Ultimate IR Lightguns with recoil

[JayBee]

Since it's not very easy to find information online on how to build that type of lightgun, I decided to share the design I came up with, in case it might be useful to anybody else.

The base guns are a Namco Guncon and a Sega Virtua Gun.
Inside of each I first put an Arduino and a DFRobot IR Cam based on SAMCO's design, and then I also included a recoil solenoid along with the DIY control circuit, and Magic Trashman's awesome 3D printed clicky triggers with arcade switches (you can find him on tweeter).
Later I also added a rumble motor in the Virtua Gun handle (used when reloading, shooting offscreen, or changing lightgun mode ), and a foot pedal to the Virtua Gun that I can plug/unplug at will.

Here are some pics (I didn't install the rumble motor nor the foot pedal yet):







I known, the UP of the IR Cam is on the side, that's because DF Robot messed up their last series of IR Cam sensor and all the sensors are tilted on the side 
Also, the cables aren't very clean and there is a lot of hot glue
I figured out the next best thing after 3D print to keep the extra button and the solenoid in place was hotglue. It's especially efficient with the solenoid since the flexibility of hotglue prevent it to move to much or damage anything.

Next time I will upload all the solenoid circuit Schematics and components ref when I finish them, since it was the hardest part to design.

[Zebra]

I've built a bunch of arcade recoil guns and I have converted some for use with a PC and PS2. For the solenoid recoil circuit, I found it was a lot cheaper, quicker and easier to use off the shelf pcbs instead of making them. For example:

For full auto solenoid recoil, you can get these ne555 signal generators off ebay for $5 delivered.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/NE555-Pulse-Frequency-Duty-Cycle-Square-Rectangular-Wave-Signal-Generator-Mo-WK/153603386974?epid=1881291624&hash=item23c379ae5e:g:XU0AAOSwJshc~z9G

I spent more on shipping when I tried to buy parts to make my own.

The ne555 signal generators can be triggered with either a mosfet or a 555 USB trigger relay like this:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/5V-30V-Delay-Relay-Timer-Module-Trigger-Delay-Switch-DIY-Micro-USB-Module-stable/173463895046?hash=item286340fc06:g:VHMAAOSwhO9bbk~c:sc:USPSFirstClass!10530!US!-1

I like to use the USB relay trigger boards because they can take power from any micro USB psu (so it's a use for all those old phone chargers).

This shows them in action with a solenoid:



And the same parts used in a Time Crisis arcade gun (converted to PS2 Guncon 2):



Note how no switch is needed to go between semi and full auto. It just recoils once when you pull the trigger and full auto if you hold it so you can play games like Time Crisis 2 and 3 without having to flick a switch every time you change guns.

[JayBee]

I've built a bunch of arcade recoil guns and I have converted some for use with a PC and PS2. For the solenoid recoil circuit, I found it was a lot cheaper, quicker and easier to use off the shelf pcbs instead of making them. For example:

For full auto solenoid recoil, you can get these ne555 signal generators off ebay for $5 delivered.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/NE555-Pulse-Frequency-Duty-Cycle-Square-Rectangular-Wave-Signal-Generator-Mo-WK/153603386974?epid=1881291624&hash=item23c379ae5e:g:XU0AAOSwJshc~z9G

I spent more on shipping when I tried to buy parts to make my own.

The ne555 signal generators can be triggered with either a mosfet or a 555 USB trigger relay like this:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/5V-30V-Delay-Relay-Timer-Module-Trigger-Delay-Switch-DIY-Micro-USB-Module-stable/173463895046?hash=item286340fc06:g:VHMAAOSwhO9bbk~c:sc:USPSFirstClass!10530!US!-1

I like to use the USB relay trigger boards because they can take power from any micro USB psu (so it's a use for all those old phone chargers).

This shows them in action with a solenoid:

And the same parts used in a Time Crisis arcade gun (converted to PS2 Guncon 2):

Note how no switch is needed to go between semi and full auto. It just recoils once when you pull the trigger and full auto if you hold it so you can play games like Time Crisis 2 and 3 without having to flick a switch every time you change guns.

That's really nice stuff, great job! 
Yes I saw that you can use those ne555 boards, but there are few reasons why I preferred making my own board; it takes far less space (the space in the console guns like mine is very limited), it's cheaper, kind of simpler (it's just a MOSFET with one diode and 2 resistors), and because timings and activation are directly controlled by the arduino, I can fully control its behavior.
For instance with my code if you are aiming off screen, the solenoid won't be triggered, but the gun will vibrate instead (I also have rumble motors now in the guns).
And of course, mine also have the full auto mode getting activated when holding the trigger
Next I will try to make the arduino communicate with the emulators to have a real ingame feedback.

But indeed, if I had real arcade guns with true recoil, I might have considered ne555 boards instead, they would make more sense.
The main goal of those guns is being fully functional and as close as arcade feeling while staying very affordable.
In total, each of those guns with all the hardware inside cost me around 60$, it's only a fraction of what would cost me if I wanted to get real arcade guns 

Edit:
Here you can see it in action:

[Zebra]

If you just want to use an Aimtrak gun with mame, you should look at one of the Aimforce dongles sold by arcadeguns.com

I have one. Their software let's you set up recoil in emulators on a game by game basis. You can set the type of recoil (semi or auto) and you can even set the recoil speed. If the original pcb of one game had faster recoil than another, you can set it up to match.

The only reason I don't use mine is that they only work with aimtraks and the Aimtrak recoil solenoids are not suitable for full auto. It destroyed my aimtrak gun in around three minutes, so make sure to find a suitable arcade solenoid. Their recoil control software is the best I have seen in terms of functionality and ease of use.

[JayBee]

If you just want to use an Aimtrak gun with mame, you should look at one of the Aimforce dongles sold by arcadeguns.com

I have one. Their software let's you set up recoil in emulators on a game by game basis. You can set the type of recoil (semi or auto) and you can even set the recoil speed. If the original pcb of one game had faster recoil than another, you can set it up to match.

The only reason I don't use mine is that they only work with aimtraks and the Aimtrak recoil solenoids are not suitable for full auto. It destroyed my aimtrak gun in around three minutes, so make sure to find a suitable arcade solenoid. Their recoil control software is the best I have seen in terms of functionality and ease of use.

I used my solenoid in full auto mode for hours (playing games like terminator), and they were barely hot.
But there are actually few things that make solenoid overheat: many cheap new solenoids don't have enough lubricants, and have weak spring, making them stuck in very often, which is turn makes them burn out. Adding some ceramic lubricant and a slightly stronger (not too strong) spring usually solves those issues. The second issue is with the solenoids that don't have something to stop the coil from going too far out, making it struggle to get it back in, and so overheat.
Last issue is with the timing, the solenoid should never stay active more than necessary, and have sufficient cool down time. if using it faster than it can handle, it will burn out very fast.
I made sure while writing my arduino code to protect the solenoid from using wrong timings.

The Aimtrak software seems really cool, but for me having a different setting for each game seems a bit useless in most cases, since the solenoid behavior variation won't be that huge.
There is something else I am trying to do that I hope Howard_Casto can help me with: make the games directly send the solenoid instructions to the gun. Like this no need for custom settings, and the gun will behave exactly like in the arcade.
Emulators like Mame seems to be able to read those instructions from games, the challenge is converting them to serial commands for the arduino.

[Ginsonic]

There is something else I am trying to do that I hope Howard_Casto can help me with: make the games directly send the solenoid instructions to the gun. Like this no need for custom settings, and the gun will behave exactly like in the arcade.
Emulators like Mame seems to be able to read those instructions from games, the challenge is converting them to serial commands for the arduino.

Should be no real challenge, please see: http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=159362.0 and http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,159700.0.html

BTW: https://github.com/Boomslangnz/OutputBlaster 

[argonlefou]

But there are actually few things that make solenoid overheat: many cheap new solenoids don't have enough lubricants, and have weak spring, making them stuck in very often, which is turn makes them burn out. Adding some ceramic lubricant and a slightly stronger (not too strong) spring usually solves those issues. The second issue is with the solenoids that don't have something to stop the coil from going too far out, making it struggle to get it back in, and so overheat.

You can add a 3rd (and important parameter) : solenoid power and the current you're sending it.
When using a small solenoid like yours, just big enough to create a rumble and a "click sound" you can allow lower current.

When using an arcade gun shell  like Namco Time Crisis gun, or - like I do - some psx Joltgun/Joytech (call it whatever you want) you NEED to supply higher current to have a more powerfull recoil because the shell has moving parts and the solenoid must be strong enough to move them in a correct way.
Those solenoids are bigger and are not usually made to be used in "machinegun" mode for a long time  because they're heating quite easily

[JayBee]

But there are actually few things that make solenoid overheat: many cheap new solenoids don't have enough lubricants, and have weak spring, making them stuck in very often, which is turn makes them burn out. Adding some ceramic lubricant and a slightly stronger (not too strong) spring usually solves those issues. The second issue is with the solenoids that don't have something to stop the coil from going too far out, making it struggle to get it back in, and so overheat.

You can add a 3rd (and important parameter) : solenoid power and the current you're sending it.
When using a small solenoid like yours, just big enough to create a rumble and a "click sound" you can allow lower current.

When using an arcade gun shell  like Namco Time Crisis gun, or - like I do - some psx Joltgun/Joytech (call it whatever you want) you NEED to supply higher current to have a more powerfull recoil because the shell has moving parts and the solenoid must be strong enough to move them in a correct way.
Those solenoids are bigger and are not usually made to be used in "machinegun" mode for a long time  because they're heating quite easily

Yes you are right, I was just talking about the kind of small models I am using, but arcade type solenoids are a whole different story I imagine
I actually wondered how my solenoid would behave with a higher voltage, the aimtrak seems to be doing it with theirs?

Should be no real challenge, please see: http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=159362.0 and http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,159700.0.html

BTW: https://github.com/Boomslangnz/OutputBlaster 

Thanks for the links, the third one looks really cool! Teknoparrot compatibility would be amazing too.
But it's not as simple as it sound, especially on arduino side, especially since the arduino is already handling the whole aiming system.

[argonlefou]

Yes you are right, I was just talking about the kind of small models I am using, but arcade type solenoids are a whole different story I imagine
I actually wondered how my solenoid would behave with a higher voltage, the aimtrak seems to be doing it with theirs?

I don't know... my Aimtraks were bought OEM without any shell, and I put them inside two psx Joltguns (like these ones )
The original 12V supply was too low and the recoil very limited and too soft. I had to use a 24V laptop power supply so that the recoil can feel as strong as Namco's arcade gun....which means double current, and so heating twice as normal

I had a Time Crisis original cab for a while and althouth the solenoid inside Namco's arcade gun seems really identical (here's a picture) it nativelly used a 24V PSU for the recoil to work. Unfortunatelly I never got any reference for these recoils and they all were covered in black tape so no indication whatsoever

But as you can see, they are way bigger than the one you can put inside an Aimtrak

[Zebra]

I would recommend that anyone looking to make a full auto solenoid recoil gun should either use an arcade solenoid or find one rated for continuous duty. The Aimtrak solenoids are not suitable for it and will not last long. Andy at Ultimarc told me himself and I have direct experience. In full auto, it got hot enough to melt the plastic. My real arcade gun solenoids are barely warm to the touch after a semi -long game. There is nothing you can do with settings to change this fact. Convincing full auto recoil requires 6-10 activations per second which does not allow enough cool down time for momentary solenoids.

The cheapest full auto arcade solenoid I know of is the Terminator Salvation one. It's cheap enough for a Diy project. Those jolt guns are not bad either. I have two. The recoil feels comparable to my Time Crisis 3 arcade guns (but nowhere near the recoil on my fixed guns). You can hear the difference on these videos. That full auto sound is all the solenoid in this vid of my Gen X gun test. You can barely even hear the game's sound fx:



VS my Time Crisis arcade guns:

[JayBee]

I would recommend that anyone looking to make a full auto solenoid recoil gun should either use an arcade solenoid or find one rated for continuous duty. The Aimtrak solenoids are not suitable for it and will not last long. Andy at Ultimarc told me himself and I have direct experience. In full auto, it got hot enough to melt the plastic. My real arcade gun solenoids are barely warm to the touch after a semi -long game. There is nothing you can do with settings to change this fact. Convincing full auto recoil requires 6-10 activations per second which does not allow enough cool down time for momentary solenoids.

The cheapest full auto arcade solenoid I know of is the Terminator Salvation one. It's cheap enough for a Diy project. Those jolt guns are not bad either. I have two. The recoil feels comparable to my Time Crisis 3 arcade guns (but nowhere near the recoil on my fixed guns). You can hear the difference on these videos. That full auto sound is all the solenoid in this vid of my Gen X gun test. You can barely even hear the game's sound fx:



VS my Time Crisis arcade guns:

It doesn't really "require" 6-10 activations per second, it's just a matter of taste. Mine do 4~5 activations per second, they feel great, and they are clearly not heating the way you say.
Also, as I say before, I believe the Amtrak is using 48v instead of 24v to make the solenoid stronger, which makes sense since putting this higher voltage shouldn't damage it as long as it doesn't stay active long. Rumble motors also use the same principle.
But full auto at twice the voltage with not enough cool down time is clearly a big problem.

[Ginsonic]

But it's not as simple as it sound, especially on arduino side, especially since the arduino is already handling the whole aiming system.

Yes, of course, but serial transactions and port switches are not so demanding, worth a try IMHO.
And BTW there are Teensy devices as well With ONE Teensy 3.6 I am able to manage all feedback devices, multiple WS2812 matrices, all buttons and analog nudging and plunger logic real time in my Pinball cabinet!

Also, as I say before, I believe the Amtrak is using 48v instead of 24v to make the solenoid stronger, which makes sense since putting this higher voltage shouldn't damage it as long as it doesn't stay active long.

Recommended voltage for Aimtrak is 36V. I operate mine with 24V and the solenoids get hot too (I modified them with Arduino Micros for permanent fire), so they are not ideal for fast recoil actions...

[Zebra]

I tried my aimtrak solenoid with 24v 3a and 36v 3a. There is a noticeable difference in force but I wouldn't use either for full auto. It gets hot either way. It's the wrong type of solenoid. If you play full auto only games like alien 3 or op thunderbolt it won't take long to break it. That's not to say it won't work for a while. Any solenoid can last for a period of time. Those guns are just too expensive to risk so pointlessly like that imo.

It doesn't take much money or effort to put the aimtrak electronics in an arcade gun shell with a suitable solenoid. And it's well worth it IMO. It's makes for a fun project and there is a lot of old arcade guns that need rescuing out there.

My preference for full auto only games is to use arcade guns with a recoil motor instead of a solenoid. I converted an old Konami Terraburst recoil rifle to Guncon 2 to play Crisis Zone. The recoil feels awesome and it's way easier to set up too. You can literally feel the gun shake back and forward:



The motor pushes and pulls a plunger with a brass knocker on the end to create linear motion like a solenoid but with much greater force. This is the mechanism:




I keep an eye on ebay for deals on old Crisis Zone and Op Wolf arcade guns as they also have excellent recoil motors.

[JayBee]

Those guns are just too expensive to risk so pointlessly like that imo.

What do you mean expensive? The base guns I used (guncon and Virtua gun) cost me something like 3$ each, I just added a 10$ solenoid and the rest of my diy hardware inside each of them

Your guns sure look really cool and way more reliable than mine, but again doing an accurate arcade gun was not my goal, I wanted to do the most cost effective gun instead, for occasional gamers like me. A sort of DIY and cheaper alternative to the aimtrak. I never tried to compete with real arcade guns/recoil system

[JayBee]

Yes, of course, but serial transactions and port switches are not so demanding, worth a try IMHO.
And BTW there are Teensy devices as well With ONE Teensy 3.6 I am able to manage all feedback devices, multiple WS2812 matrices, all buttons and analog nudging and plunger logic real time in my Pinball cabinet!

Yes I will sure try to make it work, it would be a perfect addition to my 4 led system   
Main problem I get now is not even with the Arduino but with mamehooker, which doesn't seem to see any command from any emulator. I saw few other people having the issue with Win10 x64 too, I wonder if it's just some incompatibility.

Recommended voltage for Aimtrak is 36V. I operate mine with 24V and the solenoids get hot too (I modified them with Arduino Micros for permanent fire), so they are not ideal for fast recoil actions...

Yes sorry, 36v, not 48. I was actually thinking of finding a temperature sensor for Arduino to change the solenoids speed or switch them off whenever they get too hot, it would increase the life and allow me to test more about the actual temp they get.

[Zebra]

Those guns are just too expensive to risk so pointlessly like that imo.

What do you mean expensive? The base guns I used (guncon and Virtua gun) cost me something like 3$ each, I just added a 10$ solenoid and the rest of my diy hardware inside each of them

Your guns sure look really cool and way more reliable than mine, but again doing an accurate arcade gun was not my goal, I wanted to do the most cost effective gun instead, for occasional gamers like me. A sort of DIY and cheaper alternative to the aimtrak. I never tried to compete with real arcade guns/recoil system

I was talking about the Aimtrak guns. Their recoil guns sell for around $120. With smart and patient shopping, it's possible to put an Aimtrak module inside a real arcade gun with a proper recoil solenoid for less. And it would be one that will last.

For me, this is about creating an arcade-like experience at home. I never had great experiences when I tried to cheap out on recoil guns (and believe me, I tried). When it comes to light guns It's best to do it right, do it once, or it will never be fun to use.

If it's going to be a diy project anyway, then why limit yourself to using that Aimtrak / guncon 1 style shell? There are plenty of cheap arcade gun shells and airsoft guns on ebay that would look better and also have enough room to fit a quality solenoid.

One of the guys on this forum did a particularly excellent job converting an old airsoft mini Uzi to a mame gun. It's worth looking up the thread if you haven't seen it.

[JayBee]

Those guns are just too expensive to risk so pointlessly like that imo.

What do you mean expensive? The base guns I used (guncon and Virtua gun) cost me something like 3$ each, I just added a 10$ solenoid and the rest of my diy hardware inside each of them

Your guns sure look really cool and way more reliable than mine, but again doing an accurate arcade gun was not my goal, I wanted to do the most cost effective gun instead, for occasional gamers like me. A sort of DIY and cheaper alternative to the aimtrak. I never tried to compete with real arcade guns/recoil system

I was talking about the Aimtrak guns. Their recoil guns sell for around $120. With smart and patient shopping, it's possible to put an Aimtrak module inside a real arcade gun with a proper recoil solenoid for less. And it would be one that will last.

For me, this is about creating an arcade-like experience at home. I never had great experiences when I tried to cheap out on recoil guns (and believe me, I tried). When it comes to light guns It's best to do it right, do it once, or it will never be fun to use.

If it's going to be a diy project anyway, then why limit yourself to using that Aimtrak / guncon 1 style shell? There are plenty of cheap arcade gun shells and airsoft guns on ebay that would look better and also have enough room to fit a quality solenoid.

One of the guys on this forum did a particularly excellent job converting an old airsoft mini Uzi to a mame gun. It's worth looking up the thread if you haven't seen it.

I do understand your point in trying to make a really good gun that will be worth it in the long run.
But I already have a great experience with my current guns, I don't see any point of putting hundreds in a full arcade gun that I won't be using that much, I don't have the money for that. Plus I have a tiny Japanese apartment, I need tiny devices (that aren't too noisy for the neighbors too). So the diy guns fit perfectly.
It's just a matter of taste.
And the reasons why I am not using an airsoft gun are multiple. First, I don't think I can fit the IR camera in those, the cannon isn't big enough. Second, the don't get secondary buttons or anything of that sort I can use, which would be a pain in many games. Third, even cheap they are again way more expensive than my 3$ plastic guns. Fourth, I would need to modify the inside heavily to adapt them, and I don't have the tool for that. If I have to buy the tools and all, I'm better off buying real arcade gun hardware.
Another reason why I want keep this project DIY is that my 4 LEDs system is far better than the Aimtrak (auto calibration, better accuracy), and allow me to program exactly what behavior I want from my gun. And it's very fun to program too 

[Ginsonic]

Main problem I get now is not even with the Arduino but with mamehooker, which doesn't seem to see any command from any emulator. I saw few other people having the issue with Win10 x64 too, I wonder if it's just some incompatibility.

Mamehooker is a little diva, but for me it works flawlessly under Windows10 x64, I will check my installation, maybe I can help. Any error message? Try to start with MAME, SET MAME's output system to Windows (important!, please see http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,151464.0.html) and start e.g. Qbert, since this one has a knocker output.

[Howard_Casto]

My current pc is win 10x64, so nope, that's not the problem. 

[Zebra]

Those guns are just too expensive to risk so pointlessly like that imo.

What do you mean expensive? The base guns I used (guncon and Virtua gun) cost me something like 3$ each, I just added a 10$ solenoid and the rest of my diy hardware inside each of them

Your guns sure look really cool and way more reliable than mine, but again doing an accurate arcade gun was not my goal, I wanted to do the most cost effective gun instead, for occasional gamers like me. A sort of DIY and cheaper alternative to the aimtrak. I never tried to compete with real arcade guns/recoil system

I was talking about the Aimtrak guns. Their recoil guns sell for around $120. With smart and patient shopping, it's possible to put an Aimtrak module inside a real arcade gun with a proper recoil solenoid for less. And it would be one that will last.

For me, this is about creating an arcade-like experience at home. I never had great experiences when I tried to cheap out on recoil guns (and believe me, I tried). When it comes to light guns It's best to do it right, do it once, or it will never be fun to use.

If it's going to be a diy project anyway, then why limit yourself to using that Aimtrak / guncon 1 style shell? There are plenty of cheap arcade gun shells and airsoft guns on ebay that would look better and also have enough room to fit a quality solenoid.

One of the guys on this forum did a particularly excellent job converting an old airsoft mini Uzi to a mame gun. It's worth looking up the thread if you haven't seen it.

I do understand your point in trying to make a really good gun that will be worth it in the long run.
But I already have a great experience with my current guns, I don't see any point of putting hundreds in a full arcade gun that I won't be using that much, I don't have the money for that. Plus I have a tiny Japanese apartment, I need tiny devices (that aren't too noisy for the neighbors too). So the diy guns fit perfectly.
It's just a matter of taste.
And the reasons why I am not using an airsoft gun are multiple. First, I don't think I can fit the IR camera in those, the cannon isn't big enough. Second, the don't get secondary buttons or anything of that sort I can use, which would be a pain in many games. Third, even cheap they are again way more expensive than my 3$ plastic guns. Fourth, I would need to modify the inside heavily to adapt them, and I don't have the tool for that. If I have to buy the tools and all, I'm better off buying real arcade gun hardware.
Another reason why I want keep this project DIY is that my 4 LEDs system is far better than the Aimtrak (auto calibration, better accuracy), and allow me to program exactly what behavior I want from my gun. And it's very fun to program too 

I didn't know you were in Japan. I always imagined that there would be an abundance of low cost arcade peripherals over there as I keep reading about how the arcade industry is still thriving there while it just died on the vine here. I guess not.

Either way, I'd get saving because once you start with arcade recoil guns, it's seemingly impossible to just stop at one. And, the project is at least as much fun as using the finished product. You're going to have to design a kitchen table that converts into a fixed arcade control panel to deal with the space limitations in that Tokyo apartment etc.

[champrt78]

Zebra, was reading your posts and am inspired.

 am thinking of  modifying my Aimtrak , (or using some aimtrak guts) to an old Arcade gun to achieve full auto with realistic recoil.  What would you suggest?

My plan was finding a suitable arcade gun with recoil ( I think you suggested Terraburst) and adding Aimtrak guts? Then maybe using the Aimforce dongle from arcade guns.com  ?