Author Topic: Coin Mech (Read 3472 times)

_Dom_ · « **on:** February 02, 2005, 06:19:30 pm »

hi, i am building a cab with a computer in (i have built all my controls) its not a mame cab but since you all have a lot of experince with cabs i thought this was the best place to ask..

the game is a dance machine emulator www.stepmania.com i have built my pads which connect via a ps2 to pc convertor and they work perfectly to a computer running windows xp... all i need now is a way of connecting a coin mech to the pc to "start" the game when a coin is put in at the moment to put a coin in you press f3 would there be a way to press a key when a coin is put in

are there any coin mechs i should use?
thanks for reading this

RoboG2 · « **Reply #1 on:** February 02, 2005, 06:22:41 pm »

All coin mechs are pretty much the same. If you hacked an extra keyboard (look around this website for FAQs), it would be very simple to wire the mech to work off of F3. You would hook it up just like any other key on a keyboard.

_Dom_ · « **Reply #2 on:** February 02, 2005, 06:29:27 pm »

have have bene looking for coin mech guides but i ahve only found coin door guides... i have a friend who works for a uk amusment company but he needs a type of coin mech? any models or comanys

RoboG2 · « **Reply #3 on:** February 02, 2005, 06:50:13 pm »

What do you mean by coin mech guides? The coin mech is part of the coin door and only affects the coin you can put in and whether or not it it the correct coin or not. Get pretty much any coin door you want and get the coin mech for the type of coin yuo want (US quarter, dime, nickel, Canadian coins, etc.).

_Dom_ · « **Reply #4 on:** February 02, 2005, 06:55:56 pm »

sorry im a little confused with it

so you have your coin door which is where you stick your coin in (the slot) and the coin mech checks if its the right one.

what sends the signal to the machine and are there any guides on it?

RoboG2 · « **Reply #5 on:** February 02, 2005, 07:11:21 pm »

The mech hits the microswitch (just like on a joystick or button), which completes the circuit (just like when you hit a key on a keyboard). You can do this by using a hacked keyboard (free- $10) or a keyboard encoder (I think $25- 80), but if you are only going to use just that one key, a keyboard hack is fine. About guides...

Links to keyboard hack guides- http://www.arcadecontrols.com/arcade_input.shtml#KeyboardPort

_Dom_ · « **Reply #6 on:** February 02, 2005, 07:14:54 pm »

do they need to be powered? and any model names? brand names?

RoboG2 · « **Reply #7 on:** February 02, 2005, 07:24:55 pm »

Only the lights need to be powered, which you can hook up to your computer PSU (you might want to use LED lamps instead of the incandescent ones that come with it). The switches do no though. One of, if not the most commonly used coin door is the Happ Over/Under Coin Door. I don't know about others, but the LED lamps found here fit right into the preexisting lamp-holder things: http://superbrightleds.com/1157.htm They will last longer that the incandescent bulbs, do not get as hot, and do not draw as much amperage.

_Dom_ · « **Reply #8 on:** February 02, 2005, 07:30:47 pm »

thank you very much for the help

RoboG2 · « **Reply #9 on:** February 02, 2005, 07:32:34 pm »

Absolutely no problem. Good luck!

_Dom_ · « **Reply #10 on:** March 18, 2005, 07:16:51 pm »

sorry to bump and old thread but im going to recieve my coin mech in a couple of days ..finally got the dediated computer for it but the links on the page above arnt active and im looking to adding the coin mech to the computer via a keyboard interface

thanks a lot

Dom

RayB · « **Reply #11 on:** March 18, 2005, 08:04:26 pm »

Wait till you get the mechs. Everything will be so obvious to you.

WAIT, actually, even WITHOUT the mechs, your coin door should already have the switches!!

_Dom_ · « **Reply #12 on:** March 19, 2005, 02:36:22 am »

i know but i want to link it to a keyboard and the link is dead for how to rip the keyboard apart

redcoats · « **Reply #13 on:** March 19, 2005, 02:59:49 am »

Here you might want to read this. You might change your mind about hacking a keyboard. But it tells you how to go about doing it.

http://www.mameworld.net/emuadvice/keyhack2.html

_Dom_ · « **Reply #14 on:** March 19, 2005, 04:02:34 am »

so what would be an easy...cheap way

of doing this

daywane · « **Reply #15 on:** March 20, 2005, 06:11:28 am »

well... can your emulators f3 (for coin ) be changed?
if so just grab a sidewinder game pad. these are very EZ to hack.
there is holes in them , on the board of the game pad
put a wire in the ground and one to any other hole. solder the 2 wires to your coin switch.

In Mame all you have to do is hit the Tab key on the keyboard and tell the EMU that this switch is now the coin switch.
the game pad can be found for $10.00

about any game pad can be used but the sidewinder is by far the EZest one.
(the old style) not the usb type
or find the oldest keyboard you can find.
one with the large plug ( I forget the name of it ) those are ez to hack also.
be prepaired for a butt load of springs to go all over.
toss them, they are no longer needed.
those style keyboards have solder points that you can just solder to the f3 key.
get the adaptor at radio shack. last time I did this they only sold the adaptor to PS2 in packs of 2

_Dom_ · « **Reply #16 on:** March 22, 2005, 06:02:32 am »

ok its A Cashflow 126 DFx

i have found the manual here

http://www.namco.co.uk/Namco%20new/Page%204/PDF/MARS%20Manuals/126&129_User_Guide.pdf

thanks for all your past advice but now i need your help

how would i power this and what would be the best way without a jpac to connect this to a computer

thanks a lot

Dom

daywane · « **Reply #17 on:** March 22, 2005, 09:03:30 am »

OK... what are we talking about?
Why do you need such a coin mech for?
I am thinking you are the person building a dance machine ( non Mame) ? I will search.
If you are the same person you are over thinking this.
much to complicated type of coin mech

Thenasty · « **Reply #18 on:** March 22, 2005, 09:06:37 am »

he should know how to connect it cause he's got the manual and all

RayB · « **Reply #19 on:** March 22, 2005, 09:08:56 am »

Quote from: _Dom_ on March 22, 2005, 06:02:32 am

how would i power this ...

I'm assuming it would be with electricity.

daywane · « **Reply #20 on:** March 22, 2005, 09:56:05 am »

here is some photos of mine
1ST photo is a PS1 game pad I just took apart for you.
your dance pad is a playsations so just get a adaptor that has 2 or more slots
mine has 4 spaces for 4 playstation pads/

2nd photo a simple midway door with 2 coin mechs. VERY cheep EBAY
(coin mechs are cheep not door )

daywane · « **Reply #21 on:** March 22, 2005, 10:29:56 am »

you only need 1 positive and a ground per switch.
all switches can shre the same ground.
I only added the other positives to show you were you can get more places to solder if you screw one up
the left and right trigers would be best for you.
since they already have solder on them. just tin your wire and solder to the already made joints.
and send that monster of a coin mech back

and buy a simple mech.
can not find one? go to buy/sell/trade at the top mid of your screen.
post you need one. you will have one with in days

_Dom_ · « **Reply #22 on:** March 22, 2005, 11:15:36 am »

ive been tlaking about it on IRC..

im going to connect this to my computer power supply tomomrow when i find my spare one because after looking at it i think i have a pretty good idea how it works

thanks for your help and i will post my results

_Dom_ · « **Reply #23 on:** March 23, 2005, 02:07:26 pm »

ok spent the last hour googling but to no avail... the manual i found was for the cashflow 126 & 129... but it turns out i have the cashflow 126DFx could anyone possibly help me find a manual (it has linked me to the mars international website but its keeping my sessions)..

so i am begging for a Cashflow 126 DFx manual thank you very much

Dominic Liversidge

_Dom_ · « **Reply #24 on:** March 23, 2005, 02:13:33 pm »

also this mech has a terminal port what is the point of this please?

SirPeale · « **Reply #25 on:** March 23, 2005, 02:18:58 pm »

Dom: please try to keep this all in one thread. You've got several on the same subject. I'm going to merge them.

_Dom_ · « **Reply #26 on:** March 23, 2005, 02:21:34 pm »

sorry first time arcade builder here

first challenge
ok spent the last hour googling but to no avail... the manual i found was for the cashflow 126 & 129... but it turns out i have the cashflow 126DFx could anyone possibly help me find a manual (it has linked me to the mars international website but its keeping my sessions)..

so i am begging for a Cashflow 126 DFx manual thank you very much

next question
it also has a terminal point but i can find no documentation for this can someone give details thanks

Dom

Felix T Cat · « **Reply #27 on:** March 23, 2005, 06:23:36 pm »

OK, I'l chime in here.
The CF126 DFX is the same as the manual you found.
"The new Digital Feature extraction (DFx) technology is an innovation in bi-colour coin recognition and will form the basis of secure coin recognition for many years to come."

The pinouts are the same. Now for your next question. The CF126 needs to be powered (12v) and ALSO needs to be programmed for the coins you want to accept. If it is programmed for another country you will have to send it to a service center to be re-programmed.

There are a few output modes on the CF126, the easiest is a Parallel output (also called BCO or binary coded output). Different models have different configurations so without looking at that specific mech I couldn't tell you what coins output on what pins. In the manual it should tell you what pins are the Output A-F. If you apply power (to the 12v in) and get it to accept coins the next step would be to hook up a scope to each of the outputs (a-f) and see which one fires when the coin is accepted.

The other people above are talking about "mechanical" mechs, not electrical which is what you have. In their discussions it's easy to hook up. With an electrical acceptor there are many more factors.

_Dom_ · « **Reply #28 on:** March 24, 2005, 04:11:25 am »

thanks for your reply, the only problem that i am seeing at the moment is the manual refers to either 15 or 17 pin models and mine seems to have 16 (well 12 space 4) this what what lead me to think they were different models, can i also ask where you found that quote
thanks a lot

Dom

Felix T Cat · « **Reply #29 on:** March 24, 2005, 08:00:52 am »

Dom,
You got mail.

RayB · « **Reply #30 on:** March 24, 2005, 09:44:04 am »

(Ray B is wondering when DOM will answer the questions as to why he needs such a sophisticated mech instead of the $10 mechanical ones...)

daywane · « **Reply #31 on:** March 24, 2005, 09:50:52 am »

Quote from: RayB on March 24, 2005, 09:44:04 am

(Ray B is wondering when DOM will answer the questions as to why he needs such a sophisticated mech instead of the $10 mechanical ones...)

thank you.!
swallow a camel , choke on a Nat
yes ... I know... showing my age there.

_Dom_ · « **Reply #32 on:** March 24, 2005, 10:09:06 am »

because when i first posted i asked for a model number or anything and you all said there all basicly the same so i bought one.. now i dont have much money left and the seller isnt replying to my emails so im stuck with it

daywane · « **Reply #33 on:** March 24, 2005, 11:30:56 am »

did it not occure to you to try the buy/sell/trade section here at B.Y.O.A.C
or eBay for coin mechs.
we normally read about our projects before we dive head first and crack our skull

_Dom_ · « **Reply #34 on:** March 24, 2005, 11:51:12 am »

edit::

some pictures now up

http://www.dominicliversidge.co.uk/images/ddr/Coin_Mech/

image 23 i think is the machine interface the only problem is that it has 16 pins 12 pins then a seperator then 4 pins (one has not been removed) and the manual only lists 15 and 17 pin models

Dom


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