Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum
Main => Main Forum => Topic started by: lshoes18 on October 03, 2003, 11:58:36 am
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i too wanna build a machine of my own from scratch, completely jamma. i would like to completely skip the pc and run straight off the harness and jamma pcbs. only problem is that no one has any information about building a strictly jamma cabinet. so my question is, is it even possible? and being that some of my favorite games are 4 simultaneous players, how would i go about wiring to add the other two players with a possible (but not mandatory) 6 button setup per player without having to rewire the harness for other games (1 and two player mostly). i have no clue what im doing so a little help would be greatly aprreciated. thanks people!! ???
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first off, welcome to the board!
Secondly, I just finished my dedicated mortal kombat 3 cab. So, yes, it is possible. You will need...
1. Arcade monitor/ converted Tv monitor(15hz)
2. Jamma harness (get the x-gamez one)
3. The PCB (the game)
4. Power Converter
5. Power cable/filter
6. MDF 3/4 in or w/e you would like to use (most likely you will need 3-4 sheets)
I may have missed something....
o yea, a coin door if you would like, get the happs one.
-Mark
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The classic guide:
http://www.dameon.net/BBBB/buildit.html
Definately check out the rest of the site too.
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Well, JAMMA is setup for 2 players 3 buttons each.
http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node=JAMMA
4 player games and JAMMA+ had unique interfaces for the controls that go beyond JAMMA.
Also, if you want multiple pcbs and a computer in the cabinet look at multijamma from www.multigame.com and the ArcadeVGA and JPAC from www.ultimarc.com. With the ArcadeVGA and JPAC you should be able to just plug a PC into a JAMMA cabinet.
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Like SirP said, wire the P1 & P2 joysticks and the first 3 action buttons for each player through the jamma harness. Then put the remaining joysticks and buttons from the control panel into a couple 12-position (or whatever size is most suitable) molex connector.
Then you would make a custom mating harness for each of your jamma boards that require the additional buttons/joysticks, and leave it permanently attached to the game board. You will probably need the board manual so you know where to connect the additional joysticks/buttons to the game board. So then you would only have to swap the jamma connector and unplug/plug in the additional control panel molex connectors for games that use those.
For the rest of the cabinet wiring, check out the link that Tom61 provided.
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So then you would only have to swap the jamma connector and unplug/plug in the additional control panel molex connectors for games that use those
And multijamma would keep you from swapping, just a button push to switch games :)
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And multijamma would keep you from swapping, just a button push to switch games :)
Oh yes, there's no question that a multi-jamma is a nice "extra", but it certainly isn't necessary for lshoes18 to accomplish his goal. The other things posted pretty much are necessary, though.
I had a jamma cab with half a dozen boards hanging inside it, and I would just move the harness. I did that for years and I never thought it was a big deal.
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btw, you might want to start with asking your local arcade... And see if they have any water destroyed cabinets... that they might sell ya..
You know the parts you want... Don't expect to buy any of it at a radio shack.
You really might be able to find a working jamma cabinet for a local source for the price of shipping for some of the parts... Then swap all the junk to a new cabinet... or refurb the one you get.
Troubles will be..
1) Monitor will be old... You can get a new one for 210bucks (189 + 20 bucks shipping.. .what company was it??)... This will be the big money item.
2) Old wiring harness are kinda crap in my opinion. If you get a cab that has been converted... then you probably find a bunch of wirenuts reconnecting parts...
3) Joysticks will be crap... Old joysticks work, but they are SO cheap (especially if you wait for a sale). And new sticks feel so much better.... oh boy did that sound bad :P
Good luck!