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Non-Software Coin Limiter.. Any ideas?

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TheShanMan:

Yeah, as I was reading NP's suggestion I was thinking "this could probably be done with the autohotkey program". Instead of 2 batch files maybe you could have 2 hotkey files, and on game start it would load one of them, and then on coin insert it would do the credits and then load the other hotkey file, which would not allow coin inserts to do anything. I'm no expert on that so I can't provide much specific advice, but it's a starting point at least.

EDIT: Scratch that idea - until a program like autohotkey supports the RawInput system that mame uses, it wouldn't work. :(

Mr Kray:


--- Quote from: Thenasty on April 30, 2008, 10:41:45 pm ---would this work ?

With MAME save states, load up the game, insert the amount of credits you want, then exit out. Then set the games NVRAM, CFG to +R (read only) so its always the same time (no savingg when game is exited).
After ALL this WORK is done with all the GAMES, edit the MAME INI/CFG and disable the COIn in 5 6 7 8 etc.... So no credits is accepted even if they shove coins in.
When the credits are all used up, they have to exit out the game, and can go back in with the SET CREDITS again, but they start the game from the beggining.

--- End quote ---

I would prefer not to have to go through the games individually. Also would there be anything else that is lost if the game state cannot be saved? Highscores are handled seperately aren't they?
If disabling the ability to save game states doesn't disable any other functionality this is a possible solution (besides setting up games one at a time).


--- Quote from: Neverending Project on May 01, 2008, 11:40:16 am ---I was just thinking about a similar idea to Thenasty's. First of all, do you have an I-PAC? You could write a couple of simple batch files to reprogram the I-PAC - one programs it to a macro (more on this below), and one disables it completely. Batch File A programs the I-PAC with a macro that would send five keypresses of your insert coin (5), and then call Batch File B. Batch File B reprograms the I-PAC to set the Insert Coin button to do nothing. Set your front-end to send the Batch File A at game launch (and possibly at game exit also, although this isn't really necessary).

..........

I realize this is a pretty crude solution, but it wouldn't cost anything and using batch files as a scripting language is simple enough...

--- End quote ---

As I have an I-Pacē this post got me quite excited that a cheap (free) solution had finally been found...


--- Quote ---*Edit
I just realized that the IPAC may not have the capability of calling a batch file in a macro, nor would it sent the Insert Coins sequentially. I believe it sends all four keys of the macro simultaneously. So you would need some third party utility to execute the above macro on a keypress instead. Still possible, just would need a little something something to help it along.

--- End quote ---

Until I read this.  :banghead:

Can anyone confirm that the I-Pac acts in this way.. or do they know of the software that could help it along?

So far I think the best option (assuming the I-Pac one is not possible) is using a 4017, I've done a bit of research and it doesn't seem too difficult to use, they cost about $1 here in Aus (as does a 555) so I'd be able to daisy chain a couple of them and then use a switch or some such to change the amount of credit (maybe in lots of 5), the whole thing would cost me less than $10 and since I was expecting around $20 it's like I'm making a profit!  ;D

Just wondering why I would need the 555 timer?

And what is a LED controller? I've done a search on Google and come up with some circuits that control LEDs but the ones I've seen use a 4017 so I don't see the difference, can someone explain?




protokatie:

LED controllers (such as the LEDwiz) allow you to use premade software to control 5Vdc outputs in a controlled manner. This output can be usefull for other means as well (IE not LED based).

Since you do not know much about electronic wiring I SERIOUSLY advise you to buy a 300 or 500 in one electronics kit (from radioshack or similar). They are REALLY fun to work with and will teach you everything from basic wiring, to step counters, to AM transmitters, and much more. The 50 or so you will drop on one of those kits is worth a year in college level electrical engineering. (Once you start to get "it" with the 300-in-1 kit, you will be like a kid in a sandbox!!!)

Just buy one, even if it wont help you with your cab, they are fun to play with!

Neverending Project:

The input of the 4017 expects a clock signal. When you hook a pushbutton to this input to simulate a clock input, there is a chance the input will "bounce" when you press the button, sending more than one clock count to the counter. So the 555 is used to "debounce" the input. In a nutshell it is wired between the pushbutton and the 4017 input. When the pushbutton is pressed, it sends out one clock pulse and then stays low, so there is no "bouncing".

The cost isn't really an issue, but more the soldering skills required and the design as well. It's a fairly simple circuit, but you will still need to figure resistors, capacitors, transistors, and the 555 and 4017.

Back to the software idea... we'll need some mame gurus to help out. Here's what I tried... I created a simple batch file that did nothing of significance - I just wanted something to test. Then I created a shortcut to this batch file (important step). On the shortcut (in XP) I right-clicked and went to Properties, and then clicked the Shortcut tab. I clicked in the Shortcut key field and pressed the letter "G" (unused as far as I know). This will set the key combination to run this shortcut to Ctrl-Alt-G. Then in the MAME input menu I set the coin 1 input to Ctrl-Alt-G as well. I want to see if MAME will insert a coin AND run the batch file. It doesn't. It will run the batch file, but no coin is inserted.

If we could get past this, then you could use this trick to have the batch file make a simple text-file counter (as talked about above). Once the limit is reached, the batch file would instead reconfig the IPAC (and reset the counter). But Windows seems to be taking over when you assign the same key shortcut to open the batch file as you use in MAME.

Does anyone know a way around this? So close, and yet...

tommyinajar:

Sorry if this thread is dead or not, but I stumbled on this post because I was looking for the same thing.

Atomic FE Had a credit limiter but it was removed pre request of the Mame team, but the program you wanted I think was called Coin Drop

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