JAMMA / MAME Switch?

[Spartan]

I have a question that I can't seem to find the answer to.

I have a near-mint NBA JAM Extreme 4 player cabinet in my basement.  It is currently running the original NBA JAM PCB, and I've always had the idea that someday I would MAME it.  Well, time has gone by, and I finally have enogh computer parts laying around to actually pull it off.  However, the last thing I want to do, is to lose access to my JAMMA boards....

So, my question is, has anyone developed a kind of switch that would allow you to change from one source to another?  I would like a kind of hardware switch to change from my JAMMA PCB to my computer running MAME.

At minimum, I would want it to support 2 JAMMA inputs (one from my PCB, the other from a JPAC), although more inputs would be cooler. Does such a beast exist?

[Sephroth57]

im wondering the same thing, i have a street fighter 3 thats pretty much mint and its currently not supported in MAME.. would like to be able to switch back and forth, plus then you could always buy a PCB board for a newer game that you know wont be MAMEd for a long time

[Spartan]

im wondering the same thing, i have a street fighter 3 thats pretty much mint and its currently not supported in MAME.. would like to be able to switch back and forth, plus then you could always buy a PCB board for a newer game that you know wont be MAMEd for a long time

Exactly.  I do have a few other boards lying around that I'd like to be able to switch to on the fly.  I could envision a type of "clicky" knob with like 10 or so settings on it that I use to change the inputs.  This knob would just be lying inside of my control panel (which opens from the top) so that I wouldn't have to drill a hole in my cabinet.

[tmasman]

There is such a beast!
I plan on eventually getting one too... (I've got a SFIIce cabinet)...

They are $125 for the main board and 2 JAMMA board connections & $25 for each additional JAMMA board connection... It supports up to 8 boards.  And uses a regular PC Power supply (instead of a typical Arcade power supply... PC PS have more amps I think...)

http://www.multigame.com/jamma.html

Just get the J-PAC for connecting your MAME computer & you're good to go!

Have fun!

[Spartan]

Thanks for the reply on that multijamma.  How does the user interface work?  It says there is a button, so I assume that it just goes from one input to the next?

Unfortunately that price might just scare me away from it.  I will already have to buy a JPAC, and was hoping to get a switching solution for under $50...

[tmasman]

Thanks for the reply on that multijamma.  How does the user interface work?  It says there is a button, so I assume that it just goes from one input to the next?

Unfortunately that price might just scare me away from it.  I will already have to buy a JPAC, and was hoping to get a switching solution for under $50...

It has pins on the main board (to hook up a button where ever you want) to cycle through the available boards...

I'm just doing some future planning... I can't afford it right now either, but I know that I eventually want it.

Just save up... a little here, a little there... Put it in an envelope & don't touch it until you've got enough for it... You know it'll be worth it to just push a buttin & be playing your favorite boards...

No pressure though... (chanting "Do it, Do it, Do it, Do it...")

[PacManFan]

If you don't mind the soldering, you can do this trhough a parallel port switch box available at any CompUSA for like 10$

[SirPoonga]

You don't need the multijamma, it will just make life easier.  So it could be something to save up for in the future.

NBA Jam is JAMMA+, right?  So players 3 and 4 have their own propietary connection.

Well, for the JAMMA part you just need to unplug the JAMMA harness from NBA Jam to the JPAC.  The + part you will probably have to make an inbetween interface.  Like hooking those up to a db25 then swapping the db25 fromt he jpac to NBA Jam.

You will have to power each up seperately then if you don't use the multijamma.

Also for the PC you will want the ArcadeVGA too hook up the monitor to the computer.

[tmasman]

If you don't mind the soldering, you can do this trhough a parallel port switch box available at any CompUSA for like 10$

There are Parallel port switches that handle 54 inputs?
J/K...
But the JAMMA standard is 54 inputs... & it would cost you 1 edge connector for each board & wire & etc & etc...  I suppose you could try & figure something out, but thats a TON of soldering... (at least 54 per board...)

Or is there something that I'm missing? (which is possible, but this is just what I'm seeing from here)

[SirPoonga]

Or is there something that I'm missing? (which is possible, but this is just what I'm seeing from here)

No, you aren't missing anything.  PMF was probably thinking you just need to swap controls.  Nope, you need to swap sound and video also.

[Spartan]

You don't need the multijamma, it will just make life easier.  So it could be something to save up for in the future.

NBA Jam is JAMMA+, right?  So players 3 and 4 have their own propietary connection.

...

Also for the PC you will want the ArcadeVGA too hook up the monitor to the computer.

It's actually more like JAMMA++.  One plus gives you 3rd and 4th player -- the other gives you a fourth button for all players.  

For video I had planned on using my Trident Blade 3D PCI video card the I bought when they were all the rage on this board a few years back...

[PacManFan]

You actually can do it with a DB 25 parallel port switch box if you don't hook up the power and ground lines, the test switches, the cointer counters and lockouts.

-PMF

[SirPoonga]

You don't need the multijamma, it will just make life easier.  So it could be something to save up for in the future.

NBA Jam is JAMMA+, right?  So players 3 and 4 have their own propietary connection.

...

Also for the PC you will want the ArcadeVGA too hook up the monitor to the computer.

It's actually more like JAMMA++.  One plus gives you 3rd and 4th player -- the other gives you a fourth button for all players.  

For video I had planned on using my Trident Blade 3D PCI video card the I bought when they were all the rage on this board a few years back...

Actually JAMMA can handle 4 buttons for two players.  JAMMA leaves open a couple of pins for expansion.  BUT since those pins are left up to the manufacturer on how to use it isn't standard what can use those pins.

[Spartan]

You don't need the multijamma, it will just make life easier.  So it could be something to save up for in the future.

NBA Jam is JAMMA+, right?  So players 3 and 4 have their own propietary connection.

...

Also for the PC you will want the ArcadeVGA too hook up the monitor to the computer.

It's actually more like JAMMA++.  One plus gives you 3rd and 4th player -- the other gives you a fourth button for all players.  

For video I had planned on using my Trident Blade 3D PCI video card the I bought when they were all the rage on this board a few years back...

Actually JAMMA can handle 4 buttons for two players.  JAMMA leaves open a couple of pins for expansion.  BUT since those pins are left up to the manufacturer on how to use it isn't standard what can use those pins.

Ah -- ok, I thought the JAMMA standard was 3 buttons for 2 players, max.

[SirPoonga]

There's 4 extra pins.
On line 11 i believe that is not a pin.  It's an open notch on hte connector so you can't plug it in backwards.

http://www.arcadenirvana.com/arcadenirvana/documentation/jammapinout.htm

[paigeoliver]

Also, do not forget that your switching power supply MUST have a load present. Either it has to turn off when you switch to the Mame, or it needs to continue to power the PCB.