Taito Type X2 Build

[iiamsiincere]

Hello

I have original parts or at least very close to original parts that the original TTX2 would have been shipped with. I'm aware of the multi process, albeit at a vague degree, but aware nonetheless (I would love a more comprehensive guide on imaging those). I was hoping to get some help with trying to combine every separate piece I have together to be as functional as the original TTX2 boards.

I am missing the JVC/Fast IO (mainly because I'm a bit vague on which I should get and what parts will I need to coincide with connecting an XBOX 360 controller). I have the GPU, MOBO, CPU, CPU Cooler, RAM, PSU and a Case.

I am not asking about the games, as I've been playing games/emulating for now years to know what the deal is.

I'm more or less hoping to get this working without the need for the key and be able to have some kind of custom set up.
FYI, I also have read through different aspects to what I want to do throughout the forum, but things are very scattered and you have to sift through so many different threads and combine different understandings (mostly vague) to get anywhere near the goal.

Please offer practical advice and not just waste time for those who read this thread looking for what I'm also looking for. Also, if it just isn't legitally (I know that's not a word) possible, please say so and I can leave this plan alone. I just figured in 2022, SOMEONE must have figured out a very easy way to do this.

 

[djsheep]

All the info you need is on the forum.

There’s stickied threads at the top of the sub forum with most of the relevant posts.

You need to read the threads, the existing and extensive troubleshooting and get to it basically.

There’s not going to be a perfect step-by-step guide for every users case, nor should there have to be when the information is there.

The excuse or not wanting to sift through and read threads is a tired and lazy approach. You’ll learn a lot reading every page, putting it in action and then reporting your findings. You know, contributing.

 

[Niko]

So I'm a little confused, if you're wanting to set all this up to use with a Xbox360 controller, why not just play the games on a regular computer?

Using a USB -> JVS adapter or USB decoder on a super gun is likely going to add input delay for the sake of running on "real arcade hardware".

 

[iiamsiincere]

So I'm a little confused, if you're wanting to set all this up to use with a Xbox360 controller, why not just play the games on a regular computer?

Using a USB -> JVS adapter or USB decoder on a super gun is likely going to add input delay for the sake of running on "real arcade hardware".

Understood.

I have 3 primary reasons for setting this up; A. In case purchasing one of these board goes beyond my budget for what I am willing to spend, it would be nice to be able to setup my own considering it's pretty much a computer; B. I actually prefer building machines that have very simple functions to isolate my focus; C. When I finally have the space for an arcade cabinet, i'd like to make it as custom as possible while keeping some of the OEM features about it.


Would the only advisable route for controllers just be arcade stick (that isn't USB)? or at least using something that incorporates a SNAC (basically what's used in the MiSTer community for using original controllers and keeping lag down to zero)?

 

[Zepherino]

Coming in and immediately asking for help with your situation while warning people not to waste your time on your first post is a bold move. Don't be surprised if people don't respond well to this (or at all).

Stuff like conflating the JVS and FASTIO boards gives me the impression that you haven't researched the bare basics of how the TTX2 works. The request to not waste time really goes both ways here. Setting up any of the Taito Type X series of PCs is a somewhat broad subject that takes some time and effort to figure out, and there's already some problematic history/baggage on this very forum regarding this topic. Take the time to go through the related threads (many of which are helpfully stickied) on this forum as djsheep suggested. Asking someone to compile the fire hose of info into a quick, focused and easily digestible how-to guide is a non-trivial task.

 

[iiamsiincere]

Coming in and immediately asking for help with your situation while warning people not to waste your time on your first post is a bold move. Don't be surprised if people don't respond well to this (or at all).

Stuff like conflating the JVS and FASTIO boards gives me the impression that you haven't researched the bare basics of how the TTX2 works. The request to not waste time really goes both ways here. Setting up any of the Taito Type X series of PCs is a somewhat broad subject that takes some time and effort to figure out, and there's already some problematic history/baggage on this very forum regarding this topic. Take the time to go through the related threads (many of which are helpfully stickied) on this forum as djsheep suggested. Asking someone to compile the fire hose of info into a quick, focused and easily digestible how-to guide is a non-trivial task.

Although I get what you're saying, it wasn't meant to be an ass. I've read through enough forums and fb group posts of various subjects to know a lot of people will go off on a tangent with comments or be sarcastic d*cks. That's why I wrote it. I've already read through one of the posts on this forum where 3-5 pages were just people arguing with each other and deviating from the point of the post. Wanted to avoid that.

As far as the second thing you mentioned, I've done a basic amount of research, but that's always relative. Everyone starts off somewhere different in their research. I don't come across too many pages/youtube videos where they fully explain every connection and reasoning behind inputs and outputs on certain arcade accessories. I'm trying to find a comprehensive understanding of Fast I/O or JVS to know which I would need or which might be the wrong route for me.

 

[Niko]

If you wanted the best possible experience I'd recommend going the FastI/O route. You'll get the full benefit of running these games on their native hardware while ensuring your input delay is at an absolute minimum.

In order to run the games outside of a loader you'll need the internal JVS board. Its a little PCB with dip switches and a JVS ( USB ) port that connects to the COM port header and front panel header. To use Fast I/O you'll need the iDmac PCI-E card and the proper Fast I/O input ( I/O ) board. The I/O board can usually be found pretty easily for about $100 - $200, however you almost never find a iDmac or the internal JVS board outside of an X2.

I know you wanted to build one, but honestly its easier and arguably cheaper to just buy an X2. They've gone down a bit in price since most of the scene has shifted focus to the X3/X4.

If you want help ensuring you buy the correct X2, feel free to PM me any potential units you might be interested in. Buying from YAJ is probably you're best bet.

 

[Zepherino]

Try to keep the scope of your questions more focused. That should give you better quality answers and make it easier to filter out off topic stuff. It's much easier to answer a question on how JVS and FASTIO works for TTX2 to get you started, rather than go super broad and ask about a beginning to end setup guide for a TTX2 that may or may not even be fully assembled. The broadness of the question makes it hard answer without making (easily wrong) assumptions.

In terms of input, the most standard method is JVS, which is a small PCB connected to the mobo, with control board that's usually located on the bottom PCI cover slot of the case. On that control board, you have the JVS interface (a USB port), a small reset button, a SDPIF audio out port, and some dip switches that control resolution and network update (the dips wont work on non TTX2 games). Every complete TTX2 PC should have this. You would need a JVS capable supergun, or a JVS to JAMMA converter for a standard supergun. This will add a bit of input lag, as Niko mentioned.

For FASTIO, it requires an additional PCB called a DMAC card, along with the FASTIO pcb itself, which will connect to the DMAC via a ethernet cable. They're desirable because they offer a low lag setup for arcade cabs (JVS or JAMMA depending on which FASTIO board you went with), but both the DMAC and the correct FASTIO boards are rare and expensive, especially the DMAC on it's own. Expect to pay ~$200+ for each item, if you can find them. You will also need to figure out how to wire a kick harness for 6 button games. This is mostly recommended for JAMMA based arcade cabs.

Both of these input methods are better suited for people who already own a cab, or a supergun.

Another recent input option is the MP07-IONA-US PCB. This connects to the JVS port, and should offer you a relatively low lag setup for most modern controllers/fight sticks. I'm not 100% sure about the lag because I haven't personally tested it, but the creator placed an emphasis on it in his design, and it felt decent to me from my limited time with it. Setup and configuration for this is a bit of a pain in my experience, since the creator isn't a native English speaker and the PCB is tiny with a strange configuration method, but it does work once you get it figured out. I would probably recommend this method to get started, since you would plug and setup the MP07-IONA-US, plug into a VGA monitor (or w/e you have to convert to digital), and away you go.

I have no experience with directly connecting controllers to the TTX2 via USB on the mobo, so I can't say much about that part. I assume there would be some challenges if you wanted to run real TTX2 games since they probably expect control inputs from JVS, but again I'm not sure due to inexperience.

EDIT: D'oh Niko beat me to the punch on much of the info. I'll leave my wall of text here since it took a decent amount of time to write >.>

 

[iiamsiincere]

Try to keep the scope of your questions more focused. That should give you better quality answers and make it easier to filter out off topic stuff. It's much easier to answer a question on how JVS and FASTIO works for TTX2 to get you started, rather than go super broad and ask about a beginning to end setup guide for a TTX2 that may or may not even be fully assembled. The broadness of the question makes it hard answer without making (easily wrong) assumptions.

In terms of input, the most standard method is JVS, which is a small PCB connected to the mobo, with control board that's usually located on the bottom PCI cover slot of the case. On that control board, you have the JVS interface (a USB port), a small reset button, a SDPIF audio out port, and some dip switches that control resolution and network update (the dips wont work on non TTX2 games). Every complete TTX2 PC should have this. You would need a JVS capable supergun, or a JVS to JAMMA converter for a standard supergun. This will add a bit of input lag, as Niko mentioned.

For FASTIO, it requires an additional PCB called a DMAC card, along with the FASTIO pcb itself, which will connect to the DMAC via a ethernet cable. They're desirable because they offer a low lag setup for arcade cabs (JVS or JAMMA depending on which FASTIO board you went with), but both the DMAC and the correct FASTIO boards are rare and expensive, especially the DMAC on it's own. Expect to pay ~$200+ for each item, if you can find them. You will also need to figure out how to wire a kick harness for 6 button games. This is mostly recommended for JAMMA based arcade cabs.

Both of these input methods are better suited for people who already own a cab, or a supergun.

Another recent input option is the MP07-IONA-US PCB. This connects to the JVS port, and should offer you a relatively low lag setup for most modern controllers/fight sticks. I'm not 100% sure about the lag because I haven't personally tested it, but the creator placed an emphasis on it in his design, and it felt decent to me from my limited time with it. Setup and configuration for this is a bit of a pain in my experience, since the creator isn't a native English speaker and the PCB is tiny with a strange configuration method, but it does work once you get it figured out. I would probably recommend this method to get started, since you would plug and setup the MP07-IONA-US, plug into a VGA monitor (or w/e you have to convert to digital), and away you go.

I have no experience with directly connecting controllers to the TTX2 via USB on the mobo, so I can't say much about that part. I assume there would be some challenges if you wanted to run real TTX2 games since they probably expect control inputs from JVS, but again I'm not sure due to inexperience.

EDIT: D'oh Niko beat me to the punch on much of the info. I'll leave my wall of text here since it took a decent amount of time to write >.>

This is great, thank you very much. Couple of follow ups...
Any thoughts on the JVS-Bridge (tucsonlogic_dot_com)?
Any thoughts on this Taito Type X I/O G4S306-IO Jamma JVS Board PCB (I attached the photo)?

 

[iiamsiincere]

If you wanted the best possible experience I'd recommend going the FastI/O route. You'll get the full benefit of running these games on their native hardware while ensuring your input delay is at an absolute minimum.

In order to run the games outside of a loader you'll need the internal JVS board. Its a little PCB with dip switches and a JVS ( USB ) port that connects to the COM port header and front panel header. To use Fast I/O you'll need the iDmac PCI-E card and the proper Fast I/O input ( I/O ) board. The I/O board can usually be found pretty easily for about $100 - $200, however you almost never find a iDmac or the internal JVS board outside of an X2.

I know you wanted to build one, but honestly its easier and arguably cheaper to just buy an X2. They've gone down a bit in price since most of the scene has shifted focus to the X3/X4.

If you want help ensuring you buy the correct X2, feel free to PM me any potential units you might be interested in. Buying from YAJ is probably you're best bet.

Highly appreciated.

 

[Zepherino]

This is great, thank you very much. Couple of follow ups...
Any thoughts on the JVS-Bridge (tucsonlogic_dot_com)?
Any thoughts on this Taito Type X I/O G4S306-IO Jamma JVS Board PCB (I attached the photo)?

I've never used the JVS-Bridge before, so I don't have any real opinions on it. The website specifically states that it doesn't support Taito Type X though. Also, it seems that you would need to either build a control setup that's wired to this board, or wired into a DB15 port for DB15 based controllers. Doesn't seem to be what you want if you intend to connect X360 or other USB based controllers.

The G4S306-IO is precisely the thing I was describing in the 2nd paragraph of my earlier wall of text. You need this for JVS controls to work with stock TTX games. I mentioned that it was a PCB with a control board, which isn't 100% correct. Both the controls and the PCB itself are one unit that's connected to the mobo COM and front panel header, as Niko described. I accidentally mixed up TTX2 and TTX3 hardware in my mind...

Since you weren't very clear about this in the first post, are you building a TTX2 from real hardware, or just trying to mimic a TTX2 using off the shelf parts? If the latter, you may run into issues with running unmodified TTX games. I don't know if a non standard mobo would work with any of this stuff, and for the GPU, you will need to flash custom firmware at the very least.

 

[nam9]

Any thoughts on this Taito Type X I/O G4S306-IO Jamma JVS Board PCB (I attached the photo)?

Those were $20 on eBay a while ago.
While @Niko is right concerning FastIO, a JVS set up would be pretty simple if you could grab one. Just add on a Raspberry Pi / OpenJVS setup and connect your 360 controller.

Then it’s this route, but personally I haven’t managed… could have been a compatibility issue though…

 

[iiamsiincere]

I've never used the JVS-Bridge before, so I don't have any real opinions on it. The website specifically states that it doesn't support Taito Type X though. Also, it seems that you would need to either build a control setup that's wired to this board, or wired into a DB15 port for DB15 based controllers. Doesn't seem to be what you want if you intend to connect X360 or other USB based controllers.

The G4S306-IO is precisely the thing I was describing in the 2nd paragraph of my earlier wall of text. You need this for JVS controls to work with stock TTX games. I mentioned that it was a PCB with a control board, which isn't 100% correct. Both the controls and the PCB itself are one unit that's connected to the mobo COM and front panel header, as Niko described. I accidentally mixed up TTX2 and TTX3 hardware in my mind...

Since you weren't very clear about this in the first post, are you building a TTX2 from real hardware, or just trying to mimic a TTX2 using off the shelf parts? If the latter, you may run into issues with running unmodified TTX games. I don't know if a non standard mobo would work with any of this stuff, and for the GPU, you will need to flash custom firmware at the very least.

I now have the G4S306-IO. I have a motherboard that is of the same generation but not exactly the official Taito MOBO that would have come with the X2. I'm curious as to what each cable connects to and why. I found another post but there's confusion in the explanation and I think they end up glossing over that. Do you happen to know where I can connect each input within my MOBO (I have a picture of the layout from the manual)? If I have to get converters or longer cables, shouldn't be an issue. I can ebay them or go to my local microcenter. Below (not my hand, found on another post) is what I purchased, which includes the same cables.

Below is the layout of my MOBO

I'm not even sure if I exactly need all of the cables plugged in or not. I know one of the posts mentioned that one of the cables (12-pin) is for the headers but I'm curious if the button outside of the I/O board powers it on but if not, unsure how I would then power on the computer without the headers connecting to the case motherboard. Also, Is there documentation on what the USB and the middle output (can't tell what it is from other pictures) is for but I did find out what the dip switches do, so I won't be changing those.

I'll try to look online for an official manual for the I/O in the meantime.

 

[Zepherino]

The post above yours by nam9 links to another post that describes what the 3 cables are. It's COM (serial, goes into COM2 per other posts), SPDIF (audio), and front panel (which is probably for the reset button).

Also, Is there documentation on what the USB and the middle output (can't tell what it is from other pictures) is for but I did find out what the dip switches do, so I won't be changing those.

If you read my post from before, I already went over what the USB and other ports were.

On that control board, you have the JVS interface (a USB port), a small reset button, a SDPIF audio out port, and some dip switches that control resolution and network update (the dips wont work on non TTX2 games).

With TTX1-3, I've only dealt with original hardware (besides the GPU), and I have no experience with trying to recreate a TTX2 with non standard hardware like you're trying to do. I don't think I have the experience to be much help for this.

 

[nam9]

Nice. Your motherboard has a COM2 header. That could save some issues. I don’t see SPDiF, so drop that connector. You only need to send power on FP1 if you want to keep your case buttons. I’ll find another post of mine…

 

[nam9]

You need to connect +5v and Gnd to the 11 pin header on the I/O card.
This is the pinout on the motherboard. Pin 1 is top left. Pin 12 is missing (keyed).
+5v --> Pin 2/4
Gnd --> Pin 7



You don't need anything else wired up to test. Just power, ground and of course the serial port to COM2.

Above is the pinout for the FP1 connection.
It is slightly modified from a standard Front panel header on a regular ATX motherboard (below):

TTX ATX has 2 additional pins before pin 1, 2 on the standard ATX.

Now you just need to decide how you want things wired. If you connect FP1 to the front panel connector on the motherboard then you have no power button, reset is on the I/O and the LEDs on the IO function. The system can also reset itself if the watchdog timer is tripped (probably don't want that..).
You can just repin your PC case FP connection to mix and match as required - I spliced cables to have both sets of LEDs and reset buttons functioning.
The main issue you will have is that your motherboard won't supply a +5v power source to the I/O. You will get a softdips missing error with the Multis.
Solution is to repin the +5v/Gnd to a nearby USB header. That will get you powered up.

 

[iiamsiincere]

Above is the pinout for the FP1 connection.
It is slightly modified from a standard Front panel header on a regular ATX motherboard (below):

TTX ATX has 2 additional pins before pin 1, 2 on the standard ATX.

Now you just need to decide how you want things wired. If you connect FP1 to the front panel connector on the motherboard then you have no power button, reset is on the I/O and the LEDs on the IO function. The system can also reset itself if the watchdog timer is tripped (probably don't want that..).
You can just repin your PC case FP connection to mix and match as required - I spliced cables to have both sets of LEDs and reset buttons functioning.
The main issue you will have is that your motherboard won't supply a +5v power source to the I/O. You will get a softdips missing error with the Multis.
Solution is to repin the +5v/Gnd to a nearby USB header. That will get you powered up.

Hello

I finally have an update. I now have a motherboard (that works), has an IDE/COM socket, so I no longer get a blue screen about the motherboard not being compliant when I connect the JVS. Now I get another blue screen that seems related to the Hard Drive OS. The COM IRQ settings are correct and I'm using a SATA SSD/USB that both have different versions of the TTX Multi that I got from another forum.

I believe I need to get the proper OS in order for it to load properly. Any assistance with where to go for that? I can also try just get my hands on either an IDE drive or a SATA to IDE converter to see if that helps but I have a feeling the OS is really the issue and getting my hands on Windows XP Embedded is not as easy as I thought (I do have Windows XP Pro installed on a SSD drive that was used in the machine)

I had to remove all of the cables from the FP1 housing in order to get them connected to the motherboard. I believe it works correctly as I tested out the reset button on the JVS and it worked with no issues (I found a way to both us the Power SW from the Case and from the JVS). I also think maybe I need a second reference point for the FP1 cables to know what each one is for. Someone has it in another forum but he's unsure of some of the colors.
I can provide pictures to half of what I said later (at work at the moment) in case there's confusion in my wording.

 

[nam9]

Did you just write the @Niko TTX2 multi to the add and you get an OS error? The multi has an OS to in the image - the issue is you are using different hardware. You can either adapt the multi to your hardware (mess with Hirens Boot CD while disabling EWF), or install Win POS and add the multi to that…
I have not succeeded on either approach personally, so following with interest…

 

[iiamsiincere]

Did you just write the @Niko TTX2 multi to the add and you get an OS error? The multi has an OS to in the image - the issue is you are using different hardware. You can either adapt the multi to your hardware (mess with Hirens Boot CD while disabling EWF), or install Win POS and add the multi to that…
I have not succeeded on either approach personally, so following with interest…

The version I have, I just imaged to an SSD and to a USB using etcher. Where is Hirens Boot CD and what does EWF stand for?
Win POS? What does POS stand for? Sorry for the questions, since I don't fully get the context of the setup, it all feels completely foreign to me. I don't mind trying it out and messing with those options but I'm not familiar with either.

 

[iiamsiincere]

Did you just write the @Niko TTX2 multi to the add and you get an OS error? The multi has an OS to in the image - the issue is you are using different hardware. You can either adapt the multi to your hardware (mess with Hirens Boot CD while disabling EWF), or install Win POS and add the multi to that…
I have not succeeded on either approach personally, so following with interest…

I looked up Hiren's Boot CD/EWF to see what it is, so I have a better idea, but what I said still stands on not fully knowing how to go about it and maybe I need to see the original multi from @Niko in order to get a better idea. I got it from a discord that I'm in that deals mostly with MiSTer FPGA but has arcade enthusiasts.