Chad finally makes a MAME cab

[newmanfamilyvlogs]

you could fit more buttons if you used the 28mm sanwas?
http://www.coinopexpress.com/products/parts/push_button/Sanwa_Push_Button_28mm_(OBSF-24)_2196.html

i know, i know... parts on hand...

[ChadTower]

I could fit more buttons just by going to microswitches.  I like leaf buttons.  All of my games have them.

[ChadTower]

Okay, haven't updated this in a while, because I haven't had a ton of time to work on this cab lately.

Updates:

Got the "new" PC.  Decased it, did a little fab work to get the heat sink to mount properly on the motherboard without the case mount, mounted the whole thing on the plywood same as the other PC was.  Put current MAME on it, put MameWah and Mala to play with, put one rom (ms pac) to test with.  The software all is working.

I had an issue with the ipac and this new motherboard.  This mobo has no PS2 port, USB only.  So I got a cheap PS2/USB converter off Amazon and plugged in the Ipac.  No luck.  So I plug a keyboard into the converter to test it.  No luck.  I plug in a mouse.  No luck.  I plug in the keyboard straight to an older PC.  No luck.  Mouse, no luck.  The converter must have fried the known good mouse and keyboard.  Not happy.  I am wondering if the converter was bad to begin with or if the Ipac pulled too much current and fried it causing it to then fry the others.  No way of knowing.  Also no way of knowing right now if the converter was really bad and fried the Ipac too.

So I got a better PS2/USB converter at Staples.  This one has separate inputs for keyboard and mouse in a Y to USB.  Just got that plugged into the PC with the Ipac.  So far, no luck.  Noticed the PS2/USB jumper on the Ipac, changed that, no luck.  

Is there a way to confirm at this point that the Ipac still works?

EDITUPDATE:  Just tried to use WinIpac to reprogram one of the keys in ALT mode.  No luck, can't connect.  It does say in the program that it is only an option in USB mode for Ipacs shipped after August 2002.  No idea how old this one really is...

[leapinlew]

Okay, haven't updated this in a while, because I haven't had a ton of time to work on this cab lately.

Updates:

Got the "new" PC.  Decased it, did a little fab work to get the heat sink to mount properly on the motherboard without the case mount, mounted the whole thing on the plywood same as the other PC was.  Put current MAME on it, put MameWah and Mala to play with, put one rom (ms pac) to test with.  The software all is working.

I had an issue with the ipac and this new motherboard.  This mobo has no PS2 port, USB only.  So I got a cheap PS2/USB converter off Amazon and plugged in the Ipac.  No luck.  So I plug a keyboard into the converter to test it.  No luck.  I plug in a mouse.  No luck.  I plug in the keyboard straight to an older PC.  No luck.  Mouse, no luck.  The converter must have fried the known good mouse and keyboard.  Not happy.  I am wondering if the converter was bad to begin with or if the Ipac pulled too much current and fried it causing it to then fry the others.  No way of knowing.  Also no way of knowing right now if the converter was really bad and fried the Ipac too.

So I got a better PS2/USB converter at Staples.  This one has separate inputs for keyboard and mouse in a Y to USB.  Just got that plugged into the PC with the Ipac.  So far, no luck.  Noticed the PS2/USB jumper on the Ipac, changed that, no luck.  

Is there a way to confirm at this point that the Ipac still works?

EDITUPDATE:  Just tried to use WinIpac to reprogram one of the keys in ALT mode.  No luck, can't connect.  It does say in the program that it is only an option in USB mode for Ipacs shipped after August 2002.  No idea how old this one really is...

I had the same issue with an ipac and tried a converter. It sort of worked, but never worked right. In game if I tried to push a certain direction, it would work for about 2 seconds and then stop. If I centered the joystick and pushed in the direction again it would work for another 2 seconds. That was with a nicer USB/PS2 converter. The crappy green one didn't register at all.

You should buy the USB IPAC cable to test your IPAC, if the IPAC is fried you can buy another IPAC and still use the cable.

[Donkbaca]

What's the over/under on posts by Chad until he completes his project?  I am guessing 36,000

[TopJimmyCooks]

I'll put 10 bucks on under 36,000. 

[ChadTower]

Ended up ordering a GGG gamepad style encoder this morning.  If the Ipac still works I'll use it again at some point.  At least this way I can move forward without spending a ton of time testing a ten year old encoder that has mediocre reviews.

[ChadTower]

Okay, been super busy with work and family stuff, but some small updates.

Got the GP-Wiz in, got that wired in instead of the Ipac.  Got the left (p1) joystick working properly.  Only game on there right now is Ms Pac so I need to change that before I test the right stick.  So far no luck on any of the buttons.  They register properly in the encoder's test but not in MameWah yet.  The codes to use in mamewah.cfg look simple enough so there has to be something else I've missed.

Cab is all cleaned up now, no more math formulae on the marquee. 

Got a pair of PC speakers off Freecycle.  Pulled the speakers/amp out of the case, mounted the speakers where the old ones were, mounted the amp just inside the coin door.  Speakers could have more oomph, I guess, but they were free.  I can upgrade later easily enough.

[ChadTower]

Took a little time to figure out all the labels, configs, etc, but everything seems to be good in mame.  The only thing I don't have mapped yet is a coin button because we haven't figure out the best combo for that.

[JohnEDollar]

 

Please.  Thanks.