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MEGA ADAPTERS - Plug and Play PC in SEGA Racing Cabinets

Merci pour tes encouragements :)

Le software a bien évolué ces 3 dernières années et avec BackForceFeeder (le logiciel de njz3 qui fait l'interface) en version 0.7+ ça devient franchement plus simple lorsqu'on configure tout soi-même de ce côté-là.
Reste la partie émulateurs mais là encore, ça s'est considérablement optimisé et facilité avec l'image disque que @njz3 a faite il y a peu et qu'il peut fournir. Image qu'il tient à jour quasi quotidiennement.

The software has evolved a lot over the last 3 years and with BackForceFeeder (njz3's software which provides the interface) in version 0.7+ it becomes frankly simpler when you configure everything yourself on this side.
There remains the emulators part but again, it has been considerably optimized and made easier with the disk image that @njz3 made recently and that he can provide. Image that he updates almost daily.
 
Indeed, this solution is better for the M2 and M3 systems, for my part I concentrate on the JVS systems and those which are considered impossible to repair (because of the missing boards).
 
I feel I was a bit hard on Aganyte's solutions in my previous comment ... he has done some amazing work! These solutions are great also but require, in my humble experience, a lot of tinkering to get going.

Sans rancune!
 
A new board is now available: the M1 MEGA Adapter, for Virtua Racing cabinets :)

M1 Mega Adapter face.jpg


The most observant will have noted the presence of the “Neo” mention next to the version number of the board.
This means that the pinout of the buttons and lights has changed compared to previous versions of the Mega Adapters.
Why change if it worked very well you ask me! Well, to go a step further in ease of handling in BackForceFeeder software. Now the pinout follows the njz3 mapping recommendations literally, which means that there is no longer any need to remember the physical button/Raw Input numbering correspondence, as well as the physical lamp/Raw Output.
If, in addition, you use the njz3 SSD image (all legally shareable files are on his Github), then you have almost nothing to do for the button/lamp mapping since everything is configured according to this pinout.

In terms of features, we still have most of those of its elders:
Sync converter, VideoAmp compatibility, Steering wheel/Accelerator/Brake signal stabilizer, MultiFFB compatibility, UART output for PWM cards...

On this M1 card we lose compatibility with the Delo shifter since it is not adaptable to Virtua Racing cabinets, whether Upright, Twin, or Deluxe.

The management of Extra Lamps and Extra Buttons has changed a bit, and expanded:
The routing of the ExtraLamp signal on "non-Neo" cards is standardized with all other signals: you can bypass everything (i.e. use another button/lamp than the one originally wired in the terminal) or use everything as Extra (i.e. use a button/lamp which is not originally wired in the cabinet).
Absolutely all Arduino inputs/outputs are now present in Bypass/Extra, including analog inputs.
Even the 7 lamp limitation of the ULN2003 is broken with the possibility of putting a second ULN to manage the 8th lamp that the Arduino can take into account.

I also added a "DC" zone to be able to power things from the USB for manipulation outside the cabinet (the "DC OUT" terminal block being powered by the cabinet and not by USB)

The original Virtua Racing driveboard is very close to the one found in Sega Rally and Daytona USA cabinets.
Swapping EPROMs or using a MultiFFB board can have a few pros and cons when playing with a PC. Here is a summary of what has been tested on a twin cabinet, regarding FFB:

According to the mode selected in "Target Hardware" in BackForceFeeder and according to the EPROM installed on the original Virtua Racing Twin Driveboard 838-9081 (which as a reminder is a unique card which manages the FFB of the 2 cockpits (the more recent cabinets have one board per seat)):
- Comp_M2_SR1 mode with SR1 EPROM: emulated FFB functional for all games but only with player 1's side of the Twin cab
- RAW mode with D1 EPROM: original FFB functional for Daytona USA but only with player 1's side of the Twin cab
- RAW mode with SR1 EPROM: original FFB functional for Sega Rally but only with player 1's side of the Twin cab
- RAW mode with VR EPROM: original FFB functional for Virtua Racing for the 2 players of the Twin cab
It still has to be tested on the Upright and Deluxe versions of the game, but given that they are single player cabs, it is very likely that the FFB works in all configurations.
Only the addition of a hypothetical Comp_M1_VR mode, which would represent a lot of work for our friend njz3, could improve compatibility.

Thanks a lot to Goji who tested all this, and to njz3 for all the software!

First post is edited :)
 
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of course, a month after i sold my twin VR cab!
Oh well.

Looks amazing. Nice work!
 
For those who have a first gen Mega Adapter board (i.e. without the mention "NEO" next to the version number), njz3 has released an alternative version of the Arduino code to transform the "Non-Neo" pinout into a "NEO" pinout.
Which makes the mapping of buttons and lamps easier and more intuitive. A good choice if you haven't mapped your buttons yet.
It's available on his Github:
https://github.com/njz3/BFF_gameassets/tree/main/image_njz3/Installers

Owners of boards marked "NEO" are not affected and must use the default code available in the BFF archive :)
 
are there recommended PC specs? I’d like to run from Daytona USA to Mario kart on my Daytona cabinet.
 
It depends on the screen resolution, and on the games you want to play. Of course, displaying on a 4K LCD screen requieres more power than on the original 384p CRT of a Daytona cab.

Here are njz3's recommandations:
https://github.com/njz3/BFF_gameassets/tree/9c29ded3348190d410d218c5954ef4aefe13aec3/image_njz3
(See Hardware Configuration section)

Usually, we consider that:
- to run MAME and Model1/2/3 on CRT: a 4th gen i5 processor with no discrete grafics card is enough
- to run Teknoparrot on a 1080p LCD screen: 4th gen i5 proc + GTX960 + 4 to 8Go of RAM are enough

So in your case (running Teknoparrot on CRT), the second option will work, but something in-between the 2 options would work too.
 
Do you have some details on the MultiFFB?
If I understand correctly it would also work with normal Model 3 stacks.
Could be more than 3 different games be used on one eprom and how should it be burnt?
Do you have 2 on stock? :)
 
Hi :)
The MultiFFB is an easy way to swap between Driveboard EPROMs. It contains up to 8 original EPROM files to choose from.

Yes it can be used with original Model1/2/3/Naomi stacks, or with PC.

You can choose the EPROMs you want on your MultiFFB when you order.
By default I put only the 4 main drivers for M3 (ScudRace/SegaRally2/Daytona2/F355) or the 3 main drivers for Model1&2 (SegaRally1/Daytona1/VirtuaRacing).

You can also modify the content once you have it, if you're equipped with UV eraser and EPROM burner. I can send you a file to write, or you can concatenate 8 files yourself.

Yes I have 2 in stock, I make them on demand :)
 
Tibal said:
Hi :)
The MultiFFB is an easy way to swap between Driveboard EPROMs. It contains up to 8 original EPROM files to choose from.

Yes it can be used with original Model1/2/3/Naomi stacks, or with PC.

You can choose the EPROMs you want on your MultiFFB when you order.
By default I put only the 4 main drivers for M3 (ScudRace/SegaRally2/Daytona2/F355) or the 3 main drivers for Model1&2 (SegaRally1/Daytona1/VirtuaRacing).

You can also modify the content once you have it, if you're equipped with UV eraser and EPROM burner. I can send you a file to write, or you can concatenate 8 files yourself.

Yes I have 2 in stock, I make them on demand :)
Click to expand...
With this and an original Daytona USA boardstack, do I even need a PC?
 
Khatru311 said:
With this and an original Daytona USA boardstack, do I even need a PC?
Click to expand...
Not sure to understand your question.
MultiFFB is intended to adapt your FFB system to the game system you want to use.

In your Daytona Cabinet:
To play Daytona original stack, you need Daytona's Driveboard EPROM on your driveboard.
To play all emulated games on PC with emulated FFB, you need Sega Rally's Driveboard EPROM on your driveboard.
To play Daytona emulated game on PC with original FFB, you need Daytona's Driveboard EPROM on your driveboard.
To play Sega Rally emulated game on PC with original FFB, you need Sega Rally's Driveboard EPROM on your driveboard.
To play Virtua Racing emulated game on PC with original FFB, you need Virtua Racing's Driveboard EPROM on your driveboard.

That's about it for a Daytona cabinet.

MultiFFB allows you to change the Driveboard EPROM with switches, instead of swapping EPROM chips on the Driveboard every time you change game or system
 
Tibal said:
Not sure to understand your question.
Click to expand...
j'ai l'impression qu'il n'a pas de driveboard et veux prendre ton board à la place? et demande si un PC est vraiment requis. Je crois comprendre qu'absolument oui, "The Mega Adapter talks to BackForceFeeder installed on the PC"


Khatru311 said:
do I even need a PC?
Click to expand...
I believe you do, yes : "The Mega Adapter talks to BackForceFeeder installed on the PC"

Do you not have a FFB board and want to replace it with this board?!
 
@Mrhide Indeed, a Windows PC is required to use a Mega Adapter

@Khatru311 Yes, you'll see, if you have all the original boards, the hardware installation won't be very complicated. If you're not sure to have all the original boards, send me pictures and I'll tell you :)
 
Hi Tibal
I want to buy this for my sega rally cabinet. How can i reach you so we can talk better?thank you.
 
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