Basic Arcade Wiring Question

[mike boss]

Hey guys, I haven't wired many arcade cabinets.
As I move on to complete my final fight I'd like to clear a few things up.
The wiring in this cabinet was not like other wiring I've seen.
I'm sure it was all necessary, it just confused me.

I've seen the Bob Roberts wiring guide, and I've heard people say that it's not really necessary to have the EMI filter, terminal block, fused line, etc.
I'm sure like everything more than one way exists to skin a cat.

Anyway I'd like to just clarify something if I could.

I wanted to use a terminal block like this, but not sure how  I would do it.
I was wondering if I could run the main AC power line into the terminal block.
Then off the terminal block run the wires to the power supply, switch, marquee fixture, and isolation transformer ?

[mike boss]

I've never wired a cabinet with a switch before as novice as that may sound.
I did this quick little mock up of how I'd wire a cabinet, I think this is correct.
Perhaps someone can clarify.

I just need to figure out how to do it with the terminal block.
For example does the AC come from the wall into the terminal block, then from the terminal block one set of lines to the Power Supply, with each other component getting its own set of lines from the block ?

[mike boss]

I don't know if this is correct.
Or if the switch would have to go in some other sequence ?

[jasonl2972]

Is that a switching supply you have in the second pic?If it was me,and from what i've seen on some of my cabs,i would have
 power from wall --hot wire to one side of switch,and then run other side of switch to transformer-ground and nuetral to the transformer.that way once switch is off,it kills power to all
 Then transformer to terminal block.Then run all your ac needs from there
Reason i'd do that way is because the trans will give you clean power to minitor,and to terminal block and everything after the block could/should be fused.The transformer should have a/c in and clean a/c lines out.
 I do know this much for sure,the way you have the switch in second pic will do nothing.
 Someone with more knowledge should verify this but thats the way a few of my cabs are wired.

[mike boss]

Thanks jasonl2972,

I think I get the basics of this now, and I'm also going to review a few examples.
I've been looking online a ton also.
As I said I don't have the EMI filter, or some of the elements as featured on Bob Roberts.
But I'm sure I can just  trace the wires and should not blow anything up. LOL

[lilshawn]

first thing's first. if you aren't knowledgeable in electricity, i recommend against modifying anything dealing with high voltage. That stuff can kill you and burn your house down...both of which suck. electricity when it, kills you, hurts the whole time till your dead. Definitely not fun.


the terminal block you posted appears to be individual contacts. none of them appear to be connected in any way (unless i'm missing something). So, unless you figure you can jam 3 or 4 wires in there at one screw you may need another solution. i would avoid it altogether.

secondly, by the looks of things in your pics you are attempting to just place the switch in circuit across the line. not good. you will create a dead short across the "mains" power when you turn on the switch and burn up your switch, wiring, cabinet... house.

thirdly, decide if you need anything permanently powered (like a computer) this means you will need to have an always powered section, and a switched section. your second pic shows a power supply providing the power for other items instead of a terminal strip. This is not normally a problem. good there. switch is still wrong...

your power supply shouldn't need power all the time. your monitor or light either. so you should place your switch before the power supply.

what you want to do is disconnect your "hot (black)" wire from the power supply and have it go through the switch and then back to the supply. like the pic I supplied.

tailing your light and monitor off the power supply power terminals like you posted in the second pic should be okay.

if you need something receiving power all the time let us know, i'll draw you up another diagram to achieve this.

[mike boss]

Great, thank you.
I get it now.
The switch should come first.
So I should go AC power from the wall to fuse to switch - then switch to power supply.
I can go right from the AC of the power supply to the isolation transformer and marquee.

[lilshawn]

yes, ideally you want the fuse first:

mains --> fuse --> switch --> power supply or wherever.

that way if anything gets shorted the fuse will blow.

if you fuse after the switch you still have a LOOOOOONG run of wire up to the switch and back that isn't protected.

EDIT:
to avoid confusion, AC is the power that is inside the wiring and outlets of your home.

"mains" is usually the term given to the raw unswitched AC power that comes from an outlet...the first thing that comes into the cabinet or appliance.

After the "mains" is fused and runs through a switch it is usually called "switched mains" or sometimes just "switched"

if you run the power further through an isolation transformer it's called, easily enough, "isolated mains"

[mike boss]

Ok great.
Thank you.
I have my Popeye wired Jamma, and I'm confident it was done correct. However I know no fuse exists in the wiring.
The wiring I pulled from the final fight I'm refurbing kinda confused me.
I had always planned on cleaning up the wiring with hew harness and new power supply (and still will).
However I think I'll also now use a different power supply. I'm going to post some pics.

I did this mock up, I think I've now nailed it.

[lilshawn]

close. 

your monitor (depending on it's manufacture) should be isolated. It should be on the other set of terminals on the isolation transformer.

your marquee light needn't be isolated. it's okay to run that right off the power supply terminals. (or the input side of the isolation transformer)

[mike boss]

OK so I can go from the switching power supply AC connections right to the monitor.
And the AC from the power supply goes into the isolation transformer, then from the top terminals of the transformer into the monitor.

EDIT _ I noticed the error in the graphic. The isolation transformer has an AC connection on one side, the other side has 4 terminals. Two on top, two on the bottom. The two top connections I use for the monitor.

[mike boss]

Here is the wiring from my Final Fight.
I think I know what most of it is, however one grouping of wires coming from the isolation transformer I'm not sure about.
It could be old wiring from when it was an Stargate, I'm unsure.

[mike boss]

Last pictures.
This is the spare isolation transformer I have on hand.
I thought about using this.

[mike boss]

Part of me now wants to order an RGB converter (as I did with my Bad Dudes) and toss an LCD into this. Would simplify the wiring and might make for a better sell ? Also hoping perhaps I can get $50-75 for the monitor.

I do however have another question. If I just wire the AC right into the switching power supply,  then plug the power supply, monitor, and marquee fixture into the powerbar would that eliminate the need for a fuse ?

[matsadona]

First, I would strongly suggest that you have a switch that cuts both wires (since you never know which one is the live wire and which is neutral). So even though you have turned off the switch you might get a lethal shock if you get in contact with the second wire and ground.

And maybe I'm at open doors with the second picture explaining how it is usually done, but this thread starts to be hard to overview with different schematics and pictures.

[matsadona]

It is quite common to have that switch at the back door (and usually they have a "service mode" - I.e. on when pulled).
Maybe there are some safety regulations about that the power must be cut off automatically when you open the door.

The double red wire with a grey connector in the last picture looks very much as a degauss wire by the way.

[lilshawn]

My thoughts are that this person possibly lives in a country with 220v power. that would explain the door switch. I believe it was common to cut power to the system when the door was opened to meet certain electrical codes.

Perhaps it's time the OP explain a little more as to what he has going on where he is from and what his plans for the cabinet are. In north america it is quite acceptable to only switch the live wire (as the neutral wire is often tied to earth ground), it may not be so in other countries where the electrical is different. In North America, lots of appliances were grounded through their neutral wires as a measure to conserve copper from copper cables during WW2.

[matsadona]

Exactly, I'm in Europe, Sweden to be specific, and here we have a 240V system. So it is by that experience I commented.

[mike boss]

I'm in Canada.
Lots of the stuff here you see thrown together doesn't follow the commonly seen Bob Roberts diagram.
Even my one buddy who's quite good with all this stuff said he doesn't use power switches, just kinda plug stuff in, or use a smart strip.
All this stuff (easy for some, confusing for me) has me leaning towards just going LCD.

[lilshawn]

that makes things a little easier.

as long as you can maintain the electrical code, it will be fine.

if someplace along the line you swap the live/neutral wires, you may potentially expose yourself to a live wire situation (as often appliances have the neutrals connected to the metal case.)while sometimes not an issue if you cannot touch any metal part, switching only one of the wires would potentially disconnect the neutral on a part and cause the reversed "live" wire now (in this case is now attached to the metal case) to become a shock hazard.

it is a good idea to switch both the live and neutral wires by using a "DPST" switch (double pole single throw) this will connect and disconnect both wires at the same time.

here, read this...this should confuse you further. basically look at the pictures...read as much as you can till you get confused.

http://www.ibiblio.org/kuphaldt/electricCircuits/DC/DC_3.html