Arcade Cabinet builds and MisterCades: DIY, custom made orders, conversions, etc.

[seastalker]

I'd love for this to be a hub for Arcade cabinet builds with MiSTer in mind. Primarily focused on cabinets themselves; layouts and styles, etc. Of course, configuring, 'how to also include a Rasperberry Pi in tandem' software and connector discussions might happen. For me, I mean the woodwork, lighting, marquees and ESPECIALLY controller layouts. I see many in the future building arcade cabinets.

Immediately, I'm helping a friend build an arcade cabinet- this guy can do anything in woodworking, electrical and more. We are going DIY, and this project is worth it to him for ONE arcade game already supported by MiSTer and the rest of the cores being amazing bonuses. Our discussions are American vs Japanese sticks and buttons (leaning towards the latter), and our biggest consideration is button layout and if to include things like a trackball and spinner. I know the virtue in building a cabinet for some things and not trying to make one control panel too busy to do all things.

ONLINE RESOURCES:
This is where I could use the most help - there are many places to buy custom builds or kits you assemble from pre-cut pieces. Maybe that is better for my own build, next after this project, but where are the best resources/forums for a collection of DOWNLOADABLE plans and schematics my friend and I can decide on and get cracking? I'm brand new (never) to building an arcade cab and would love some inspiration and advice for things I didn't know I should consider.

LAYOUT:
As a big fan of the Genesis and Saturn 6 button controllers, I think we can start there to ensure fighting games like SFII are covered. I like the angled Neo Geo four button layout so an extra button on the lower left can accommodate. Left and right side out of view pinball style flipper buttons wouldn't hurt. I never minded the X-arcade tankstick layout of the trackball in the middle... if not too cluttered for space left for a spinner, I think that would cover most controls. A racing wheel snap-on that fits the spinner for casual racing game play would be a bonus- otherwise racing wheels via usb is fine. The same may be true for light guns- I'd like to fit them on either side, but know nothing about true arcade light guns vs using console ones with usb adapters.

CABINET STYLE:
Though loving American arcade stand-up cabs with artwork like Space Invaders, Altered Beast, Shadow Dancer, I think the universal appeal of a candy cab style like Blast/Astro City may be better. Sitting vs standing height is debatable (there is always the option of risers like Arcade 1up. If the cab has the option to accommodate a CRT or modern flat screen, even better. TATE or standard options are also good to know.

I guess I'll add to the thread as I go.

[Hetzen]

I'll be following this with interest. I think a major part of getting these cores to feel as they were is to get the controls right.

I've been thinking about what is my ideal design, and like you mention, putting everything on one surface is too much to navigate around.

The thing with cabinets is there's a lot of empty space especially if you're using a flat screen. But having 'air' around controls is important to not feel cramped.

I wonder if the control dash could be like a cartridge type of thing, that you lock in to the cabinet furniture to play a specific core/game. Each 'dashboard' could then be stored in the enclosure itself, probably a cupboard where the coin slot/bin would be.

[grizzly]

Here are one really good site about joysticks that have many controller layouts/tons of info and is generally a good read trough everything before building a joystick.
http://www.slagcoin.com/joystick/layout.html
Used a couple of the printable layouts and playing with my hand over the paper before making the final decision and worked well, and one i did think i was going too use before that went out real quick due to not fit my hands at all.
just make sure you print out with the same DPI as the one you choose.

[seastalker]

Hetzen, I really like your concept idea of swap-able control arcade panels. The obstacle to overcome in such a scenario I foresee is the button wiring . Not saying it can't be overcome- I think the idea is sound in theory. How cool would an arcade cabinet be where one could fairly easily hot swap panels based on the game they are playing? A simple American layout with a joystick and action button or two that would work with many games, but custom panels for say 1979's Asteroids.

Until such designs are out there, I think grizzly's link is a Biblical god-send and must-read for anyone taking this road of building an arcade cabinet. I devoured all content on the page and it is a perfect example of discovering things you didn't even know to ask! Thank you grizzly so much! Some info you will find there is the exact dimensions needed to replicate the Sega Astro City/Blast City layout (and why you might want to do so), as well as info on Taito layout options as well as Hori sticks. It is also a must-read from a historical standpoint on a seldom discussed aspect of arcade history.

I open the question floor- if primarily building this as a MiSTer based cabinet and a Raspberry Pi arcade setup is an afterthought, I have a question on pinky fingers: After reading the link in full, I agree that six button layouts may be better overall than a 7 or 8 button one. I don't remember even seeing 8 button arcade games. Are they post-year 2000 titles that may be too advanced for a MiSTer FPGA implementation? Are there any current core (arcade or console) that support this? I presume they would be fighter games, but am I wrong in thinking those are more current game console outings?

[fierman]

Making cabinet plans freely available, and open sourcing schematics, layouts and drawings is something that everyone supports I think. I also love doing stuff like this completely DIY.
There are quite a few resources scattered online. https://www.classicarcadecabinets.com/ and http://www.arcadecab.com spring to mind.

[seastalker]

fierman, also great links, thanks! I went through both and I've narrowed down some options. 8 button layout is not for me- that is seemingly for much newer SF and MK games that probably won't see the light of day on MiSTer. I like the angled 6 button Japanese style with maybe an extra button on the left to make it both SFII and Neo Geo ready. Given the flexibility of the Mister's usb hub, I think a TWO player setup is more than enough. I can add gamepads or usb Hori sticks and drag bar stools to rest them on on the rare times I'd play a 4 player game.

After viewing the 'visitor cabs' section in fierman's link, one exception to a 2-player setup to consider: I ask those who already own arcade cabinets if they ever feel oddly off-center when playing solo? In other words, if you did it all over, would you go with a THREE player setup with the middle one being your go-to for Player 1?

Might be cool having an American style (and parts) two or three button Player One in the middle for classic games like Donkey Kong, Frogger, as well as 'sometimes' multi-player games like Golden Axe you mainly have fun playing solo. Have to look at the current and projected MiSTer arcade core list of titles to see if a Neo Geo 4 button layout is safer all around. This way, within MiSTer's controller assignment, you could always change to the left side controller for player one and leave room for a buddy to take the right. That can also be the default controller layout for Capcom and Neo Geo fighting games too! To me, I'm used to standing off-center in fighter games because of the expectation someone can walk up and challenge you anytime. Pac-man and the like I think might feel weird not playing from the middle. No? I'd be ok with this layout being not 'perfect' but still doable for limited runs as 1 player rounds of duo stick games like Karate Champ or if Smash TV one day joins the party.

In the last year, I found a place to play some original old school classics and have gotten the feel for spinner games. I'm unsure of where on the panel is the most intuitive placement for comfort. Has anyone considered placing it dead-center in the FRONT of the panel VERTICALLY? I don't know if that invites carpal tunnel but might be cool to snap on a wheel overlay for casual runs at racing games like Outrun. Flat on the panel or vertical might not be as good as 45 degree angle for wheels, but get the job done for casual play.

If later I got serious about racing games, a separate cabinet or panel could be made for a wheel, gear shifter, maybe room for a yoke for Spy Hunter or a stick for Space Harrier or a future Thunder Blade. That a cart before the horse though.

I'll leave everyone with a fantastic visual site for many favorite arcade cabs' shapes and sizes. It's cool to think that where the originals were built cheaply and not made to last, a DIY project has no limits to build quality (ok, well... budget aside).
http://megamancave.com/arcade-cabinets/

[seastalker]

After looking at Arcade1up risers, I had a wacky idea and wondered if others ever built this - I thought the risers could be made more efficient by visualizing a stand up arcade cabinet that separates in half. The top could be moved elsewhere as a bartop while the bottom revealed itself as a cocktail table! I don't know if the scale would require a mid-section, but if so, I can see a game controller storage 'box.'

Part of the idea stemmed from my internal debate of screen orientation - a cocktail can serve as both vertical and horizontal. If I made a standalone cabinet and could not find a way to recreate the Taito Egret screen rotation feature, I'd probably go with vertical TATE mode.

If you focused on the arcade cores alone, which screen orientation would you choose and why? [I'm having fun with this thread!]

[Shuffle7]

if i bought a arcade 1up how easy it would be put a mister in it. I suppose if you were going to do that buy a better quality cabinet? Am interested in this too

[Morfious]

I have 2 Arcade 1up cabinets that I have gutted and replaced with MiSTer. 2 joystick, 6 button fighter type cabinet with monitor in horizontal orientation. 4 way joystick, spinner, vertical monitor for the old school Ms. Pacman/Donkey Kong/Arkanoid type fun. The best is to limit the controls and play the games as intended. In my experience the huge control panels with every type of control on 1 panel are horrible to actually play. Using and iPac control interface would be a quick USB plug to swap out control panels.

There are only a few types of control layouts that you need:
8 way sticks and 6 or 8 action buttons (Console and fighting games)
4 way stick / Spinner /Trackball (Old school pacman/Donkey Kong/Arkanoid)
Twin stick layout (Total Carnage/Robotron) Can use the fighter layout if only playing one player.
Driving games (360 wheel (Super Sprint/Ivan Stewart Offroad) (270 Degree Wheel Daytona/Cruisin/Outrun)
Custom Games [Paperboy/Star Wars Arcade/Tron/Ikari Warriors/]
Light Gun Games

This would cover 99% of the games I want to play. I say pick your favorite games and see what controls they use. Build 1 or 2 machines to cover those games. If you want some extra custom one off games as well you can always add a usb cable to plug into the back/top of the cabinet and plug in the extra custom controller.

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[Shuffle7]

they look great!! Yes see what you mean about the variations to cover the type of controls. food for thought for sure, thanks for the pictures

[AmanoJacu]

Well, not exactly a a "DIY" but I adapted my vewlix (actually chewlix, chinese copy) to host de mister:



The controls are a single I-PAC that works well in both PC and mister at the same time.

[Kimberley]

Does anyone have experience with ‘dedicated’ replacement displays to use instead of a CRT? With dedicated I mean displays like the Unico (as used by Unico in the MVSX cabinet) and the Arkoon models. These have an actual mounting frame already integrated and are meant as ‘drop in’ replacements for CRTs. Unlike the Arkoon display the Unico displays even have a five pin RGB connector to directly attach a Jamma harness. But the Arkoon display has a 4:3 ratio which can be a nice touch.
Thanks for any info

[INT806]

Very interesting discussion here, Seastalker! I am so glad I found this and will certainly keep following.

I have just finished building my first Video Arcade. So I am not a complete newbie, but most certainly also not a professional. I wanted a machine with which I can play all the great arcade games which I loved when I was a kid. I did not care too much (and still don't) about old console games. In my memory, the arcade games were always the reference as they looked and sounded the best. The ports of the arcade games to my consoles (Atari 2600) or home computers (C64, Atari ST) were always a disappointment. So I thought: why worry about consoles where the same game title will only look half as good?
That was my starting point. Other than that, I knew little to nothing regarding how to do this, what parts were needed, what software was needed and how to put all of this together. I am also not a carpenter and only have standard tools at my disposal. I started watching YT videos (https://www.youtube.com/c/TheDanielSpies/featured has some interesting videos) and also visited many websites including http://www.slagcoin.com/joystick/layout.html

I agree that the PC (and all the software) and the control board are the heart of a video arcade machine. So that's where I started.

After a lot of trying, I decided for the following:
Size of the control board: 80x30cm.
Height of control board: 105cm at the front, 108cm at the back.

BTW: if you are playing solo, yes, you are pretty far on the left side. But you get used to that. I do not feel it is a big problem and I certainly do not think it is worth to build a 3-player cabinet so you can use the center joystick/button kit as player 1).

Regarding swappable control boards: an alternative might be something that I will just call a "snap-on control board".
Watch this video: https://youtube.com/shorts/lvOoyA3njp0?feature=share
See also attached photo with a "Keyboard+Mouse" snap-on board.
I am sure you can use this design also to build a "spinner" snap-on board. Or for a steering-wheel etc.

My video arcade is based on a Windows 11 PC. The three main software applications I use are LaunchBox, MAME and LEDBlinky. And then some small applications by ULTIMARC to control the buttons and joysticks (see also below).
For those who are complete newbies:
1. LaunchBox is some sort of GUI from where you manage all your games and start the game you want to play (a popular alternative would be Hyperspin, but I am not a big fan).
2. MAME is the emulator that actually runs the Arcade games.
3. LEDBlinky is the application with which you control the illumination of the buttons (and trackball) and also if a game uses a 4-way joystick or an 8-way joystick.
I bought all the buttons, two "ServoStik" joysticks and the trackball from https://www.ultimarc.com/
I also bought an I-PAC Ultimate I/O interface board from them which basically turns all the button/joystick movements into keystrokes which MAME can understand.
The ServoStik joysticks have a servo built in and can electrically be switched between 4-way (e.g. for Pac Man, Donkey Kong) and 8-way (e.g. for fighting games).
Ultimarc also provides the above mentioned apps with which you manage e.g. the keystrokes (=which keystroke is sent to the PC/to MAME if you press e.g. button 1 on your control board. Or which key is sent if you push the joystick up etc.) and to switch the ServoStiks from 4-way to 8-way and back.
I designed the control board and the cabinet in a 3D software (SketchUp) and then built the wooden parts accordingly. See attached photos.
I started with the software and the control board. Afterwards I built the cabinet. At the end followed the side art and the marquee.
If anyone finds this interesting/helpful and would like to have access to my design files (free of charge, of course. I am not here to make money) or has questions, please feel free to contact me. I am not a professional (this is my first video arcade), but I will be happy to share what I do know.
I do apologize for my English. As you can probably tell, I am not a native English speaker.

My next project is to build another video arcade, but this time I want a MISTer at the core instead of a Windows 11 PC with MAME (and LaunchBox and LEDBlinky).
If anyone in this group can make a recommendation regarding which MISTer system/kit I should use (and which add-on boards, cables etc.), that would be really helpful. I think the MISTercade kit might be a good idea as they also have a MISTercade control breakout board and MISTercade remote board which might be useful...?). https://misteraddons.com/collections/ar ... mistercade

Alternatively I think I could also go with Ultimarc again and use one of their interface boards again (I-PAC2 seems like the right choice, not entirely sure though. But I do not think I can have illuminated buttons, which is a bummer. They just look so cool.) and their buttons and joysticks. I am not sure if/how I can use their ServoStiks again with the MISTer. Can anyone help me with this? Maybe this time a different joystick. Maybe their Mag-Stik (Plus?)? This time I also want to integrate a spinner. And light guns would be nice. And the trackball. If anyone here in this group can provide some guidance/recommendations/tips, that would be awesome. I think MORFIOUS might be the right person to talk to.

[RascalUK]

This looks really cool pal. I built a couple of Mame
Barton’s a few years back before getting into restoring original cabs and had a lot of fun with LEDBlinky.

Mine ran on Hyperspin as it was pre Launchbox which is now much better. Also dabbled with Attract Mode briefly. I too wanna do a MiSTer can but wanna do it it TATE / vertical but would mean also splurging out on another DE 10. Great work once again.

[RascalUK]

What’s the control panel made of by the way and did you get it manufactured for you?

[INT806]

Thank you!
The Control Board is made of plywood. The cabinet is made of MDF.
I built the control board by myself.
I only had the side art printed for me by a shop.

[INT806]

I know very little about MISTer. I have only watched a bunch of videos on YT. I am now waiting for MISTer kits to become available again so I can buy my first MISTer kit.

With this I want to build a video arcade machine with the MISTer at the core instead of a Windows 11 PC with MAME (and LaunchBox and LEDBlinky).

If anyone in this group can make a recommendation regarding which MISTer system/kit I should use (and which add-on boards, cables etc.), that would be really helpful. I think the MISTercade kit might be a good idea as they also have a MISTercade control breakout board and MISTercade remote board which might be useful...?).
https://misteraddons.com/collections/ar ... 6777267333

Alternatively I think I could also go with a normal MISTer kit and use an Ultimarc interface board (the I-PAC2 seems like the right choice, not entirely sure though. But I do not think I can have illuminated buttons, which is a bummer. They just look so cool.) and Ultimarc buttons and joysticks. I am not sure if/how I can use their ServoStiks with the MISTer. Does anyone have experience with these joysticks on the MISTer? Maybe the Ultimarc Mag-Stik Plus is a better choice, as I can switch between 4-way and 8-way manually and do not need to control the servos. I also would like to integrate a spinner. And light guns would be nice. And a trackball. If anyone here in this group can provide some guidance/recommendations/tips, which components to use with which MISTer kit, that would be super helpful. Thank you!

[Kimberley]

I know very little about MISTer. I have only watched a bunch of videos on YT. I am now waiting for MISTer kits to become available again so I can buy my first MISTer kit.

With this I want to build a video arcade machine with the MISTer at the core instead of a Windows 11 PC with MAME (and LaunchBox and LEDBlinky).

If anyone in this group can make a recommendation regarding which MISTer system/kit I should use (and which add-on boards, cables etc.), that would be really helpful. I think the MISTercade kit might be a good idea as they also have a MISTercade control breakout board and MISTercade remote board which might be useful...?).
https://misteraddons.com/collections/ar ... 6777267333

Alternatively I think I could also go with a normal MISTer kit and use an Ultimarc interface board (the I-PAC2 seems like the right choice, not entirely sure though. But I do not think I can have illuminated buttons, which is a bummer. They just look so cool.) and Ultimarc buttons and joysticks. I am not sure if/how I can use their ServoStiks with the MISTer. Does anyone have experience with these joysticks on the MISTer? Maybe the Ultimarc Mag-Stik Plus is a better choice, as I can switch between 4-way and 8-way manually and do not need to control the servos. I also would like to integrate a spinner. And light guns would be nice. And a trackball. If anyone here in this group can provide some guidance/recommendations/tips, which components to use with which MISTer kit, that would be super helpful. Thank you!

Hi, just sharing my thoughts and limited knowledge and perhaps it might give you a solution or new direction. Here comes a lengthy post of which I hope some people might reach the end

I want to do a similar thing and I have bought a MISTerCade with both the control breakout board and the v1 remote board. One thing I have no experience with and knowledge of are your comments about Ultimarc parts and/or an I-PAC2. I'm planning on using 'regular' parts from brands like Sanwa, Seimitsu, maybe Crown etc and interfacing them to the MISTerCade while 'simultaneously' wiring them towards a RetroPi for a dual setup inside a diy cab (and hopefully if you reach the end of this long post there is some info about that).

I'm not planning on using a spinner, but I've seen quite a few posts by people having or desiring one and as far as I know MISTer now has built-in support for hardware like spinners. Trackballs (their output is basically identical to mouse output right?) have been supported for quite a while, but due to not requiring both spinner and trackball I have no knowledge whether or not all these 'hardware inputs' can be used simultaneously without the need for additional hardware boards (like an I-PAC??) etc. I do have to say that I've seen multiple trackball options/solutions that are simply USB based, so as long as you have enough USB ports that should be ok when it comes to simply hooking them up to the MISTerCade. Don't forget to get a proper power supply for all that is permanently connected (Input devices/WiFi/Bluetooth) and might get connected (Controllers).

Light guns are a different matter though. If you choose a MISTerCade, there is now a v2 for the Remote board which has two SNAX ports (which supports 2P PSX, NES, and SNES) instead of a single SNAC port (single player which does not support PSX) on the v1 Remote board and it now also has a 'Composite sync port for GunCon' which is completely absent from the v1 board. This Remote board was born for use with light guns! Check its section in the MISTerCade manual though

One last thing to add concerning the MISTerCade amp and the v1 Remote board: The MISTerCade has a built-in amp which is quite nice for connecting the cab's speakers. As the main use situation for a cab is often using its speakers, no issue there whatsoever, it's a sufficient amp. But some cabinets did have connectors for headphones and in modern times a headphone could also be useful in some scenarios. Apparently, the mini-jack output on the v1 Remote board uses/expects 4 ohm for impedance/resistance. I say 'apparently' due to being told during email based customer support. That is fine for speakers and what is used for the MISTerCade's RCA L/R output. But for headphones....no...just no...
If you ever plan on using the mini-jack output on the v1 Remote board to plug in headphones for whatever reason....don't do it or be prepared to get a lower than expected level and 'lifeless' output from the headphones, aside from the noise floor. The entire additional headphone output circuit is apparently very tricky to balance out with the RCA output.

My main issue is that MISTer often benefits from more than 6 buttons for more modern cores. Easily solved by connecting the desired controller. But...I want to build an arcade cab myself, mainly MISTer based. I want to mainly use the Arcade cores which on average just require 6 buttons max, but some console cores would benefit from having 8 buttons instead of pressing a combo of buttons. And unlike you who I think posted that already has built a diy Windows based MAME cab, I want to build a hybrid cab for mainly a MISTerCade and secondary a RetroPi. The RetroPi setup would really benefit from having a 8-button/player setup. Over the years before discovering MISTer I have already bought two USB breakout board sets for the RetroPi (two sets using a different way of connecting the buttons etc). But in my hybrid cab the same buttons need to be used with the MISTerCade as well and simply double wiring them seems to be a no-no for whatever reason I haven't found an explanation for. Recently I bumped into things like JAMMA switchers which should solve most of my issues, but that would require the purchase of a JAMMA interfacing board for the RetroPi of which the better ones have the plague of being 'out of stock'. And the combination of the JAMMA switcher with the JAMMA Raspberry Pi board is quite pricey and I won't be using the JAMMA Video output for this solution (I'll both use the DE-10nano and Raspberry Pi HDMI outputs). It's just a pricey way to switch between the two systems and to avoid any issues with double wired buttons etc as far as I've been able to understand thus far. So I'm still looking into how to get that setup as desired. Perhaps you have any thoughts on this?

[Richardb]

I’ve just kindled a retro bug, and a MiSTerCade is definitely on my TODO list. So thank you to everyone for contributing here.

These are some thoughts I’ve had. As a newb, I’d appreciate feedback.

@seastalker, I think swappable panels are a must. There’s lots of physical connector options available to route the signals… ironically old console cartridges were designed for frequent insertions and removals So a card edge connector could be both cheap and reliable.

@Hetzen, I thought it might be useful to integrate RFID/NFC tags onto the controller panel through to MiSTer GPIO pins so that the appropriate controller mappings could be made and a default core loaded automatically. Put on the control board and whichever game is your favourite for that layout gets loaded.

Under the panel I would have a draw to access other panels and any console controllers etc.

Some other things I’m considering:

— I want to turn the rear of the cabinet into a distributed mode loudspeaker. (See https://youtu.be/jjZHFIdfUFk). My intention is actually not for the current game audio, but for ambient audio… The sounds of an arcade just add to the experience of getting lost in the game you’re currently playing. Very cheap to do with Dayton’s drivers.

— As it happens, I would probably look to make the rear out of something other than MDF to save on overall weight. But it’s critical not to lose rigidity for the control surface, so the appropriate damping there and rigidity through to the floor will need careful attention. I’m considering honeycomb structures for some parts for maximum stiffness at minimum weight.

— Also on the back, I’d add some dynamic LEDs, picking up from the HDMI video signal. (See https://ambivision.tv for an example, cheap open source options exist.) Again, I think this heightens the immersion, and I want to get lost in these games

— One reason to reduce weight is to use a “sleeved” design so that the height of the unit can be raised / lowered. I want kids and adults to enjoy, from 3-feet-something up to over-6-foot. I don’t want to place a standing stool; when kids get excited they’re all over and could injure themselves. I was looking into what the sitting/standing desks offer for a motorised solution.

The inner sleeve and outer sleeve can be decorated cleverly so that it looks good across the range of adjustable heights.

— I care a lot about the game audio quality. Too many cabinets sound muddy. I would prefer to take full control by running the digital audio through a DSP and crossover to some guttural bass. I’ve had no luck finding good, cheap DSP solutions currently available, with the global chip shortage. FreeDSP has the right idea.

— For overboard, one could also put bass shakers on the unit to feel the thumps through the control surfaces.

— I want to have a coin slot. It changes the way kids engage with it… they trade tokens and really think about what they want to play.

— What I can’t wrap my head around: What about the monitor? For some you want tall, others wide. It’s a shame to have “black bars”. Physical bars might make it a bit more immersive, but would be mechanically very fiddly. Rotate the screen, with different shrouds?

I think CRT is aesthetically far superior to LCD. I’m probably going to go OLED to at least get the superior black levels.

[Hetzen]

@seastalker, I think swappable panels are a must. There’s lots of physical connector options available to route the signals… ironically old console cartridges were designed for frequent insertions and removals So a card edge connector could be both cheap and reliable.

@Hetzen, I thought it might be useful to integrate RFID/NFC tags onto the controller panel through to MiSTer GPIO pins so that the appropriate controller mappings could be made and a default core loaded automatically. Put on the control board and whichever game is your favourite for that layout gets loaded.

Under the panel I would have a draw to access other panels and any console controllers etc.

I think it will get very expensive, very quickly having a surface per game. It got me thinking how a modular control surface could work.

Some ideas have been along the lines of 16 cm square tiles you combine in a 64x16 cm tray, that then gets tightened up.

Each block would hold a group of controls like; a joystick, 3 buttons, 6 buttons, a spinner, a trackball, 2 way joystick you can rotate the tile 90 degrees to change the axis direction (could also put two buttons on this one to double up as left/right movement, or reverse in Defender when rotated). The top of the tray would hold all the common buttons like 1/2P, Coin, Start, etc including the interface.

The idea is to use ribbon cable to attach each of the blocks, to 1 of 4 ribbon connectors at the rear of the tray as you place the control tiles in. 32 wire ribbon cable should hold enough lanes of controller traffic for one player, and as it's one connector per block, wiring should be simple and harder wearing to movement than an edge connector.

So with that you can pretty much make up any control surface you want.

I'd be interested in others thoughts.

[Richardb]

Very expensive: Indeed. I was thinking maybe 3 different layouts, certainly not one per game. Such as 4 directional, 8 directional, and driving wheel. Modular is a very interesting challenge. The nice thing about your suggestion is also the adaptability between 1/2 player (or more) so that e.g. a single player isn’t standing off-center. Nice.

Ribbon: In my experience they’re finicky and easier to break. Something wireless of course would be perfect, but the lag would a killer I wonder if there’s any inductive signals solutions?

[Richardb]

Yeah, inductive is a thing: https://www.balluff.com/en-dk/products/ ... perPage=10. A measly $1400 per pair. Yeah, that might meet the definition of “over-engineered”

[Richardb]

Tiled boards with edge connectors would probably struggle to sit flush / line up against each other. Also, if you want to be able to change spacing for comfort, you’d definitely want the ribbon solution.

Just spitballing here: If all of the controls are “discrete”, simple IR comms would work. But not so simple for trackballs or steering wheels etc. But maybe good enough for some layout variation where “analogue” controls are not required. Unless someone wants to go down the line of ADC/DAC.

Another left-field would be to inductively power the control surface (that’s cheap to do) and only take out the “keyboard” signals over USB. That’s a cheap cable to replace after plugging in/out lots of times. Is this generally how it’s done, with low latency? : https://mister-devel.github.io/MkDocs_M ... y2parcade/

It may be a good idea if we draw up the “90% of requirements” different layouts. That might suggest some more solutions. For example, given hand positioning, “rhomboid” tiles might work too. It would also identify the need for analogue devices.

I’d also be interested in the target interface on the MiSTer? Is it USB? Or GPIO? Would it be identical to the RPi/Mame if people don’t want to spend on the MiSTer?

[Hetzen]

Ribbon: In my experience they’re finicky and easier to break. Something wireless of course would be perfect, but the lag would a killer I wonder if there’s any inductive signals solutions?

There maybe a better solution out there. As long as the blocks are secure, transfer of player kinetics should be minimal. Ribbon cable is fairly cheap and easy to make short bridging sections. The only real strain I can see, is connecting and un-connecting a block layout.

[Hetzen]

I’d also be interested in the target interface on the MiSTer? Is it USB? Or GPIO? Would it be identical to the RPi/Mame if people don’t want to spend on the MiSTer?

There's a few arcade to USB interfaces out there with different latency timings and inputs. Most have similar requirements for input voltages, so it should be possible to knock up some daughter boards that make connecting each to this structure easy.

[erzak]

I am just starting to learn about MiSTer and my first thought was if I could easily replace the Windows PC in the MAME cabinet that I built years ago. I used the basic design from ArcadeCab, modified for my screen size and such. I'm using mostly Ultimarc components, including an I-PAC2, and it sounds like there are no issues with using those with MiSTer. My main reason for thinking about getting away from Windows is just that Windows has so much overhead and every few months, something needs to be updated or gets glitchy. I am torn, however, since it seems that the GUI/menu for MiSTer is just the simple text listing, and I do like having a frontend with game art, etc. I'm using AttractMode on my cabinet now, though the attached picture was taken when it was using FEEL. Am I correct in the assumption that there are no other interfaces/menus for MiSTer?

IMG_20171108_180309272_HDR.jpg

[Xbytez]

Am I correct in the assumption that there are no other interfaces/menus for MiSTer?

Yes, you are correct.

[Tofana10am]

Hi all,

I’m about ready to invest in a JAMMA solution to install MiSTer into a custom built MAME cabinet. I would like the ability to dual use the cabinet for both MAME (connected via PC/iPAC4) and MiSTer (connected via JAMMA harness) with minimal rewiring. I found a .187” spade terminal “splitter” which has 1 female and 2 male connections that should be able to be used to connect the controls (1&2 player joysticks and buttons) to both the JAMMA harness and iPAC4 at the same time. Obviously only one system would be powered on at any given time.

(https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00NV8RR ... O49U&psc=1)

I plan on using a KVM switch to toggle my trackball, keyboard, and arcade monitor between MiSTer and MAME.

One possible thought would be to make use of both the “normally open” and “normally closed” leads in the micro switches. Currently, I have the panel controls connected to the iPAC4 using the “Normally Open” microswitch leads. The cherry micro switches I am using also have a “normally closed” lead, which I would love to use to wire up a JAMMA harness to allow both the iPAC and JAMMA to be connected at the same time.

Does anyone know if there are any logic settings internal to the MiSTer, MiSTerCade, ir JAMMIX which could be used to invert the signal coming from the buttons/joysticks so that I can use the normally closed leads (basically a NOT function taking logical high to logical low)? Such a function would certainly allow me to reduce the number of components i’d need for this setup.

Thanks!

[Tofana10am]

Here’s my build and final result from 2006. MiSTer is just so good now it’s warranting further investment in this cabinet. Believe it or not, that little guy in the picture is now a college graduate!

[Tofana10am]

Here are the plans in case anyone is interested in the design…