Long time reader, first time builder: MAME Slim Cab

[ambush]

Yes, that would be more chaotic. 

Actually, I wasn't going for chaos, but after putting it together, it felt very "high energy". Maybe that's a better word. I would like there to be some blank space so it is not overwhelming.

I'm wondering if I can add some depth in the design with some background patterns. I've seen grids and lines before on other CPs.

[edub]

Ambush,

I applaud your design efforts (very complete - maybe overcomplete, but I'm an engineer and understand fully). I actually thought I planned well, but after seeing your starting drawings, my planning was simply amateur.

I am hoping to see the rest of the pics soon. I am 50% done with my Woody copy and will share my cab soon (within the next month) with this forum that has helped me SO much.

Regarding the CP overlay artwork, man - it is SO personal. Some people can view your stuff and say "did you spill some random clipart on this thing?" Others might say "hey, not bad". My personal opinion is that this is YOUR cab and to go with what makes YOU stoked about playing it. The folks on this forum so far have given you GREAT ideas about building your cab - as they did for me - but the artwork comes down to personal taste - you're the one that has to live with it and show it off to friends and family.

I followed grynd's suggestions on the audio - he was building a jukebox (or two) and he helped me design the car audio system I have in the cab - it is outstanding - but admittedly a bit much for its intended purpose. 6.5" coax speakers, Ground Pounder amp, 12V DC power supply and a 5F capacitor between the amp and the power supply. I guess I wanted to say "mine goes all the way to 11"... ;-)

Many people have had great success with 2.1 systems and I believe that is the best bang for the buck - and the sub DOES help quite a bit. I spent a few more dollars (haha) but again - personal preference. It was the one area where people can say to me "Really? 350W car stereo system for an arcade cab? Really?" And then I can just turn the volume up and ignore them - smiling the whole time knowing that "it works" and "I did it" and "it's cool" and "that's what I wanted" - even though I know it's overkill.  ;-)

I appreciated the dialogue about the euro hinge - drats - I'll have to go find one for my front panel door. I like my drawer - used a 16" full extension glide - it not only looks good, but is somewhat practical as well - holding the keyboard/mouse close - but folks are right - won't be used that often once everything is programmed properly.

Casters? I pondered the idea and then thought otherwise. If I need to move it, I'll just put down a small roller dolly and move it. I don't expect that once it reaches its final spot (basement - carpet), that I'll have a need to move it around on purpose. But, your 45deg idea was actually quite creative.

One thing I found out about building your first cab - holy COW you need patience. I spent the better part of 6 days with my father-in-law (Papa) going fairly slowly through building the shell, making measurements, etc. I thought early on "we should be done with this in 5 days and play it on the 6th". HAH!! What a joke. I am NOT a carpenter and there are so many disciplines to get right all at once. Patience, patience. Sometimes you just have to step away - especially later in the evening and call it a day. I am now 8 days into it and only have it half done (everything but the CP and prime/paint is complete). Yikes. But the key is to have fun and enjoy the process along the way - mistakes or not. I made several, but nothing I couldn't recover from.

Keep on sending pics. I will track your progress and then by Thanksgiving, you can see my long-winded blog on my cab - Wilbarcade.

Cheers,
edub

[ambush]

Ambush,

I applaud your design efforts (very complete - maybe overcomplete, but I'm an engineer and understand fully). I actually thought I planned well, but after seeing your starting drawings, my planning was simply amateur.

I am hoping to see the rest of the pics soon. I am 50% done with my Woody copy and will share my cab soon (within the next month) with this forum that has helped me SO much.

Regarding the CP overlay artwork, man - it is SO personal. Some people can view your stuff and say "did you spill some random clipart on this thing?" Others might say "hey, not bad". My personal opinion is that this is YOUR cab and to go with what makes YOU stoked about playing it. The folks on this forum so far have given you GREAT ideas about building your cab - as they did for me - but the artwork comes down to personal taste - you're the one that has to live with it and show it off to friends and family.

I followed grynd's suggestions on the audio - he was building a jukebox (or two) and he helped me design the car audio system I have in the cab - it is outstanding - but admittedly a bit much for its intended purpose. 6.5" coax speakers, Ground Pounder amp, 12V DC power supply and a 5F capacitor between the amp and the power supply. I guess I wanted to say "mine goes all the way to 11"... ;-)

Many people have had great success with 2.1 systems and I believe that is the best bang for the buck - and the sub DOES help quite a bit. I spent a few more dollars (haha) but again - personal preference. It was the one area where people can say to me "Really? 350W car stereo system for an arcade cab? Really?" And then I can just turn the volume up and ignore them - smiling the whole time knowing that "it works" and "I did it" and "it's cool" and "that's what I wanted" - even though I know it's overkill.  ;-)

I appreciated the dialogue about the euro hinge - drats - I'll have to go find one for my front panel door. I like my drawer - used a 16" full extension glide - it not only looks good, but is somewhat practical as well - holding the keyboard/mouse close - but folks are right - won't be used that often once everything is programmed properly.

Casters? I pondered the idea and then thought otherwise. If I need to move it, I'll just put down a small roller dolly and move it. I don't expect that once it reaches its final spot (basement - carpet), that I'll have a need to move it around on purpose. But, your 45deg idea was actually quite creative.

One thing I found out about building your first cab - holy COW you need patience. I spent the better part of 6 days with my father-in-law (Papa) going fairly slowly through building the shell, making measurements, etc. I thought early on "we should be done with this in 5 days and play it on the 6th". HAH!! What a joke. I am NOT a carpenter and there are so many disciplines to get right all at once. Patience, patience. Sometimes you just have to step away - especially later in the evening and call it a day. I am now 8 days into it and only have it half done (everything but the CP and prime/paint is complete). Yikes. But the key is to have fun and enjoy the process along the way - mistakes or not. I made several, but nothing I couldn't recover from.

Keep on sending pics. I will track your progress and then by Thanksgiving, you can see my long-winded blog on my cab - Wilbarcade.

Cheers,
edub

@edub

Thanks very much for your note. Sorry I've been so long to respond. I appreciate the pep talk and advice on various parts.

Unfortunately I did not complete the cab by Thanksgiving. My friend (whose shop I've been using) and I just couldn't find the time during the holiday season to get it done.

As an update on some of the decisions:
* I ended up going with the Kicker 4x6" speakers. While they were more costly, they are compact, new and sleek looking.
* I abandoned the casters altogether. I'm not going to roll it around.
* Euro hinges are working great.

For some good news, we were able to work on the cab this past weekend and made a ton of progress. Pics are coming soon.

Cheers.
ambush

[ambush]

Long overdue update with PICS!

I did not complete the cab by Thanksgiving as hoped, but recently have made some very good progress and it is coming along nicely.

Getting the monitor to fit in the cab was quite an effort, requiring a lot of sanding. We actually blew through all of our sand paper and had to restock to finish the job.

Here is the monitor frame we cut.


And here is the support panel behind the frame.


Once those were both attached using countersunk screws, we could fit the monitor in nicely.


However, the monitor was not flush with the frame, which would have caused problems when attaching the plexi. So we added a shim to the support panel.



We attached the back access panel using some hinges.


The panel opens nicely upright.


Rather than putting a knob on the panel, we just put a "finger sized" hole there. We added a magnetic latch so the panel stays shut when down.



We attached the keyboard tray using a drawer slide and a custom cut piece of 3/4" plywood. It will sit under the control panel and above the front door.



To attach the front door, we used euro hinges. First with a forstner bit, cut into the side panel.


Then attach the hinges and the door.


We used a magnetic push lock to keep the door shut. Push it to pop it open. Works like a charm.





Next it was time to build the control panel box. First we used a drill press to cut holes for the 25 cent push buttons on the front board of the box.


These coin buttons from Groovy Game Gear are pretty slick looking

http://groovygamegear.com/webstore/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=295

Then we started building out the frame of the box, using 2x2s as corners to hold the boards together


We drilled 3 holes in the back of the box for wires to escape into the cab.


And we assembled the rest of the box. We used screws into each of the 2x2s and a nail gun for the control panel base.


Here is the CP box on the cabinet. Fits perfectly.


To make the CP removable, we used long bolts with wing nuts that connect through the base of the CP and into 2x2s that are attached to the cabinet frame. Here are the top of the bolts.


Final photo of the progress!



Hopefully only one more woodworking session to go, including the top of the control panel. the admin panel, and the speaker panel.

Comments? Suggestions?

[newmanfamilyvlogs]

What exactly are you doing with the marquee area?
If you are putting an illuminated sign up there you probably need to re-work this area to avoid this:
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=104708.0

[ambush]

What exactly are you doing with the marquee area?
If you are putting an illuminated sign up there you probably need to re-work this area to avoid this:
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=104708.0

@cotmm68030, yes I was planning to do a lit marquee. Thanks for the heads up about this! I'll need to modify those support beams I guess.

I purchased an LED light system from GGG.
http://groovygamegear.com/webstore/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=83&products_id=307

[alfonzotan]

Very nice work.  Looking at your pics I'm having serious deja vu; reminds me very much of the cab I built last spring--although your woodworking is a hell of a lot cleaner than mine.  Knievel's designs, like the jelly of the month club, are the gift that keeps on givin'.

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=111782.msg1185448

One thought:  instead of putting a full tower case in my "cargo bay," I just bolted the mobo, hard drive and power supply to one wall (with spacers, natch).  That not only cut down on the weight and helped with cooling, it left a ton of space for other storage down there.  Here's a pic from mid-construction; I hadn't installed the hard drive yet, and the optical drive went away once I was done with the software OS installations:



Not for everybody, but I've definitely appreciated having the extra room.

You asked about marquee mounting hardware earlier... you've probably already solved that one, but just in case:  Lowe's (and probably everybody else) sells clear plastic corner protectors in 6' lengths, call it half an inch to 3/4" on each side of the "L".  I just snipped one of those down to an upper mount and a lower mount, drilled holes for screws, painted them flat black, and I was done.  Easiest and one of the cheapest parts of the whole build.

[ambush]

@alfonzotan  Thanks for the advice.

I have considered breaking down the PC into parts, but I wasn't sure whether my desktop would really run all the games so I was going to test it first as a complete unit.  Did you find that breaking down the PC into parts reduced your need for air ventilation? I'm trying to decide where and how to cut ventilation...

Great suggestion about the marquee mount. Thanks!

[alfonzotan]

@alfonzotan  Thanks for the advice.

I have considered breaking down the PC into parts, but I wasn't sure whether my desktop would really run all the games so I was going to test it first as a complete unit.  Did you find that breaking down the PC into parts reduced your need for air ventilation? I'm trying to decide where and how to cut ventilation...

Great suggestion about the marquee mount. Thanks!

I never had a full PC in the first place, I just built up the bare mobo from parts.  I probably overbuilt on ventilation, there are a couple of 120mm fans mounted (countersunk) on my back panel at the vertical midpoint of the "cargo bay," and I have a vent at the top of the cab.  It's never been remotely warm in there when I've opened the front door.

[Green Giant]

@alfonzotan  Thanks for the advice.

I have considered breaking down the PC into parts, but I wasn't sure whether my desktop would really run all the games so I was going to test it first as a complete unit.  Did you find that breaking down the PC into parts reduced your need for air ventilation? I'm trying to decide where and how to cut ventilation...

Great suggestion about the marquee mount. Thanks!

Are you making a full cab?  Will it be basically air tight?

I have about a 2 foot tall window in the back of my cab I never made a door for.  My computer is just sitting in there with the door off.  So far heat has never been a problem for anything in my cab.



If you are making it air tight, then you can simply put some fans on the actual cabinet and leave the door of the computer case.  That should be more than enough ventilation.

[Santoro]

Looks good, any progress made?

[Hockeyboy]

I have a couple questions regarding your project. I'm getting ready to build up my first cab and it's going to look much like yours, which appears to get inspiration from the Knievel Woody. I've seen a few projects now that seem to capitalize on the Woody cabinet and I have to say I love the look you came up with.

All your 3/4" plywood needs to be routed with a wing-slot cutter for the t-molding - how are you planning on running the router along the edges with everything already put together? Edit: wow, long night at work, didn't think this all the way through...but that first question still stands on how you are planning on running the router with everything already put together?

If you are building your CP top out of the same 3/4" plywood, are you going to cover it with anything, or simply stain it like the rest of the cabinet? If you are staining, are you going to put some 1/8" clear plexi over the top to protect that wood surface?

Cabinet is looking great so far! Can't wait to see more and how this finally turns out.

[ambush]

I have a couple questions regarding your project. I'm getting ready to build up my first cab and it's going to look much like yours, which appears to get inspiration from the Knievel Woody. I've seen a few projects now that seem to capitalize on the Woody cabinet and I have to say I love the look you came up with.

All your 3/4" plywood needs to be routed with a wing-slot cutter for the t-molding - how are you planning on running the router along the edges with everything already put together? Edit: wow, long night at work, didn't think this all the way through...but that first question still stands on how you are planning on running the router with everything already put together?

If you are building your CP top out of the same 3/4" plywood, are you going to cover it with anything, or simply stain it like the rest of the cabinet? If you are staining, are you going to put some 1/8" clear plexi over the top to protect that wood surface?

Cabinet is looking great so far! Can't wait to see more and how this finally turns out.

Hi @Hockeyboy

Yes, I routed the cab with a 1/16" slot-cutting bit after it was all assembled. It was actually pretty easy to do by laying the cabinet on the side. The only problem was on the very front panel where we improved with a nail gun to attach the slanted panel. When we were slot-cutting, the bit hit the nails and sent off quite a spark. It should be okay because I'll just use a utility knife to reduce the depth of the t-molding at that spot.

Here's a photo


I built the CP top out of 1/2" plywood so that I could put 1/4" plexi on top of it. That will make the width 3/4" so that I can put the t-molding on it.

Thanks.

[ambush]

It's been a long time since I updated this thread, but I have a lot to share! I will be posting in parts.

Part 1: Completed Construction
[Photos from February, 2012]

We completed major construction of the cabinet in February 2012.

We cut the control panel top to size. It has a shaped front.


Cut the admin panel that attaches above the control panel.


Attached a slanted panel above the door and below the keyboard tray.


Cut holes for air vents or fans in the top and bottom of the cab.




Cut a template for the speaker holes, then used the bearing-guided router bit to cut two speaker holes.






Used a 1/16" slot-cutting router bit to cut the edges for t-molding.


It fits!



And finally, the finished construction



Next step: painting!

[ambush]

Part 2: Cleaning up and priming the cabinet
[Photos from March, 2012]

I brought the cabinet back to my house and started the clean up work. All of those nicks and scrapes needed to be sanded down, treated with wood putty and sanded again. Then I primed the cabinet.

Here's the primer and paint I used - spray paint.


Here's the cabinet


Took apart all doors and hardware.


Lots of wood putty and sanding








Spray paint nozzle attachment, and gloves!


It got dark


Here's the result. Enough for one day.



One thing I learned: watch out for dust and pollen in the air. It seemed to leave a soft paint residue that came off on my fingers.

[ambush]

Part 3: Completing the Cabinet Painting
[Photos from April 2012]

Here was where we left off. Need to finish priming the cabinet and start painting.


I decided to prime and paint the entire cabinet, inside and out.


I painted the doors and drawers separately.


Put the cabinet on its side to reach certain interior spots


Did NOT paint the bottom


Here's the final BLACK cabinet. You can see the control panel off to the left

[ambush]

Part 4: Cutting the Control Panel
[Photos from September 2012]

Here is the modified layout I wanted for the control panel, consisting of:

• 1P and 2P buttons
• 2-player controls: joystick, 7-button optimized for fighters
• trackball
• spinner and two additional buttons

After experimenting a bit further I realized that the spinner buttons would have been blocked by the 2P joystick, so I moved them.

One mistake I made in this design is that there is a lot of space on the bottom that cannot be used for the trackball because of the size of the CP box. I had to move the trackball and joysticks up quite a bit.

I also decided to mount the joysticks from the bottom.

Here's the updated layout after a lot of measuring.


Here's the trackball cutout


Now this is what the trackball would look like without routing.


We used the bearing-guided routing bit to groove out about 1/16" to fit the trackball plate


Here is the result


Fits perfectly!


Used 1 1/8" spade bits for everything else. And the CP looks like this!

[ambush]

Part 5 (last for now): Attaching the control panel top to the box
[Photos from September 2012]

Last update for now. See QUESTIONS at the end of this post.

I attached the CP top to the box using a piano hinge.
One gotcha- the piano hinge came with 3/4" screws but the CP top was only 1/2" ply, so that was a failure. I bought 1/2" screws and lined the piano hinge up, and perfect alignment!







It even sits open thanks to that front lip


Here's what the CP looks like on the cabinet





QUESTIONS

• How should I cut the plexiglass for the CP? I want 1/4" plexi to sit on top of the 1/2" ply and on top of artwork
• I also need plexi for the monitor area and the marquee. Thoughts?
• Is there anyone out there who wants to help me with artwork for the cabinet?
• Where should I print artwork? Sides, CP top, Marquee
• How do I affix artwork to the sides?
• Other suggestions?

[PL1]

How should I cut the plexiglass for the CP? I want 1/4" plexi to sit on top of the 1/2" ply and on top of artwork

Check out this thread by Selfie -- our resident expert on all things plastic. 

Is there anyone out there who wants to help me with artwork for the cabinet?

Here's one good place to start looking.  Also check out the Artwork forum or GameOnGrafix for more ideas.

Where should I print artwork? Sides, CP top, Marquee
How do I affix artwork to the sides?

If your main concern is quality, GameOnGrafix.
If your main concern is cost, Souldraw.

If you order from Souldraw, be sure to select adhesive vinyl media.

Applying Side Art 101 by Rikitiki.

Other suggestions?

I noticed that you routed your CP top so that the mounting plate would sit flush.

By adding the 1/4" plexi on top, won't that interfere somewhat with using the trackball?   


Scott

[shponglefan]

• How should I cut the plexiglass for the CP? I want 1/4" plexi to sit on top of the 1/2" ply and on top of artwork

What's worked for me in the past is a router w/ flush-trim bit for the edges/large cut out and a hole saw for buttons/joysticks.

[ambush]

Hi Scott- thanks for the great advice and links!

I noticed that you routed your CP top so that the mounting plate would sit flush.

By adding the 1/4" plexi on top, won't that interfere somewhat with using the trackball?   

Interesting point. I was hoping that the plexi would match the height of that little lip around the track ball. See photo.

[PL1]

Interesting point. I was hoping that the plexi would match the height of that little lip around the track ball.

I only mentioned it because it looks like the lip is way less than 1/4".

A nice chamfer on the plexi trackball hole should help.


Scott

[Hockeyboy]

ambush -- LOVING the updates!! Also, thanks for the response to my earlier questions.

I love the shape your cab has taken -- I still want to do something VERY similar, in fact, I want to do the same thing as you did, except that I want to stain mine instead of black paint, much like Knievel's Woody cab. My only snag right now is my wife is saying we just don't have a good room in the house to plop something like this into -- she's suggesting I could keep it in the garage.    Our garage is actually completely finished on all the walls because it was the builder's model home but I just hate the idea of having to play my games out there. If I do decide to stay in the garage, I would definitely consider painting it black vs staining.

btw...you wouldn't happen to have dimensions/plans, would you? 

[Noshbomb]

Looks really nice! 

[Seith]

You mentioned you couldn't move the trackball down due to the box constraints, but now that you have that CP attached to the piano hinge and opened, it looks like you have considerable space below it that you could have moved it down:



I realize it's too late now, but that was one of the things this board caught me on when I came close to the point where I was going to be cutting my CP:  Trackballs should go as low as you can get them, to maximize the space your hand has to travel, and to minimize chances of banging your fingers on the glass.

Otherwise, this project is looking great!

[ambush]

You mentioned you couldn't move the trackball down due to the box constraints, but now that you have that CP attached to the piano hinge and opened, it looks like you have considerable space below it that you could have moved it down:



I realize it's too late now, but that was one of the things this board caught me on when I came close to the point where I was going to be cutting my CP:  Trackballs should go as low as you can get them, to maximize the space your hand has to travel, and to minimize chances of banging your fingers on the glass.

Otherwise, this project is looking great!

@Seith thanks for the feedback.

I screwed up on two things:
1- The CP overhangs the CP box on the lower (front) part. That means that the trackball can't be too low because of that box front panel.
2- I put $0.25 coin buttons on the front, so they need room as well. That added an extra couple of inches.

I am definitely worried about banging fingers. But since I designed this CP as removable, I may finish this one and then build another one if I don't like it.

[ambush]

ambush -- LOVING the updates!! Also, thanks for the response to my earlier questions.

I love the shape your cab has taken -- I still want to do something VERY similar, in fact, I want to do the same thing as you did, except that I want to stain mine instead of black paint, much like Knievel's Woody cab. My only snag right now is my wife is saying we just don't have a good room in the house to plop something like this into -- she's suggesting I could keep it in the garage.    Our garage is actually completely finished on all the walls because it was the builder's model home but I just hate the idea of having to play my games out there. If I do decide to stay in the garage, I would definitely consider painting it black vs staining.

btw...you wouldn't happen to have dimensions/plans, would you? 

@Hockeyboy thanks!

I designed this one specifically so it would fit in a room rather than being exiled. It is really slim. I'm attaching my 3D Sketchup file. There is a layer called "Cut List" which has all of the pieces you need to cut laid out on plywood pieces. Or you can show/hide each individual layer and use the tape measurer to figure out your measurements.  http://www.megafileupload.com/en/file/370462/Ambush-Slim-Arcade-Cab-2012-skp.html

[ambush]

Looks really nice!

Thanks @Noshbomb !

[Scott87z]

Ambush, like you I am a long time reader and just finalizing my plans before starting.  Your cab looks great.  What amp did you finally go with to power your 4x6 speakers and how did that work out for you?  I am still trying to decide between a computer 2.1 speaker set or go the car speaker route.  Thanks!

[ambush]

New Update! The arcade cab construction is complete and playable!
[Photos from October - November 2012]

In this update, I complete the construction of the cabinet, including all plexiglass cutting and assembly. I attach the speakers, LEDs, monitor and computer. I wire up the control panel and am able to play the first games.

Problems: I can't get the trackball working. Need some electrical help!  The speakers are buzzing. Don't know why.

Open items: I still need to attach the spinner and the admin buttons. AND I need to get some help on artwork!


Plexiglass

I purchased samples of acrylic ("plexiglass") and Lexan ("polycarbonate"). Ultimately I decided to go with acrylic. Acrylic was easier to cut, less likely to scratch, and does not yellow over time. http://www.hydrosight.com/technology/polycarbonate_vs_acrylic.php

I went to Lowe's and had them cut the plexiglass to the proper rectangular sizes for the marquee, monitor bezel, and control panel. Then I went to work on the control panel.

Here is a test of a pushbutton.




And here is the test of the Lexan (left) and Plexi (right).



Now I was ready to cut the main control panel plexi. The first thing I did was align all of the holes.

Here is the control panel with the trackball.


To align everything, I turned the control panel upside down and clamped it to the plexi. I had the plexi sandwiched between the CP and another board so that I would drill through the other board.


To cut the pushbutton holes, I needed a 1 1/8" bit. I originally tried a spade bit but that didn't work, so I purchased this hole cutting bit which worked great.


All of the holes are done.




The plexi melts as you cut it and leaves some plastic on the hole. Just use your fingernail to break that off.




Here is my trackball test cut using a 3" hole saw.


It fit, but the edges were a little rough.


The final cut was much smoother.




Fits perfectly


I would end up sanding the inside of the trackball hole with 250 grit sanding block just to smooth it out a bit more.



Speakers

I installed the car audio speakers. They fit perfectly.






Connected the amplifier.




Mounted the amplifier in the cabinet.



Marquee

For the marquee, I used two pieces of plexi and I plan to sandwich an art printout between them. To mount the marquee plexi, I picked up a plastic wall corner protector from the hardware store and cut it with a hacksaw.






Monitor bezel

For the monitor bezel, I first drilled holes into the plexi in the corners where the screws would go, then attached the bezel to the cabinet using black screws with neoprene washers.












LEDs

I purchased NovaMatrix LEDs from GroovyGameGear. They connect to 12v power which can come from your computer or a power adapter.





I needed the LEDs to face forward, so I added a 2x2 beam inside the cabinet where I would mount them.


I mounted aluminum foil with a staple gun to reflect light behind the marquee.




I also left the protective film on one piece of plexiglass to make the light more diffuse. Overall happy with this.



Finishing the Control Panel

First I had to cut the angled front of the plexi. I decided to use a utility knife to score and snap.





The result was very good. One minor nick. I then sanded all of the edges and drilled holes for the mounting screws.



I attached all of the buttons and the mounting screws.


Here is the inside. The control panel top is attached with a piano hinge.



Wiring

Now it was time to wire it up. At first I tried to use cat5 cables. That failed. I ended up using single lines for each connection.






Playing the arcade!

I was super excited to connect it all up and be able to play some games!

Mortal Kombat 2




Pac-Man


And my son loves Bubble Bobble


Now I really want to play Golden Tee, but my trackball is not working!



Please help me with open issues!

• Trackball - I purchased the GroovyGameGear 3" Trackball (no solder version). I connect the 3 inputs to the OptiWiz board and the USB cable, but nothing happens. I see there are two 5v connections, but I don't know what to connect there??
  
  
• LEDs - I purchased the NovaMatrix LEDs from GroovyGameGear. I attached them to my PC using the molex connector and the motherboard blew. I had to use a hardware reset of the CMOS to get it back up and running. I'm wondering if I had loose wires that shorted. What do you do with the additional molex wires?
  
  
• Speakers buzzing - I think I must have electrical current non-grounded and running around causing speaker buzzing.
  
• Artwork - I'm looking to contract someone to help me with artwork for the marquee, control panel and sideart.
  

Thanks!

[DaOld Man]

Looks good!
I can see right now that your son needs a mini cab!! (Idea for next project? A mini-slim cab?)

 

[TopJimmyCooks]

cut back the four pieces of blocking behind the marquee so they don't leave shadows in the corners.  looks good.

[DaOld Man]

Speaker buzzing: Make sure you dont have the speaker wires running next to or wrapped around an ac current carrying cable. If not, check the cables from PC to amp, make sure both shields are good.
Do speakers buzz if you unplug the inputs to the amp?
Trackball: Im not sure, need to look at a wiring diagram. I know the optics on the trackball need + - 5vdc.
Could be a driver problem too, since it connects to usb.

[ambush]

Here is the trackball connection problem broken down.

I purchased the Groovy 3" trackball http://groovygamegear.com/webstore/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=74&products_id=363 and the OptiWiz no-solder USB interface http://groovygamegear.com/webstore/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=76_85&products_id=260.



The trackball has 4 wires that come off of it. 3 of them are for motion and connect directly to the OptiWiz pin connectors.

The 4th is a green wire with a circular terminal connector. I have no idea what this does. Maybe ground? Where should it connect?



On the OptiWiz interface, there are two pin connectors that say 5v. What do I connect to these? There were no supplied cables for this.




Thanks!

[TopJimmyCooks]

green wire off trackball is a ground.  because TB's can generate static electricity.  Not necessary for the trackball to work, I would install it only if you had a metal cp. 

the six wires you have coming off the optiwiz should take care of your trackball.  I think the 5V posts are only if you have something else looking for 5 volts off usb. 

[ambush]

green wire off trackball is a ground.  because TB's can generate static electricity.  Not necessary for the trackball to work, I would install it only if you had a metal cp. 

the six wires you have coming off the optiwiz should take care of your trackball.  I think the 5V posts are only if you have something else looking for 5 volts off usb.

That's very helpful. When I plug the OptiWiz in, it is recognized by Windows but the trackball doesn't do anything. Is it possible those 6 wires are just misordered? Or a driver issue?

[PL1]

The connector with blue and purple is for the X-axis.  Connect to pins A+B.
(Looks correct in the photo below.)

The connector with green and yellow is for the Y-axis.  Connect to pins C+D.

Red and black are for 5v and ground respectively.  Connect them to the pins you circled in this photo.



If left/right are backwards, reverse the blue and purple connections.

If up/down are backwards, reverse the green and yellow connections.


Scott

[ambush]

The connector with blue and purple is for the X-axis.  Connect to pins A+B.
(Looks correct in the photo below.)

The connector with green and yellow is for the Y-axis.  Connect to pins C+D.

Red and black are for 5v and ground respectively.  Connect them to the pins you circled in this photo.



If left/right are backwards, reverse the blue and purple connections.

If up/down are backwards, reverse the green and yellow connections.


Scott

Scott, you rock!

That did the trick. Now the trackball acts like a mouse. Up/down, left/right.
(btw, it turned out yellow/green connected to A+B, and purple/blue to C+D)

Okay, now the issue is- when I run MAME, it doesn't recognize the trackball on Golden Tee. How do I get that to work??

[PL1]

That did the trick. Now the trackball acts like a mouse. Up/down, left/right.
(btw, it turned out yellow/green connected to A+B, and purple/blue to C+D)

Not sure if there's a difference between Ultimarc's list of Happ trackball wiring colors and GGG wiring colors.   

Wouldn't be the first time those two disagreed on a topic. 

Maybe you installed the trackball turned 90 or 270 degrees.   

Either way, glad it works for you. 

Okay, now the issue is- when I run MAME, it doesn't recognize the trackball on Golden Tee. How do I get that to work??

Launch gt3d (I assume this is the version you're talking about.) Tab for menu and go to the "input (this game)" menu:

Track X analog = Mouse X

Track Y analog = Mouse Y

If it is already set to that, but it still doesn't work:
1. Highlight  Track X analog
2. Press Enter
3. Press Escape (clears input)
4. Press Enter
5. Move trackball side-to-side.

Repeat for Y-axis.

You may also need to adjust the settings in "Analog Controls" menu or return settings to the default with the Enter key.


Scott

[DaOld Man]

If what pl1 suggests dont do it, in the mame.ini, make sure mouse=1

Edit: I would hook up the green ground wire from the trackball to a good ground. (Incoming AC line ground, or hook it to the PC power supply metal case.)