Main > Driving & Racing Cabinets
Adding Race Leader lights - advice needed
jorgenjl2:
--- Quote from: buttersoft on December 17, 2022, 05:16:05 am ---Possibly not the best forum for this; feel free to move...
I'd love to add Race Leader lights to my side by side driving setups but i have no idea where to start. The few youtube tutorials i've seen appear to jump spectacularly into the middle and thus make no sense to me. I'd like to be able to use one of the five-dollar arduino micros i have to do the job. Surely i don't need something like an LED Blinky or LEDwiz, right?
Any good guides to starting from scratch? As in, i have a MAME cab, it has no outputs set up and i have bought no hardware related to that. I'm aware that Howard's awesome MAMEhooker exists, but that's it. I have no idea how to set up anything.
--- End quote ---
I have thought about doing this to my twin San Franciso Rush cab build so the race leader lights up for whoever is in first (or leader of the two racers if not a ton of code). What device are you using to light up though? Short of buying an old Rush light or a Daytona USA topper with race leader lights on it, are you seeing anything you can purchase that will light up like those? I am guessing this applies to people who have old racing cabinets and not modded from scratch ones?
PL1:
--- Quote from: jorgenjl2 on January 25, 2023, 03:51:39 pm ---
--- Quote from: buttersoft on December 17, 2022, 05:16:05 am ---i have a MAME cab
--- End quote ---
What device are you using to light up though?
--- End quote ---
As mentioned earflier, he's using an Arduino.
--- Quote from: jorgenjl2 on January 25, 2023, 03:51:39 pm ---Short of buying an old Rush light or a Daytona USA topper with race leader lights on it, are you seeing anything you can purchase that will light up like those? I am guessing this applies to people who have old racing cabinets and not modded from scratch ones?
--- End quote ---
This brings up the question of whether this can be done on original PCB systems.
For systems using emulation, the preferred approach is the one Buttersoft is using: emulator ==> outputs ==> MAMEhooker ==> Arduino/controller ==> lights.
Disclaimer: I haven't looked at availability/pricing of original leaderboards or if repros are available, so you might want to check that before diving into the processes described below. :dunno
If you want to create a leaderboard for original PCB systems from scratch, you would need to find the outputs from the original PCB.
- For example, see step 1 of reply 7 above where I link to the "race leader" lamps in the Daytona schematic.
Those outputs will likely work in one of four ways:
1. The output is designed to directly drive the lamp.
- No need for more power or logic handling, just connect the lamp. ;D.
- According to the schematics, Daytona is like this.
2. The output is designed to directly control the lamp.
- Needs more power but no logic handling.
- Add a driver circuit (MOSFET? Relay?) and connect the lamp.
3. The output is designed to work with an external logic PCB to control the lamp.
- Probably needs more power and logic handling.
- You'll need to safely connect those PCB outputs to an Arduino.
- Write a sketch to translate those PCB outputs into light outputs.
- Use some sort of driver to power those light outputs since the lamps will almost certainly draw more current than the Arduino can provide.
4. The outputs are on a data bus.
- You're on your own, son. [/Blazing Saddles] :lol
Scott
jorgenjl2:
--- Quote from: PL1 on January 25, 2023, 05:13:07 pm ---What device are you using to light up though?
As mentioned earflier, he's using an Arduino.
--- End quote ---
I don't mean what is he using to process the code to light up the device, I mean what is the target device that is being lit up that looks nice and says "Leader". IE a Dayton USA topper with race leader, an oem SF Rush "Leader" below marquee light, etc. I cannot find a single example of a pre-built aftermarket product that adds "Leader" type light boxes or even someone who custom built one. If I missed any please do let me know where you have seen them as this has a lot of potential. I may have to make a light box myself with a custom marquee type print I guess. I checked eBay real quick and I see nothing at all whether aftermarket or original arcade leaderboard lights.
jorgenjl2:
This just gave me an idea... I could have an extra green led bulb in the marquee of each cab and when that racer is in 1st, it turns on the green led bulb so the marquee turns green. I just have no clue if a green led bulb would look right and shine brightly on a regular marquee. Of course it would not say "Leader" either.
PL1:
--- Quote from: jorgenjl2 on January 25, 2023, 10:03:57 pm ---I don't mean what is he using to process the code to light up the device, I mean what is the target device that is being lit up that looks nice and says "Leader".
--- End quote ---
--- Quote from: jorgenjl2 on January 25, 2023, 10:08:44 pm ---I just have no clue if a green led bulb would look right and shine brightly on a regular marquee.
--- End quote ---
I have no idea what specific lamps/LEDs will work with whatever form of leaderboard anyone would want to use. :dunno
- Start with the desired board design and test various lamps/LEDs/dividers to find what looks good.
- Whatever lamps/LEDs look good, choose a way to drive them. Depending on the voltage/current requirements, you might be able to use a MOSFET or a relay.
Scott
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