Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum

Main => Project Announcements => Topic started by: Daan Muller on January 18, 2015, 10:00:45 am

Title: Mini Galaga Cabinet
Post by: Daan Muller on January 18, 2015, 10:00:45 am: Hi,

I build some full-size cabinets about 15-17 years ago, a Dragon's Lair with a laserdisc player and a mame conversion of a generic jamma cab. Unfortunately I sold these a few years ago when I moved to a smaller office.

But I miss having a mame cabinet so I am building me a bar top cabinet with a complete Hyperspin install.

Looking around for info I came across the mini DK build here by Bender and got inspired to build a mini galaga machine.

Routed the sides from 3mm mdf on my small CNC router and superglued it together.

(http://www.mijnalbum.nl/Foto720-3RVBN6XV.jpg)
(http://www.mijnalbum.nl/Foto720-JZP8LLBK.jpg)

Some paint and printed the art on vinyl.

(http://www.mijnalbum.nl/Foto540-ROR4S7OJ.jpg)

Control panel

(http://www.mijnalbum.nl/Foto540-RE4ECYWM.jpg)

Wiring to a Raspberry Pi GPIO cable, one end goes to the 2.8" TFT the other to the PI. I am using the same connections as the Cupcade kit from adafruit and their install of advancemame for the PI

(http://www.mijnalbum.nl/Foto540-JRQHUB8X.jpg)

The Pi and a small usb charging speaker in the cabinet.

(http://www.mijnalbum.nl/Foto540-VXCZY7A3.jpg)

I am waiting on some 1.5mm plexi for the marquee en bezel to finish it.
Title: Re: Mini Galaga Cabinet
Post by: DaOld Man on January 18, 2015, 12:20:17 pm: Looks good!
Welcome to the forum.
Title: Re: Mini Galaga Cabinet
Post by: otsep on January 18, 2015, 04:20:23 pm: Love it!

I'd love to make a mini after I do my full-size.
Title: Re: Mini Galaga Cabinet
Post by: Louis Tully on January 18, 2015, 04:24:04 pm: .
Title: Re: Mini Galaga Cabinet
Post by: Slippyblade on January 18, 2015, 04:34:02 pm: Awesome! I love the mini builds. I just wish the mini joysticks weren't sooooooo damn expensive.
Title: Re: Mini Galaga Cabinet
Post by: Daan Muller on January 19, 2015, 12:57:53 pm: Thanks for the compliments! :)

These joysticks aren't so expensive at €13. For the next one I am going to use one without a ball on it and make my own shaft from a piercing barbell pin with a red ball.

These are fun to build. :) I think I am going to build a mini arcade with a Donkey Kong, Pacman, Qbert, Burger Time etc.
Title: Re: Mini Galaga Cabinet
Post by: Louis Tully on January 19, 2015, 01:32:22 pm: .
Title: Re: Mini Galaga Cabinet
Post by: Daan Muller on January 20, 2015, 12:15:51 pm: Almost ready. I need to add a little black strip at the bottom of the bezel plexi and close up the back. And maybe put in a usb powerbank so I can loose the cable.

(http://www.mijnalbum.nl/Foto540-WPHEV68J.jpg)
Title: Re: Mini Galaga Cabinet
Post by: Yvan256 on February 08, 2015, 10:50:57 am: Nice mini Galaga cabinet, Daan!

You say you used a 2.8" LCD, do you mean something like this one (http://www.ebay.ca/itm/131423496491)? (2.8" TFT LCD Arduino Mega 2560 shield selling for 7.50$CAD, if you are a visitor from the future and the link no longer works).

You also mentioned a small CNC machine. Can we see it?

Quote from: Slippyblade on January 18, 2015, 04:34:02 pm
Awesome! I love the mini builds. I just wish the mini joysticks weren't sooooooo damn expensive.

I have a project that will make a lot of people happy, even though it's going to be a bit bigger than this one.
Title: Re: Mini Galaga Cabinet
Post by: Daan Muller on February 08, 2015, 11:57:27 am: Thanks!

The screens I use are something like $25, these ones. (http://www.ebay.ca/itm/320X240-2-8-TFT-LCD-expansion-display-touchscreen-for-Raspberry-Pi-B-Board-/281573486536?). But the screen looks the same, so if you're handy with linux I guess you could get the $7.50 ones working.

The CNC is a 3040Z, cheap Chinese, 280x390mm work area. Construction is ok and it has ball-screws, it would probably benefit from a better controller.

(http://img.tarad.com/shop/k/klongthomshoppingmal/img-lib/spd_20130204172558_b.jpg)