8 of them with dual bearings for $4.00 from the op shop.
They sit nicely in the rim and they have a fluid movement. Couldn't ask for better wheels for the job.

[epicfatigue]

So did so it came to the time of cutting out the hole to fit the crt inside, and i sat down to it but with one small problem, i had a 20cm ruler....

I couldnt let this stand in my way, was not going to happen so the answer to my problem, TRIANGLES LOTS OF TRIANGLES.

Funny thing is it was the most accurate measurements i have ever taken, it all added up perfectly and was not even 1 mm out.
I have decided to not use the original backplate i would rather reinforce it with some stronger wood.
So the mounting will have to wait, here is a little look thus far.

[orion]

Triangles, that's too funny! I will never take my tape measure for granted ever again... That rotating monitor is starting to come together. Looking good!

[epicfatigue]

Triangles, that's too funny! I will never take my tape measure for granted ever again... That rotating monitor is starting to come together. Looking good!

Have to to the best with what you got sometimes, i tell you what it built up my confidence at measuring something.
Who knew that Maths we learnt back in school all those years ago would pay off!

Last night i purchased some ceder wood, i will be creating a frame with lap-joints to reinforce the monitor surround.
I also decided to create another disc to go on the back, i doubt it will be needed, but i want this to last, and it to be quality.

I hope to get alot done in the next few days as i will have a night to myself this week so its time to get stuck into it!

[lcmgadgets]

Hey, yes they are rollerblade wheels, got 8 of them with dual bearings for $4.00 from the op shop.
They sit nicely in the rim and they have a fluid movement. Couldn't ask for better wheels for the job.

Okay, u may just have inspired a revamping of my (stolen from many others here) design. I'm a HUGE roller skating fan & a pack rat, & I've been hesitant to throw out my old, shot All American Dreams (absolutely great wheels--no longer available). Maybe now  I've got a use for them...(fits in with the name of my project: 'Legacy')

[epicfatigue]

Good stuff mate, will have to link me to the project.



So i had a little time tonight,
I have decided to use 3 discs instead of 2. I wanted to make the unit alot stronger.

The Final disc is slightly larger then the others, all i had time to do to night was cut the disc itself then cut the hole for the monitor. It came out rather well, i am keen as to put it all together!

Im stupidly tiered at the moment and i am typing like a 2 year old. good night all.

[epicfatigue]

Hey everyone, so this weekend i was very productive.

I finally got around to cutting out the third disc and then placing the monitor in-between them.
Came out very nicely.




I was very happy with it, i created the new frame for it to be mounted in, to increase the overall strength of the unit.
Then came the tricky part.

Dropping it in! was hard as a 1 man job thats for sure, but after doing it once it is now easy just a slight trick to getting it in there.
I need to do a few touch ups, i think i will create the frame again and maybe use a different method for mounting the wheels and i think i will add 3 down the bottom, but i will see how i go. But i am not in a massive hurry it is functioning and will give me some time to create the interface that will control it and work out the mountings for the motors.

Upright has to be the only way to play the flying games its not the same on a horizontal monitor, i played the best game of 1942 i forgot how good that game is!

[Someinterwebguy]

Very nice. That last picture is trippy, because you have 3 arcade games at the same time there. I love the button layout, and the fact that you put 8. The more, the merrier I say!

[BadMouth]

Mad respect for rotating a big CRT. 
The size is nice for that cab and looks correct in both orientations.

bookmarked!

[epicfatigue]

Hey all,

So it all finally came in the mail last night.
Will take alot of mucking around but once finished it will be nice and simple, the firmware will be free to all who would like it.
Below is a very simple version of what i plan to do, if anyone can think of any nice added features let me know.

The rotating system is nice and simple, its USB controlled and i plan to operate it like so.

Call rotate left()

if rotate-status = left then stop
else

turn monitor off
rotate motor left
once pin X is pulled low
stop rotation
turn monitor on
endif


Call rotate right()

if rotate-status = right then stop
else

turn monitor off
rotate motor right
once pin X is pulled low
stop rotation
turn monitor on
endif

It will be a simple exe that will be attached to mame that is executed with vertical or horizontal games.
If i am getting alot of picture distortion i will create a degaussing circuit separate that can be fired after orientation is completed.

This is just a building block at the moment more features will come in, i figured its time we all moved away from parallel ports, mainly because i don't have one!

[kahlid74]

Don't forget to work limit switches in there!  I love using custom PIC chips.

[epicfatigue]

Don't forget to work limit switches in there!  I love using custom PIC chips.

Yerp they will be in there they are a must!

[TopJimmyCooks]

Good work going on here.  This looks like a very workable system.  Did you set up for the monitor to turn off while rotating?  so it will degauss in the new position when turned back on? 

Also, let me cast a vote for keeping that CP exactly as it is now and not widening it.  It looks awesome. and I'm afraid grafting on a wider CP would hurt both the appearance and the function. 

Much respect for your electronics chops.

[Cornchip]

   Looking great. I'm following the build. 

[epicfatigue]

Hey everyone,

Sorry for my absence i have been very busy with work and working on something i hope to share with you all soon i just have to confirm it.


So an issue i have had for awhile is working out how i was going to be able to have the arcade start up with a push of a single button.
This was easy enough but i also wanted to be able to turn the monitor off or on if need be and still have power inside that could be used without the machine on if required.

I came across this Master/Slave power saving board that was to good to pass up.
The board has a current meter in it, what when it detects a decent flow or power it activates the other power points.
Two of them can be turned into normal mode which is exactly what i wanted if i needed to attach a wand or something else



So it was down to bunnings!!!
I got some cable and flex etc etc.

Please ignore the spaghetti of cables, it will all be cleaned up when the project is finished! This is will be like showroom when its all done

I ran an extension cable to a fixed power point inside that the power board could plug right into.
The computer is connected to the master slot, when the computer is turned on it then starts up the speakers cabinet monitor guns etc etc.

[darthpaul]

Just seen this build, great job so far, rotating a CRT can be quite a challenge. I am rotating a 20" CRT and I know what you are going through(my aching back), I like the roller blade wheels and rim. I used plywood instead of MDF for the circle to hold the monitor because of the strength issue. How are you going to power it, one of my wheels at the bottom is connected to a windshield wiper motor and I let gravity do the rest. If you are going to use MALA, DaOld Man created a plugin MRotate, which pretty much does everything you could ever want to rotate a monitor, including sounds while it's rotating. Keep up the good work.   

[epicfatigue]

Hey thanks darth,

I will be using a windscreen wiper motor aswell, no plugins for me a simple exe file will turn it and do all the rest, so its just atached to vertical games or hor games with some checkin options. I wanted to go full usb support because when i go to upgrade in the future i didnt want to have to recreate it.

As for strength the design i used could hold another 50kg, the rim is a racing titanium rim, wedged between 2 16mm MDF that is tek screwed.
Rotating a CRT is alot more fun though, and i just love the crts. Good thing for us Darth is when the crt is dead in 10 years time we can just put a lcd in there.

[epicfatigue]

So i have been playing around setting up the pic with HID, i have worked out the driver set i will be using and boot loader, works with linux xp 32 64 and windows 7 32 and 64.

USB is fully working time to start writing my program.

Took alittle tweaking to get the caps in the right range, seemed to vary across systems, the newer systems seem to require more smoothing then the older ones ODD!!!.

Here is a little sneak peak not much to see just the device loaded with an on and off button and a reset button,

[epicfatigue]

So i have been playing with the PIC chip setting up usb communication and learning a little about them, have to start with the basics and tackle it from all angles.

I believe i have worked out how i will write the code thinking about making the pic a slave and it can be fully controlled by python script.


In celebration of working out how to give my driver/pic a name and have full usb communication with a fantastic boot-loader installed i thought i would sing you all a song.

[DaOld Man]

Impressive!
Im glad to see you developing a usb interface. I was working on one but that thing called life (and taking on way too many projects at once) got in the way.
Cant wait to see this baby turn!
PS, dont forget to share your usb circuit (parts list, schematic, software).

[epicfatigue]

Impressive!
Im glad to see you developing a usb interface. I was working on one but that thing called life (and taking on way too many projects at once) got in the way.
Cant wait to see this baby turn!
PS, dont forget to share your usb circuit (parts list, schematic, software).

Hey Thanks Daoldman,

When the project is completed it will be for all that would like it.
And software etc, here is what i am planning to do.

Have Rotate left and right modes with Auto-degauss, with a thermistor as protection.
On demand degauss if needed.
A Coin counter, it will see coins inserted into the machine manually as-well as if someone presses mame coin insert (So you can work out how many years it has taken to pay for your habbit) (this is for a Manual 12v coin counter)
Automatic KVM switcher.

And maybe a LCD with a few temps or rpm monitor i dont know yet see how we go for time.
Any ideas are welcome.

The chip can be had for about $10 with all the components needed to run it, a back lit lcd can be had for about $2.00 delivered on ebay so its a very affordable little circuit.

[rockyrocket]

My new favourite build thread!.
Anyone who can engineer hardware certainly have my admiration - well done!.

[JOHN HOWARD]

Mate,
Great build so far, good to see other Auzzies on here too. Where did you score the master and slave powerboard? I could only find ones online with US plugs and was afraid I would have to either build my own or use adapter plugs for each socket,

Cheers,

[epicfatigue]

Mate,
Great build so far, good to see other Auzzies on here too. Where did you score the master and slave powerboard? I could only find ones online with US plugs and was afraid I would have to either build my own or use adapter plugs for each socket,

Cheers,

PM Sent

[epicfatigue]

Hey everyone So i have finished the major part of the USB rotatable interface.
At the moment all i have to do is build the Automatic KVM feature in.

Then i have to add switches to the Rotate.exe file like below.

Rotate.exe -right
Rotate.exe -left
Rotate.exe -deguass


It also has a a GUI interface that allows you to manually Rotate Left, Rotate Right, Degauss.

It Operates as follows.

Rotate Right Selected by GUI or Rotate.exe -right
Monitor Relay Is turned on (turning off the monitor)
5v is applied HVBridge (High) Rotating the monitor Right
Limit Switch is pressed Turns off rotating, Turns off Monitor Relay(Monitor Comes on), Degaussing Coil fired.
Message is Sent to GUI Letting user known the position.

Rotate Left Selected by GUI or Rotate.exe -left
Monitor Relay Is turned on (turning off the monitor)
5v is applied HVBridge (High) Rotating the monitor Left
Limit Switch is pressed Turns off rotating, Turns off Monitor Relay(Monitor Comes on), Degaussing Coil fired.
Message is Sent to GUI Letting user known the position.
 
Degauss Selected by GUI or Rotate.exe -degauss
Deguassing Coil is fired 3 times.
200ms ON
200ms OFF
200ms ON
200ms OFF
200ms ON
200ms OFF

If the monitor is in the left position  (meaning the left limit switch is pressed)
And Rotate left is selected by GUI or Rotate.exe -left The Chip will not turn the monitor off nor will it send power to the HV-Bridge.

If the monitor is in the Right position  (meaning the Right limit switch is pressed)
And Rotate Right is selected by GUI or Rotate.exe -Right The Chip will not turn the monitor off nor will it send power to the HV-Bridge.
The Chip will not turn the monitor off nor will it send power to the HV-Bridge.


I Have taken a Youtube Video for you all, its not an ideal setup and hard to see but you all get the idea.
I Would love your feedback, i spent alot of time working on this and i hope you all like it as much as i do.

[epicfatigue]

So today i have a very special announcement,

I would like to send a big shout out to Corsair for sponsoring this arcade build.
I will be uploading the plans soon however i am away this weekend, the inside of the machine will be featuring a wind tunnel with a Corsair theme i know its hard to picture but i can assure you it is going to be amazing.

Here is what arrived in the mail today just as i was walking out the door for a family trip, i quickly ran back inside to take a photo but!!!

16 x 120 SP120 Performance Fans
1 x corsair H110i

The Wind Tunnel should be able to move 1000 + Cubic feet per minute of air, it will be using a custom as always fan controller system allowing the system to gain maximum airflow.

[epicfatigue]

So its come to that fun time now, CHEMICALS!!!
Not a fan of buying etchent so i make my own, makes a board in about 20 seconds!

Its time to get ready to make my HV bridge once it is completed i will then build the PIC master control PCB.

The HV bridge is what will allow the PIC to drive the motor using a series of transistors.
This allows me to provide the motor with its own voltage and control its direction by a separate lower voltage. 

[TopJimmyCooks]

can you point me to a good home board etch tutorial?

Man I love overkill, but 1000cfm is total overkill for cab cooling.    interested to see what a wind tunnel in a cab is going to look like though. 

[epicfatigue]

can you point me to a good home board etch tutorial?

Man I love overkill, but 1000cfm is total overkill for cab cooling.    interested to see what a wind tunnel in a cab is going to look like though.

Hey mate, thanks its a work in progress feels like its taking for ever if i had full days to work on it, i would have it done in no time.

i learnt the method many moons ago in school, quick google however here is how i do it,

http://www.abiscus.com/projects/TonerTransfer/TonerTransfer.htm

Thing to note, dont use a boubler, dont bloody do it inside either hence no photos.

Now i go alittle overkill with my etchent, and use 50% Hydrogen Peroxide from a Hydroponics shop and  Hydrochloric (muriatic acid, "pool acid"),

Hydrochloric first then Peroxide and cover your mouth, i use a ratio of 1:1 so i just drop it in 10 seconds and pull it out, but thats me experiment and most of all saftey first and have fun.

When your finished dilute it to 50L of water and its safe to go in the garden

[rablack97]

I use this http://www.lvl1.org/2011/05/03/toner-transfer-and-muriatic-acid-etchant-making-pcbs-at-lvl1/

Important parts are use a good glossy photo paper, and a good laser printer....The rest is easy....

You can also use liquid tin, its pretty cool and it protects your traces.

I actually use a bubbler for the muratic acid approach, its the oxygen that promotes the etching.  I just do it outside.

[TopJimmyCooks]

Thanks for the info on making pcbs'.  I've got a couple of little things wired point to point that I might try doing pcb's for. 

Now, explain how you are going to get 1000cfm through a cabinet!

[rablack97]

Also, I would use a 2:1 ratio 1/2 cup muratic to 1 cup of peroxide.

Also epic, look really close at your board you have a broken trace, in your drilling photos, look directly down you will see it.

When etching try to use fairly wide traces, those really thin ones can get eaten by the acid or easily broken during the drilling phase...

similar to this guy....also give yourself nice gaps in between the traces, (not illustrated well here as this not the finished board) this will ensure that your toner doesnt bleed over into another trace....



 

[kahlid74]

So today i have a very special announcement,

I would like to send a big shout out to Corsair for sponsoring this arcade build.
I will be uploading the plans soon however i am away this weekend, the inside of the machine will be featuring a wind tunnel with a Corsair theme i know its hard to picture but i can assure you it is going to be amazing.

Here is what arrived in the mail today just as i was walking out the door for a family trip, i quickly ran back inside to take a photo but!!!

16 x 120 SP120 Performance Fans
1 x corsair H110i

The Wind Tunnel should be able to move 1000 + Cubic feet per minute of air, it will be using a custom as always fan controller system allowing the system to gain maximum airflow.

A wind tunnel concerns me in how you're going to incorporate the fans.  Fans inside of fans can be very dangerous.  Often times you see or hear wood shop guys stringing multiple dust collectors together for a more powerful system.  This results in the second fan running faster than the first thus pulling more AMP/Watt than it was originally speced to pull.  This then results in electrical fires.  Mind you these fans are smaller grade than wood shop dust collectors but the same principle applies.  If you're planning to use fans inline of one another I would be very very careful to watch their pull. 

Otherwise the electrical stuff is BA for sure.  Keep up the good work dude.

[epicfatigue]

Hey there, sorry for the late reply been busy working away.

Yes thanks for pointing the trace out rablack97, was more for a trail run, i decided to make the traces much bigger because i dont know what the motor requirements might be like in the future and i dont like going back and redoing things.

Hey Topjimmycooks the cfm is just going to be a tunnel, however there will be 3 fan controllers that i designed that i am sure will get a work out on the forums and the internet for that matter. Will post that next week when i test it.


Now for some exciting things,
I have designed this board that will go up on the forums along side the software for USB rotate, as you can see by the design it allows room for people to get in there and add flexibility to your cabinet im sure somone will come along and input some new features into the PIC.

As you can see the PIC has an extra 15+ controllable ports, these can be input or output pwm etc etc.






 

[epicfatigue]

So today i have a very special announcement,

I would like to send a big shout out to Corsair for sponsoring this arcade build.
I will be uploading the plans soon however i am away this weekend, the inside of the machine will be featuring a wind tunnel with a Corsair theme i know its hard to picture but i can assure you it is going to be amazing.

Here is what arrived in the mail today just as i was walking out the door for a family trip, i quickly ran back inside to take a photo but!!!

16 x 120 SP120 Performance Fans
1 x corsair H110i

The Wind Tunnel should be able to move 1000 + Cubic feet per minute of air, it will be using a custom as always fan controller system allowing the system to gain maximum airflow.

A wind tunnel concerns me in how you're going to incorporate the fans.  Fans inside of fans can be very dangerous.  Often times you see or hear wood shop guys stringing multiple dust collectors together for a more powerful system.  This results in the second fan running faster than the first thus pulling more AMP/Watt than it was originally speced to pull.  This then results in electrical fires.  Mind you these fans are smaller grade than wood shop dust collectors but the same principle applies.  If you're planning to use fans inline of one another I would be very very careful to watch their pull. 

Otherwise the electrical stuff is BA for sure.  Keep up the good work dude.

Hey My friend i have not seen you pop your head in for awhile, yes i am aware of this, alot of calculations went into the tunnel the fans are not back to back. A custom circuit has been made (you know me by now guys i have to make everything) this actually will make a strip of fans act as one fan and will make 3wire fans PWM and allow them to be controlled from a 4 wire computer fan header, it will also monitor RPM etc. Hard to explain but i will post everything about it so other people can use what i have created .

[epicfatigue]

So i have fine tuned and changed the layout a little,
I have added some things for future expansion so the device can drive LCD screens control relays PWM and support inputs (if you press a switch do something like for example have 1 switch to turn on the computer aswell as a screen power baord etc etc.

I have it up and running, currently i am just messing with a few things, working out mounts and other goodies and the Wind-tunnels controller board.

I have attached a printable schematic  for all those that would like to download and make it.

Total cost of parts is about $12.00
I will upload more information on it as i near the end of the project so it has some decent beta testing.

[epicfatigue]

Hey everyone, so i thought i would show a little video of the USB rotating system controlling a motor.
Its very poorly setup on the bench for a quick demo.

Its all starting to come together, will start to work on the other circuits now.

Still on the todo list.

• Create Fan PWM Circuit
• Create Degauss Circuit
• Refine counter Circuit
• Etch them onto a PCB
• Mount Monitor chain and motor

[Brian74]

Thanks for doing this! Looks like it is coming along great

Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk 2

[epicfatigue]

Thanks for doing this! Looks like it is coming along great

Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk 2

No worries i hope it goes to good use lol its capable of controlling alot more then meets the eye.

[epicfatigue]

So it was time for an upgrade, I have always used the iron method for my PCB and the results are okay, but I am doing more and more PCB fab these days for my small business so it was time to step up the game.
I went out and brought a laminator, now these on their own off the shelf are not very good, they do not generate the required heat.
I went out and brought one from a local store and did a quick google to see if anyone else had done a mod on this particular laminator and just so happens a fellow Aussie had done this!
here is a link to it if anyone wants it.
http://ultrakeet.com.au/write-ups/superFuserV2

This modification only took a few minutes and man was it worth it, the results speak for themselves.
This is my effort using standard glossy photo paper.



The mod itself.

The finished Product


Now for the fun part!!!


What is this exactly, well I think there will be many a people out there that will love this,
This is a special fan controller, it will convert  a 4pin fan header on your mother board (PWM) to control a large number of 3pin fans from the 1 input up to a large number of amps!
It has reverse polarity protection for people that shouldn’t be doing it, and then it also has added protection for the MB just on the off chance something unusual happens.
This will allow you to be able to control a network of fans as one fan, and it will also make use of the RPM wire, (please note only use one of the fans in the network for the RPM they will all be the same!)
If you dont want or have a MB to get a PWM signal you can make a simple one using a 555 timer and a pot to create the adjustable signal pic etc etc)

This makes management nice and easy so you can control those noisy fans have them quiet as and ramp on when needed via temperature control.
It also has two pots that will allow you to change the amplification of the signal.

This is my secret weapon for the wind tunnel, as I will have the fans installed in blocks of 5, they will represent one fan on the MB and I will be able to adjust each block accordingly to gain maximum airflow when needed as well as minimal noise when it’s not needed!
The printable version is posted for download enjoy!

[epicfatigue]

So I have been away for a little, but that’s not to say work has stopped!
I was having issues using the Asus rampage trying to get a driver functioning correctly, and I figured the time had come to push on to some more powerful hardware.
However the biggest issue with upgrading is I have to stick with hardware that is supported by Windows XP64, this is due to dirext-X issues with Windows 7 using hacked drivers.

I7-920 with 6gb Tripple channel memeory with one hell of a board, it features additional NB cooling as well as a factory water block!
Currently the unit has only be slapped together to run a burn in and test, once OS is setup and installed I will see how far it can be pushed! Very exciting!!!

Big thanks to Sainter4Life form OCAU for assistance in the hardware!

Moving on I have started to work on the cabinet
Currently I have not done much, just testing that everything fits and making last minute adjustments.
The cabinet will be divided into 2 sections, featuring a door for each.
Now this might sound silly, but this cabinet is for my daughter and safety is first always.
The top cabinet will be locked with a key, sealing the exposed CRT tube away from little hands and keeping all high voltage confined to one zone.
The below cabinet will have the computer sealed inside the wind tunnel, this will be shielded by Perspex and wood, sorry cannot give away too much here don’t want to spoil the surprises in store!
Here are some pictures of how it is shaping up, please note this is just rough everything will be gone over however everything needs its place before the tidy up will go ahead.

[DaOld Man]

Wow. Great work and the computer setup is something else!
I think overkill, but who cares?
Nice work. I like the rim on the monitor rig. Will have to remember that.

[rockyrocket]

Yep the rim/rollerblade wheel idea is one of those combinations that together are just perfect I think.
Both the OP`s and ericmans build seem to work great for such a hefty monitor, well done.

[stigzler]

Cudos, Epic. Loving this build. It's great to see different folks' preferred area of machine builds.

Loving all the leccytronics. And thanks for sharing all the schematics etc.

[epicfatigue]

Hey there fellow arcade followers! i am back and have put a full day in today and planning on another full day tomorrow!

So where to start.

I Guess a good place is the new addition to the cabinet... Yeah i know right?
what could i be doing now!

RBG Buttons to a PAC-LED64 allows every color combination fade etc.
pictures do not do it justice they are so bright colors are true it looks amazing.






Now these buttons are for Ultimarc.com they are aazing build quality but they had one massive flaw, which i think should be redesigned.
The issue is the cables that come through the bottom would get in the way of the micro switch. With careful placement you could get them to function well but after a few hours on the machine you would find a button here or there not pressing right gettting stick clicking etc, and extra pressure on the housing of the switch itself.

I found that if you drill directly through the side you are able to bring the cables through the center and two out either side and getting 100% out of the button with no chance of failure or stress on the mounting.





Now i also have added something else... i know i know but i just have put in so much effort into this machine it needs to shine! and shine it will!!!!

Some have you may have noticed from the above pictures the joysticks look different well right you are!
Auto switching Joysticks, they switch between 4 and 8 way automatically.


So now, the buttons will light up the correct color as what the game would have had, the joysticks will automatically switch to the correct location.
And the monitor will turn if needed!



So today i fully gutted the machine, and started to rewire the old wiring to be neat and safe.
I also started on working on the frame for the wind tunnel and PC case.
I could have swore i took more photos but it appears i didnt.

Will take some tomorrow!

[harveybirdman]

This build is awesome, I'm glad your back to work!

[epicfatigue]

So i had a very productive day today, where to start?

I guess we will start with the monitor.
I have completed the front, i know it looks horrible but i am waiting for the glass to come and with the addition of decals and paint it will come up a treat!
I have some surprises planned in that department too but i will reveal that later.





Below is the machine gutted with the supports put in place for the frame.
In this picture one level is in.



Here is the start of the entrance to the wind tunnel, i decided to make this out of ply instead of MDF because i am still tossing up on somthing but i wont bore you all with that.



Time to start working on the PC sliding insert, this will hold the PC in place and create a large amount of static pressure.







Now i am yet to finish the top level i just ran out of time, the idea will be that there will be a glass window to be able to see inside the machine, and alot of other things, but we will talk about that when we get there cant ruin the surprise now can we?

The bottom 2 fans draw in air to cool the power supplys and pull the air through the case then expell the hot air up to the next level, in that level is where the 4 fans pull air aswell to the back where another 2 fans inline with the others expell hot air up to the next level. words can not explain how much air is being pushed in this design and we are still only half way there .

I will revel the next stage soon!
Please comment if you have anything to add.

[jongunz]

was there a sell on fans at the computer store???  I think your cabinet may be able to propel itself down the street... 

[epicfatigue]

was there a sell on fans at the computer store???  I think your cabinet may be able to propel itself down the street...

The cooling fore this machine were donated by Corsair, so all fans and Water cooling.
And yes it pulls some serious air thats for sure!

[epicfatigue]

Well the time has flown by and i have finally got back into working on the arcade machine,

So where are we now?


Well i guess the first thing to point out is the project now has a new Sponsor!
I Would like to thank Asus ROG for joining the project!
They have donated a amazing board!




The system runs at a happy 5ghz new ram SSD etc





Moving onto the cabinet,

The time has come to start the repairs on the machine, the corners have had alot of damage over time and on the bottom right hand corner it was missing a large amount of wood about 30 cm by 20cm.
I stripped the cabinet and filled in the damage plus i also filled all the graffiti that has earned its place over time on the whole machine.





Then it was time to build the new control panel and step out that is commonly seen on the Killer instinct machines, i was very happy with the result.





The front control Panel has a special hinge that allows it a soft close function and it can reverse backwards for easy access to the controls.
Stay tuned guys i have the nect 2 days spare to get working on this beast!

[Generic Eric]

That sure is a lot of fans.  Do you have any temperature monitors?  I'm curious if they will be always on or if they turn on as needed?

Thanks for sharing your project and posting pictures.

[Malenko]

how can I get them to sponsor all my projects?!

[Generic Eric]

how can I get them to sponsor all my projects?!

He is the prime minister of the Republic of Gaming 

[harveybirdman]

Happy to see the update I was wondering what was up with this one.

[rCadeGaming]

Good to see you back at it.  So... yeah seriously, how did you get that stuff donated?

[epicfatigue]

That sure is a lot of fans.  Do you have any temperature monitors?  I'm curious if they will be always on or if they turn on as needed?

Thanks for sharing your project and posting pictures.

Im glad you asked , as silent as they are that many still makes alot of noise, i have a couple of other surprises in store have to wait and see on that one!

how can I get them to sponsor all my projects?!

how can I get them to sponsor all my projects?!

He is the prime minister of the Republic of Gaming 

Happy to see the update I was wondering what was up with this one.

Good to see you back at it.  So... yeah seriously, how did you get that stuff donated?

Thanks Guys its good to be back, how did i get it donated?
Well i simply asked like anything presentation is the key i drafted a detailed proposal and documented everything, and i pitched my idea, there are still alot of things to come, i wouldnt say im holding out but stay tuned takes more then just an arcade machine to sway a company

[epicfatigue]

Productive weekend for me,
I had a noticeable amount of damage to one side that needed attending to top and bottom, there was also pitting all around the sides of the machine. I didn’t want to have to laminate the machine with this all around because it would have stood up like dogs balls and not worthy of the time and effort I have put into the machine. So I got out the builders bog and some dressed pine and built a bracket around the machine so I could simply just fill in all the pitting and remake the two sides with large amount of damage. The results speak for themselves looking at it in person you can not tell that it was ever repaired!




Now there is a lot more work to be done on this space but I thought it was time to share it 
I plan to have this machine set up in my pool room. I want it to be able to play music while i am having a game if its not in use.

[Gatsu]

Lookin really good so far.

Got a question for you though. That speaker setup....it looks like alot getting pumped out of one area. Why didn't you put the sub and the 2 "surround" channels at the bottom of the cab? Put 2 speaker holes close to the bottom aimed up or something.

Just curious.

[epicfatigue]

Lookin really good so far.

Got a question for you though. That speaker setup....it looks like alot getting pumped out of one area. Why didn't you put the sub and the 2 "surround" channels at the bottom of the cab? Put 2 speaker holes close to the bottom aimed up or something.

Just curious.

Hey I tried this, it echoed the sound.
The odd thing is, having it configured like this        LF LR CENTER RR RF
It actually sounds like surround up close and from a distance so thats what i went with

[epicfatigue]

Well got alittle done to night.

Lined up all the holes to where i wanted them and drilled away.
Man yellow tongue flooring is bloody hard to drill, least i know the additional parts i made for the cabinet should last just as long as the rest of the machine.
Tomorrow night i hope to rout out the joysticks what fun that will be!
Time to hit the hay!

[BadMouth]

You do some very strange things.
But you do them so well and have executed the technical aspects of your cab so well that I question nothing. 

[epicfatigue]

You do some very strange things.
But you do them so well and have executed the technical aspects of your cab so well that I question nothing. 

Ahaha thanks mate, im sure your wondering what the hell thats all about, theres something going there but i havent made it yet all in good time /.




Well routed out the joysticks and tested out the layout.
Felt awesome!

[epicfatigue]

Knew i was forgetting something, forgot to allow for the auto switching motor controls, so i pulled it all back apart and routed it out,.

[epicfatigue]

A Quick dry run of cable management before i laminate the control panel and install the perspex

 

[epicfatigue]

Sorry for my absence i have been sorting out a few things of late,

But i would like to present one of the projects news sponsors LAMPTRON

for providing us with the most powerful fan controller on the market, that will be able to control all of the fans used in this project.

Lamptron CF525 - No Frills, Just Power

[epicfatigue]

So i finally got time to sit down and start to strip the machine to get it ready to a state where i could run cables, fill in holes and paint etc and look over the work i had been slowly chipping away at.

And then i cracked the shits and scrapped all the work i was unhappy with.
I wasnt myself when i was working on it with little time rushing this rushing that so i tossed it all out and started again.

So i pretty much spent the weekend fitting everything i was unhappy with, and i am glad i did it inspired me to get involved again.
Every shelf is exact now, every level is withing 1 mm and everything looks perfect, i have also changed my design somewhat and i will share that with you as it progresses.

Here are some photos of how it all traveled.





Then i cracked the shits

[scream1973]

This thing is awesome.. can't wait to see what other bells and whistles you end up putting in there

[epicfatigue]

And finally got time to get in a days work into the arcade machine,

First thing i did was rip to back off lol, didn't like the idea of having a separate plate to access things if something went wrong, so i decided to make it one large door with 180deg hinges with magnetic locks, and it works perfectly i am going to include a arcade lock as-well yo stop kiddies from exploring the world of High Voltage.

Now, i have never really spoken how the airflow works in this machine, and thats mostly because i am way to lazy and im sure not matter how much detail i went into a picture would tell a thousand words.

The idea is the bottom is its broken into two sections, 2 fans as intake to cool power supply's and transformer circuits that control a number of things in the arcade machine, all with fuses accessible from the front panel, at the other end is PVC pipe wich directs the air up to the top level.

The next Level has a slide out draw that hols the computer system, this is so if it needs to be replaced repaired or god knows what it comes out with one connector and slides out .

Above this (not shown) Is a glass panel, one of these will also be in the back of the door so the system will be visible from the back.
Like the lower level there are two pipes that divert this air to the top of the machine.

At the top of the machine there is a angled bit of wood which diverts the air to the exhaust, here there will be a filter that is removable and accessible from the front for easy cleaning, the whole unit is air tight no leaks so the air flow is well its strong trust me!

All fans are powered by the controller located in the coin box, so you can either have positive or negative air flow as the design is symmetrical!

The control panel folds open nicely using the same 180deg hinges.

I completely gutted where the monitor originally sat as the wood was old and hammered, so i cut out all new bits with angels the pictures do not do it justice it is very neat and looks amazing, it was very fun making the unit Air Tight.

The monitor has been risen and set back more then it was originally to make the control panel have a much nicer feel, and the machine itself is solid as a rock, i used yellow tongue flooring 19mm thick, this thing will last a life time.

I am at the stage of creating all custom PCBs which will act as connectors for all the wringing to make everything neat and modular for servicing because i would like this thing to be easy to work on and last a life time.

Once i finish this i will install the motor control unit and 1 other little surprise i have stored away

Picture overload incoming.

[TopJimmyCooks]

Needs more fans.

[epicfatigue]

Needs more fans.

I have more lol and there are more going in lol

[emphatic]

Very nice rotate mechanism!

[BGoulette]

Needs more fans.

Yeah, with a handful more, you might be able to get this thing to hover via ground effect! In all seriousness though, looks like you've thought through just about everything! Will the fan noise be too distracting, though? Or will the audio be so much louder no one will care?

[epicfatigue]

Today was a very sad day for this project.
My 20inch WG K7000 has a bad gun, with combined with the slight screen burn in made me just throw it in the bin.

Sadily the rotating system will not be happening now, as i do not have another 20inch however i did manage to score a non working nanao ms8-29 dual sync
This baby was fully original, and had a thick coat of dust/mud yuck!

I fully restored the chasis, dismantled all the transformers, and line filters and hand cleaned them, then removed all the components and scrubbed to PCB down.

Recapped the machine then put it all back together and man what a picture this baby spits out!, i will have to take another photo of the chasis i forgot to take one after the full recap!

Funny thing is this monitor with the sides cut off is actually larger then my other monitor rotated to the correct position go figure!?

The hard thing was i now need to redesign the back as this monitor is so large that it touches the back where the fans were located so back to the drawing board there.

[epicfatigue]

Sorry guys i had abit of a break there for awhile but i am back with some updates.

First thing i removed the stereo... Duno what went on there for a little but that idea is gone.

So with that a replacement top was created.

I ran my 240 down the bottom.
The only thing missing from this photo is the isolation transformer.
The power connector is not power input that is the door point (Will see this later) i have 2 25v 2200uf Saxon caps for my 24v PSU 11amp for the namco recoil guns, they will provide a nice clean kick.

This layer has 2 corsair fans intake for cooling.






Then we have layer one the PC Wind tunnel, this layer has 4 corsair fans
and the pc All cables are hidden through holes, the corsair water cooler is not installed just yet, as i am working out mounting for HDD and cooler.





Then there is the top layer, The top layer mounts the nanao chasis, and acts as the junction point and exhaust for all the corsair fans, this way it has added cooling to the Monitor chassis. As the Nanao has a habit of running hot on the horizontal output section.

however directly below i have installed a anti slam soft close (love this thing) slide.

The purpose for this is there is a key directly above it, when turning the key it isolates the mame PC from the arcade and you can plug Jamma boards into it and mount them to the slide out draw! This way i can play original games without a fus.





I then did the front step just to see what it would look like put some of the tmolding on.

[makeao]

Will you keep with the project? You're like a god!!

[reptileink]

I've never been more repulsed and impressed in my life. 

I admire the handiwork here, and am blown away by the amount of work done, but I can't help but cringe inside when each bling component is added. As they say, "it's your machine", and this thing will be a force to be reckoned with for sure when finished.

[harveybirdman]

This one lost me with the scrapping of the rotating CRT.  It was easier to overlook the silly amount of fans, speakers in the marquee, 8 LED buttons, etc. when he was pulling off the unicorn of a CRT rotating multi.

[stigzler]

It was easier to overlook....when he was pulling off the unicorn.....

Man, that's some specialist s**t right there...

[bimm25e]

So in the diagram, the "micro switch trigger" in the mid-left of the page, is that a second switch attached to your trigger? Could I run an opto-isolator off of an area 51 arcade board's gun trigger circuit?
(say, this one amybe: http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Fairchild-Semiconductor/MCT9001/?qs=VnWRSnLxLU04MTtRhIe%252bQA%3D%3D&gclid=CNaR16yRk9MCFdWIswodCOIKcA )

And the moment alot of you have been waiting for.

Its a very simple circuit, this is just for rapid fire,
When the SPDT switch is on rapid fire will be active, the recoil will act as normal.