Question about PCB boards

[rouge_leader]

Sorry this is so long but if someone could please help me out I'd be very greatful...

Okay, if someone would be so kind as to help a fledgling arcade game collector out.  I have been reading and reading and I tink I have a basic understanding of how this all works.  I just need to get a few things straight.  First of all, what is involved in installing a new JAMMA board into a cabinet that is already JAMMA?  I understand that JAMMA is interchangable, so is it just unplug one board and plug the other one in, kind of like a installing a hard drive or other parts in a PC?  If someone could enlighten me or at least point me towards a source with clear directions I would appreciate it.   My second question is this, just how many circuit boards should I see in my cabinet?  I have identified the power source and what I assumed was the circuit board.  It is actually two circuit boards, one on top of another with 'JAMMA' printed on the top one.  They are connected together by little white posts.  I figured that this was the circuit board to my game (ALIENS).  This board is mounted on the side of the cabinet above the power supply.  However there is another board just behind the monitor.  I assumed that this was some kind of CPU that was not a game but a seperate part of the machine.  Reading however I find that no one refers to this part, just the PCB board, power supply etc.  And I found that the PCB board is usually behind the monitor.  This is a converted cabinet so I am thinking that maybe it is an old PCB?  Any help is greatly appreciated!  Thanks!

[BobA]

If your cab is a JAMMA then another jamma circuit board will plug in where the one mounted on the wall of the cab is currently plugged in.   Since some board use more controls then the jamma standard such as Mortal Kombat or any of the other fighting games there are controls that need to be plugged directly into the circuit board for additional buttons or other controls.  

Your description of the circuit board behind the monitor is vague so I cannot even guess.  Pictures always help.  It wouldnt be the monitor chassis would it?

BobA

[paigeoliver]

Are you talking about the monitor boards? Are they in the frame with the monitor itself? If so, then those are the monitor boards.

That twin PCB are your JAMMA boards. Changing those usually just involves unplugging one set and plugging in the next set. But sometimes you have to adjust the power supply or monitor for the new boardset. You will usually only have to adjust the power supply when switching from a small boardset that uses little power to a larger multi-board set. Monitor will probably have to be adjusted if you are switching to or from a Williams game.

If that other PCB isn't inside the monitor cage then it could possibly be an audio amp, monitor remote control board, light control board, or LED control board. Is it hooked up to anything?

Different games mount the PCB in different places, but it is usually on either the right wall or the left wall, but it can be on the floor, or on a dedicated board shelf.

[Mungo]

I also had a JAMMA cab which had a JAMMA splitter PCB. This allowed me to connect two JAMMAs at a time. Perhaps you have a PCB like this ?

[MKL]

It is actually two circuit boards, one on top of another with 'JAMMA' printed on the top one.  They are connected together by little white posts.  I figured that this was the circuit board to my game (ALIENS).

For your information, Aliens is NOT a 2-layer PCB:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PCBs/files/alienspcb.jpg

[rouge_leader]

For your information, Aliens is NOT a 2-layer PCB:

Well my game is definately Aliens (Konami) and it is definately a 2-Layer PCB.   The other info was great. Thanks!

[paigeoliver]

Sometimes there will be more than one different type of boardset for a given game. This is fairly well documented when it comes to classic games that are like that (Frogger, etc), but I would imagine no one pays much attention to JAMMA games, so there could easily be several types of boardsets for a game, without that information really being out there.

[MKL]

For your information, Aliens is NOT a 2-layer PCB:

Well my game is definately Aliens (Konami) and it is definately a 2-Layer PCB.

I guess it's a bootleg then...(esp. if it doesn't have the manufacturer's name silkscreened on it)

[rouge_leader]

I guess it's a bootleg then...(esp. if it doesn't have the manufacturer's name silkscreened on it)

No, it does have Konami printed on it.  Just like the other picture except it is two layers.