MAME cabinets on the cheap

[channelmaniac]

OK!

Let's play a bit with this topic. There are plenty of ways to use a computer in a game cabinet to create a MAME console, the trick is to do it in such a way that it doesn't look like a$$. It'll get you laughed off of plenty of forums. 

Post up your favorite cheap way to get a computer to run MAME in a cabinet.

RJ

[channelmaniac]

Subject: Wiring a control panel

OK! Every MAME cabinet needs a control panel, but do you really need to spend a lot of money on a fancy adapter? No! Use a keyboard controller circuit board for cheap ways to hook it up.

BEWARE: Arcade control panels are wired with a common ground. In other words, one ground and 4 direction wires make up the 5 wires needed to connect the joystick to the game board. On PC keyboards, the keys are wired in a matrix. If you connect all the grounds together you'll end up with something not working, reporting the wrong keypress, or simply damaging the controller.

The nice part is that most keyboards are made on the cheap - mylar film in sanwiched layers. Carefully disassemble the keyboard. Unplug the mylar film part from the circuit board. Remove the cable and circuit board and set it to the side.

Now, mark the mylar film with a fine point Sharpie marker to show the positions of the keys then carefully unfold it. Follow the traces back from the key to the edge connector where it hooks to the controller board. Write down the pin numbers needed to make that keypress happen. Those pins on the controller board then need to connect to the switch for that function.

Keep doing this for the Up, Down, Left, Right, Coin 1, Coin 2, Player 1 Start, Player 2 Start, and as many buttons as you need. Once you have them mapped out it's a matter of soldering the wires to the board and connecting it to the joysticks and buttons. Plug it into the computer and turn it on. Pull up a command prompt (Windows) or shell (Linux) then try the different buttons & stick movements to make sure the right keys are showing on the screen.

Congrats! You just wired up your control panel - and did it on the cheap!

[channelmaniac]

Subject: Audio Amplifiers

Some sound cards have built in amplifier chips that are capable of driving a set of speakers inside the arcade cabinet, but others don't. What do you do if yours doesnt? Easy, destroy a set of cheap computer speakers to swipe the amplifier board!

Arcade cabinets sound MUCH MUCH MUCH (Did I say MUCH?) better with the big arcade speakers than with a cheesy set of dinky computer speakers, but sometimes you need an amplifier to boost the sound card's output. Check your local thrift store or flea market for a set of speakers that run off of 5 to 6 OR 12-15 volts. If the amplifier runs off of 5 to 6 volts then use the 5v line to power them. If they run from 12 to 15 volts then use the computers' 12v power line.

The idea is to tear the speakers apart, take out the audio amplifier board, power it from the computer's power supply, and use it to boost the audio levels.

A safe way to get the power out of the comptuer is to take a coaxial power jack (a.k.a. Barrel Jack) and install it on a blank slot cover. Wire it up to the 5 or 12v lines as needed. Make a simple cable to plug the amplifier board into that power jack then wire up the speakers to the amplifier's output. Plug the input cable from the amplifier into the sound card on the computer and play away!

[Joeylc]

Channelmaniac What kind if setup is this ?? I want one !!! 
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/sS7cL3RtJ4I&rel=0" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/sS7cL3RtJ4I&rel=0</a>

[channelmaniac]

There are a lot of graphical menus to choose from - it all depends on the OS the computer is running. They make frontends for DOS, Windows 9x, 2k/XP/Vista, and various flavors of Linux.

As for the lighted buttons, I don't know a way to do that cheap.