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Non-Software Coin Limiter.. Any ideas?

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SavannahLion:


--- Quote from: Neverending Project on April 30, 2008, 11:10:42 am ---Here's a crazy solution that just may actually work. I'm still trying to figure it out in my head as I write this so bear with me, but what about using a relay and a macro? Here's how I would picture it: The Insert Coin button would be programmed on your cab in insert the maximum number of coins you want, call it 5. It would also be wired to turn a relay Off. So as soon as the Insert Coin button is pressed 5 coins are sent to the game, and then it disables itself by turning the relay off. Turning the relay back on would be via a hidden reset button. If you have an LED controller you could use an unused LED control line to turn the relay on/off when new games are launched - just treat it as an LED.

Like I said, I am not sure I have thought it all the way through, but maybe the idea is inspiring?

Should I just go have some more coffee?

--- End quote ---

I had considered using a LED controller but I wasn't sure how much the OP was willing to spend.

In any case. A relay is kind of heavy duty for a simple switch. An alternate use would be a general purpose PNP transistor (or an NPN depending on how you want to program it). With some creative wiring, you could use the LED controller AND get LED usage out of it. The LED would go into the coin button. Using an NPN when the coin is active, the light comes on and credits can be entered. When the limit is reached, the LED switches off, no more credits.

Your solution would still require some scripting to handle the counting and reset states of the buttons and LED, but it seems to be a little bit more accessable to your average joe than full on hooking of the keyboard. I'm not entirely sure if a controller will have problems with the NPN though. Every time I simulate a circuit to use a transistor as a drain, I can never quite get it down to zero volts. Then when I build a breadboard, I keep forgetting to check the voltage levels there. Oh well.

protokatie:


--- Quote ---But if it's wired to the game quit button, what happens if you want to play more than the predetermined counter allows?
--- End quote ---

he could have a hidden switch that would bypass all the IC or relay logic.

Also, if he wanted to get mad-crazy and use a microcontroller to help control the number of times the coin button can be pressed, there could be a timer that lets more coins be entered after a period of time. But that is just getting to the point where it would be better to use software on the computer....

He also said that he wanted to do this because he didnt want to charge his friends and couldnt afford tokens... Maybe just use a comparator coin mech set up for pennies, and keep a bunch of penny rolls around for his friends to use. Much cheaper than tokens and much less likely to get stolen than tokens or quarters. Also, it helps add to the "authentic" feel if you have to put a coin into the machine, as opposed to just hitting a button...

Mr Kray:

I'll have a look into the LED controller and 4017 and other options when I have a bit more time (I'm at work at the moment  :() and then reply about that a bit later but for now...


--- Quote from: protokatie on April 30, 2008, 09:02:44 pm ---He also said that he wanted to do this because he didn't want to charge his friends and couldn't afford tokens... Maybe just use a comparator coin mech set up for pennies, and keep a bunch of penny rolls around for his friends to use. Much cheaper than tokens and much less likely to get stolen than tokens or quarters. Also, it helps add to the "authentic" feel if you have to put a coin into the machine, as opposed to just hitting a button...

--- End quote ---

I can actually afford the tokens but shipping to Australia would be a killer, the main reason for not wanting the tokens is that if I were to have a number of friends around I would have to have enough tokens/pennies (smallest is 5c over here) for all of them and then I would either have to give more out when they run out or risk having one person use all the pennies I've left out for everyone in one go and stocking up on credits.

I want to just be able to leave the system on it's own and not have to worry about it... I figure if I have an electronic limiter then I can go the token route in the future and still limit the credits.. that way I get authenticity and longevity of game play!  ;D

So I don't mind spending that little bit extra to get this working and being able to change the number of credits that are allowed would be nice... but if the software option would be easier that using the methods described so far then it may be cheaper for me to offer a $20-$30 payment to a friend to get them to program it for me.

Can anyone give me a rough idea on how much each of these options may end up costing me - relays, 4017, LED Controller, or Microcontroller (I actually thought of this as well but realised I may as well learn to program a small piece of software if I'm going that far)


Thenasty:

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.




Neverending Project:

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).

It would work like this: you select a game from your front end and the I-PAC is programmed with Batch File A. Pressing the Insert Coin button will insert something like 5 coins, and then call Batch File B. This will reprogram the I-PAC so the Insert Coin button no longer does anything until a new game is selected from the front end, hence you would have to ext and re-select the game for more credits.

You could set the shifted function of the Insert Coin button to send the normal insert coin keypress, so you always have a "secret" way of adding coins. You could also get fancy and instead of the batch file reprogramming the IPAC right away, it could use a text file as a simple counter. Each time it runs, it reads the text file and either increments the text file counter or disables the IPAC depending on the count.

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...

About the cost of the HW solutions, the project board, 555 timer and 4017 IC (and some other miscellaneous transistors, resistors, etc.) should cost more than a few bucks, maybe 10 (assuming you have a soldering iron and such)... the bigger pain would be designing the circuit and building it. And it would still need an extra reset button and would not be easy to change the number of credits allowed.

*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.

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