needed help with dreamcast to arcade display and control interface questions

[northerngames]

 Hi I am debating to put my dreamcast in my current machine or make a cabinet for the dreamcast itself so I am asking a few more questions to make a final decision I am wanting to connect a US sega dreamcast to my current machine and have a few questions before I start or go from scratch on another cab...

 To start this off I am running a nanao 26" ms8-26su arcade monitor in 15khz mode with the ultimarc video amp that runs to the pc along with my buttons and joysticks ran to a ultimarc mini-pac and then the mini pac to the pc by ps2 cable and that is what I am running currently and going to be asking questions about.

DISPLAY QUESTIONS:

1. the ultimarc ARCADEVGA puts out a 1V signal and I needed to attach the ultimarc 5V video amp in order to display correctly with a pc will I still need the video amp for the dreamcast with the vga box mod or does the DC vga box itself already output the needed 5V or does it not even matter becuase it is the dreamcast instead of the pc?

2. if the amp is needed for the vga box and DC does the vga box connect to the video amp like the pc normally would and that is all that is needed for it to run safely?

3. the monitor is currently set at composite sync where H & V are on the same single signal wire and I was wondering if that is o.k. or do I need to split the H and V on there own seperate path/wire in order for it to display correctly for the DC?

4. do dreamcast light guns work with arcade monitor's and same as above how does the H & V need to be set up for the DC light guns to run correctly if its even possible.

5. what is the normal resolution for the dramcast to run on a arcade monitor correctly I run the pc and arcade monitor at 640X480 and was wondering if the dreamcast is a different reoultion and would I need to adjust the H&V pots on the monitor itself everytime I swap from pc to dc and vice versa in order to get them both displaying right?

6. can the pc and dc vga box be hooked up at the same time without causing damage I know having the pc and DC powered on at the same time probabaly would not be good at all but if they were only powere one at a time is it alright and tragic lol.




CONTROL INTERFACING.

1. I plan on using stock dreamcast controllers and doing the striaght wire mod off the button and joystick contacts and was wondering if I can wire them right to the buttons and joystick like it would normally be done except my buttons and joys are already hooked to a mini-pac that runs to the pc can this be hooked up this way safely without cuasing damage to the dreamcast or the mini pac or pc by having them both connected at the same time?

2. if it is not safe that way what would be needed to make it right and safe having the mini-pac and dreamcast controller hooked to the same buttons and joys?

3. if it is safe if the mini-pac and dreamcast controllers are hooked up at the same time does one or the other need to be unplugged where only one is connected at a time or is it safe to leave them both hooked up at once?

I ask these questions to see if it is going to be a pain to squeeze the DC in with my current set-up or just throw a tv in a cab and do a custom control panel with the modded DC controllers.     

 

[severdhed]

i dont know anything about acrade monitors, but i have an idea for the controls.  i dont know how many controls you have, but you could wire all of your controls to a 25pin parallel cable, and use a switch box like this:

http://store.pchcables.com/db2wayswitbo.html

you attach a 25pin cable to the ipac, and a 25 pin cable to the dreamcast controllers, and then use the switch to select which device the buttons and sticks are connected to. 

this is assuming that 25 wires is enough for all of your controls, and that the dreamcast controllers you are using have a common ground for all the inputs.

[Hiub1]

If you wait til tonight, I can snap off some pics of my setup, which is exactly what Severdhed said. I have my controls wired up to a 25 pin serial connector, then I have a set of hacked DC pads with wires coming out into the connectors, and I have an Ipac coming out to 2 serial connectors. Keep in mind that I use a switch box for every player, so that makes them 2 total. The system works great, and all that is needed is to flip 2 knobs that I placed on the side opening of my coin door to swtich between DC and the PC.


As for the display, I have no idea about the light guns. I guess if your monitor is picky you might need the amp, but you lose nothing by trying it out without it first. About the sync, I have a presentation monitor capable of 15khz, and it has the old twist on connector cables with separate syncs. Lemme look in there later and I'll double check to see what I'm running.

[northerngames]

some pictures would be great so I have a better idea of what to do but that set-up sounds easy and good to me.

if I do need the ultimarc video amp hooked up will it run off the dreamcast vga correctly I would I need to get power from something else? 

[northerngames]

still would like to see some pictures if possible so I can get an idea and go from there.



also still looking for any comments on getting the display stuff down right.

[Hiub1]

Ok, here we go.



That is the picture of the back of the switch box for player 1. On the top side, that single connector is wired up to the arcade controls. As for the other 2, one of them is wired up to the 1st player dreamcast pad that was hacked. The other one is wired up to the 1st player side of the Ipac. The Serial Switch now basically shares the player 1 arcade controls to both the DC hacked pad and to one side of the Ipac.

Like I said before, I have 2 switches, one for each player, and this works great. You just have to make sure that the pinout for both the Ipac and the Hacked DC pad is exactly the same, including the grounds and the start button.





There are a couple more images. Sorry that they are crowded, but you should get the picture somewhat.

[northerngames]

Awsome and completely understood and over night I imagined my own and I thought of something way different but I think your guys way is better and cleaner but I was thinking.

take my 24 control panel signals "buttons/joys" and wire them to a female 25-pin and then put a 25 pin male on the ipac and a 25 pin male on the 22 dc for 2 player signals and then swap them manually but they too would still need to match pin for pin on the ipac and dc controls to work right but with that switch box it would eliminate the manual swapping of the cords.

so with my above signals for 24 max I could get away with just one of them switch boxs instead of 2 correct?

eitherway I am now all set on the controller situation and still intrested in any info on the display questions I dont have my vga box in yet so I have not been able to test anything but I dont wanna go jumong into it without asking and end up with a fried monitor or something lol.

thank for the help so far it helped a bunch 

[AndyWarne]

So many questions...but one point before continuing. You mention running into a 15Khz monitor but then mention a VGA box. The VGA box will not send 15Khz. It will send a VGA signal.

The Dreamcast AV adaptor which we produce (which www.arcadecabinets.co.uk sells) has a sync separator on board. This might be needed by your monitor because the DC sends a composite video signal through the sync pin and most monitors won't sync unless the video is stripped out of this. Whether or not you need the amp depends on the spec of the monitor.

I think as a first step, the spec of the monitor would need to be known, is it a fixed 15Khz or a multi-sync? Actually many Nanao monitors used by Sega are VGA not 15Khz.

Note that the DC control adaptors sold on arcadecabinets.co.uk can be used with a KVM switch so you can have the output of the Mini-PAC switched to a PC or the DC control adaptors. The Mini_PAC needs the PS/2 cable. Hacking controllers is admittedly cheaper though.

Andy

[northerngames]

Hi andy thanks for the follow up my nanao has a switch I installed on the harness to swap from 31K permanent and 15K permanent I currently have it set on 15k and plan on leaving it that way.

as for the dreamcast vga adapter when you cut pin 6 it cuts down the adapter to make it display true 15k instead of the vga standard.

as for the controllers I am going to use the DB25 A/B switch box like pictured above it may take a little longer but would save me $100.00

so I am all set on what I am doing with the controller and was wondering now about the video amp and hooking the hacked vga to 15k dc box up to it or if I even need to.

I guess I shoud ask since the arcadevga only does 1 volt instead of the 5 that my nanao monitor need I am unsure if the dreamcast box throws out 1 volt or 5 but in either case if it does put out 5 and I hook that to the amp when it was made to input 1volt is that going to fry the amp or will it accept both 1 & 5 volt input and the amp will accept 1 or 5 volt without damage then I should be golden but would like to confirm it before I go hooking things up and watching sparks fly lol.

[AndyWarne]

It would not damage the amp but the picture would look strange as the amp would be max-ed out. But the VGA box should send 1 volt video (or thereabouts) as thats the VGA standard.
Seems a bit of a waste though to process the 15Khz signal from the DC into a 15Khz signal for the monitor using a converter!
Andy

[northerngames]

Seems a bit of a waste though to process the 15Khz signal from the DC into a 15Khz signal for the monitor using a converter!
Andy

not sure what you mean by that but the only thing needed is the dreamcast with the vga box #6 pin cut and put on a simple small on/off switch and then it would switch from vga to 15k and then runs to the monitor.

  I just did not want to over due the amp if it could not take the 5volt input just in case the console threw it out 5 volt but I also assumed that since it is a vga box it would only throw out 1 volt but was not sure and if I was wrong I did not want to harm anything.

[skim36]

I was thinking of doing the same thing with my DC and cab.  I have a Capcom vs. SNK fighting style joystick for the DC....classic joystick six button configuration, was considering just using the wire harness from that and connect it to my controls on the cab.....might work...and would be a simple fix.  You can find them on Ebay.

[northerngames]

alright I have my 25-pin A/B data switch's in and I now am wonderng do I make all the inputs the same on the 3 male plugs.

 like does the control panel controls go to the input

1-25 left to right

then ipac output

1-25 left to right

then dc control output

1-25 left to right

or do i need to reverse the pins on the output like

control panel input

1-25 left to right

ipac output

1-25 right from left

dc controls right from left.

what I am asking is if all 3 inputs going into the data switch box should be the exact same or if I need to reverse the pinouts for the dc controls and ipac?