|
Mame PC in to Jamma cab
#269784 - 11/28/11 08:31 PM
|
|
|
OK so I managed to pick up a complete working Jamma arcade machine running a game called bucky o'hare (never heard of it either) Now my question is I would like to convert it to a mame cab is there anyway to interface the arcade monitor to a PC and use the built in controls also?
Also has working coin slots which I would like to keep if poss. I can take some pics tomorrow if that helps.
Im new to all this so please go easy on me :-)
Thanks
|
|
|
|
Re: Mame PC in to Jamma cab
[Re: lambchops]
#269790 - 11/28/11 09:34 PM
|
|
|
The easiest, most plug and play option is to purchase a JPAC (not an IPAC) and an ArcadeVGA3000 from Ultimarc.
The JPAC plugs directly into the JAMMA harness in your cabinet to connect the controls to your PC (including the coin slots). The ArcadeVGA puts out a 15KHz signal for your arcade monitor.
If the original game had extra buttons wired directly to the game board (i.e. Not part of the JAMMA harness) you'll wire those to the extra screw terminals on the JPAC. Don't worry, it sounds more complicated than it actually is.
I have a "big picture" diagram somewhere that shows how it all hooks together. I'll post it later when I have access to my PC.
The only part that doesn't have a plug and play solution is the sound. Usually people rig up something using a set of PC speakers. I have pictures of what I did with that too that I can post later.
Edited by krick (11/28/11 09:36 PM)
|
GroovyMAME support forum on BYOAC
|
|
|
Re: Mame PC in to Jamma cab
[Re: krick]
#269793 - 11/28/11 10:30 PM
|
|
|
Wow thanks Krick thats just the sort of info im after thanks very much. Any info wiring diagrams etc would be great. I will take some pics tomorrow just to make sure what I have is compatable.
|
|
|
|
Re: Mame PC in to Jamma cab
[Re: krick]
#269795 - 11/28/11 10:56 PM
|
|
|
OK one other question, if I decide to remove the cabinet TV and add a PC monitor I presume I dont need the arcadeVGA card? Im going to check the monitor tomorrow didnt look very clear today when I tried it..
|
|
|
|
Re: Mame PC in to Jamma cab
[Re: lambchops]
#269817 - 11/29/11 05:09 AM
|
|
|
I am newbie but this is what you gonna need: jpac for controls soft15 and a compatible card. that is able to output 15khz signal.
or you can buy
arcadevga (usually 3 day to us from europe) jpac
and be on your merry way
as far as software you can install mame and then a GUI hyperspin is my favorite so far..
|
|
|
|
Re: Mame PC in to Jamma cab
[Re: lambchops]
#269818 - 11/29/11 05:11 AM
|
|
|
yeah why do that.. Don't Throw away a decent Arcade Monitor..
Well it is up to you.. but I will keep as much of the Original feel as Possible.
|
|
|
|
|
Here's a bad sketch I made a long time ago that shows how the JPAC + AVGA replaces the game board. However note the following:
1) Pac-Man is not, in fact, a JAMMA game. At the time I made the sketch, I just picked a popular game without checking if it actually followed the JAMMA standard.
2) When you hook up the JPAC, you should disconnect the "arcade power supply". Running the power supply without a load (i.e. no game) can damage the power supply and/or start a fire.
[ATTACHED IMAGE]
|
GroovyMAME support forum on BYOAC
|
|
|
Re: Mame PC in to Jamma cab
[Re: lambchops]
#269842 - 11/29/11 08:39 AM
|
|
|
|
|
Re: Mame PC in to Jamma cab
[Re: krick]
#269849 - 11/29/11 02:43 PM
|
|
|
Thanks so much guys that does make sense now. I’ve just been out and had a game this morning and taken some photo's, I would like to keep the original TV screen it does give a much more authentic feel and its perfect no screen burn or anything. I read somewhere on here you can use it without the Avga card with some software to downscale the resolution, is this possible?
Also if im using the TV how can I disconnect the power, can it be isolated on the PSU on the cabinet?
|
|
|
|
|
As for the alternatives to ArcadeVGA, check out this thread... www.mameworld.info/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Number=268599
Here's a high-level AC wiring diagram from Bob Roberts. You want to disconnect the AC wires going to the power supply marked with a red X. Be careful when working with AC power. Unplug the cabinet from the wall first. Make sure to carefully disconnect, isolate and wrap each wire with electrical tape so they don't short together or to ground (or to you).
You might want to spend some time searching and reading threads over at BYOAC. They get a lot more traffic on this kind of stuff... http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/
[ATTACHED IMAGE]
|
GroovyMAME support forum on BYOAC
|
|
|
|
|
|
Re: Mame PC in to Jamma cab
[Re: krick]
#269867 - 11/29/11 05:44 PM
|
|
|
Thanks Krick great info yet again thanks very much!
I think I will go arcadeVGA just to keep it simple.. Im plannin gon using a Pentium P4 2800mhz with 1 gig RAM but I need to check if it has a PCIe slot..
Also someone has offered to provide me there entire mame collection running on Mala with video frontend all very polished looking. Can you see any issues running this with my setup? If Im using Mala will I have to use arcadeVGA?
Also regards the power, if I remove the AC output I presume the lighting in the cab wont work also?
Edited by lambchops (11/29/11 05:48 PM)
|
|
|
|
Re: Mame PC in to Jamma cab
[Re: lambchops]
#269915 - 11/30/11 02:32 AM
|
|
|
> I think I will go arcadeVGA just to keep it simple.. Im plannin gon using a Pentium > P4 2800mhz with 1 gig RAM but I need to check if it has a PCIe slot..
Most of the time, P4 based computers do not have PCI Express slots. Also, with an 2.8GHz P4, you'll want to run a quite old version of MAME, probably 0.106 or earlier due to the increased CPU requirements in newer versions. > Also someone has offered to provide me there entire mame collection running on Mala > with video frontend all very polished looking. Can you see any issues running this > with my setup? If Im using Mala will I have to use arcadeVGA?
I've never used Mala. I cannot provide any guidance. > Also regards the power, if I remove the AC output I presume the lighting in the cab > wont work also?
You only want to remove the AC power to the DC power supply that powers the original JAMMA video game board (the two wires under the red X on the diagram I posted). You need to retain AC power to the rest of the cabinet for the monitor and the marquee lighting. Coin slot lighting is normally powered using DC through the JAMMA harness, so you'll need to come up with an alternative method of powering the coin door lights. Many people install 5v, or 12v LED lights and power them from a molex drive connector in their PC.
|
GroovyMAME support forum on BYOAC
|
|
|
Re: Mame PC in to Jamma cab
[Re: krick]
#269946 - 11/30/11 03:58 PM
|
|
|
Ah I see, thanks very much Krick for all the assistance buddy :-)
|
|
|
R. Belmont |
Cuckoo for IGAvania
|
|
|
Reged: 09/21/03
|
Posts: 9717
|
Loc: ECV-197 The Orville
|
|
Send PM
|
|
|
Re: Mame PC in to Jamma cab
[Re: lambchops]
#269974 - 11/30/11 11:38 PM
|
|
|
> OK so I managed to pick up a complete working Jamma arcade machine running a game > called bucky o'hare (never heard of it either)
I wrote the MAME driver for it, so I've definitely heard of it ;-) Could you post a picture of the ROMs on the board so we can see if you have a version that isn't yet dumped?
|
|
|
|
Re: Mame PC in to Jamma cab
[Re: R. Belmont]
#269975 - 11/30/11 11:52 PM
|
|
|
Ah wow! Yeah sure will take some pics tomorrow for you no problem at all.
|
|
|
Naoki |
|
|
|
Reged: 11/10/09
|
Posts: 1998
|
Loc: United Kingdom
|
|
Send PM
|
|
|
Re: Mame PC in to Jamma cab
[Re: krick]
#269983 - 12/01/11 12:48 AM
|
|
|
> > I think I will go arcadeVGA just to keep it simple.. Im plannin gon using a Pentium > > P4 2800mhz with 1 gig RAM but I need to check if it has a PCIe slot.. > > Most of the time, P4 based computers do not have PCI Express slots. Also, with an > 2.8GHz P4, you'll want to run a quite old version of MAME, probably 0.106 or earlier > due to the increased CPU requirements in newer versions. > > > Also someone has offered to provide me there entire mame collection running on Mala > > with video frontend all very polished looking. Can you see any issues running this > > with my setup? If Im using Mala will I have to use arcadeVGA? > > I've never used Mala. I cannot provide any guidance. > > > Also regards the power, if I remove the AC output I presume the lighting in the cab > > wont work also? > > You only want to remove the AC power to the DC power supply that powers the original > JAMMA video game board (the two wires under the red X on the diagram I posted). You > need to retain AC power to the rest of the cabinet for the monitor and the marquee > lighting. Coin slot lighting is normally powered using DC through the JAMMA harness, > so you'll need to come up with an alternative method of powering the coin door > lights. Many people install 5v, or 12v LED lights and power them from a molex drive > connector in their PC.
PGA478 Sockets you will not get PCIe. LGA 775 sockets are easy to find with PCIe sockets and some suport dual-core or Hyper-Threaded P4s which are much better, especially if they support Intel 64-Bit (EM64T). Running a 64-bit OS and 64-Bit MAME is really beneficial. I went from playing DDR at 20% to near 100% on 9-Fram skip with 64. Time Crisis runs much better too.
|
----
On a quest for Digital 573 and Dancing Stage EuroMix 2
By gods I've found it!
|
|
|
Re: Mame PC in to Jamma cab
[Re: Naoki]
#271649 - 12/28/11 06:48 PM
|
|
|
OK thanks for all the help guys,
I have now installed the PC and bought a J-PAC and found an AVG ArcadeVGA card which is all installed.
I have two issues though which are bugging me as I can’t fix them. The first is the coin mech now doesn’t work when on mame, it worked great as a jamma cab but now nothing... The coins are just rejected and the test credit button doesn’t work either. I have removed AC power feed from the cab as recommended and the coin light has gone out as expected but it should still operate shouldn’t it?? Even in notepad nothing when coins are inserted where as the other arcade joysticks and button register fine as expected.
The other issue is I cannot start any games as when I launch a game from mala the screen sizes changes to a really big interlaced image and then im dumped back at the mala menu.. The annoying thing is it works sometimes and works directly from mame but not from mala, it seems if I use mame directly and then switch to mala it works but then sometimes stops working and also stops once rebooted. Im just going to double check this now and report back.
Im thinking drivers for aracdeVGA but ive reinstalled them 5 times now or perhaps the secondhand ArcadeVGA card is perhaps faulty.. It all worked great from a monitor before it was transported to the cab
Any help would be appreciated as its bugging the hell out of me now I just want to play some 80's classics
Edited by lambchops (12/28/11 06:49 PM)
|
|
|
|
Re: Mame PC in to Jamma cab
[Re: lambchops]
#271659 - 12/28/11 08:48 PM
|
|
|
> I have two issues though which are bugging me as I can’t fix them. The first is the > coin mech now doesn’t work when on mame, it worked great as a jamma cab but now > nothing... The coins are just rejected and the test credit button doesn’t work > either. I have removed AC power feed from the cab as recommended and the coin light > has gone out as expected but it should still operate shouldn’t it?? Even in notepad > nothing when coins are inserted where as the other arcade joysticks and button > register fine as expected.
If coins are rejected, then something is wrong with your mech. Maybe it only takes tokens, or is configured for foreign currency. Also, I think that some coin mechs have a circuit that only allows coins to register when the mech is powered. If that's the case, it can probably be bypassed somehow.
Also, you should make sure that your cabinet is actually wired to the JAMMA standard. Trace the wire from the coin switch all the way to the JAMMA connector.
|
GroovyMAME support forum on BYOAC
|
|
|
Re: Mame PC in to Jamma cab
[Re: krick]
#271663 - 12/28/11 09:10 PM
|
|
|
Thanks for the reply, I think it could be one of the mechs that need 12v perhaps as was working fine before I started the conversion. Heres a pic of it helps anyone in the know... Its has 12v inputs on the screw connectors
|
|
|
|
Re: Mame PC in to Jamma cab
[Re: lambchops]
#271679 - 12/29/11 01:29 AM
|
|
|
You're really not supposed to be asking about coin mechs in combination with MAME since people sometimes set up illegal cabs in public places that try to profit off MAME. You might want to take the discussion over to the BYOAC forums before this thread gets locked.
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/
|
|
|
|
Re: Mame PC in to Jamma cab
[Re: krick]
#271682 - 12/29/11 02:24 AM
|
|
|
Ah yeah I guess that could be a problem, how can I setup on freeplay or something so dont have to worry about coin slots to add credits?
|
|
|
|
Re: Mame PC in to Jamma cab
[Re: lambchops]
#271684 - 12/29/11 02:35 AM
|
|
|
> Ah yeah I guess that could be a problem, how can I setup on freeplay or something so > dont have to worry about coin slots to add credits?
A coin mech is ultimately just a switch that gets triggered by a coin. What happens when you trigger the switch with your hand? MAME should register credits. You can just wire up credit buttons for each player instead of using the coin mech if you want.
|
|
|
|
Re: Mame PC in to Jamma cab
[Re: krick]
#271685 - 12/29/11 02:44 AM
|
|
|
There is a little test button top left, you can see it in the pic and it doesnt work.. I guess I could cut and add a button on the wiring by the jpac I think its pin 7 for the coin mech if I remember correctly.. I think it needs 12v like you said.. I guess I could add a third party coin mech if I want to keep it authentic as a last resort..
There is another button inside the door which registers as F1 on the Jpac, ive tried mapping this to what was the 5 key and it does work but means keeping the door open and dont realy want my lad puting his hands in and pushing buttons inside as a health and safty point of view
Edited by lambchops (12/29/11 02:56 AM)
|
|
|
|
Re: Mame PC in to Jamma cab
[Re: lambchops]
#271801 - 12/30/11 09:02 PM
|
|
|
OK so coin mech is sorted thanks very much managed to run 12v to it and all is working now.
But I now have another problem, im having real issue trying to program the J-PAC with winIPAC, ive lost my shift function so cannot quit out of games once they are running. It seems when I hold Player1 button it only stays on for a fraction of a second then goes out (this is from the pannel view in winIPAC) it was flashing quickly then when i realised it would light up again this way it would then access the shift function and button2 would be the escape key. I cannot get it to work as it should for some reason... I messed it up because I wanted to change my buttons around as they were in the wrong order, when im in winIPAC and click program device it losses what ive programed from winIPAC and loads the defaults again I thought this should push the config I have created to the Jpac card right?
Very annoying
|
|
|
|
Re: Mame PC in to Jamma cab
[Re: lambchops]
#271803 - 12/30/11 09:34 PM
|
|
|
> But I now have another problem, im having real issue trying to program the J-PAC with > winIPAC
I wouldn't re-program the JPAC. If your button arrangement isn't how you'd like it to be, I'd change the wiring on your buttons on the control panel.
Keep in mind that for some games, the MAME default button arrangement isn't optimal with most fighter cabinet button layouts. For example, Mortal Kombat 3. For my cabinet, I just go into the internal MAME menu and re-assign the buttons for MK3.
|
|
|
|
Re: Mame PC in to Jamma cab
[Re: krick]
#271824 - 12/31/11 12:17 AM
|
|
|
Thanks Krick,
I managed to sort it with an updated version of winIPAC from ultimarts website, not sure why it got itself in to a mess with the shift button but loaded the default keys and it seemed to fix it.
I think your right I will just rewire the buttons which are in the wrong order better way to fix it
Cheers
|
|
|
R. Belmont |
Cuckoo for IGAvania
|
|
|
Reged: 09/21/03
|
Posts: 9717
|
Loc: ECV-197 The Orville
|
|
Send PM
|
|
|
Re: Mame PC in to Jamma cab
[Re: lambchops]
#271943 - 01/01/12 05:06 PM
|
|
|
> The other issue is I cannot start any games as when I launch a game from mala the > screen sizes changes to a really big interlaced image and then im dumped back at the > mala menu.. The annoying thing is it works sometimes and works directly from mame but > not from mala, it seems if I use mame directly and then switch to mala it works but > then sometimes stops working and also stops once rebooted. Im just going to double > check this now and report back.
If MAME itself works but running through Mala doesn't, you've misconfigured Mala. It's certainly nothing to do with the ArcadeVGA or the drivers; the fact that things work running MAME directly proves that.
|
|
|
|
Re: Mame PC in to Jamma cab
[Re: krick]
#273497 - 01/19/12 01:17 PM
|
|
|
I have a 2.8GHz Celeron as my main PC, and you will find that you won't have any speed issues with the latest MAME until you hit the 3D era, or other CPU-intensive systems (this includes 2D games running on modern hardware).
Point Blank is about the limit on this system, it will occasionally throw out a minor stutter or two depending on the stage, but it stays at 100% for the most part (for the record, Point Blank 2 runs slower due to being on the tougher PSX-based System 11 hardware; the System 12 version is slower still due to the faster chips).
Strangely, Mortal Kombat 1 runs slow on this system, yet the later DCS-based MKII and MK3/UMK3 run at full speed, same with NBA Jam vs NBA Hangtime, only Hangtime hits full speed. 3D games like Daytona, Tekken and Mortal Kombat 4 are out of the question unless you want to play in stuttery slow-mo (or an unplayable jumpy slideshow if you left the frameskip in Auto mode!).
|
|
|