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A Mame machine in an antique buffet - USB probs solved (I think!)

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Mr.Ian:
Ths may be of interest

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=108256.0

drventure:
Thanks Ian

Yep, I saw that thread, Awesome build, exactly what I'm planning (ok, actually wasn't planning the solenoid thing, but that looks great too).

Still toying with Wiimotes, if only because they're wireless. But if the accuracy stinks, well, I guess we'll see.

drventure:
Ugh. I thought I'd post another word of caution about cheap USB hubs.

I've spent the better part of the last week fighting with 2 guitar controllers (PS2/PS3) and an XBox 360 Drum controller. They worked, but intermittently, and often not together.

After LOTS of trial and error, I finally narrowed it down to a 7 port USB hub I was using. A cheapo from radio shack I picked up ages ago.

I happened to check the power supply. 5v 1amp. 1 FREAKING amp!

Each port draws a max 500ma, so that hub was grossly underpowered. If just 2 ports pulled close to the max, anything else would send it over the edge.

Anyway, off to frys and I picked up an IOGEAR 7 port hub. Had em open the box before I purchased.

It comes with a 3.7amp PS.

At 7 ports, max draw would be about 3.5 amps, and throw in a little more to power the hub, and that appears to be a properly sized PS for that kind of hub.

Some devices don't draw all that much, but these guitar dongles and radio recievers and they appear to draw a lot, as does the xbox drum controller. And LEDWiz's DEFINITELY draw a lot if you're powering the LED's via the port and not externally.

Anyway, just a heads up for anyone else that might trundle off down this path....

HaRuMaN:
You need this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=370247047058

drventure:
Very nice. I like that voltmeter, but 59$? ouch

Actually, though, I've already got a couple of gauges that are going in (though I suppose I could always use more  :) )

I documented them way back here

But i never added in newer, finished shots....

So, here's a couple.

First, the ammeter that I cooked up.



It's an old Westinghouse that goes up to 2500 amps. The prongs on the sides are actually working connector points. I've got some wire that I covered with old style brown cording that terminates in a couple of copper lugs that I'll use to connect the ammeter to an LEDWiz output. That way, the LEDWiz can drive the readout on the ammeter either via an animation (the ammeter has a pot in it to allow me to adjust the voltage, I actually added a resistor across it to convert it to a crude voltmeter instead) or via a little service I'm working on to send data directly to the output port (for instance to read out CPU utilization).


Then the barometer



Yeah, this one's just silly, granted. But the pigtail actually does connect to an led inside it to light it up, and the barometer, although ancient, actually still works. I calibrated it and it's still reading right.

The main prob with gauges and such (I'd love to add more) is that 1) there's not a lot of space left for that kind of thing, and 2) Since all this has to effectively be "surface mounted" anything that's thick I have to build out a container for that looks reasonable, which can be tricky.

Plus, nothing can interfere with the whole thing closing up, OR with the monitor rotating (which is still in the works).

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