Once the wiki is back up and running, I think that it would be a good idea to update CitznFish's
FAQ -- written a decade ago -- and put it in the wiki.
It is currently only available
here via the archive.org Internet Wayback Machine.
Scott
EDIT: Compiling a list of general topics/sub-topics to organize for FAQ.
Will update/rearrange as suggestions are made this thread.
Questions will have basic answers, pics as needed, and links to related wiki entries and/or threads.
1. Cabinet Basics1.a. - Types of cabs
-- Standing -- regular, cabaret, low-boy?, pedestal, showcase?
-- Seated -- candy, cocktail, cockpit, ride-on?
-- Small -- mini, bartop, micro
1.b. - Parts of a cab (diagram)
-- Marquee, retainers, light
-- Speakers
-- Control panel (CP), latches, overlay, player buttons, admin buttons (Coin, Start, Exit, Pause, etc.)
-- Kick panel
-- Coin door
-- Sideart (vinyl, stencil)
-- Power supply
-- Game board/MAME computer
-- Wiring harness
-- Smart strip
-- Leveling feet/casters
-- T-molding
1.c. - What type of build meets my needs? (flowchart?)
-- One approach to the decision making process
here.
-- Start with a gamelist
-- Where do I want to put/use the cab (measure doorways and available space)
-- Should I build a four player setup?
-- What controls should I include?
-- Regular vs. swappable vs. modular panels
-- CP layouts
1.d. - What is the difference between an original arcade cab and a MAME cab?
1.e. - What is JAMMA?
1.f. - What type of wood to use? MDF, Plywood, MDO
1.g. - What tools do I need?
-- Drill
-- Forstner bits, spade bits, holesaw
-- Jigsaw
-- Circular saw / sawboard
-- Tablesaw
-- Router
-- Dremel
-- L-square
2. Controls2.a. - Joysticks
-- 2/4/8-way -- switchable, auto-switch
-- Analog
-- 49-way
2.b. - Buttons
-- 3 terminal buttons (NO, NC, COM)
-- 2 terminal buttons
-- Leaf buttons
2.c. - Trackballs
2.d. - Spinners
2.e. - Other specialized controls (yokes, steering wheels, trigger stick, rotary joysticks, light guns, etc.)
2.f. - USB gamepads/controllers
2.g. - Mounting options -- Mounting plate / top-mount / under-mount / carriage bolts / threaded inserts / support blocks
3. Encoders3.a. - What is an encoder?
3.b. - What ports do they use? (USB, PS/2)
3.c. - What type of encoder(s) do I need? (keyboard, gamepad, optical, combination/hybrid?)
3.d. - How many encoder inputs do I need for my control panel?
4. Basic wiring4.a. - Quick disconnect sizes
4.b. - Soldering
4.c. - Commonly used AWG sizes
5. LED Lighting5.a. - Single color buttons
5.b. - RGB buttons
5.c. - LED controllers
6. Displays (Arcade CRT/Computer CRT/LCD/LED)6.a. - Differences: pros/cons
6.b. - Types of connections (composite, component, arcade, VGA, DVI, HDMI)
6.c. - Input lag (Not response time)
7. Software7.a. - Emulators (MAME, console emulators, pinball, flash games)
7.a.1. - What is an emulator?
A software program that duplicates the hardware, firmware/software, and gameplay of an older game system.
7.a.2. - What is a ROM?
For the original games - Read Only Memory chip(s) on the game board/cartridge that holds the program code for a game/game system.
For emulators - .ZIP file(s) containing a dump of the game/game system code.
7.a.3. - What are the different "flavors" of MAME?
MAME - The command line program that the other variants are based on.
MAME32, MAMEUI, or MAMEUIFX - Graphic User Interface (GUI) versions of MAME.
7.a.4. - Why won't this ROM work with the newer version of that emulator?
The game may not be fully functional yet. (Encryption issues, driver problems, incomplete ROM dumps, etc.)
There may be a more accurate "dump" of that game's ROM used by the newer emulator -- emulator and ROM versions must be compatible.
You may also need other driver files or a .CHD (Compressed Hunks of Data) hard drive image.
7.a.5. - How can I tell if my ROMs and emulator are compatible?
Use your emulator's "Audit" function to check the ROMs.
7.b. - Front end
7.c. - Other useful software (Joy2key, DrVenture's controller remap?, AHK?, mrotate?)
8. Forum tips for asking questions that get good/faster answers:-
Search first, somebody else has probably encountered this problem before -- don't ask people to retype the same old answers to the same old questions.
- Take your time editing the post so it is specific, clear, and easy to read.
- Whenever possible, include decent pics/screencaps/diagrams.
- Include software/OS versions if applicable.
- Include your location when asking about parts/vendors or electrical wiring. (different countries use different wire colors and/or voltages)