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Swappable Control Panels -- Molex?
Chris:
I used the "parallel cable cut in half", but mine isn't swappable. When I think of quickly-swappable connections, I don't usually think of Molex; they're designed to hold tight once connected, not to be repeatedly connected and disconnected like a USB or network plug.
RJ45 network connectors are the cheapest route if you have access to a crimper, but it takes multiple connectors. USB is the easiest, but requires a separate encoder for each panel.
ArcadEd:
To answer your question on the molex. There is a special crimping tool for crimping the pins, it makes it extremely easy.
I'm pretty sure it's called a molex crimping tool
Scumgriever:
I just spent the weekend making a box with 25 pin connector ports to house my IPAC.
This way I'll wire my various control panels up to sliced in half printer cable and hopefully everything will work.
Flip_Willie:
Hey,
Thanks a bunch to everyone who commented, I greatly appreciate it.
Just to make everything clear, the Control Panel I have now – I did not build this, but it came with the arcade when I bought it – has 2 Molex connections between the Control Panel and the arcade (You can sort of see this in the picture above). Between these 2 connections, they handle both the power for the controls and their output. Like Chris said, the Molex connections are tight, and really aren’t fast to plug and unplug. The only reason I wanted to keep them was just so I didn’t have to re-make the existing plugs.
However, from what you all have said, it doesn’t seem like Molex is the ideal thing to use in my situation. It seems like a lot more work and cost would go into Molex, than one of the other methods mentioned. Also, I don’t really like the concept of using more than one encoder. This seems expensive and wasteful, even if it is much quicker. It is way over my budget anyway.
Thus, I am greatly leaning toward using the straight-through parallel port cable setup that Buddabing mentioned. Even if it isn’t as speedy as cat5 cables would be, I would rather have all my controls in 1 or 2 connections, than in 4 or 5. Plus it seems a bit cheaper to use just one or two cables.
I have a question about the parallel port cable, though. Do these straight-through parallel port cables have a separate wire for each pin?
If they do have a wire for each pin, this raises the question, are there different types of parallel cables? I only ask because, I had at first wanted to use some parallel cables I already have, but after I played around with them, I found that running a current through one pin could be detected on a totally different pin on the other end of the cable. I assumed this meant that some of the pins ran off the same wire. Please correct me if I am wrong in this.
I have attached I picture of what I believe I need to do in order to use the Parallel cables.
Thanks again.
Just as it is,
Flip Willie
Buddabing:
These little doodads are good for testing. They are called "parallel port breakout boards". You could also use these in your panels instead of the parallel port cable. Take one of these doodads (female) and run your 25 wires to the screw terminals on the doodad to your encoder. Then for each panel get a male doodad and run your 25 wires from the controls to the doodad. This is the no-solder plan, but each doodad is $20. Cheap compared to the cost of labor!
@Flip_Willie: If you get a parallel port cable, make d--mn sure that you get one that has "all 25 pins passed straight through". That way each pin has a separate wire. Cheaper cables meant for printers may only have the signal lines passed through. Winford Engineering also has the parallel port cables.
You may also be sending your signal down one of the ground pins. The cheaper cables may have all the ground pins tied together and sent on just one wire.
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