Help needed to modify redemption Pop a shot game

[Star69retrocade]

Howdy folks, I’m looking for a tutorial on how to configure my own game using the shell of a “rage in the cage” bball game. I’m basically looking for a way to add an input switch to the hoop and connect it to a touchscreen that has a game to run it with. Thanks very much in advance.


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[PL1]

Howdy folks, I’m looking for a tutorial on how to configure my own game using the shell of a “rage in the cage” bball game. I’m basically looking for a way to add an input switch to the hoop and connect it to a touchscreen that has a game to run it with.

To be clear, is there a USB input where you can connect an encoder or are you trying to hack into the touchscreen sensor?

Assuming USB is used, what type of inputs does the game accept? (keyboard keystrokes, gamepad button presses, etc.)

Related threads:
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,143396.0.html

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,148676.0.html

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,151091.0.html


Scott

[Star69retrocade]

Howdy folks, I’m looking for a tutorial on how to configure my own game using the shell of a “rage in the cage” bball game. I’m basically looking for a way to add an input switch to the hoop and connect it to a touchscreen that has a game to run it with.

To be clear, is there a USB input where you can connect an encoder or are you trying to hack into the touchscreen sensor?

Assuming USB is used, what type of inputs does the game accept? (keyboard keystrokes, gamepad button presses, etc.)

Related threads:
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,143396.0.html

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,148676.0.html

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,151091.0.html


Scott

Hi, I found a program called “free hoops” which was built by a user to customize his skee ball game. I need to understand how I could use a ir sensor/receiver at the net and use that as the input to his game. I have very little experience so would need to know what physical parts to get and how to set it up. Thanks!


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[PL1]

Hi, I found a program called “free hoops” which was built by a user to customize his skee ball game.

I assume that you are referring to the software that thatpurplestuff wrote and posted here, right?

I need to understand how I could use a ir sensor/receiver at the net and use that as the input to his game. I have very little experience so would need to know what physical parts to get and how to set it up.

AFAIK nobody around here has built and documented a simple basketball plug-and-play IR sensor setup that you can easily copy.

You'll need to do some research and design work to build what you describe.
- Some of the skee ball builds in this list used IR sensors.

- Are you using beam break or reflective sensors?
-- Beam break IR LED/sensors like the Adafruit 2167 are easy to wire, work with any active low encoder (IPac, Arduino, etc.), and work with any type of ball, but you need to have the LED and sensor pointing at each other to create the beam that the ball breaks.
-- Reflective sensors don't need the sensor to be opposite the LED, but some skeeball builders have mentioned problems with some balls.

- How will you keep the net from causing false positives when a shot hits the net but doesn't go through the hoop?

If I were to develop something like this from scratch, I would probably design a 3d printed ring/assembly that houses beam break sensors. (a remix of this mount)
- Attach it to the bottom of the net or to the middle of the net more than 1/2 diameter of the ball below the rim to avoid counting a shot that hits the rim and bounces out.
- Build in strain relief for the wires and add some euro terminals on the ring and on the backboard so it's easy to replace wires if/when they break.


Scott

[Star69retrocade]

Hi, I found a program called “free hoops” which was built by a user to customize his skee ball game.

I assume that you are referring to the software that thatpurplestuff wrote and posted here, right?

I need to understand how I could use a ir sensor/receiver at the net and use that as the input to his game. I have very little experience so would need to know what physical parts to get and how to set it up.

AFAIK nobody around here has built and documented a simple basketball plug-and-play IR sensor setup that you can easily copy.

You'll need to do some research and design work to build what you describe.
- Some of the skee ball builds in this list used IR sensors.

- Are you using beam break or reflective sensors?
-- Beam break IR LED/sensors like the Adafruit 2167 are easy to wire, work with any active low encoder (IPac, Arduino, etc.), and work with any type of ball, but you need to have the LED and sensor pointing at each other to create the beam that the ball breaks.
-- Reflective sensors don't need the sensor to be opposite the LED, but some skeeball builders have mentioned problems with some balls.

- How will you keep the net from causing false positives when a shot hits the net but doesn't go through the hoop?

If I were to develop something like this from scratch, I would probably design a 3d printed ring/assembly that houses beam break sensors. (a remix of this mount)
- Attach it to the bottom of the net or to the middle of the net more than 1/2 diameter of the ball below the rim to avoid counting a shot that hits the rim and bounces out.
- Build in strain relief for the wires and add some euro terminals on the ring and on the backboard so it's easy to replace wires if/when they break.


Scott

Thanks so much for the help. Greatly appreciated. Yes I wanted to use that software with the frame and net of a already gutted basketball game. The net has a lever type micro switch I think. I’m not sure how to connect that switch to the computer with the 3 buttons he mentions, and run the program to recognize those inputs. Thanks again


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[PL1]

The net has a lever type micro switch I think.

It would have been nice to mention this particular detail in the original post.     

Forget IR sensors -- use that switch.

If the switch has two tabs, connect one to ground and the other to the encoder input.

If the switch has 3 tabs, two of them were connected.
- Connect ground to Common. (COM)
- Connect the encoder input to Normally Open. (NO)

Wiring details/diagrams in the FAQ found in the wiki. (link in menu bar above)

I’m not sure how to connect that switch to the computer with the 3 buttons he mentions, and run the program to recognize those inputs.

You need a encoder that sends keystrokes like an I-Pac2 or an Arduino running a keyboard sketch/firmware.

When the microswitch lever is pressed, the switch closes, ground is applied to the encoder input, and the encoder outputs the associated keystroke via USB to the computer running the software.

Default buttons:
Up Arrow: Up
Down Arrow: Down
Right Arrow: Start
A: Basket 1 trigger
S: Basket 2 trigger

You'll need pushbuttons for Up, Down, and Right Arrow wired to the encoder to select and start games.

If you use an I-Pac:
- "A" is input "2 SW 1".  (MAME Player 2, Button 1 default)
- "S" is input "2 SW 2".  (MAME Player 2, Button 2 default)
- Arrow keys are the associated P1 joystick inputs.

BTW, some pics of your cab would probably make it easier for forum members to help with further suggestions.


Scott

[Star69retrocade]

The net has a lever type micro switch I think.

It would have been nice to mention this particular detail in the original post.     

Forget IR sensors -- use that switch.

If the switch has two tabs, connect one to ground and the other to the encoder input.

If the switch has 3 tabs, two of them were connected.
- Connect ground to Common. (COM)
- Connect the encoder input to Normally Open. (NO)

Wiring details/diagrams in the FAQ found in the wiki. (link in menu bar above)

I’m not sure how to connect that switch to the computer with the 3 buttons he mentions, and run the program to recognize those inputs.

You need a encoder that sends keystrokes like an I-Pac2 or an Arduino running a keyboard sketch/firmware.

When the microswitch lever is pressed, the switch closes, ground is applied to the encoder input, and the encoder outputs the associated keystroke via USB to the computer running the software.

Default buttons:
Up Arrow: Up
Down Arrow: Down
Right Arrow: Start
A: Basket 1 trigger
S: Basket 2 trigger

You'll need pushbuttons for Up, Down, and Right Arrow wired to the encoder to select and start games.

If you use an I-Pac:
- "A" is input "2 SW 1".  (MAME Player 2, Button 1 default)
- "S" is input "2 SW 2".  (MAME Player 2, Button 2 default)
- Arrow keys are the associated P1 joystick inputs.

BTW, some pics of your cab would probably make it easier for forum members to help with further suggestions.


Scott

Thank you kindly. Here is a pic of the switch located at the bottom of the net.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Star69retrocade]

The net has a lever type micro switch I think.

It would have been nice to mention this particular detail in the original post.     

Forget IR sensors -- use that switch.

If the switch has two tabs, connect one to ground and the other to the encoder input.

If the switch has 3 tabs, two of them were connected.
- Connect ground to Common. (COM)
- Connect the encoder input to Normally Open. (NO)

Wiring details/diagrams in the FAQ found in the wiki. (link in menu bar above)

I’m not sure how to connect that switch to the computer with the 3 buttons he mentions, and run the program to recognize those inputs.

You need a encoder that sends keystrokes like an I-Pac2 or an Arduino running a keyboard sketch/firmware.

When the microswitch lever is pressed, the switch closes, ground is applied to the encoder input, and the encoder outputs the associated keystroke via USB to the computer running the software.

Default buttons:
Up Arrow: Up
Down Arrow: Down
Right Arrow: Start
A: Basket 1 trigger
S: Basket 2 trigger

You'll need pushbuttons for Up, Down, and Right Arrow wired to the encoder to select and start games.

If you use an I-Pac:
- "A" is input "2 SW 1".  (MAME Player 2, Button 1 default)
- "S" is input "2 SW 2".  (MAME Player 2, Button 2 default)
- Arrow keys are the associated P1 joystick inputs.

BTW, some pics of your cab would probably make it easier for forum members to help with further suggestions.


Scott

Thank you kindly. Here is a pic of the switch located at the bottom of the net.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[PL1]

Hope the corrosion visible on the chains isn't also in the switch contacts.   
- You might want to test the switch for continuity with a multimeter.

That first pic does look like the back of a heavy-duty switch -- definitely not a standard microswitch.
- Might take some research, but you can probably find a suitable replacement if it isn't working properly.
- Worst case, you'd have to find a suitable replacement switch and fabricate a mounting bracket.

You should be able to mount some sort of box on that metal framework for the encoder and three arrow key buttons.
- You'll want to protect the wiring so it isn't damaged by a bouncing ball.

Did the video screen come with it?
- What kind of video input does it use?  15 pin VGA?  Yellow RCA Composite?

What kind of computer will you run the "free hoops" software on?
- It will need to connect to the video screen and the USB encoder.


Scott

[Star69retrocade]

Hope the corrosion visible on the chains isn't also in the switch contacts.   
- You might want to test the switch for continuity with a multimeter.

That first pic does look like the back of a heavy-duty switch -- definitely not a standard microswitch.
- Might take some research, but you can probably find a suitable replacement if it isn't working properly.
- Worst case, you'd have to find a suitable replacement switch and fabricate a mounting bracket.

You should be able to mount some sort of box on that metal framework for the encoder and three arrow key buttons.
- You'll want to protect the wiring so it isn't damaged by a bouncing ball.

Did the video screen come with it?
- What kind of video input does it use?  15 pin VGA?  Yellow RCA Composite?

What kind of computer will you run the "free hoops" software on?
- It will need to connect to the video screen and the USB encoder.


Scott

The screen is actually a DMD, the game doesn’t have the original pcb though. I was thinking of taking it out and mounting the new game screen in its place. I have a couple of old laptops with broken screens to run the free hoops software on.
Also, this game originally incorporated a motor that’s still there that moved the basket during game play.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[PL1]

The screen is actually a DMD, the game doesn’t have the original pcb though. I was thinking of taking it out and mounting the new game screen in its place.

Sounds like a plan.   

I have a couple of old laptops with broken screens to run the free hoops software on.

Laptops are usually a bit harder to rig for power on/off than desktop systems, but you should be able to get it to work.

Also, this game originally incorporated a motor that’s still there that moved the basket during game play.

Getting it to work during "free hoops" gameplay will require a fairly advanced skillset since that feature isn't part of the game software.

One approach that might work is adapting Le Chuck's TRON 8-way to 4-way auto-switching AHK script here to command the basket motor.

Add some random number generators (direction and duration) to the script and some limit switches (if they aren't already there) to control the upper and lower limits of the basket motion and you have a nice gameplay upgrade.   

That code is WAY beyond my skillset, but there are those around here that could pull it off.


Scott

[Star69retrocade]

The screen is actually a DMD, the game doesn’t have the original pcb though. I was thinking of taking it out and mounting the new game screen in its place.

Sounds like a plan.   

I have a couple of old laptops with broken screens to run the free hoops software on.

Laptops are usually a bit harder to rig for power on/off than desktop systems, but you should be able to get it to work.

Also, this game originally incorporated a motor that’s still there that moved the basket during game play.

Getting it to work during "free hoops" gameplay will require a fairly advanced skillset since that feature isn't part of the game software.

One approach that might work is adapting Le Chuck's TRON 8-way to 4-way auto-switching AHK script here to command the basket motor.

Add some random number generators (direction and duration) to the script and some limit switches (if they aren't already there) to control the upper and lower limits of the basket motion and you have a nice gameplay upgrade.   

That code is WAY beyond my skillset, but there are those around here that could pull it off.


Scott

Awesome. Thanks again for your help. Cheers


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