SuperJoy Build Begins!

[dillingerradio]

Hello!

I'm opening this thread up to document my journey into my custom Superjoy build. NEO GEO is the basis for my theming inspiration, and arcades in general provided the impetus for the build.

Superjoy Concept:​

The concept behind this build is an all-in-one arcade joystick/fightstick that can be utilized with traditional arcade PCBs via direct JAMMA harness, as well as modern day consoles and PCs via USB. The unit will have a classic joystick, 10 function buttons, and 2 utility buttons. The unit will be completely self contained, with power source and electronics necessary to accomplish all functions needed for both arcades and modern consoles/PC. The unit will utilize the Noir button layout.

From the drawing, you can see the overall design ethos I'm attempting to follow. The base of the joy will be a standard rectangular configuration, but I intend to have a shallow slope angle down towards the front, which will house arcade cab speakers angled upward at the player to provide audio in the event external speakers are unavailable. I originally thought to have controls go striaght into DB-15 in order to avoid the use of a decoder, but after consideration, decided that I wanted the flexibility to use it on modern equipment as well. As such, the listed DB-15 breakout on the drawing is no longer part of the plan (and has been replaced by a Brook Fusion board running USB out into a USB-DB15 decoder), but could be added back to enable the user to switch in the event the decoder adds too much input lag (or a simpler solution is desired, or if the unit is only intended to be used with arcade PCBs). In fact, if the unit was only intended for use with arcade PCBs, I'd definitley recommend just using DB-15 and saving the money on the Brook board.

At the center is a HAS v.5 Supergun unit by @RGB which will handle all the JAMMA arcade interactions. From this, the video and audio outs will be routed out of the rear, with a split from the mini din side audio pins to the internal 12V amplifier. The HAS automatically shunts audio from the din output in the event the 3.5mm stereo out is detected. This will permit the speakers to produce sound when external speakers or headphones are not in use, while automatically muting them once something is plugged in. Video out will be provided via 8-pin mini din male to male cable into RGB's SCART connector, and from there into an OSSC Pro to provide output to modern day displays. An additional custom cable will provide BNC outs for the ability to swap over to direct connection to my PVM 14 and 20 M2U displays.

Input wise, it's an 8 button noir layout, with 2 additional buttons for start and select on the top of the board. While not shown on the drawing, the additional four buttons will be for L3, R3, Turbo, and XBOX / PS guide button. L3 and R3 will likely wind up situated on the top of the right side, while the turbo and guide buttons may be mounted on the left, along with a small turbo indicator LED.

For the rear IO, the ultimate goal is to have a clean interface that enables safe storage. The audio amplifier will be inset in the rear so that the volume knob does not protrude from the profile of the unit (to preven damage from snagging). The JAMMA harness port will be recessed into a decently sized cavity with a door, which will permit the user to store the harness within the unit when not in use. Audio and video outputs will be provided above the JAMMA port. An additional USB decoder will be mounted to the right wall of the unit to enable a friend to connect to the unit and act as 2P when hooked to arcade PCBs. The power supply will be mounted internally. Power in and a switch will then be mounted to the rear plate, to eliminate the need for the wrap-back solution shown on the drawing.

Parts List:​

• Sanwa JLX-TP-8YT (Toppers: black bat, baby blue ball, #7 dragon ball from paradise arcade)
• Sanwa OBSN-30 30mm Screw-on Buttons (Red x2, Yellow x2, Green x2, Blue x2, White x4)
• Sanwa OBSN-28 28mm Screw-on Buttons (Yellow x2)
• Brook Fusion Fighting Board
• Undying USB-DB15 Decoder x2
• Mean Well RT-85A Switching Power Supply
• Unbranded 12V audio amplifier
• Unbranded 4" speakers x2
• RGB's Lab HAS v.5
• RGB's Lab JAMMA Harness/Extension
• RGB's Lab RT-85A case with switch
• IEC C5 power cable for RT-85A
• Wire/Wires with .110" quick connects x20
• Daisy chain negative with a minimum of 12 .110" quick connects
• Two matching lengths of audio wire
• USB Type B to A cable
• DB-15 male to female cable
• 3.5 mm stereo male to female cable
• 8-pin Mini DIN male to male straight through cable
• RGB's Lab 8-pin Mini DIN to SCART connector

 

[dillingerradio]

Stage 1 Prototype:​

Most of the parts have arrived, with the exception of some crucial video cables. Unfortunately, I spent an inordinate amount of time trying to figure out how to actually make a custom cable and getting the SCART and other connectors, only to then find out RGB makes a SCART connector with mini-din on it already. Whoops! If I had spotted that when I was buying the HAS I could've saved myself a bunch of time and effort, frankly. Oh well, lesson learned, only thing lost is a little bit of time and a few dollars for some connectors.

For this initial prototype build, I'm going to strictly be focusing on simple box construction, and part functionality verification. Basically, I'm building a super basic box to house all this in and verify it actually works before I stick it in something nicer, and more properly built. I still haven't really determined how I'm going to provide quick and easy access to the contents given the front speaker configuration. As a result, prototype 1 will be a normal box without the added complexity of the amp and speakers. Instead, I'll probably add those later, once I figure out how I want to tackle the build (and enable access to the interior of the unit).

I began by wiring, testing, and labeling all the buttons that will be used in the build. For this, I purchased individual red wires with quick connects pre-made from Paradise Arcade, along with a large ground daisy chain that I can trim back. Once installed, I'll wrap the wires in a sleeve to clean up their appearance and reduce snagging. Similarly, the HAS unit harness has been wrapped in a sleeve. While they won't see inclusion in this specific build, the speakers (and the general setup of them) will be tested, so they have had wires soldered to them (and labeled) to prep for use with the amp.

This initial build is using a 16" x 10" x 1/4" top panel build, with just some basic 3/4" ply cut into 1.5" wide strips to act as the frame for the box (strengthened via corner braces or blocks). I am discovering already that 10" height is maybe not quite enough and that the second prototype will probably be better served at 12". The parts have only been loosely arranged to show the general configuration/orientation, as we are now in the "wait for everything that's been glued together to dry" phase. The overall unit depth I am looking to keep at approximately 3-5" (depending on how things come together) so that it's not too tall as to be uncomfortable to use when on a desktop.

Since the point of this prototype build is to verify functionality and test arrangement/scale/comfort/etc. some things will not remain as they are demonstrated here. Most notably, the power supply cover, which I'm using because it's very well made and already has a power in, switch, and fuse, saving me a bunch of time. I also happen to have the more rudimentary version, which is similarly nicely constructed but has two protected grommets instead of a control board, which is more suited for the final form of this project. Overall project dimensions are also likely to change, but those changes will be explicitly identified when they occur, and where they apply.

 

[XtraSmiley]

Hell yeah baby, following along for the cool project, thanks for posting!

By the way, this is not too far off from Japanese SuperGuns where they were all in ones, but many of them were 2 player to make room for all the shit you're trying to jam in there!

I would dump the PSU cover and go bare screws to help free up room as well as consider a different option for the JAMMA extension, but I'm sure you'll get to all of that as you piece it together. I'm excited to see what you come up with!

 

[dillingerradio]

With regards to the old superguns, nice! I was surprised I didn't see more products like that available, but then it occurred to me that it is kind of a niche market, haha. I will say, though, that I'm very glad for the opportunity to make my own, as it represents a great learning opportunity for me.

With regards to the power supply: You are right. I've taken a moment to update it to reflect that not everything in the prototype build is going to be the way it winds up in the end. Thanks for mentioning it! As it stands, that cover saves me time and is well suited for the prototype. The final version will have the controls moved to rear plate, while the power supply is secured within a different version, fully within the unit (so the inset shown is no longer needed).

2P is accomplished by mounting a UD USB-DB15 decoder above the power supply to the right hand panel. That should allow someone with a USB xbox/ps controller to plug in and act as P2. I'm looking to try and keep this as compact and comfortable as use allows. At least, for now that's the positioning of it. I could see it being shuffled based on what's convenient and works best as I go along.

With regards to the JAMMA extension, can you elaborate as to why I might consider an alternative harness? From what I can tell, the build quality of RGB's JAMMA extension is outstanding.

 

[XtraSmiley]

Here is one example of a Japanese one I am talking about.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/385018065097

Of course yours is cooler because you're doing it yourself AND it will play with modern consoles as well.

For the JAMMA extension, yes RGBs stuffs top notch. I wasn't clear, sorry. I mean, use his extension outside of the case, but internally either mount the HAS so it sticks out the side, or use something much shorter and thinner to bring to a JAMMA edge on the side of the your unit.

 

[dillingerradio]

Ohhhhh, I understand now, I appreciate that.

So, I wrestled with that idea (of bringing the JAMMA edge to the exterior of the unit), actually. Really, I'd kinda love to find a way to mount the HAS in such a manner as to make it prominently visible. I did find a couple arrangement solutions I liked on paper, and I thought I could just have it so the user removes the harness from the HAS (and stores it in a small cubby located between the speakers in front). But, I abandoned the idea out of concern for the wear and tear that popping and reattaching the harness might bring to the connectors, as well as the complexity of building in a little inset mount for the has to sit on so it was visible but protected. Perhaps I'm being overly concerned, but I'll admit it's also much simpler construction-wise to simply pop the unit in the box, and that was a bit of a motivator- at least on the prototype.

Instead, I figured I might just try building a large inset cavity in the rear of the unit which could stow the cable. That way I can keep the harness affixed (relatively) permanently. Even then, though, I admit the solution is not ideal. The wire bundle is stiff and I haven't resolved yet just how to accomplish stowing it like I'd like. As I'm learning, it seems like one of those 'better on paper' ideas.

 

[dillingerradio]

Stage 1-2 Prototyping.. Part Deux​

The first box sucked, so I scrapped it. I have no idea what I was thinking, building it the way I did, it was honestly pretty foolish. But, it did provide the scale modelling I needed to better understand the dimensions I wanted. So, I got that goin' for me, which is nice.

New box is 1/4" sande plywood. I increased the dimensions to 18" x 12". I also increased the depth to 5", however I believe this was a mistake and I'll probably reduce that to 4" in the next revision. It sits just a bit too high for my tastes at the moment. I had the local hardware store rip panels into 5" wide strips of 12" (x2) and 18" (x2) for the sides, and kept larger panels to fit on top and bottom. Since I have very limited space (and tools), I used my jigsaw set to 45° to produce some sloppy edge mitres. I then glued them all together, poorly, which- thank goodness for wood glue and clamps, honestly. Once dry, I glued on top and bottom panels, and cut them down to close-enough-for-the-prototype using my jigsaw.

With the box form completed and dried, I set about creating the holes for the controls. I printed and pasted a very-nearly-to-scale Capcom Noir button layout on the top and set about creating 30mm holes with a 29mm hole saw. Why this? Because they did not have a single metric hole saw at my local hardware store, and the closest standard they had was equivalent to 29mm. I then used my Dremmel with a sanding drum bit to sand out the extra space needed (using a loose button to test fitment as I went along). Once that was done, I once again used poor judgement, and marked off a couple inches depth on the outside, and proceeded to cut it open using- you guessed it- my jigsaw. No, I am not particularly good with a jigsaw (my hand likes to wander), in case you were wondering. Anyways, it worked out better than I expected and I had access to the interior of my new box.

With the interior opened, I set about installing the buttons. As shown in the previous step, I had already prepped all of them, so it was simply a matter of screwing them into place. When it came to this, I found myself having extraordinary luck. You see, I had not considered the size of the nut when drilling out the holes for the buttons. As it happens, I had just enough space to properly secure all of them. With the buttons in place, I then struggled to hold the joystick in place while I blindly traced the outline of it with a permanent marker from behind, so I could ascertain where to drill out holes for the mounting hardware. I misaligned it, but that's OK because the 29mm hole I drilled is nearly triple the 10mm size hole that is called for in a properly measured and installed bit of kit. So, the joystick is able to reach all its positions without issue. I just eyeballed the Start/Coin buttons up top, and after checking where my hand naturally fell, I discovered I would need to move them in the future.

Since all the necessary parts to actually put this to work have only just arrived, I did not do internal fitment of the PSU and HAS v5 unit in this update. Instead, I decided a functionality check was in order. I wired up the controls to the Brook Fusion board that I attached some legs to (so I could velcro it in place), and then centered that in the box in the general area I'd want it. I then ran a USB cable from that out to the Undamned DB-15 to USB decoder, which is plugged into P1 on the HAS v5 unit (which I just had resting on my work table). I routed the video out via an 8-pin mini din straight through cable to RGB Lab's 8-pin mini din to SCART connector. I then plugged the SCART into my OSSC Pro, and that is subsequently plugged into my TV/monitor. Power was provided via the Mean Well RT-85A.

For the test bed, I utilized an MV1 I had laying around with my recently received Vortex cart. The cart worked great, but audio did not function as expected. I suspect that may be related to the board rather than the cart or supergun. I also tested an MV1C that I unfortunately pulled a pad on. I was hoping a futile attempt to tack on to the last bit of remaining trace might've workedl, but it didn't and I was met with a garbled mess. Its replacement is already on the way, but I had to check just in case. Finally, I tried Kingdom Grand Prix, which worked beautifully, and briefly made me consider that I needed to mount my TV to the wall vertically.

In any event, with tests concluded, so too has this build day (and update) concluded. The next steps will be to drill and cut out the ports on the rear of the box for the cords, and to move the HAS v5 and PSU into the box for a fitment.

 

[XtraSmiley]

If you get a Retrotink 4K (Pro), you can rotate the games as needed, just saying...

 

[dillingerradio]

If you get a Retrotink 4K (Pro), you can rotate the games as needed, just saying...

I'm good, I appreciate it, though! The OSSC Pro does great, and I don't actually intend to keep them on the ol' TV. I'll likely be grabbing a dedicated 32" 240 or 360 Hz OLED to dedicate to the PCBs, whereas the NEO GEO I'm consolizing I'll use with the TV.

 

[XtraSmiley]

OSSC Pro is awesome. It will actually get a rotation feature as well, but Marqs hasn't gotten to it yet, but it's still on his roadmap!

 

[dillingerradio]

Things Change:
During the course of this build, I continually evaluated just what I was pursuing and what I wanted from it, to ensure I was doing something I would be happy with. As it happens, that meant acknowledging that my original idea simply didn't match what I was actually after. I realized that having the supergun be its own box really encompassed the flexibility I wanted. Ultimately I determined that building it into the joystick was counter to that. I decided that it may just be smarter going with a predesigned solution for the stick base, and working something of my own out for the supergun. Fortunately, as I was coming to this conclusion, this post came out and alleviated me from the responsibility of having to design anything. In fact, it's basically exactly what I had pictured in mind for the HAS when I began my pivot- quite serendipitous. Suffice to say, I asked a friend with a printer to run me up a copy of their enclosure and I'll be doing my own run through of the build once it arrives.

Which leaves...

The Stick:
So then we have the stick. I originally envisioned the stick as being a wooden box unit with a built in stereo speaker configuration up front. I still like that idea, and maybe I'll pursue it later on down the line when I've got a better shop space, and have had more time to refine my woodwork and design skills. Going with a pre-made base design meant giving up that stereo speaker idea, which I'm slightly bummed about, but ultimately it's not a huge deal.

For the new stick build I wanted something colorful, clean, and that felt well built. I had an image come to mind fairly immediately, making use of a classic bright color scheme from my childhood in the 90's: purple and lime green. With that direction in mind, I decided on a purple ,14", non-modular base from AllFightSticks.com (AFS). The base is of metal construction, and a nice balance between lap fitment and overall size. For the brains I simply pulled the Brook Fusion board from my prototype box. For the buttons, I noticed on the prototype box that I was frequently accidentally pressing the Sanwa buttons; they're just a little too light for my resting fingers. I decided to pursue some Seimitsu PS-14's which have a slightly higher resistance to pressing, and that has alleviated the mispress issue. I also grabbed a Seimitsu LS-56 stick and octogate, but those were going to take a bit longer to arrive. I figured the stick would be easy to swap out once I had everything else wired in anyways, so, I decided to carry on with the build once everything else showed up.

With the parts ordered, I turned my view to the art. I am a traditional and digital artist, so this was a part I was looking forward to. With the color scheme in mind, I couldn't help but think Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! I loved the cartoons as a kid, I loved the movies, and I love the games. They also fit the theme p e r f e c t l y. Furthermore, it would make my design job a lot easier, since I wouldn't have to do any original art. I set about the internet finding the bits and bobs I wanted, then created the color band on the front and arranged my chosen bits in a manner that I thought looked clean, fun, and consistent.

In order to get it printed up, I utilized the template from Focus Attack for my given fight stick (they have a fairly decent selection of supported sticks third party bases that they make art prints for). The template was solid, and the final image printed up lovely with some tremendous colors. With the art in hand (and a thinner acrylic) I was able to proceed with install. Unfortunately, I could not use the countersunk screws that came with the base originally, as those were for the original- thicker- acrylic top. Fortunately, I did have plenty of screws to choose from, and selected some which fit nicely.

I installed the 30 mm face buttons in a Noir 8 configuration, with a NEO GEO color scheme (red, yellow, green, blue). Unfortunately, they're snap in, and even with the thinner acrylic top it's all still just slightly too thick. What this means in practice is that I wound up securing them with a drop of hot glue on opposite ends from the underside. The hot glue is easily removable but durable, and strong enough to tack them in place in the unlikely even the stick experiences a big shake up. In normal use, the buttons are quite unlikely to ever pop out; the glue just ensures that. The front buttons are 24 mm clear green, and those snapped into place without issue.

For the internals I took my cues from the UKFM Fightstick Wiring Guide and decided to try a sleeved install. This was... Not a mistake, but time-consuming and tedious. As it happens, the sleeves I got were a bit stiff, and flat from packing, so they did not readily expand to take the wire I was trying to pass through. Furthermore, as you can see in the completed wiring photo, they did not round out quite as well once installed either (instead remaining semi flat). After much frustration trying to figure out a good way to feed wire through (because each run required several), I finally figured out the best method was to simply squeeze it like a Chinese Finger Trap, pinch the wire inside, and let the sleeve then expand behind it.

Once the requisite wires were fed into the sleeve the task then was to fish them out of a gap in the sleeve, clamp on an inverted quick disconnect, and then connect it. The grounds are shared, and done in a similar manner - except that they have to be pulled out multiple times for the same wire since a pre-made shared ground would be a little too difficult to feed into the sleeve and subsequently break out. I then twisted up the loose grounds at the board side into pairs and had them share ground ports. Once I clamped on the quick disconnect terminals I tossed on a small bit of heat shrink to give them a bit of extra securing. The guide suggests dropping on small vinyl cap ends, which looks fantastic; but, I didn't do it because I was too eager to be done with it all (I poked my fingers a lot while fishing out the wires, and I was pretty exasperated by the time it was all done). For the JLX lever, I simply used a classic open sided sleeve with some heat shrink- much easier. Although, I probably could've left more space for the loose wires at the end to allow me to more easily go under the board.

I only wired 3 of the buttons on the face (start/select/ps-xbox btn), the other 3 are place holders in the event I decide to expand to a bit more functionality. The lever only has 2 of the nuts tightened because it is due to be swapped out eventually, and 2 is sufficient in the interim.

What I Would (Will?) do Differently:

• Use screw on buttons. I should've figured the snaps would not have fit. Snap-ins in general really don't have shit for clearance. They work just fine, but it's annoying knowing they didn't seat fully.
• I would buy better material sleeves, or a dowel rod that fits the sleeving I did buy so that I could cut a length and fit it over the dowel in an attempt to get it to relax into an expanded state (so that wiring would be easier and look nicer when finished).
• I might adjust and reprint the art. I put the party wagon just slightly too far right with the thought that it would look like they were racing off the stick. But, seeing it in place, I kinda want it to come more left, so it's properly centered under the button arc.
• I would decrease the length of the sleeving on the lever harness- it extends a little too far out, and subsequently I wound up with too little loose wire to comfortably fit under the board during install.
• I would reconsider the wire routing. Seimitsu buttons, unlike Sanwa, have 2 close blades that are offset. This meant the 4-sleeve wiring design I had originally chosen with the Sanwa in place (which has 2 evenly arranged blades with a larger gap between) does not look as good. Rather than being flexible and altering my choices, I obstinately stuck with it. In this case, the fact that the sleeving was pretty flat worked as a benefit, and allowed me to slot it in between the blades. But, I don't really like the appearance. I think a dual sleeve setup, configured horizontally across the button rows (and exiting left to wrap down to the board) would look a bit more clean.
• I would not bother attempting to size my wires prior to install. I was going through during the process and roughly sizing them before threading. Frankly, that work can be saved till the end to make everything easier and tidier (without the chance for wires that are too short, for instance).
• I would spend more time on it. I, admittedly, ran through this with a certain disregard for perfection, and an eye for speed. The result is subsequently satisfactory, but I can see areas that could readily be improved if I had allowed myself more time, and did not allow my impatience to get the better of me.

 

[XtraSmiley]

I love it man, great work!