Coin op MAME?

[marcoval]

I am interested in making my MAME cab to be set up to take quarters/tokens, for the feel of an arcade game not profit. I'm sure there have been many who have done this, but I'm just not finding.  I have a coin mech from an old Pengo cabinet I have that I'm pretty sure is in working order, but I just need to know how to get it to send a signal to MAME that a token has been inserted.

[Odonadon]

I am interested in making my MAME cab to be set up to take quarters/tokens, for the feel of an arcade game not profit. I'm sure there have been many who have done this, but I'm just not finding.  I have a coin mech from an old Pengo cabinet I have that I'm pretty sure is in working order, but I just need to know how to get it to send a signal to MAME that a token has been inserted.

You've got a couple of options .  Wire the coin door up to the "5" or "6" key on your keyboard, or buy an iPac or Keywiz and wire it into there.  It's actually very simple, and very cool.

Odonadon

[_Iz-]

Pressing "5" in mame adds coins. So wire the coin switch to something capable of sending a 5 to mame (like a keyboard hack, IPAC or Keywiz). You could also remap mame to coin-up on a joystick button press and then wire the coin switch to a hacked gamepad...

[MinerAl]

The switch is at the bottom of the coin mech (usually) and has a inch or two long wire sticking out of it.  throw a quarter through your coin mech and watch carefully, at some point the coin will move the wire thus tripping the switch.

All the coin switches I've seen have nice terminals, just like button switches, so you can wire them just like you wired all the rest of your buttons.  

Except for the fact that a coin closes the switch instead of your finger, it's really the same as a button.

[JustMichael]

All the coin switches I have seen have .250 male terminals while the buttons normally have .187 male terminals.  Keep this in mind when ordering female quick disconnects.

[JayTea]

187? 250? Quick Disconnects?  

     I just refurbished an old Stern Berzerk Coin Door with one switch (the other is missing).  I have not tested to see if the one I have actually works, but please tell me the differences between the 187 and 250 switches, and why do I need to buy a quick disconnect (what is a quick disconnect?)  Obviously it disconnects something qucikly, but what?  I will be hooking the door up to an IPAC.  

By the way, anyone know the voltage on the bulbs in the Stern Coin Doors (circa 1980)?  Thanks for everyone's help in advance.

ps, i have thought of changing my name to "rookie"....

[killr0y]

187? 250? Quick Disconnects?  

     I just refurbished an old Stern Berzerk Coin Door with one switch (the other is missing).  I have not tested to see if the one I have actually works, but please tell me the differences between the 187 and 250 switches, and why do I need to buy a quick disconnect (what is a quick disconnect?)  Obviously it disconnects something qucikly, but what?  I will be hooking the door up to an IPAC.  

By the way, anyone know the voltage on the bulbs in the Stern Coin Doors (circa 1980)?  Thanks for everyone's help in advance.

ps, i have thought of changing my name to "rookie"....

Quick disconnects are the connectors you crimp on your wires that slide onto those flat connectors on your button switches, controllers, etc.

187's are .187 inches, or 3/16".  the 250's are 1/4"  -- This refers to the width of the terminal blade that the quick disconnect will fit.

Picture of quick disconnects (with plastic shielding)

[MinerAl]

By the way, anyone know the voltage on the bulbs in the Stern Coin Doors (circa 1980)?  Thanks for everyone's help in advance.

I've only played with two vintage coin doors, one Atari and one Data East, but both of them used automotive 12-14V lamps.  If you have the old burned out bulb, take it to the automotive aisle at your local whatever-mart and find the closest match.

If you're MAME-ing the machine, just make sure you use (the computer's, or a wall-wart transformer's) 12V supply for the lighting and you'll be fine.  If you're restoring a cabinet with the original power supply you may want to break out a voltmeter to see what the bulb's socket is running at.  If it's 14V or less you're good to go.  I'll bet it's 12V, but better safe than sorry.

[_Iz-]

Mine had 6v bulbs. The person I bought it from told me that was the norm. No idea what the cab/coin door was originally. I wired both 6v bulbs in series to 12v on my PC powersupply.

[JayTea]

Thanks for the details on the .187 and .250 ... sometimes the answer is right in front of you and you still can't see it (well, at least I didn't).  The quick disconnect thing didn't register, becasue everything on my door is soldered so i didn't think...plus if you look at the time I posted it was about midnight - I really need to get out more

Thanks again!

JT

[marcoval]

Wow, I love this board, plenty o answers! Thanks to all! I know where the trigger wire is, how do I convert it to use .900 tokens instead of quarters?

[StephenH]

Actually, it is quite easy.    If you wire up your coin door coin switches to an encoder, and then in MAME, actually map those inputs to the keys for "Insert Coin" (defaults to 5 and 6).  

[marcoval]

So, anyone know how to modify it to take tokens instead of quarters?

[_Iz-]

So, anyone know how to modify it to take tokens instead of quarters?

A quick google turned up this...

http://www.flipperit.net/tkalliok/flipperi/rahalukko_en.html

[Brax]

Not sure if the modern plastic mechs have that adjustment but you can easily buy coin mechs for tokens as well.