I'm a JAMMA Dummy, with some specific questions!

[Rick]

Hi Guys,

As many of you know, I'm making affordable arcade and pinball cabinets available to Canada. In the past couple of weeks, I've been working towards different ideas and options for future projects, and I realize I don't know everything I would like to about different arcade options.

For one, JAMMA. I'm the first to admit that I don't know much about it. In regards to my bartop cabinets, I am considering putting together a package which would include an arcade PCB. I'm just going to jump right in here, and provide my questions:

• In looking at JAMMA harnesses, they seem to have standard connections for a number of admin buttons, coin counts, joysticks and player buttons. Are there more than one version of JAMMA harness which would be connected differently, or is JAMMA a "standard"?
• I found this board, "Bad Dudes", which says it's a JAMMA Board. It looks original. Is it, and if so, is it legal to sell a cabinet with it in it?
• I found a JAMMA board that says it accepts a standard PC power supply input (via a molex connector) and outputs to a VGA monitor. If I had a JAMMA PCB, a JAMMA harness wired to joystick/buttons, a PC power supply, and a monitor, is this all I would need to have a functional game?
• In looking at the information regarding video output from the JAMMA harnesses, how do all of the different connections attach? I see a Video red, green, blue, vertical sync and ground, and I have NO CLUE how I would connect a monitor to these. Is there a common connector I'm missing to attach a VGA LCD?
• Do the JAMMA harnesses output a specific resolution I need to be aware of? Do I need to be concerned attaching to a current LCD?

I think that's my 'laundry list' of questions for now. I appreciate the input, thank you!

[ed12]

hi rick
most jama headers come listed to what goes where
ie +5/gnd/+12/1player controls/2nd player controls/coin counter
coin slot 1/2,test/reset/-12/-5 which is never really used anymore >-12/-5<
i do not even think they put the pins in the header any more.
jamma stands for japan-aussment-makers-machine-i do forget what the last a stands for,? but basicly interface..
the outputs are for anlog set's not lcd per-say,but all is not lost there is anlog to digital conveters we can buy to go around this problem
if u need i can easy map 1 out for u,
onto the legal point..that is very very grey..and open for a whole wack of debate.
but bottom line if it is not boot-laged then it has to be the real deal..
ie:its-gamming golden-tee golf/midway etc,basic rules
to follow

ed

[Rick]

onto the legal point..that is very very grey..and open for a whole wack of debate. but bottom line if it is not boot-laged then it has to be the real deal.. ie:its-gamming golden-tee golf/midway etc,basic rules to follow

Thanks. That's the point I failed to make. I'm looking to figure out if I put together the above-mentioned parts, if I can attach a "proper" JAMMA PCB (i.e. hopefully that "Bad Dudes" is original) and sell a retro-themed original.

[emphatic]

• In looking at JAMMA harnesses, they seem to have standard connections for a number of admin buttons, coin counts, joysticks and player buttons. Are there more than one version of JAMMA harness which would be connected differently, or is JAMMA a "standard"?
• I found this board, "Bad Dudes", which says it's a JAMMA Board. It looks original. Is it, and if so, is it legal to sell a cabinet with it in it?
• I found a JAMMA board that says it accepts a standard PC power supply input (via a molex connector) and outputs to a VGA monitor. If I had a JAMMA PCB, a JAMMA harness wired to joystick/buttons, a PC power supply, and a monitor, is this all I would need to have a functional game?
• In looking at the information regarding video output from the JAMMA harnesses, how do all of the different connections attach? I see a Video red, green, blue, vertical sync and ground, and I have NO CLUE how I would connect a monitor to these. Is there a common connector I'm missing to attach a VGA LCD?
• Do the JAMMA harnesses output a specific resolution I need to be aware of? Do I need to be concerned attaching to a current LCD?

I think that's my 'laundry list' of questions for now. I appreciate the input, thank you!

JAMMA is a Japanese Amusement standard (first JAMMA PCB was Rolling Thunder) to make things easier for operators to switch games in the generic cabinets using conversion kits (PCB, artwork, sometimes also special controls) using mono audio, low res RGB video and 3 action buttons per player. When NEO GEO arrived with the fourth button, the standard changed to include a fourth button in the free slot after button 3 for each player (using the JAMMA compatible NEO GEO 1 slot mobos). Of course, there were 4 buttons games before NEO GEO, and AFAIK, they all use the same position on the JAMMA connector.

JAMMA+ is what the industry refers to as games using extra stuff, like rotary joysticks (Heavy Barrel and other SNK games), stereo sound etc.

The video inputs on the JAMMA harness sends RGB, sync and video ground to the monitor, but if you have a PCB with VGA output, you can use a regular D-Sub VGA cable and use a high res monitor instead of an RGBS low res arcade monitor.

And selling a cabinet with a JAMMA PCB (not an emulator based multiboard) shouldn't be breaking any laws unless the PCB or cabinet has been stolen.

[HaRuMaN]

You need:

CGA to VGA converter: http://www.ebay.com/itm/CGA-EGA-YUV-RGB-to-VGA-Arcade-game-video-Converter-Genuine-Gonbes-brand-/231076758421?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35cd3f8395

[opt2not]

Here is my favourite JAMMA hook-up guide, courtesy of therealbobroberts.net.
It's a good starter's guide:  http://therealbobroberts.net/jh.html

[Rick]

And selling a cabinet with a JAMMA PCB (not an emulator based multiboard) shouldn't be breaking any laws unless the PCB or cabinet has been stolen.

That's good to know! (All the other important info was also very much appreciated, but I didn't want to rehash it all here.)

Thanks!

You need:

CGA to VGA converter: http://www.ebay.com/itm/CGA-EGA-YUV-RGB-to-VGA-Arcade-game-video-Converter-Genuine-Gonbes-brand-/231076758421?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35cd3f8395

Hmm. Interesting. Thanks again!

Here is my favourite JAMMA hook-up guide, courtesy of therealbobroberts.net. It's a good starter's guide:  http://therealbobroberts.net/jh.html

Ah, so that's what "Bob Roberts" is famous for. Every so often, I read the name come up. Merci!

[opt2not]

Here is my favourite JAMMA hook-up guide, courtesy of therealbobroberts.net. It's a good starter's guide:  http://therealbobroberts.net/jh.html

Ah, so that's what "Bob Roberts" is famous for. Every so often, I read the name come up. Merci!

You'd do well to peruse some of the bulletin pages there. Lots of very useful information for the arcade hobby. Obviously most of it is geared towards non-Mame cabinets, but a lot of it is still applicable to the mamer's.