Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum

Arcade Collecting => Miscellaneous Arcade Talk => Topic started by: Luigi on April 14, 2008, 07:54:54 am

Title: How do you test your PCBs??
Post by: Luigi on April 14, 2008, 07:54:54 am

We recently got a test station for PCBs. Great thing. Had to do some little repairs but now it works perfect.

The only thing: we only have a plug for Jamma-PCBs. I first thought about making adaptors for all the PCBs but that would be too expensive and too much stuff lying around and disappearing somehow and.....as usual....you wouldn't find the right adaptor for just that specific PCB you want to test ;)

So I found another solution. I made two panels with 4mm-plugs. One is marked with the typical functions and wired to a Jamma-fingerboard that fits on the Jamma-Plug we have at the station.

The other panel has 2x28 plugs and is wired to a 2x28 fingerboard, too. I have soldered a 18-pin and a 22-pin plug to a Jamma-plug that will be put onto the Jamma-fingerboard. I made (and will make) different overlays for the different PCBs (in the picture is the one for Bomb Jack) and so I only need to connect the right plugs and can test almost every PCB. Of course not those with different voltages as Atari uses. I will solder a 6-pin plug for Tehkan PCBs and one for the Namco PCBs.

The biggest advantage: I can take all that stuff to my home and use it with my Jamma-cab for testing PCBs at home :)

Puh, I hope I could describe what I did.....sorry for my english  ::)


What do you think? How do you test your PCBs??


Pictures:

(I just found out that I don't have a good and complete picture of our station....will take one)

The station itself.....the vertical screen is on the right side

(http://www.thludwig.de/arcade/pics/teststation/small.jpg)


The two panels how I planned them (models made with Google SketchUp)

(http://www.thludwig.de/arcade/pics/teststation/2x28_sketchup_small.jpg)

(http://www.thludwig.de/arcade/pics/teststation/jamma_sketchup_small.jpg)


And how they are now in reality...pretty close :)

(http://www.thludwig.de/arcade/pics/teststation/2x28_panel.jpg)

(http://www.thludwig.de/arcade/pics/teststation/jamma_panel.jpg)

Title: Re: How do you test your PCBs??
Post by: RetroACTIVE on April 14, 2008, 08:13:12 am

Very nice!

Title: Re: How do you test your PCBs??
Post by: RayB on April 14, 2008, 11:09:13 am

Brilliant.

(who is "we"?)

Title: Re: How do you test your PCBs??
Post by: Luigi on April 14, 2008, 01:06:18 pm

"We" is my mate Dirk and me :)

www.thludwig.de

Title: Re: How do you test your PCBs??
Post by: CheffoJeffo on April 14, 2008, 02:07:23 pm

Very nice !