Main > Driving & Racing Cabinets
Adding Race Leader lights - advice needed
buttersoft:
Thank you, Scott. I was really using race leader lights as an example, i'm not quite sure how far i'll go. I'm still confused though.
--- Quote from: PL1 on December 18, 2022, 10:01:09 am ---... send a lamp signal via the output system to MAMEHooker.
--- End quote ---
I know that you hook outputs using MAMEhooker (possibly adding Boomslang's output blaster if on TP). I might be able to figure that part out, but i'm confused by how MAMEhooker then sends those signals to an external physical device. Does it have a fixed list of LED controllers? Can it connect to an Arduino or any other microprocessor board?
Google doesn't seem to be helping me, here. As stated, i'd love a woe-to-go example, or at least one that assumes i have MAME or M2emu working, and just want to add lights. I'll give Baritonomarchetto's link a look soon. (I'm actually on hols right now, just thought i'd start the planning :)
Howard_Casto:
Go to my website and follow along with the tutorials.
PL1:
--- Quote from: buttersoft on December 18, 2022, 05:07:01 pm ---i'm confused by how MAMEhooker then sends those signals to an external physical device. Does it have a fixed list of LED controllers? Can it connect to an Arduino or any other microprocessor board?
--- End quote ---
The basic process works something like this for the leader lamps on the Daytona cab marquee:
(LMK if I get something wrong here, Howard.)
1. On the 2 Player cab, there are bulbs behind "Race Leader" on the P1 side and P2 side.
- You can see them in the schematic on page 65 (left side, middle) of the manual here.
- As you can see in this video of the cab in attract mode, the "Race Leader" lamps for each side are independently controlled by the PCB.
2. When MAME emulates Daytona on your PC, it sends status commands to particular variables/RAM addresses(?) via the MAME output system indicating whether the lamps are on or off.
- NOTE: Output system must be set to "windows" in mame.ini.
3. MAMEHooker monitors those variables/RAM addresses(?) to receive those lamp status commands and translate them into USB commands for a supported LED controller (or Arduino with a compatible firmware) to turn a particular channel on/off.
4. The LED controller (or Arduino with a compatible firmware) turns that channel on/off which either lights/extinguishes an LED or energizes/de-energizes a relay that lights/extinguishes a lamp or LED cluster that draws too much current for the controller to provide directly.
Scott
buttersoft:
Much appreciated Scott, and thanks Howard as well, not to mention for the software ;)
I'll dive into this in more depth when i get back from holidays. Hope you guys have a good break too, and i hope you're doing well, Howard!
EDIT: ok, back from holidays, children happy, bank accounts drained, one ear infection recovered from!
I have tested now, and am able to fire the ardunio pins from MAMEhooker grabbing outputs from GroovyMAME 2.50. First hurdle overcome! I'll go on to other emulators and problems from here. Thanks to all, especially baritonomarchetto for that guide, that was great :)
Hope everyone else's holidays were more restful than mine, but just as much fun :)
buttersoft:
Ok, things are moving, but i'm having a few issues. I can hook supermodel, but if i turn on "enable title bar hooking" it names the emulator but not the rom, and uses it's default ini (will MH always find that default.ini? I ask for reasons). With that unchecked, it names the rom just fine. Is that reversed? on another note, should TP ini files go under the last folder used? In this case the MAME folder? Also, i cannot for the life of me hook m2emu. The title bar for example only says "Daytona USA" with no emu name. I've tried adding it as a standalone game, and it finds the game, but there are no outputs listed. Is there a setting in the emu itself i've failed to change, like there is for supermodel outputs?
I might beg and pretty please ask someone with M2emu, Supermodel, and ideally some TP games, to please zip up working mamehooker ini and settings folders and link them? I'd love to check to see if i've missed anything :/
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