Author Topic: Born in Scotland . . . (Read 6101 times)

garyh · « **on:** February 25, 2004, 08:24:48 am »

Okay then, here's another one. Fuller details at:

http://www.cix.co.uk/~ghh/mame.htm

Started it at the weekend, current state is as below:

Design is Neo-Geo inspired. Generally it will be fairly standard, only "wierd" thing will be that the only storage will be CompactFlash (no noise, no moving parts, no heat).

Hope to have it playable by the weekend and boy am I glad the main MDF dust generating work is over. Not looking forward to painting it.

Gary

rob · « **Reply #1 on:** February 25, 2004, 08:35:19 am »

Awesome start!

Looks good.

What do you mean that compact flash will be the only storage? That where your roms will be? I'm kinda' new and haven't heard of this yet.

garyh · « **Reply #2 on:** February 25, 2004, 08:57:18 am »

Quote from: rob on February 25, 2004, 08:35:19 am

Awesome start! Looks good.

What do you mean that compact flash will be the only storage? That where your roms will be? I'm kinda' new and haven't heard of this yet.

Thanks.

There is no floppy disk drive, CD-ROM or Hard Disk. MS-DOS, ArcadeOS, MAME and all my ROMS are stored on a ConpactFlash (CF) memory card. CF cards are typically used in digital cameras and PDAs and have the advantage (unlike other memory cards) of having a disk-drive like interface so that they only need a cheap adaptor card (see the CFIDE link on my web page) and they can be plugged into the IDE cable (or indeed the IDE socket on the motherboard as I have done) that normally connects to a hard disk drive.

By not using Windoze the storage requirements are drastically reduced and at present 64Mb is more than I need. My cabinet will be MAME dedicated (I have no interest in modern games) and hence I don't need Windoze to run anything else. MS-DOS is tiny in comparison, hyper-stable and boots in seconds. To transfer new files onto the CF card I can either take it out and connect it to my main PC using a USB-CF adaptor, or more likely I can use another CF card via the main PC and a USB-CF adaptor on the MAME box (yes, you can get USB drivers for MS-DOS!).

Hope this explains things.

Gary

Nannuu · « **Reply #3 on:** February 25, 2004, 09:05:40 am »

Quote from: rob on February 25, 2004, 08:35:19 am

There is no floppy disk drive, CD-ROM or Hard Disk. MS-DOS, ArcadeOS, MAME and all my ROMS are stored on a ConpactFlash (CF) memory card. CF cards are typically used in digital cameras and PDAs and have the advantage (unlike other memory cards) of having a disk-drive like interface so that they only need a cheap adaptor card (see the CFIDE link on my web page) and they can be plugged into the IDE cable (or indeed the IDE socket on the motherboard as I have done) that normally connects to a hard disk drive.

Whoa! That is super cool!

SirPeale · « **Reply #4 on:** February 25, 2004, 09:25:16 am »

Quote from: garyh on February 25, 2004, 08:57:18 am

...yes, you can get USB drivers for MS-DOS!).

Enlighten us.

Zathras · « **Reply #5 on:** February 25, 2004, 09:29:28 am »

The cab is looking good. GREAT find/idea on the CF HD. I'm sure that would up the reliability a good bit (no moving parts then).

Witchboard · « **Reply #6 on:** February 25, 2004, 09:32:33 am »

I ran across those CF to IDE converters when I was working on my mini-itx project. It was a cool idea, but it just wasn't an affordable option for me. I went with 2.5" laptop HD instead since I needed more room for windows. I think it's a great idea to incorporate it into your project. It would be funny if you setup a port under your CP to swap out the cards, kind of like the Neo-Geo memory cards on the MVS 4's.

Lance · « **Reply #7 on:** February 25, 2004, 12:00:18 pm »

Why not add networking support to your cab and then mount a network share with all your roms. That way you can basically just leave you're OS boot stuff on the CF.

menace · « **Reply #8 on:** February 25, 2004, 12:45:34 pm »

I'm curious about the USB for DOS as well-I have yet to find anything that will do USB in DOS. Great idea though--using the CF as a harddrive--I've heard it mentioned before but have yet to see it implemented.

garyh · « **Reply #9 on:** February 25, 2004, 03:42:13 pm »

Answers to a couple of things:

1. For DOS USB drivers look here:

http://www.stefan2000.com/darkehorse/PC/DOS/Drivers/USB/

I use the Moto Hairu drivers with my USB CF Reader

2. Lance, I thought about networking the cab and storing the ROMS on another machine but I decided against it as I wanted the cab to be standalone. While affordable CF capacities are small compared to hard disk the games I tend to play are older and the ROM sizes are small, so it will be a while before I fill 64Mb.

Time to get back to the garage . . . .

garyh · « **Reply #10 on:** February 26, 2004, 02:44:26 am »

Not much progress last night. Installed the monitor shelf and cut the holes for the buttons and joystick. I still need to route these out to the correct size as I only have a 1" Forstner bit.

garyh · « **Reply #11 on:** February 27, 2004, 04:57:09 am »

It's playable!

I routed the holes out to the correct size then cut and drilled a piece of clear plastic from an unwanted Ikea picture frame to protect the CP overlay (which is currently a piece of plain black card until I decide what else to do).

Had a small problem with drilling the plastic as the panel depth is more than my pillar drill can handle and I had to use a hand drill for the holes in the middle. This was difficult as it was impossible to keep the Forstner bit parallel to the surface and on the penultimate hole disaster struck and the plastic cracked and splintered. Luckily it is between two buttons and isn't too big, so I'll live with it until I can find someone with a bigger pillar drill I can borrow.

Wired up the player 1 controls, threw in the PC, had one game of Galaga then went to bed at 1am!

crashwg · « **Reply #12 on:** February 27, 2004, 06:38:15 am »

uhhh, what is a pillar drill?

garyh · « **Reply #13 on:** February 27, 2004, 06:46:36 am »

Quote from: crashwg on February 27, 2004, 06:38:15 am

uhhh, what is a pillar drill?

Other name is a drill press.

SirPeale · « **Reply #14 on:** February 27, 2004, 08:40:08 am »

Ah, THOSE USB drivers. I've seen them. I was hoping for drivers for HID devices.

garyh · « **Reply #15 on:** February 27, 2004, 09:53:06 am »

HID

PacManFan · « **Reply #16 on:** February 27, 2004, 10:09:18 am »

HID = Human Interface Device
That's a generic term for any computer periferal on the usb port.
-PMF

garyh · « **Reply #17 on:** March 03, 2004, 02:47:32 am »

Progress report on 2nd March:

Not much progress over the weekend but managed to do the following:

1. Wired up second joystick and 2 buttons (followed by lots of two player 1943 and Joust)
2. Fixed motherboard and hacked keyboard controller properly to the side of the cabinet (I want to keep the base panel clear as I intend to fit a big downward firing woofer at some point)
3.Fitted the PSU at the rear of the cabinet flush with the rear panel (when I cut and fit it) so that the mains input socket can be used and the fan will transfer air between the outside and inside. (This seemed a better idea than just putting the PSU inside to circulate warm air around)
4. Wired the ATX Power On/Off pins to a button on the top row of the control panel (Press to turn it on and 30 seconds later you're playing a game, press to turn it off - nice)
5. Tidied up the garage so my wife dosen't divorce me.

Next task is to wire a mains power outlet to the PSU to feed the monitor, after which I'll post a picture of the inside.

garyh · « **Reply #18 on:** March 09, 2004, 03:23:25 am »

Progress report on March 9th

Quite a bit of progress in the last week, full details on my website if you've nothing better to do but in summary:

1. Monitor fixed in properly
2. Marquee light installed
3. Internal mains distribution nearly finished (hope to install the relay tonight)
4. Rear panels cut and ready to fit
5. 2.1 speaker system and top extraction fan on their way via ebay
6. Replaced yellow buttons with black ones (I may yet change them all to black, not quite sure)

The launch party moves ever closer . . . .

garyh · « **Reply #19 on:** March 16, 2004, 03:39:29 am »

Nearly there . . . .

(the scond picture makes it look bent, it isn't, it's my cheap digital camera!)

Progress since last post:

Now has full one-button power on/off control. Pressing the right hand yellow button on the CP makes the Power On/off contacts on the motherboard that turn on the ATX PSU. One of the 12V outputs from the PSU connect to a relay that switches mains to the marquee light, monitor and sound system. Pressing it again while everything is on switches it all off. I will probably move this button to the vertical panel behind the CP to make it less susceptible to accidental pressing and make the old button Pause
Top speakers and woofer now installed. Volume and bass controls are just visible on the left of the panel at the rear of the CP
L-section marquee retainers installed (still need glass to sandwich the marquee)
Rear panels cut and ready to install once the top extraction fan arrives from eBay

I have a coin door with mechs arriving from eBay this week and also some t-moulding from Swallow Amusements, so I should be able to start painting soon. With some tinted glass to cover the monitor panel it'll be just about finished. The only big improvement I can think of at the moment is get a 19" or 21" monitor to replace the 17" one that now looks quite small, although in use it is fine.

garyh · « **Reply #20 on:** March 20, 2004, 12:54:56 pm »

Progress update for March 20th . . .

Coin door fitted
Mechs wired in to generate credits
2 x 6.3V parallel wired bulbs changed to series wiring and fed with 12v from ATX PSU
The mechs are US quarter mechs but they accept the latest British 10p pieces once the entry slots have been lengthened with a needle file

The t-mouling has arrived, just need the slot cutter to arrive so I can fit it!

Minwah · « **Reply #21 on:** March 22, 2004, 08:49:01 am »

Quote from: garyh on March 20, 2004, 12:54:56 pm

The t-mouling has arrived, just need the slot cutter to arrive so I can fit it!

You're gonna have fun slot cutting with the cabinet built...you might want to lay it on it's side...

Be careful of the screws with the slot cutter - it looks as tho some of them are pretty close to the edge.

garyh · « **Reply #22 on:** March 23, 2004, 03:08:13 am »

Thanks Minwah,

Yes, I'm going to lay it on its side to route the slot, it would be too tricky with it upright. I layed it on it's back to cut and route the coin door hole.

I'm okay with the screws, the t-moulding goes 6mm deep, the slot cutter is 8mm and the closest screw is 20mm from the edge (all the front/back/top panels are inset 12mm from the edge of the sides which isn't that obvious in the photos)

Gary

Minwah · « **Reply #23 on:** March 23, 2004, 04:48:55 am »

Quote from: garyh on March 23, 2004, 03:08:13 am

Thanks Minwah,

Yes, I'm going to lay it on its side to route the slot, it would be too tricky with it upright. I layed it on it's back to cut and route the coin door hole.

I'm okay with the screws, the t-moulding goes 6mm deep, the slot cutter is 8mm and the closest screw is 20mm from the edge (all the front/back/top panels are inset 12mm from the edge of the sides which isn't that obvious in the photos)

Gary

Cool, you'll be fine with it led down. Good luck finishing your cab - looks great so far

garyh · « **Reply #24 on:** March 26, 2004, 03:52:40 am »

Progress at 25 March . . .

[td]

[/td][td]

Improved the marquee
Fitted lexan over monitor panel and added temp grey background
Router slot cutter has finally arrived so should be slot cutting for the t-moulding this weekend

[/td][/table]

Buddabing · « **Reply #25 on:** March 26, 2004, 11:22:36 am »

Quote

(no noise, no moving parts, no heat).

Really? That's easier said than done.

For the CPU you can use one of the VIA processors with the Nehemiah core. They should run the old classic games well enough, but I don't know for sure. You can run caseless so that more air can get to the CPU and video card.

There shouldn't be a problem with the video card. There are plenty of passively cooled cards out there.

There are some passively cooled power supplies, too, such as the ProSilence PCS-350. They may be expensive, however.

Is convection alone going to be enough to exhaust all the heat from your components? Don't forget exhaust vents at the top of the case.

This is very interesting, I hope you are successful in creating a cab with no moving parts on the inside.

Buddabing

JoeB · « **Reply #26 on:** March 26, 2004, 03:18:02 pm »

Nice progress...

the only thing I would suggest in the future (as an upgrade project) is to replace that monitor. For the same price as a 21" PC monitor, you can get a 25" TV + good video card with TV-OUT.

All that empty space around the monitor doesn't do justice to the hard work you've put into it.

garyh · « **Reply #27 on:** March 27, 2004, 03:36:10 pm »

Buddabing,

A slight misunderstanding, my comment re no noise, heat and moving parts was only in relation to using the CF card as opposed to a hard disk. I have a psu fan, cpu fan and a top exhaust fan.

JoeB,

I agree entirely, but it will have to wait until my wife has forgotten that I promised not to spend more than

garyh · « **Reply #28 on:** March 27, 2004, 04:54:59 pm »

Latest update:

Fiited top extraction fan
Moved on/off button to vertical panel at rear of cp
Routed t-moulding slot and fitted t-moulding

It won't visibly change again until I paint it.

Witchboard · « **Reply #29 on:** March 29, 2004, 09:05:29 am »

Looking good. I haven't build a cab before, but shouldn't you paint it before you put the t-molding on? I guess you can always take it back off for painting. Cab's coming along nicely.

garyh · « **Reply #30 on:** March 29, 2004, 09:32:06 am »

Yes, I'll take it off for painting, but I wanted to see what it looked like fitted.

garyh · « **Reply #31 on:** August 19, 2004, 01:04:49 pm »

Not an update, just to say that my old web site is about to die and that I have moved to:

http://web.ukonline.co.uk/gary.hitchen/mame.htm

I really must get round to painting the cab!


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