Sharing desktop PC with arcade cab

[DaOld Man]

I got this idea form a thread started by s2martin about PC location.
Why not share your desktop PC with your arcade cabinet?
If you already have a good desktop PC, this could cut down on the cost of building a cabinet considerably.
Of course, you would need a switch of some sort to switch your computer between desktop keyboard/ mouse/video and cabinet interface/trackball/monitor.
KVM switches seem to be mostly for switching two or more computers between one workstation.
Does anyone know of a switch that will do what i want?
Since this is a forum about building your own controls, I searched and found this, where someone has built a keyboard switch:
http://dragonsden.emuunlim.com/arcaded/split.htm
I wonder if something like this could be built to switch video?
Im sure there are switches already on the market, but  Im just about googled out right now.
here are a couple of drawbacks I can see with sharing your desktop PC between workstation and arcade cab:
Cable lengths: I would not want my workstation right beside the arcade cab. Need to know maximum cable lengths for such a thing.
Sharing: Kids may want to use arcade machine at the same time you need to use PC.
Here are some advantages:
Cuts way down on the costs of building an arcade machine (unless you already have a PC set aside.)
Arcade cabinet can be lighter, more compact.
Cabinet heat will be cut back greatly, eliminating need for noisy fans.
Update your arcade games easily from your desktop workstation.

wadda ya think?

[DaveMMR]

here are a couple of drawbacks I can see with sharing your desktop PC between workstation and arcade cab:
Cable lengths: I would not want my workstation right beside the arcade cab. Need to know maximum cable lengths for such a thing.
Sharing: Kids may want to use arcade machine at the same time you need to use PC.
Here are some advantages:
Cuts way down on the costs of building an arcade machine (unless you already have a PC set aside.)
Arcade cabinet can be lighter, more compact.
Cabinet heat will be cut back greatly, eliminating need for noisy fans.
Update your arcade games easily from your desktop workstation.
wadda ya think?

Yes, it can be done.  But is it something you'd want to do?  The drawbacks of sharing the PC far outweigh the benefits.   Actually, outside of saving a couple of hundred dollars (which will be used to buy cables and switchers), I don't see any benefits.  A PC doesn't add considerable weight to the cabinet; you can update games easily enough with a simple network or crossover cable; and heat inside the cabinet is not that much of a problem if you put some ventilation in the back. 

[itismejs]

I did this with my cab. I had a really long VGA and PS2 keyboard wire. I think I had a switch for the keyboard, but not for the VGA cord. It really sucked having to switch the monitor cables every time I wanted to play.

[Grasshopper]

Ten years ago it might have made sense but now I can’t see the point. Second hand PCs with more than enough power to run MAME and other emulators can be obtained for next to nothing these days. Indeed, many companies simply throw out their old PCs as it’s so hard to get a worthwhile price for them.

Now networking a desktop PC to an arcade cab is an entirely different matter. That makes a lot of sense and network cables can be pretty long. And if you don’t like cables you can always go wireless.

[S2Martin]

Hey DaOld,
Thats exactly what i was trying to get across in my thread but you have worded it much much better than i have 

I know you can get older machines for next to no money but if my pc is capable (spl sorry) of running mame and well lets say more power hungry type games actually for an example test drive unlimited now i love playing that game on my pc but i would also love to be able to play it on my cab with a steering wheel etc.

It's not a case of not being able to use a low spec pc in my cab but in fact using a very capable machine that to be fair is so over specced for an "internet and email" machine is untrue.

My main point was not to try and avoid the cost of building a mame machine cheaply but instead using the quite powerfull machine that i have in a better and more demanding way.

As for switching, cable lenghts etc if most people on here have the smarts to build a mame cab then they must have the smarts to be able to extend/route/bury/hide cables from anywhere to anywhere.

Also not sure about you guys but i have a ps/2 mouse as well as a serial kids ball hooked up to my main machine for testing and both can be used together and by configuring (spl sorry) windows to mouse 1 and mouse 2 (even easier in mame lol) is very simple so thats the mouse/trackball issue fixed now all that is left is the keyboard/control panel but again a ps/2 keyboard for the control panel and a usb keyboard for windows should be just as easy to sort out?

Now video i do believe is very easy to fix by using this or something like it.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SVGA-VGA-Monitor-Switch-Box-Splitter-2-Way-9-99-Inc_W0QQitemZ270165803499QQihZ017QQcategoryZ45341QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
Sorry first thing i found on the bay lol.

but all you need is to use it and keep it by the cab or pc and you can switch displays? for me it is quite easy as my graphics card has 2 outputs so i wouldnt need this but may help others?

Sorry to bang on but i'm just thinking out loud and using you guys as a test board lol

Cheers
Mart

[BORIStheBLADE]

It sounds like a good idea but in reality its going to be annoying and not be worth it.

First off were you thinking about mirroring screens or set it up as a priamry and secondary setup?

Right now I have been toying around with using my desktop thats in my office to watch movies in my living room with a long video cable and audio cable. Trying to make this setup work right is killing me.
With the problems that I'm having I wouldn't even try going the shared arcade route.


Thats just me though..

[DaOld Man]

Thanks for all the input guys.
I think it would probably be more trouble than its worth also.
But, if I come across a neat way to do it, I just may.
My desktop PC is much more powerful than my arcade one, so I was thinking along the lines of
performance too.
Oh well, next dream...

How about networking two arcade cabs to play on one PC, for 4 player action?
I know this has been discussed before on another thread, so I will probably need to do some research
before bringing this up, but has anyone done this?
My question right now would be what keyboard encoder would I need?
I think the Keywiz eco 2 Im using cannot be attached to another one, (making 4 player inputs) or can it?