Early stages of my first real arcade project.

[cwx2]

Greetings friends,

I am new here. I wrote an intro in intro section, check it out.

I have been reading the other threads and searching projects and have been learning so much here.

I am slowly starting to pull together all the pieces for a multicade I plan to build. I wanted to to just sort of think aloud and brainstorm here with some of the experts to provide insight where it useful. The better the planning the better the end result. Better planning comes from wisdom and experience.

Knowns:

• The core of the project will be one of RGB's HAS supergun, with a happ psu.
• The pcb's that will be used are:
  • cpsII + multi
  • mvs + multi
  • naomi + capcom io and mvc2 cart
  • a 60 in 1.
• The primary display will be 19" pvm. The naomi will just be run in low Hz mode. The video will also be easily be switched to framemeister.
• The housing for it all will be a sit down cab I intend to build custom from scratch myself. Similar to what is displayed in the project linked below, with some tweaks to suit my needs. I want to keep the build height as low to the ground as possible. It will essentially be a small cabinet shelf with a control panel hanging off of it. The tallest part will be the control panel. The number one design goal will be that it will support the monitor weight.

http://en.rocketnews24.com/2015/12/...cade-cabinet-full-of-nostalgic-feels-【video】/

• My build will not have an enclosure around the monitor, to save height. the monitor will just sit on top of the shelf.
• The control panel will be from a blast city or astro city. I was looking at these outlets for that.

http://www.hklegend.com.hk/?page_no=3.1&lang=0&show_case=

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Control...182094?hash=item58fc5ea10e:g:P2kAAOSw1BlZTSTg

Unknowns:

• I am still unsure how I want to handle the controls, if I want to make a separate encoder box that way I can throw any of my home consoles in it if I wanted.
• I am unsure if I should use a jamma switch for the 4 main boards or just swap out the harness when I want to change.
• I am also undecided how I want to handle the audio.

Thats about all I can think about the project right now. Ill try and keep you guys updated with pics as I progress, and am sure I will be back for questions.

best wishes
cwx2

 

[cwx2]

UPDATE Part 1: I have 2 items I'd liked to discuss:

1) First and foremost I just received in the mail my first CPSII A and B boards. I have been waiting a very long time for this and it finally happened. The sad part is that my A board suffered some damage in transport. It was pretty well wrapped but a foot pierced through the bubble wrap, peanuts and box. That foot has broken off and the two halves of the clamshell case do not snap together quite right. See pics attached. It appears to only be cosmetic, but I am worried.

I do not have any of the things I would need to test the board yet. Maybe I can get ahold of my friend who can help me test it.

I am guessing someone who reads this has either bought or sold on ebay items generally or CPS II hardware specifically, put yourself both in my shoes and the sellers shoes. How would you handle this situation?



Part 2 in next post

 

[Mitsurugi-w]

People! Do not ship CPS2 pcbs with the legs still attached!!! You will be lucky not to damage the case at least.

I would take case apart by removing the screws and see if something else broke off and is causing the case to not close now.

 

[cwx2]

UPDATE Part 2: Cab design.

I have really been digging in researching different cab designs and my own project design goals and limits.

The kits from North Coast Custom Arcade seem cool, but I none of the kits are exactly what I am looking for and I am thrifty and feel I can build something better for less.

I am still formulating, I know some of these goals are aggressive but I think I can pull it off.

I have decided not to use the control panels listed in links above and build one from scratch along with an encoder solution, so it can control: jamma, dreamcast, saturn, genesis, snes, nes, pce.

I want the cab to be a pseudo transformer with two modes. Cabinet and Case.

Cabinet mode - pretty self explanatory in this Mode I want all the same look and functionality you would get from an Astro City or an Egret II.

Case mode - this mode essentially removes or stores the PVM within. The video is sent to framemeister, and it becomes a big shelf, control panel, super gun thingy.


There will be an enclosure around the monitor on the sides and front, but no overhead hood. Once the monitor is removed the front and sides are on hinges and can be folded down and act as a table top surface. The speakers will be imbedded in the sides of the front enclosure of screen.

With this much transformability and need for access to the monitor, rotating for vertical games will be in mind for ease of use as well.

Best
cwx2

 

[cwx2]

To accommodate the speakers on the sides and the top half of each side panel, the machine will be almost twice as wide as it is tall. The result will look something like a vintage TV. I want to eventually stain it dark brown like this as well cause all my other furniture is that color.

 

[cwx2]

People! Do not ship CPS2 pcbs with the legs still attached!!! You will be lucky not to damage the case at least.

I would take case apart by removing the screws and see if something else broke off and is causing the case to not close now.

I actually am waiting for the proper torx bit in the mail. The shell seems to close all the way and have a clearance from any components, when gently pressing the halves together. I was able to look through the seam created from the damage and it appears nothing else broke or is loose.

When I first picked up the package I could hear the foot rattling around on the inside of A board. I wonder for how much of the transport that was knocking around and if it harmed any of the components on the PCB.

 

[twistedsymphony]

I am unsure if I should use a jamma switch for the 4 main boards or just swap out the harness when I want to change.

JAMMA switches typically power all boards at the same time. personally I think they only really make sense in situations where you can't get at the boards easily otherwise you're better off simply switching the connector around.

I am also undecided how I want to handle the audio

you have 2 options.
1 since all of the boards you're using are JAMMA compliant they all have on board amplification via the JAMMA edge, this means you can wire a single speaker directly into the JAMMA harness and you've got audio.

2. all of the boards you're using also have RCA stereo audio out, so you can just as easily use a pair of powered PC speakers for this, a little 2.1 setup would likely sound great.

option 1 is the cheapest/easiest, option 2 will be the best sounding, and still fairly easy and inexpensive. Where you're just putting a PVM on a shelf you can just set the speakers on either side of it without problem. Most PC speakers are shielded so it shouldn't cause any interference either.

 

[kuze]

If you don't want to wait you can just use a small flat head screw driver to remove the torx security screws. Just wedge it in there and turn. If you're not careful it can cause the inner 'dot' to pop out, but then it's no longer a security screw and you can just use a regular torx head.

 

[darkstrider2]

If you don't want to wait you can just use a small flat head screw driver to remove the torx security screws. Just wedge it in there and turn. If you're not careful it can cause the inner 'dot' to pop out, but then it's no longer a security screw and you can just use a regular torx head.

Happened to me the other day. I just used a bigger head to wedge between the points.

 

[cwx2]

UPDATE:

So I was having hard time deciding if I wanted to get one of those JP control boxes like the board master:

https://www.tops-game.jp/products/detail.php?product_id=2550

or build my own around RGB's superguns (hopefully coming soon)

But then I was like why not both!

I could have one set up for use with framemeister on LCD and the other for use with my PVM. Build the front where the control goes modular so both the boardmaster or my custom sticks can just drop in. Build a base out of 2x4's with wheels.

I am still trying to figure: 1) how to allow for rotating the monitor. 2) speaker placement and 3) enclosure design and colors. Either match it to the boardmaster or get creative.

I found this little shelf thing I think I am going to build around.

 

[Derick2k]

Upgrade from the framemeister to an OSSC, you will be a lot happier.

 

[cwx2]

What will the ossc offer over the xrgb mini?

 

[Derick2k]

What will the ossc offer over the xrgb mini?

I will let @jassin000 answer this

 

[jassin000]

The obvious answer is LAG reduction...
xRGB Mini is about 16ms or almost 2 frames, OSSC is 2ms or < 1 frame (when added to the lag present on LCD panels this becomes a big deal quickly).

Other advancements come in the form of flexibility/configurability and a more accurate to RGB (true 4:4:4) color space conversion.

If you own a 4k TV/monitor the OSSC blows away all other scalers by offering a 5x (1600x1200) mode.
It's very clean/pro looking, just see for yourself!

Really zoom in on this screen shot, the detail/color is out of this world.

 

[cwx2]

I have heard about the OSSC before, I thought it was budget version and that the framemeister had the fastest upscaling processors. I will look into. I mean I have this PVM so that's what I intend to use as my main display for Standard definition content. Scalers are option 2, but a nice option to have for sure.

In other news, I found out about google sketchUp and drew up a prototype for my custom cab design. Modular for both the boardmaster or custom sticks and HAS when it gets sents.

I do not have the best grounding in structural design. Supporting a big heavy monitor like that and having it angled for a good user experience is difficult.

Any feedback is always appreciated. Thanks again fam.

cwx2

 

[twistedsymphony]

I do not have the best grounding in structural design. Supporting a big heavy monitor like that and having it angled for a good user experience is difficult.
Any feedback is always appreciated.

The Vewlix and other LCD cabs are laid out for the best user experience. they can be because the LCD allows them to place the screen and control panel at the optimum distance and angle where as CRT cabs generally have to compete with placing things comfortably and dealing wit the massive depth of the display. In general cabs angled the monitor back far not for the player but because it helped reduce cab depth. If you look at modern cabs there is an angle but it's very slight. also the top of the display should be positioned only slightly above your eye-level. (so if you look straight out at a line parallel with the ground that line should bisect the display such that 1/4 of the display is above that line and 3/4 of that display is below).


Also I would highly recommend you design your control panel box to simply accept a Standard Sega Panel (Astro City, Blast City, Net City, Versus City, etc) and perhaps even wire it with modular plugs similar to a Blast or Net city. This would give you access to LOTS of different panels that can be easily swapped out and if you ever did buy a real cab you'll be starting out with hardware you'll need anyway.

 

[cwx2]

CRT cabs generally have to compete with placing things comfortably and dealing wit the massive depth of the display. In general cabs angled the monitor back far not for the player but because it helped reduce cab depth. If you look at modern cabs there is an angle but it's very slight. also the top of the display should be positioned only slightly above your eye-level.

The design on the prototype was me kinda just trying different monitor positions trying to find what was comfortable, balancing with depth I actually found my design to be pretty economic. Making that sketch took awhile so when I have time I may try and draw up another draft implementing your tip of a less steep angle and a deeper cabinet.

EDIT: I toyed around trying to take the viewlix ergonomics into account. added pic.

Also I would highly recommend you design your control panel box to simply accept a Standard Sega Panel

The front of the cab is just going to be a shelf that can easily drop in either of these 2 options:

1) The boardmaster supergun JP control box is built around a blast city control panel. (This will likely be the main option)

2) For the custom sticks, I want 1P and 2P separate, much more along the lines of a modern fight stick. One that is corded and can be played from the lap. These will use dsub15 plugs for use with HAS. Also hope to build dsub15 encoder box full of hacked console controllers or mc cthulu boards, so I can use these sticks universally. I will prolly follow these plans. Considering the next round of HAS are a ways off I got time to build these.

http://bambooarcade.com/

I am toying with the idea of just making the entire enclosure out of those ikea bamboo cutting boards, either that or I am going to paint up it up to look like a candy.

 

[cwx2]

Anybody know about woods? I am looking into sourcing the lumber for my build. Seems like the main options are: pine, fir, and hardwoods. From a quick dig, fir seem like best choice. Treated or untreated? Does one kind take paint better?

 

[SNK-NEO-GEO]

@cwx2 - I have been following your project......I use PVMs and I like the video out put of them but how about a Candy cab??? You are in Cali and KC can help you out on this. What you are trying to do takes a lot of work and effort and the end result might not be what you are looking for. In the past, I wanted a Vewlix. I went the cheap way and ordered a Kyrlix slim kit.. Putting that thing together was time consuming and painting it was a lot of work.. It was fun because it was an activity that I did with my kid but again, a lot of work. The paint smell took a long time to get out of the cab and the end result was that it was not what I really wanted. Maybe a nice Astro/New Astro/NNC might be an option or a project Candy cab where you can fully restore it, if you enjoy the activity.

 

[twistedsymphony]

how about a Candy cab??? You are in Cali and KC can help you out on this. What you are trying to do takes a lot of work and effort and the end result might not be what you are looking for

^this

If you really want to build your own cab don't let any of us stop you, but if you're doing this for cost reasons then you're better off just buying a cabinet; especially since you're in Cali. I've seen candy cabs in that area in the $300 range and that's complete and ready to play just needing a little cosmetic clean up. The other thing is that a real cabinet will hold it's value. If you don't like it you can turn around a sell it and get your money back... no one is going to want to spend that kind of money on a homemade cab. so even if the cost difference is a wash the value of the real cab will always be greater.

If you do still want to build your own cab that cool but once you start getting into wood working you're really starting to venture outside the expertise of this forum. I'd recommend BYOAC for advise on that