Finally, I need the Q-Bert knockers. Is anyone making them, or something similar, or do I need to find originals?
I am thinking of surprising my wife by getting her favorite game fully functional in Mame - Q*Bert.
Finally, I need the Q-Bert knockers. Is anyone making them, or something similar, or do I need to find originals?
Thanks for the quick replies. Mame Hooker + Led-Wiz + Solenoid should do it, it looks like
Many pinball tables have them too AFAIK.
Many pinball tables have them too AFAIK. It basically is a device that literally makes a knocking sound.Actualy, the qbert devs were trying to find a way to make qbert unique. They came up with the idea to use a pinball solenoid for the knock. So any pinball solenoid you can find is technically the correct hardware for the job.
I can't see the video at work, but from the pic, and the link to that relay, it seems you are missing a heat sink. Or are you not worried about heat due to limited use?
Looking online it's hard to find a 30v supply with more than 1A current output. The coil resistance for the A-3195 is around 12ohms. so at 30v it would have a 2.5A current draw. Since this is a very intermittent-duty use would a 1A rated supply be acceptable?
That coil will work on 12volts, it will just be a tad bit softer. There is a kit out there for original Q-Bert machines that switches the audio amp and knocker from 30v to 12v.
I'm not really looking to build and sell, but putting it together is pretty trivial.
Requirements:
- Q*Bert Knocker Assembly, available here (http://store.pacmandotcom.com/knocker-parts/503-qbert-knocker-assemby-complete.html), or build your own out of a pinball solenoid.
- 30V DC Power Supply (I used one I had lying around from an old unused cable modem)
- Solid State Relay (I used this one (http://www.lightobject.com/40A-Solid-State-Relay-SSR-DC-In-DC-Out-P315.aspx))
- LedWiz or PacDrive or any output device supported by Mame Hooker
- Mame Hooker (http://dragonking.arcadecontrols.com/static.php?page=aboutmamehooker)
Run a wire off the 12V (yellow) wire from a standard PC hard drive power connector to the Input (+) connection on the Relay. This wire should also have a 500mA fuse installed in-line.
Run a wire from the Input (-) connector to any available port on the LedWiz.
Cut the DC power supply plug off and, after checking the polarity, connect it to the Relay (+) and (-) connections.
Install Mame Hooker and run Q*Bert, jumping off the board so the knocker, in theory, triggers.
Edit the qbert.ini file generated by Mame Hooker (Knocker0 is the output) and add the appropriate code (will post later as I don't have it in front of me).
I'm not really looking to build and sell, but putting it together is pretty trivial.
Requirements:
- Q*Bert Knocker Assembly, available here (http://store.pacmandotcom.com/knocker-parts/503-qbert-knocker-assemby-complete.html), or build your own out of a pinball solenoid.
- 30V DC Power Supply (I used one I had lying around from an old unused cable modem)
- Solid State Relay (I used this one (http://www.lightobject.com/40A-Solid-State-Relay-SSR-DC-In-DC-Out-P315.aspx))
- LedWiz or PacDrive or any output device supported by Mame Hooker
- Mame Hooker (http://dragonking.arcadecontrols.com/static.php?page=aboutmamehooker)
Run a wire off the 12V (yellow) wire from a standard PC hard drive power connector to the Input (+) connection on the Relay. This wire should also have a 500mA fuse installed in-line.
Run a wire from the Input (-) connector to any available port on the LedWiz.
Cut the DC power supply plug off and, after checking the polarity, connect it to the Relay (+) and (-) connections.
Install Mame Hooker and run Q*Bert, jumping off the board so the knocker, in theory, triggers.
Edit the qbert.ini file generated by Mame Hooker (Knocker0 is the output) and add the appropriate code (will post later as I don't have it in front of me).
Am I blind or did you leave out where to hook up the solenoid? Sorry, it's 4am.
[General]
MameStart=
MameStop=
StateChange=
[Output]
Orientation(\\.\DISPLAY1)=
knocker0=lwp 1 16 100,lws 1 16 1,wat 5000,lws 1 16 0
As promised, here is the code I use in mamehooker:Code: [Select][General]
MameStart=
MameStop=
StateChange=
[Output]
Orientation(\\.\DISPLAY1)=
knocker0=lwp 1 16 100,lws 1 16 1,wat 5000,lws 1 16 0
The knocker is on LedWiz-1 connected to Port 16.
knocker0=lws 1 16 %s%
[General]
MameStart=
MameStop=
StateChange=
[Output]
Orientation(\\.\DISPLAY1)=
knocker0=lws 1 16 %s%
Btw... as for your circuit... the fuse is the redundant (and useless) part. The diode is absolutely necessary and is what will save your device.
That much current going into a pc will instantly fry it and fuses, due to their analog nature, don't blow quick enough to prevent that. The diode will take care of the back-flow voltage though and that's a more constant danger.
Well if a solenoid is activaed with the proper voltage/amperage it should be able to stay on indefinately without fear of overheating or fire. This is why you don't have to worry about your washing machine catching fire even though a solenoid value is held on for several minutes while it fills with water. ;)
I'm a big fan of redundancy, so I would probably use a fuse as well... couldn't hurt, my comment was in response to you downplaying the diode, which in imho is the most important part. Seriously which would you rather damage? A hacked laptop powersupply and a crappy old solenoid or your 40 dollar ledwiz and potentially your usb port and entire pc?
While some solenoids are built to be continuously energized such as those used for failsafes to close valves and such, I wouldn't think a pinball solenoid would be rated for 100% duty cycle.
(http://ids.ca/~steve/mame/images/Knocker%20Circuit.png)
(http://ids.ca/~steve/mame/images/Knocker%20Circuit.png)
What changes would I have to make for this to work off 1.9VDC for the control voltage? I want to try and make this work off the NumLock LED.
Decrease R3 to ~27 ohms and use an LTV-815 instead of an LTV-816. If you've already got a current limiting resistor (i.e. what you have has been designed to directly drive a bare LED), then omit R3 entirely. Everything else should be able to stay the same.
If you are trying to hook up an existing LED output that already has an LED on it, be aware that won't work right since that's a current limited source. If you remove the existing LED and substitute instead the LTV-815's input LED, that should work.
Bringing this back from the dead a bit.....
I can run both the control voltage and the input voltage off of the same 12v source from the PC power supply, right?
Thanks!
I hope it is helpful.
Bringing this back from the dead a bit.....
I can run both the control voltage and the input voltage off of the same 12v source from the PC power supply, right?
Thanks!
You're using an SSR I take it?
You certainly can do so if your SSR is rated for 12V control (most are).
You *must* have a diode across the solenoid or relay, whichever one is connected to a solid-state device (transistor, etc).
The relay or solenoid itself has no polarity, but the diode is connected in reverse. Its purpose is to short the reverse voltage spike that comes out of a coil (solenoid/relay) when it is switched off. Otherwise the controlling transistor/device can be destroyed.
Any thoughts on the knocker itself. It seems like it will be metal hitting metal. For some reason I thought the QBert knocker hit the side of the cabinet.The solenoid hits the metal frame that is mounted to the back of the wooden coin box.
http://pdf.textfiles.com/manuals/ARCADE/K-R/Q-Bert%20(Scan%202)%20[Instructions]%20[English].pdf
Yes, those videos make it very clear what happens. I can only surmise that the metal bracket being at the mounting point will transmit the shock to the cabinet.
The sound of the knocker in those videos is not very loud though. On EM pinball machines the knocker was loud enough to be heard for some distance around, it was loud enough to cause fright if you weren't expecting it.