AimTrak Recoil - Solutions for combing recoil power cable and USB cable?

[sofakng]

How are you guys wiring the AimTrak Guns with the recoil power cable?

The AimTrak Recoil kit requires a USB cable and a seperate power cable for the recoil solenoid.  Instead of running two cables from the arcade machine to the light gun, I was hoping to use a single cable.  I was thinking about a 6 conductor cable, using 4 wires for USB and 2 wires for the recoil power.

Has anybody done this?  If so, what cables did you use?

...or are most of you guys just running two cables to the light gun?

[sofakng]

It looks like it might be too difficult finding a 6-conductor cable that will work for this.

However, the cable sleeves at www.cableorganizer.com look good and I might go that approach.  I'd still be interested if anybody did find a 6-conductor cable that supports the voltage/current for the recoil and usb though.

[8BitMonk]

I ran the two cables since they aren't terribly bulky and I didn't want the extra hassle.

I ended up wire tie'ing mine and then using strips of Gorilla tape to cover the entire length of the outside of the cables. I went that route since I couldn't find any cable sleeves that weren't big, bulky, inflexible or cheesy looking. I'm so-so on the end result, the Gorilla tape is basically a glossy black duct tape and since I did it in strips it has a sort of serpentine look to it and is fairly flexible. Not sure if the wire ties under the tape were entirely necessary but it helped while i was doing the taping.

If I could have found a good sleeve solution I might have went that route but nothing I found was great.

[eds1275]

How are you guys wiring the AimTrak Guns with the recoil power cable?

The AimTrak Recoil kit requires a USB cable and a seperate power cable for the recoil solenoid.  Instead of running two cables from the arcade machine to the light gun, I was hoping to use a single cable.  I was thinking about a 6 conductor cable, using 4 wires for USB and 2 wires for the recoil power.

Has anybody done this?  If so, what cables did you use?

...or are most of you guys just running two cables to the light gun?

What gauge do you need for the solenoid? tube microphones often use 6 or 7 conductor wires and some of them are for power. Might try looking into something like this if it can handle the voltage:

http://info.sommercable.com/2__produkte/2__030_meterware/2__200_0186.html

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/accessories/sterling-audio-stec7-7-pin-xlr-cable

That one on musiciansfriend is on sale and you could just hack the ends off. Doesn't specify, but I imagine it's a 20'. Mic cables have great flexibility and durability.

[ChanceKJ]

I've been thinking about this a lot lately.  I don't see why 7-Pin XLR, or just bulk cable from an electronic supply store couldn't be used to make a custom USB/Power all in one line for this.

Example:






I've also been researching Cable retractors. Lookg for a simple clean solution to store the cable.



Not sure where this will lead, but If i "pull the trigger" on a couple of these guns i'll make a run at doing this.

[AndyWarne]

I am currently looking at exactly this subject.

I have specced a custom cable with the 2 heavy-duty conductors for the recoil outside of the metallic shield over the USB wires but within the overall sleeve. This would be necessary to avoid interference but we still need to test this in service.

Andy

[ChanceKJ]

Andy, that reaffirms some assumptions I've been making over the last few days based on your apparent eCommerce inventory levels, and the overall consumer viability of the recoil kit.  I've also been trying to spec out cable management solutions for those like me who would want to hide the guns inside the cab (via door or drawer). Problem is, most of these off the shelf cable retractors are in the £110+ price range, each!

I mean, adding that as an option rather than bundled in the base package seems more viable.  Spending £60 on a gun, then £27 for the shells/solenoid, who knows how much for that custom cable, add a £80-100 retractor,  times that by two, then add a power supply to run them both (let's say aprox. another £27).   Add that all up and convert to USD/CAN funds and the number looks quite a bit larger.

I honestly wouldn't mind the ability to have an extra 4 conductors in the USB/Power cable so that one could run an RGB LED signal to the gun. I keep thinking how bad ass it would be if you could light up the side button with a ring of light like the IL pushbuttons Neph and I have in our builds. If not for LEDs then future expansion options.  Maybe I just became overly excited when I read "specced a custom cable"

Wouldn't the ubiquitous ferrite core on each end of the USB section help with interference? 

[PL1]

Wouldn't the ubiquitous ferrite core on each end of the USB section help with interference?

Ferrite cores might help a bit, but the method that Andy described is almost certainly necessary to reduce the interference induced in the USB data wires by the expanding and contracting magnetic field created by the solenoid's high-current pulses.


Scott

[ChanceKJ]

Ahh.

Also more fuel for my theory that:

Scott = more helpful and advanced version of Siri being tested in the wild right under our noses.