Newbie wanting to add pi to pandora box arcade

[Wb72]

My first build of a jamma bartop arcade.  I want to add RetroPi and us pe the existing buttons.

Is it as easy as splicimg the control wiring from the USB contoller to the buttons on the arcade? As well as the ground.  I was thinking it should be that easy, but i could be wrong. 

The jamma is going to a monitor via VGA

Pi will run to monitor via HDMI

I would power off the pi when not in use.  Will the pandora box need to be powered off if not being used? What is the best way to do that?

[Titchgamer]

Think you better put up some pics and tess us exactly what you want to do here.

Do you want to replace the pandora? Or do you want to run the pandora and the pi?

[Malenko]

just go to jammaplus and download openpandora ; it runs retroarch and everything the pi does at about the same performance.

[paigeoliver]

I don't think the Pandora's Box bootleg arcade game is the same thing as the Pandora console.

[Wb72]

Think you better put up some pics and tess us exactly what you want to do here.

Do you want to replace the pandora? Or do you want to run the pandora and the pi?

I will take a few pics and post them. But I am looking to be able to choose which device I play when they are housed in the same bartop cabinet.

[Wb72]

just go to jammaplus and download openpandora ; it runs retroarch and everything the pi does at about the same performance.

I’d like to check that out.  I may need more direction to obtain it.  I have only been able to find the handheld game with the same name.  Can you post a link for me?

[Malenko]

I don't think the Pandora's Box bootleg arcade game is the same thing as the Pandora console.

Its the exact same Allwinner A13 Arm Cortex A8 processor powered board but without a JAMMA edge connector. Unless there's a different Pandora "console" than the "arcade in a  box" they sell (all over ebay for example)
If you mean the Pandora handheld that came out after the GP2X and before the DragonBox, they have nothing to do with OpenPandora. Open Pandora is for the Pandora's Box 4 arcade bootleg board. It also works some 3 and 5 boards.

I’d like to check that out.  I may need more direction to obtain it.  I have only been able to find the handheld game with the same name.  Can you post a link for me?

http://www.jammaplus.co.uk/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=86191&title=openpb4-project

[Wb72]

My main question is still that I want to chose my platform.  These pics show my idea, but not sure if it will work. 
Connect the control wires from both pandora box as well as pi (imagine these wires soldered before attaching to the connector). Also grounds and other wires would be connected as well, this pic is for clarity.

If this will work for the control, will I need to power down the platform I am not using?

[Mike A]

Once the Pi is in, why do you need the Pandora?

[Malenko]

Once the Pi is in, why do you need the Pandora?

That was kind of my point too. The Pandora and the Pi can both run RetroArch with the plug ins and all the same games. Its like wiring up a region modded super famicom and a region modded SNES; they'd play the same things.

[Wb72]

Once the Pi is in, why do you need the Pandora?

That was kind of my point too. The Pandora and the Pi can both run RetroArch with the plug ins and all the same games. Its like wiring up a region modded super famicom and a region modded SNES; they'd play the same things.

I guess I wanted to hook them up because I have them both. The bartop has the PB in it already. Adding the pi would give me flexibility with the image I have in it (daphne) that PB does not have.

Changing the pi for what games are installed would take time that I would prefer not to do.

In the future, I could build up my PI to have all the games I want. Or once I find the perfect image for my style I could remove the PB if I wanted . 

For the time being, is this an option for the wiring?


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[Malenko]

I guess I wanted to hook them up because I have them both. The bartop has the PB in it already. Adding the pi would give me flexibility with the image I have in it (daphne) that PB does not have.

Open Pandora runs all the Daphne games.

Changing the pi for what games are installed would take time that I would prefer not to do. In the future, I could build up my PI to have all the games I want. Or once I find the perfect image for my style I could remove the PB if I wanted . 

You load the OpenPB4 all the games are there and sorted.

For the time being, is this an option for the wiring?

You should never have the wiring active for 2 things at once. You seem to want to use a Pi over the PB, so just wire up the Pi and be done with it. There's no benefit to having both.

[Titchgamer]

I guess I wanted to hook them up because I have them both. The bartop has the PB in it already. Adding the pi would give me flexibility with the image I have in it (daphne) that PB does not have.

Open Pandora runs all the Daphne games.

Changing the pi for what games are installed would take time that I would prefer not to do. In the future, I could build up my PI to have all the games I want. Or once I find the perfect image for my style I could remove the PB if I wanted . 

You load the OpenPB4 all the games are there and sorted.

For the time being, is this an option for the wiring?

You should never have the wiring active for 2 things at once. You seem to want to use a Pi over the PB, so just wire up the Pi and be done with it. There's no benefit to having both.

Totally agree.

If there was some benefit to having both yes you could do it but only 1 system powered at a time.

But in this case just program the pi and have done with it no pissing about.