Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum
Main => Main Forum => Topic started by: R0CK632 on November 20, 2015, 11:38:32 pm
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Is there anything wrong using my old Notebook computer to run inside my new full-size mame cabinet. I already have all the roms and hyper spin setup on it already. Don't feel like transfering everything over to a tower.. Thanks
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Not particularly.
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Nothing wrong at all unless you plan to use its screen too..
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^^^^ +1
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My only concern with laptops inside cabs is how to power them on from the outside of the cab.
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My only concern with laptops inside cabs is how to power them on from the outside of the cab.
+1
I think that thats the only problem with laptops.
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How would you get a 15khz signal from a laptop?
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My only concern with laptops inside cabs is how to power them on from the outside of the cab.
i would say in this case best to plug it into a power strip and run the power strip cord outside the cabinet.
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+1 that's would I would do.
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Heres my solution. I tapped into the power switch on my laptop and now i can run a momentary switch to anywhere I want in the cabinet. Just worried about the laptop overheating in the cabinet. I am going to purchase a cooling pad for it to run as well.
(http://i.imgur.com/SmPSYL9.jpg)
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My only concern with laptops inside cabs is how to power them on from the outside of the cab.
The laptop's power button should be a typical momentary switch with two solder points, I think you could solder wires from those two solder points to a momentary switch mounted on the outside of the cabinet.
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Don't feel like transfering everything over to a tower
Do you say this because you don't have a tower already? The transfer part is very easy - literally copy and paste.
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How would you get a 15khz signal from a laptop?
The "GBS-8100" looks like a good concept, but it got one bad review on amazon dot com :
http://www.amazon.com/Andoer-Portable-GBS-8100-Definition-Converter/dp/B00XKWX4F8/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1452024409&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=GBS-8100 (http://www.amazon.com/Andoer-Portable-GBS-8100-Definition-Converter/dp/B00XKWX4F8/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1452024409&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=GBS-8100)
Most laptops have VGA out, so a solution like that would work.
Or just switch to a computer monitor LOL.
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The "GBS-8100" looks like a good concept, but it got one bad review on amazon dot com :
http://www.amazon.com/Andoer-Portable-GBS-8100-Definition-Converter/dp/B00XKWX4F8/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1452024409&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=GBS-8100 (http://www.amazon.com/Andoer-Portable-GBS-8100-Definition-Converter/dp/B00XKWX4F8/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1452024409&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=GBS-8100)
Most laptops have VGA out, so a solution like that would work.
Or just switch to a computer monitor LOL.
That review is accurate, and I still don't know of a good way to use a laptop with an arcade monitor, but I misread the first post. I thought it was already an arcade cabinet, but he is creating a "new full-size mame cabinet." Probably no need for 15khz.
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I've successfully configured a notebook PC inside my JAMMA MAME cabinet. More challenges than a PC, but it can be done.
To output the VGA signal to the 15k arcade monitor, I used a GBS-8100 board to downscale the VGA output. I still have a problem I can't figure out - randomly, the monitor will drop the red color and the monitor shows the game with the color missing. Just as random, the color will come back after a few minutes. I've determined it's the 8100 board and not the monitor or laptop that's doing this. I've tried two 8100 boards and they both do the same thing, so I have no idea how to fix.
To turn the laptop on / off, I leave the laptop in standby mode and configured it to awake on the click of a mouse button. The I wired up an old mouse with a switch soldered to one the of mouse buttons so a press of the switch will simulate a mouse click, which will wake up the laptop. I then set the O/S on wake up to fire off my MAME frontend, Hyperspin. To put the laptop to sleep, I configured Hyperspin on power off to put the laptop in suspend mode.
There ya go, no hacking your laptop's power button. If only I could figure out the color problem on the GBS-8100.
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How would you get a 15khz signal from a laptop?
Really dependent upon the graphics card in the laptop. Couple of ways you can do this:
- Soft 15khz
- GroovyArcade off USB stick
- External VGA-to-CGA convertor
- Soft 15khz doesn't work with all cards.
- GroovyArcade works with a limited number of graphics cards, but see if it works with yours. It runs off Live USB or CD and doesn't make any changes to your laptop configuration.