Turning ultracade to mame (photos)

[icka]

Hey everyone.  New here.  Recently came upon an ultracade machine that isn't working.  It is in great condition but when trying to turn it on it says "no signal".  Originally I was going to try to repair it but I have decided to turn it mame instead.  The previous owners purchased the machine new, years ago and they said after a few days it stopped working.  Apparently they/somebody tried to load more games.  So I am assuming everything is in working order and the problem is the battery.  However, It doesn't matter since I am going to rip the board out.

So, I need some help, advice, guidance.

I recently placed a bid for this PIII motherboard.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200418089062&ssPageName=STRK:MEBOFFX:IT#ht_2676wt_939

I am going to replace the current board with that motherboard.

I have never worked on an arcade machine but I have put a PC together so I figure it cannot be much different.  Some wires, cards, hardrive, the usual?  After taking the board out can i place the motherboard right where it was?  Also, do you think this current motherboard I picked out will be sufficient to run the emulators?  I came across: (who is a member on this site and told me to join here) and I would really like to imitate the games on it.  I was told previously that putting a better motherboard might actually make things run to fast and it isn't necessary.  Does this seem accurate?

After getting the actual machine to work I will later strip it down so it doesn't say ultracade and do some custom graphic work on it.  I really haven't gotten to that part yet.   Also, I have included some photos of the machine.  Please let me know your thoughts

I have more photos of the inside but they are all really large, these are the only ones I got around to resizing.

Thanks for the help in advance :-D

[icka]

hmmm, i guess I am on my own?  I thought there would have been a response by now.  I thought this forum was fairly active?

[BobA]

Ultracade looks to be a PC monitor which would make sense as it looks like a single board PC feeding it.    If that is the case your mame ization of the ultracade is about as easy as can be.    Just replace the ultracade board and PS with you ebay board and an atx supply and away you go.   The PS in the ultracade cab is proably usable but you will have to figure out if it has a standard ATX connector to power your new motherboard.   

I guess there were not many comments as there is not much to say on this type of conversion.  You will have to pick up an interface to connect the buttons to your motherboard such as and ipac.

[HaRuMaN]

What is the existing interface that Ultracade used?  Maybe it could be used on a normal PC? 

But then again, it would probably be easier to get an Ipac or Keywiz and just replace it.

[icka]

Jamma?

so basically i would need to purchase: http://ultimarc.com/jpac.html this? and a new motherboard?  install windows as an operating system?  install mame and install some games?  is this ALL it will take or am i late night thinking out of ---my bottom---? 

[HaRuMaN]

No, that doesn't look like JAMMA at all.  You would need an iPac, not a jPac.

[DeLuSioNal29]

I can't believe I never saw this topic when it was first posted in 2009...   

The first thing I would do is to plug a laptop or spare PC into the monitor, to ensure it's working.  (You mentioned a no signal message).  Perhaps it's something simple like a faulty vga cord.  It's worth a shot before you start buying everything.

D

[icka]

It is Jamma.  http://service.globalvr.com/downloads/ultracade/040-UCOPERA-UCTa_UltraCade_Multi-Game_Operator-3.91-web.pdf  here is the manual for my machine.

i am not understanding why i would use i-pac instead of j-pac since it is jamma?  i thought i had to use the one specifically designed for jamma, no?

[HaRuMaN]

Ah I couldn't see a JAMMA connector in that picture

[icka]

I can't believe I never saw this topic when it was first posted in 2009...   

The first thing I would do is to plug a laptop or spare PC into the monitor, to ensure it's working.  (You mentioned a no signal message).  Perhaps it's something simple like a faulty vga cord.  It's worth a shot before you start buying everything.

D

i have an updated post on this but in 2009 i received the machine and tried to turn it on got distracted by my son being born and never wound up working on the machine.  now he is almost 4 so ive began working on it.  let me show you the new post:  http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,121881.0.html

it is no longer a no signal all i had to do was manually start it.  sorry i have two posts.  i forgot i postedon here in 2009 until AFTER i posted that updated post.

Ah I couldn't see a JAMMA connector in that picture

so j-pac, yes?  i am very new to this so i need things spelt out a bit :-/

[HaRuMaN]

Jpac, yes.

[icka]

Jpac, yes.

then new motherboard and just install emulator and games, right?  anybody have a suggestion on reasonably priced (im poor due to above discussed 4 year old) motherboard?  i would like to run all older arcade games but if i could run some newer tekken as well id be an extremely happy camper.

[MacGyver]

I would look for better info on the Ultracade.  It looks like it has a PS2 (keyboard plug) and a USB plug going into that main board, I'm guessing the PS2 might be from a keyboard controller (an j-pac equivalent) and the USB might be from the trackballs controller (showing up perhaps as a mouse).
I'm just guessing, but given how the monitor is a standard computer VGA, it stands to reason.  Also a cursory search concluded that the motherboard was just an Intel 810ET PIII, running some Linux OS named JoshuaOS, so you may get lucky just plugging those control interfaces into a normal MB.

Remember, I'm purely speculating;  plugging in those controllers may actually bring about the "End Times" the Mayans spoke of, or at the very least fry both your controllers and new computer, and burn down your neighbors house.

[crzywolf]

 I would try to use the Ultracade Jamma board first instead of buying a Jpac or Ipac . Just get the manual and it should tell you  the button layout and then remap Mame to match the Ultracade layout.

[paigeoliver]

Nah, sell the Ultracade guts as is, that is still semi-current stuff and will bring more than he needs for an old PC and an iPac.

I would try to use the Ultracade Jamma board first instead of buying a Jpac or Ipac . Just get the manual and it should tell you  the button layout and then remap Mame to match the Ultracade layout.

[icka]

I would try to use the Ultracade Jamma board first instead of buying a Jpac or Ipac . Just get the manual and it should tell you  the button layout and then remap Mame to match the Ultracade layout.

cant i just try to install another os and than install mame emulator and game packs? that is my current plan and after doing that im buying jpac and new mobo it seems most direct and easiest for me?  also the jpac is only $59 dollars?  http://www.ultimarc.com/JShopServer/section.php?xSec=2  i have not gotten one direct answer on this even though ive asked it a few times so... thats the plan.  I will try to install another os since the machine is clearly working just wont play the games and i cant reinstall the games then i shall try to install another emulator and install game packs.  if that doesnt work i will then purchase a jpac, purchase a new mobo and repeat this process.  this all makes sense in my brain but im a noob so somebody please stop me if im making no sense?

[MacGyver]

From what I saw on the interwebs, you may need to use a different harddrive, everything I read made it look like the Ultracade setup is a lot like the original Xbox, in the sense that it uses an onboard TPM tied to an encrypted harddrive.  Besides harddrives are cheap again, and that original drive is worth more as is, rather than as just another empty harddrive.  Like paigeoliver said, people will most likely pay for that stuff even broken, but not after you blank that harddrive (if you even can due to the encryption).

[SithMaster]

Perhaps checking if your area has a freecycle yahoo group or this forum's Buy Sell Trade sub section for a used computer that is suitable together with a keywiz from GroovyGameGear for the control input.  Though you might also consider using your current computer for this task while purchasing a new one for everyday use.

Before proceeding with specific part recommendations which games are you looking to play (2d fighters, 3d fighters, or specific games).  I'm thinking one of the weekly sale items from a Best Buy would be more than enough though those are around 300 usd after rebate (last time I checked) which might be above what you want to spend on the project.

Anyway, best bet is to check freecycle (if one is local) or maybe craiglist and get a keywiz.  Someone on here might have a complete pc for sale such as this one.  You could remove the ultracade parts to sell along with the case from this pc to offset costs of the replacement parts.

[DeLuSioNal29]

PM me.  I have a spare AMD MB and parts you can have for free. Runs MAME just fine.

DeLuSioNaL29

[Gray_Area]

I can't believe I never saw this topic when it was first posted in 2009... 

Holy christ, huh?

[icka]

running some Linux OS named JoshuaOS, so you may get lucky just plugging those control interfaces into a normal MB.

from my understanding joshua os is not a linux os

from davidrfoley himself: "Adrian started a new company called Joshua Technology, and the OS became the Joshua OS.  Over the years we contracted with Adrian to work on enhancing the OS to add new features and hired him as well to do contract programming on the UltraCade product.    The OS was very purpose built, and only had the most essential of features in order to keep it small and fast.  It supported several iterations of the Intel chipset family, including the 810, 815 and later the 845.  Adrian did some work with the Via chipsets, but we could never get the technical information needed to fully support it.  He also did some work wiht a few other graphics chips.  Besides the UltraCade platform, which ran solely on the Joshua Operating System, Adrian also was contracted by a company that was doing a visual device that was fitted to tanks for spotting land mines.  The indeed used the Joshua OS and originally used Graphite computers in testing.  This product was deployed by the US Military and Adrian even went into the field to see it implemented."

just interesting, i guess.

[tkeahi]

The pc to JAMMA interface in your ultracade cab now is called a usblinx and it will work just fine with MAME or with another computer. It is a non-programmable keyboard encoder:

http://retroblast.arcadecontrols.com/reviews/Ultracade_USB%20Linx-04242006-01.html