The NEW Build Your Own Arcade Controls

Main => Project Announcements => Topic started by: grumdrig on August 27, 2013, 03:58:36 pm

Title: Steel tabletop cab
Post by: grumdrig on August 27, 2013, 03:58:36 pm
Hi folks! I'm building a tabletop arcade cab in sort of an open clamshell shape out of 16 gauge stainless steel. I haven't worked with metal very much and I'm learning to TIG weld, so I decided to overbuild this for the sake of practice.

This'll be my second cabinet. The first a coworker and I built to go into the lobby of the place we worked, years ago. We put a CRT in a upright MDF cabinet. Much Robotron ensued.

I don't have a good drawing that is amenable to being photographed. All I have is this sketch:

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7436/9607389091_551a1f2192.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/100487674@N08/9607389091/)

It'll be thinner than that though - only about 2 1/2" deep in both the horizontal and vertical sections.

For this one I'm using a 19" LCD donated by my brother. It's quite heavy. I've removed the casing and here it is with the bezel I welded together sitting on it. It'll be 3/4" thick which is about the minimum I could probably make it.

(http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5445/9565562374_4166cbc449.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/100487674@N08/9565562374/)

For brains, there's not much room, and I don't want a fan, so I'll probably use AdvMAME on a Raspberry Pi. It seems to run the games I have in mind reasonably well, mostly. I have a BeagleBone black which I'll probably try out too. Much faster CPU but much slower graphics, so I don't know how that will work.

Here's a mockup of the control panel:

(http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5512/9565560168_14df023b30.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/100487674@N08/9565560168/)

No fighting games buttons. I'm going to keep the games list well-edited. I want just these to start with:
- Defender
- Galaga
- Joust
- Robotron
- Asteroids

I'll leave it there for now and post more details (and hopefully progress) later. Any feedback is very welcome!
Title: Re: Steel tabletop cab
Post by: Well Fed Games on August 27, 2013, 04:11:26 pm
Sweet. How do you interface controls to the Pi?
Title: Re: Steel tabletop cab
Post by: CoryBee on August 27, 2013, 04:15:49 pm
Sweet. How do you interface controls to the Pi?

(http://www.cs.bilkent.edu.tr/~guvenir/CATT/A_Day_in_a_Mall/images/ImagesFoodDrink/catal.png)
Title: Steel tabletop cab
Post by: Well Fed Games on August 27, 2013, 04:32:25 pm
Well done, sir.
Title: Re: Steel tabletop cab
Post by: grumdrig on August 27, 2013, 04:33:45 pm
Sweet. How do you interface controls to the Pi?

I'm using an I-PAC 2.
Title: Re: Steel tabletop cab
Post by: CoryBee on August 27, 2013, 04:49:38 pm
Well done, sir.

 :laugh:
Title: Re: Steel tabletop cab
Post by: grumdrig on August 27, 2013, 05:04:29 pm
Well played indeed!

Incidentally, I tried various different buttons and I really like the feedback of the old Happ controls best. But they're too deep so I'll be using shallower Gold Leaf buttons.

I also switched from the MagStick to the ServoStick (all this is from Ultimarc) for the same reason. Instead of using the servos, though, I'm planning to put a knob above the joysticks to switch between 4-way and 8-way modes.
Title: Re: Steel tabletop cab
Post by: Rick on August 27, 2013, 06:30:31 pm
(http://www.cs.bilkent.edu.tr/~guvenir/CATT/A_Day_in_a_Mall/images/ImagesFoodDrink/catal.png)

(http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20090808025911/darkhunter/images/6/66/Dean-Winchester--dean-winchester-69977_600_900.jpg)

Dean Winchester does not approve of your shenanigans.
Title: Re: Steel tabletop cab
Post by: CoryBee on August 27, 2013, 10:26:35 pm
(http://wahlnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/pure-shenanigans.jpg)