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Hi guys,
tested today with 2 guns and Win10 and works perfect. In test menu, press "1" for gun1 calbration and press "2" for gun2 calibration

I’ve modded an Arcade1Up Street Fighter 2 cab into a little OutRun cab. I’m using an old Thrustmaster wheel , a gear shifter from Ali Express and a Xin Mo encoder that I had laying about from an old project. I’m also using a Raspberry Pi 4 to power it. I settled on using Batocera as the front end. However, I’m having a few issues using the buttons on the control panel via the Xin Mo encoder. FB Neo doesn’t easily allow buttons from a second USB device to be used in conjunction with the primary controller (as in the Thrustmaster wheel) and in Mame I’m having issues with the gear shifter.

Has anyone else here ever used a Raspberry Pi for a driving cab? If so, can you give me any advice or am I better off just using a PC (I’ve not got the money to buy one right now.



https://youtu.be/6MuuxsVwJFk?si=P27RZhVCqM7Prh7r

   d. Computer (retropi?) will be contained in the control panel.

One downside to using a RasPi instead of a PC is the difference in computing power.

Also, there are more applications if you're using a Windows computer.

Depending on your desired game list and applications, it may not be an issue.

   e. New spinner?  I think the Oscar spinner should still work, but a flush mount would be better.
   f. New trackball needed for flush mount?

If you're good with a router, you can countersink the trackball and spinner mount plates and cover it with a vinyl overlay.

If you want a new spinner and trackball, the U-Trak and SpinTrak are plug-and-play with an I-PAC2.

I really like the TT2 spinner, but Randy only sells one with Slave configuration wiring (Dupont pins that can plug into the I-PAC2) if you also order one with Master wiring.
- If you want a TT2, you can use the TT2 (Master) alongside the I-PAC2 and U-Trak -- two USB connections instead of one.

If you want to use the U-Trak with the optional trim bezel on a 3/4" panel, consider routing out a 1/8" pocket on the underside of the panel so the top of the bezel is level with the top lip of the trackball body.

   g. Replace old IPac with something new.  Is the new IPac still good? Other options in the US?

Yes, the 2015 and newer I-PAC2 encoder is great and is an optical (mouse) encoder for trackball and spinner optos via the Dupont pins.

1. Light up controls?

I like always-on single color 12v LED buttons powered by 5v from a hacked USB cable for admin buttons (low current draw, longer life) and un-lit player buttons.

Some people like RGB buttons for everything, but the price adds up quickly and you have the added complexity of setting up and powering the LED controller.

Only you can decide if the juice is worth the squeeze.

2. Better option than retropie?

Retropie is running some pretty old versions of MAME.

One advantage of running a fairly recent (v0.253+) version of MAME is some of the LUA plugins that are available like defenderlr and skipstartupframes -- not sure if these have been tested on a RasPi setup.   

If you decide to go with a RasPi, check out this thread.
https://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,162889.0.html
- This guy posted his version updated to 0.265. (no ROMS included)
https://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,162889.msg1772128.html#msg1772128

Should I put on dedicated mouse buttons?

You really only need them while you're setting things up.

They could lead to trouble if kids or drunk friends start button-mashing on your cab and get into the configuration menus.
- This is also a good reason to remove the default P1 Start+ P1 Joy Right (TAB) shifted function on the I-PAC.

Either a USB wired or wireless keyboard/mouse will let you update things as needed while keeping others from accidently messing up your system configuration.


Scott

You can also see the crossovers either side for the two-way speakers system (+ subby).

Ahhhh... I was looking at those yellow capacitors and coils and wondering where I'd seen them before - on your speaker build thread!

They've made a real difference in the audio quality. I generally don't design my own, but made an exception here. I was lucky, the sound from the system after installing new crossovers is very pleasing.
They are 2nd order Linkwitz_Riley based, just from an online calculator. I didn't bother with a PCB, just point to point connected the coils and caps on a 3D printed template.
I'm looking forward to getting back to speaker building but I'm fighting the urge to chop and change when I'm so close to finishing this.

I had a good go at my to-do list, as always, everything takes twice as long as I imagine it will 

I've re-painted the back-box, applied decal artwork and put it all back together. This was after cutting larger vent holes and fitting new aluminum grills. I didn't like the look of the 3D printed grills I fitted originally. A bit too chunky.

Here's some pics. And since I've been talking about speakers and such, a closer look at how they fit into the cramped space!

Back-box with updated vent grills and a fresh coat of paint.

Here's one of the new tweeters  (Dayton ND20FB-4 Rear-Mount 3/4" Neodymium Dome Tweeter 4 Ohm). These replaced the cheap car tweeters I had fitted originally.  They have great sound, nice and crisp and more detailed.
I made some adapters for them so they can be mounted into the back-box.

Here's the two speakers mounted in place. The small full range speakers are Dayton ND65-4 2.5".  I deliberately split higher frequencies away from these with the crossovers.
For a little cheap speaker they sound surprisingly good. I'd use them again for other projects for sure.  Link - https://www.wagneronline.com.au/2-half-inch-aluminium-cone-full-range-driver/speaker-drivers/audio-speakers-pa/993829/fl/
The off-axis arrangement is not ideal, but overall quite satisfactory for this project.

Here's a look into the bottom of the back-box. Access to connectors is OK. The 21.5" NEC monitor gets warm. Air can move freely, both through and behind the monitor and then out the vent.

The finished back-box ready for artwork.

Using my newly learned decal application skills (thank you yootubes) the artwork went on fine.

To round out the speaker overview here's a look at the sub-woofer driver and the underbelly of the cab. Also visible is the volume control.
I opted to control the Windows system audio rather than just the Vpin application audio as this is the recommended approach.
The subby volume has been turned down so it doesn't overpower the other speakers and behave like a beast-boombox!

ATS

I am fairly certain I do not need to rewire. Just move the wires from the old IPac to the new controls, putting the wire int he appropriate spot.  Then plug the parallel port in.  I will probably want to do a continuity test to make sure the plug is clean.

Should I put on dedicated mouse buttons?  Though a wireless mouse and neoprene on the shelf is an option.  I can then get rid of the switch that toggles the 2 player buttons from keyboard to mouse buttons.

Time to modernize and rework my cabinet.  Top-to-bottom ideas/checklist.
1. Infinity mirror marquee
2. A simple amp and speaker setup (If I go retropi go with Pimoroni hardware?)
3. New monitor and bezel (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C4NXDRNM/ref=ox_sc_saved_image_5?smid=A2J5Y5WZPRUIT9&psc=1)
4. Replace the start button shelf. No plexi. No USB ports.  Probably just drink holders.
5. Control panel
   a. Flush mount controls, no plexy.  I will put a coat of poly on it.
   b. Add coin and start buttons to the front face.
   c. Add USB panel to front face with USB-A and USB-C.
   d. Computer (retropi?) will be contained in the control panel.
   e. New spinner?  I think the Oscar spinner should still work, but a flush mount would be better.
   f. New trackball needed for flush mount?
   g. Replace old IPac with something new.  Is the new IPac still good? Other options in the US?

Optional:
1. Light up controls?
2. Better option than retropie?

Good catch, but sadly this didn't fix it. 
Edit:  Figured it out , I deleted the NightHunter2_BepInEx_DemulShooter_Plugin.dll form the BepInEx\plugins folder and everything works now 

I am about to build my first arcade cabinet out of MDF.   Is there wood that is perfectly flat that I can put along the interior sides and screw into, such as at the bottom where the bottom piece meets the side pieces?  I don't want to just screw the side MDF into the bottom MDF because I am assuming it won't be straight or stable.  I want to screw both pieces into wood like a 2x2, but I want it to be flat on all sides, unlike most wood that is usually warped somewhat.  I hope that makes sense. Also, I’m planning to decorate the finished cabinet, and I came across this awesome wallpaper cheetah print. It’s got a bold retro vibe that would look amazing on an arcade machine. Definitely gives it that arcade-in-the-‘90s punch.  I saw that there are powertools that grind wood down to make it flat, but I don't want to buy that.  I am hoping there is wood out there or something similar that I can just purchase.  I am open to other ideas as well.  I don't really know what I am doing.  Can I use my router/router table to accomplish this?  Thanks.

Absolutely makes sense, and it's great that you're thinking ahead about stability and clean construction.

You're right—MDF can be finicky when joining edge-to-edge, especially on a long seam like the base of an arcade cabinet. Using cleats (like 2x2s) along the interior is a solid approach for reinforcing corners and giving your screws more bite.

For wood that’s reliably flat and true:

Poplar or select pine from the big box stores is often straighter than standard construction lumber. Look for boards labeled “select” or “premium” – they cost a bit more but are kiln-dried and usually free of major warps.

Hardwood boards (like oak, maple, or birch) from a local lumber yard or woodworking store are also typically quite flat and stable, though more expensive.

Pre-milled project boards or furniture-grade edge-glued panels can also be cut down into cleats and are very flat. You’ll find these in the finished lumber section.

You can use your router to clean up or square edges if you really need to, especially with a router table and straight bit, but it might be overkill just to get a flat cleat. Unless you’re already comfortable using it that way, it’s probably more efficient to handpick the straightest pieces at the store.

Lastly, don’t forget to pre-drill your screw holes in MDF and use wood glue in addition to screws—it’ll make the joints much stronger and prevent splitting. Good luck with the build! Building an arcade cabinet is a really rewarding project.

This is absolutely beautiful. I've been collecting inspiration and reference pics from this forum and the internet in general for close to 25 years now. I was away for a long time though (work, life etc) but came back about a month ago. I found this and.. wow. This is the first non-CRT project that made me think I could accept a flat screen cabinet. Just stunning. Everything about it.

I've bookmarked this and saved every picture into my inspiration folder for the eventual day I build my own. I've got the bug again now. Large part thanks to you and this project. Well done sir!