Arcade Cabinet dual wired for MiSTercade and I-PAC2

[john-woods]

Hello everyone,

I've happily been using my MiSTer for a couple of years and absolutely love it. I recently purchased a MiSTercade and I'm in the middle of planning my first arcade cabinet build. Due to limited space I can only fit one cabinet in the games room, and I'm trying to make it universal to be able to have both the MiSTercade and potentially a PC in there (to run modern systems that will sadly never make it to MiSter...)

In terms of wiring up the arcade sticks and P1/P2 buttons B1-6 this all seems simple enough but I would be grateful if anyone can see a neater or better way to do it than my 2 ideas:

1. Connect MiSTercade via JAMMA for P1/P2 B1-3 and use a CPS1 kick harness for P1/P2 B4-6
2. Connect all MiSTercade controls via MiSTercade Control Breakout Board screw terminals (only power on JAMMA)

Does anybody have any experience in dual wiring arcade buttons so they would send a signal to both the MiSTercade (as wired above) and the appropriate terminal on an I-PAC? Is there a risk to this for purely the button signals?

The next challenge I have is that I would like a spinner and trackball plus some external USB sockets on the cabinet for plugging in a keyboard and any additional controllers required for either system. I was leaning towards the Ultimarc SpinTrak and U-Trac to serve this purpose, connected via USB. In total I have 7 USB devices that I would like to be able to switch between the MiSTercade and PC. I was looking at USB KVM switches to be able to do this. I couldn't find anything with more than 4 ports, so I thought to use two of these to give 8 USB 3.0 ports accessible for both MiSTercade and PC (and using the IR extenders so they can be switched without opening the cab). Does that seem feasible?

Sorry for the long post but I've been thinking over this for a good while now and not come to any concrete solutions to try to make a dual system cabinet that can swith relatively easily. I would really appreciate any guidance or tips from anyone that has done anything similar in an arcade cabinet. I've attached a rough wiring layout if it makes my question any clearer.

Thanks,
John

[john-woods]

I did further research to come up with a neater/safer solution in case it's of use to anyone else. I decided to connect the PC via a J-PAC-C which has buttons 1-6 for both players 1 and 2 connected to the JAMMA edge. The MiSTercade would have the CHAMMA DIP switch in the 'right' position to also connect buttons 1-6 for both players on the JAMMA edge. I will then use a RiddledTV 2-way JAMMA switcher to swap between my J-PAC-C PC and MiSTercade. It may be overkill but it keeps everything safely separated and can be switched with a convenient method (button combination or dedicated button).

For the U-Trak and SpinTrak I will just have to give them a go and see if they work okay through the KVM but I don't foresee it should be any issue.

[zorrobandito]

So, you're KVM will also switch the spinner and trackball to the MISTerCade? Let me know if this works...

Out of interest, do you have your spinner and trackball mounted on your panel? I've wanted a spinner for ages but don't want to mess with my panel.

[john-woods]

That's the plan, to switch the USB Spinner/Trackball via the KVM. It may be wishful thinking on my end but I'll post a reply back here if it works or not. My build is a few months away as I'm in the middle of moving house at the minute but I plan to have 2 players with 6 buttons each plus the Spinner/Trackball all mounted in the panel.

I often thinking of having dual sticks (for Smash TV) but that may be just overcomplicating things.

[Kimberley]

Hi, I’m working on something similar but with a slightly different approach. I wanted to start a thread here, but I found yours and wanted to ask you some questions before I start a new thread. I too want a dual setup, for both a MisterCade and (most likely for now) a RPi.
One of the things I was thinking about and which you have asked about in this thread is about the double wiring of buttons. Have you perhaps found an answer yet to double wiring them directly? I see you also posted a solution for separating them using a Jamma switcher?
What will you use for powering everything? Might I ask what your PSU of choice is for supplying 12v etc to the MisterCade? Did you choose a PSU that is ‘optimised for arcade’? I want to be able to replace the MisterCade with an actual arcade PCB if I ever want to do so. I’ve seen some PSU’s that are used for arcade cabinets and I noticed some have multiple power outputs including 5V and the correct/enough amperage/A to connect a RPi as well (even though I could plug the RPi into a power strip as is shown in your design).
What will be your display of choice? How will you switch between the display’s inputs? Are you using an extended IR input for that as well? Or perhaps some input merger? Thanks for any answers

[AmanoJacu]

I have a vewlix cab with an HDMI monitor and mini-pac for controls. With a HDMI/USB switcher, I have connected at the same time both a mister and a PC with no problem. The mini-PAC can be connected at the same time to both the PC and the mister.

I just followed the instructions here:

viewtopic.php?t=448

[john-woods]

Hi Kimberley,

I don't frequent these forums very often, hence the late reply! Did you ever get anywhere with your build? Mine is still in the design stage (due to moving house and etc.) but I should start putting things together finally this Spring.

• Dual Wiring Buttons - Basically this is not a good idea to just directly wire two inputs to a button. So I am planning to use the RiddledTV 2-way JAMMA switcher. It will have a dedicated button on the cabinet control panel to switch between JAMMA inputs. The MiSTercade will be directly on the JAMMA and the PC via J-PAC-C. My only concern here is that the power supply will have 12V connected through to J-PAC-C pins which don't go anywhere.

• Power Supply - I am planning to use the Mean Well RT-125A to power the MiSTercade. As I'm in the UK I would get this from Arcade World UK so it is listed there as suitable for arcades. As well as it being compatible with any arcade board I picked this particular model as it has a high current rating on the 12V rail. I'm planning to put power sockets for light gun recoil that use 12V and they can pull more current. The MiSTercade should need <1A on the 12V rail.

• Display - I went for a Gigabyte M32Q as it is 1440p, VRR and has a KVM switch. So I'm hoping the VRR works well with the odd cores that are not exactly at 60Hz. The 1440p is good for scaling 5x and 6x of retro games, Bob from Retro RGB has a good summary of this worth a look (along with all of his content basically). It is switched remotely using a SwitchBot, this is maybe a little over the top but it seems to work well and I can switch both the video input along with the USB/KVM at the same time so it's quite useful.

I should probably put together some more detail and photos once it's started so I'll try and document it.

Good luck with your build.

Thanks,
John

Hi, I’m working on something similar but with a slightly different approach. I wanted to start a thread here, but I found yours and wanted to ask you some questions before I start a new thread. I too want a dual setup, for both a MisterCade and (most likely for now) a RPi.
One of the things I was thinking about and which you have asked about in this thread is about the double wiring of buttons. Have you perhaps found an answer yet to double wiring them directly? I see you also posted a solution for separating them using a Jamma switcher?
What will you use for powering everything? Might I ask what your PSU of choice is for supplying 12v etc to the MisterCade? Did you choose a PSU that is ‘optimised for arcade’? I want to be able to replace the MisterCade with an actual arcade PCB if I ever want to do so. I’ve seen some PSU’s that are used for arcade cabinets and I noticed some have multiple power outputs including 5V and the correct/enough amperage/A to connect a RPi as well (even though I could plug the RPi into a power strip as is shown in your design).
What will be your display of choice? How will you switch between the display’s inputs? Are you using an extended IR input for that as well? Or perhaps some input merger? Thanks for any answers

[Kimberley]

Hi Kimberley,

I don't frequent these forums very often, hence the late reply! Did you ever get anywhere with your build? Mine is still in the design stage (due to moving house and etc.) but I should start putting things together finally this Spring.

• Dual Wiring Buttons - Basically this is not a good idea to just directly wire two inputs to a button. So I am planning to use the RiddledTV 2-way JAMMA switcher. It will have a dedicated button on the cabinet control panel to switch between JAMMA inputs. The MiSTercade will be directly on the JAMMA and the PC via J-PAC-C. My only concern here is that the power supply will have 12V connected through to J-PAC-C pins which don't go anywhere.

• Power Supply - I am planning to use the Mean Well RT-125A to power the MiSTercade. As I'm in the UK I would get this from Arcade World UK so it is listed there as suitable for arcades. As well as it being compatible with any arcade board I picked this particular model as it has a high current rating on the 12V rail. I'm planning to put power sockets for light gun recoil that use 12V and they can pull more current. The MiSTercade should need <1A on the 12V rail.

• Display - I went for a Gigabyte M32Q as it is 1440p, VRR and has a KVM switch. So I'm hoping the VRR works well with the odd cores that are not exactly at 60Hz. The 1440p is good for scaling 5x and 6x of retro games, Bob from Retro RGB has a good summary of this worth a look (along with all of his content basically). It is switched remotely using a SwitchBot, this is maybe a little over the top but it seems to work well and I can switch both the video input along with the USB/KVM at the same time so it's quite useful.

I should probably put together some more detail and photos once it's started so I'll try and document it.

Good luck with your build.

Thanks,
John

Hi, I’m working on something similar but with a slightly different approach. I wanted to start a thread here, but I found yours and wanted to ask you some questions before I start a new thread. I too want a dual setup, for both a MisterCade and (most likely for now) a RPi.
One of the things I was thinking about and which you have asked about in this thread is about the double wiring of buttons. Have you perhaps found an answer yet to double wiring them directly? I see you also posted a solution for separating them using a Jamma switcher?
What will you use for powering everything? Might I ask what your PSU of choice is for supplying 12v etc to the MisterCade? Did you choose a PSU that is ‘optimised for arcade’? I want to be able to replace the MisterCade with an actual arcade PCB if I ever want to do so. I’ve seen some PSU’s that are used for arcade cabinets and I noticed some have multiple power outputs including 5V and the correct/enough amperage/A to connect a RPi as well (even though I could plug the RPi into a power strip as is shown in your design).
What will be your display of choice? How will you switch between the display’s inputs? Are you using an extended IR input for that as well? Or perhaps some input merger? Thanks for any answers

Hi John,
Same goes for me with regards to how often I visit forums like these, all good
Here comes a lengthy reply, just for details and perhaps it might inspire someone

I still have a few hurdles/decisions to take:
I have most if not all parts to get my arcade cabinet up and running. The main issue I'm still running into is that nowadays I don't have easy access anymore to a spot to saw/cut the 2 main big wooden side panels. All other wood can be cut at the store, as long as it doesn't require angles other than 90 degrees they can saw it to any desired specs. But the two side panels have 'weird' angles due to my design having a minimalistic 'volume' approach, looking from the side it resembles more of a Z instead of the traditional bulky 'rectangular' shape. I hope I get across what I mean.

But for the easiest to obtain 'no weird angles needed' wood I have an issue deciding the width due to the following:

• Display: I have two options. I bought an Arcooda 20.1" 4:3 display (effectively 17" 4:3 for the view of the game), the one that gave such low latency results in Bob/RetroRGB's test. This is the display that was actually bought/meant for this build. I also have an SNK MVSX Cabinet and its display has about the same dimensions as the Arcooda display so I'm familiar with the size and fine with it. But on second thoughts I'm considering using a Philips 32" widescreen display. I got it 'for free' with some subscription and it's basically catching dust, so using it for this project means nothing is lost. The reason I'm considering this 32" display is due to my cabinet having the dual computer idea. It will mainly be used for my MisterCade for which the 17" 4:3 ratio is very nice, but will also have the option of a second system which for now will be a Raspberry/RetroPie setup. The Retropie has a few emulators which benefit from widescreen display options.
• The main problem with the 32" Philips display: I have no idea of its latency. I want to buy a Time Sleuth now that it's possible again to order one, but it will cost me about the double amount when it comes to shipment and import/VAT costs to Europe, so I'm very hesitant to order one but it will be out-of-stock in no time I guess.

But due to the nature of how I switch the video output between the two computers towards the display, I get extra options for additional computers/consoles and most of these benefit from wide screen displays as well (things like a Nintendo Switch or Sony PS Classic). Taking things to the extreme: think about any computer/console that can output to VGA or HDMI, even if it means using a scaler in-between like a RetroTink or OSSC. The Arcooda display has 1x VGA and 1x HDMI input and the Philips display has 2x HDMI input.

• Display input switcher: Here I again bought something I picked up from a review by Bob/RetroRGB of a bunch of HMDI switch/matrix boxes. I bought a HDMI 4:2 matrix switch by Ezcoo, an EZ-MX42HS. It has the option of switching the four inputs (and more options) of the matrix to the display using multiple ways: the buttons on the front of the box, IR on the front panel or an IR reciever extension cable using the supplied remote and via RS232. Likely I will switch it using the front panel buttons on the box, due to me having to switch other things as well (inside/outside the cabinet in order to switch in-between the two (or more) computers/consoles). The second HDMI output, which will be setup as a duplicate of the first output, will be extended to either the front or back panel of the cabinet, just like one of the four HDMI inputs. This way I can easily capture the output and I can connect any machine to the display simply because I have two of the four HDMI inputs still freely available to use for whatever reason.

• Marque/Marquee: I'm still pondering whether or not I want a marquee that is static with some cool light-up art work or an actual display that is changing depending on the loaded game. Unlike the first that would basically require only LED lighting to light up a cool shine-through artwork by my own design/choice, the latter would require the purchase of a specific type of display which is basically the only thing besides wood which I don't own yet for this diy build. I also haven't checked yet how and if this even works with Retropie, but even in MISTer it takes a bit of additional setup steps and together with the purchase of the display it makes me hesitant to invest in such a fancy marquee. But still, it looks real nice if it switches to the marquee of the correct game, even if it is just the box art of the game, right?

• Powers supply: I bought something 'fairly cheap' which for now gets the job done. It is an arcade compatible power supply which I have already tested successfully with my MisterCade. One thing missing is a second terminal for an additional 5V device like the Retropie, but that is resolved by using a power distribution block or whatever the name is. I will need one of those anyway because the display has its own power brick. Likely any computer/console that I will use for this cabinet will have its own power on/off switch. Because even though a central power switch is handy, if one of the two (up to four) systems doesn't get regular use then I see no reason to have its adapter powered on/in standby.

• Dual wiring of the controls: As there doesn't seem to be a way of properly isolating and switching (2x) a set of controls (one stick and at least 8 buttons) between two computers/consoles I will be using them dedicated for the time being... So I am thinking I will use the stick and buttons only for the MisterCade...for now. Due to simply having one I am likely to use a MisterCade Breakout board for connecting the sticks and buttons, but for compatibility (if I ever get my hands on an actual arcade pcb) I might consider to wire everything to the JAMMA harness. The second computer/console will use a set of dedicated USB ports that will be mounted in the 'coin door' area of the cabinet. I was planning on having two USB ports for the MisterCade as well as two USB ports for the Retropie in that area. This will allow me to connect all kinds of controllers to both the MisterCade (via SNAC also) and the Retropie. Your option of getting a JAMMA switcher seems a good one, but for me it just drives up the price because I would need an JAMMA interface for the Raspberry Pi as well and a dependable Pi JAMMA interface is quite pricey if they are even in stock.

• External control: As I previously mentioned I am planning on having two USB ports for the MisterCade and two USB ports for the Retropie on the front of the cabinet in the lower area where the coin door would be. The USB ports for the MisterCade can have SNAC compatibility when desired. This area will also be a spot for the Remote v2, which is a remotely connected box add-on for MisterCade. It has two SNAC (PSX compatible) ports, GunCon support (via Composite/RCA), six MISTer specific buttons: P1/P2 Coin, Pause, Menu, Core/System Reset, a (crappy sounding) mini-jack headphone out (which auto mutes the sound to the MisterCade's speaker outputs when something is plugged in) and a big dial for the volume control of the built-in amp in the MisterCade which is connected to the cabinet's speakers. The only downside to this setup is that I can't use the big volume dial on the Remote v2 to also change the volume of the second computer, in this case the Retropie. The volume of any other computer/console than the Mistercade will need to be set inside that particular system, for now...because I haven't seen a low cost multi input amp for this purpose thus far.

• Lightguns: I bought two lightguns that I intend to use with this cabinet. I bought two Sinden Lightguns, one regular and one with a recoil mechanism. In hindsight it would have been better to have bought both with recoil mechanisms though. They have a D-pad, but those are just awful... but get the job done. Due to my choice of brand I will for now only use them with the second computer, the Retropie. This is solely due to MISTer currently having no proper support for my Sinden lightguns. These lightguns don't need/use one or two receivers near the display in order to function. Instead, they have camera's built-in at the top of the gun which search for a (white) border which is surrounding the game-display. In Retropie/RetroArch this is easily done by providing a certain display overlay and it works very nicely, but in MISTer this is not easily achieved and finding space in the FPGA to have this display option by default in the build is also a different discussion.

• Other controls: What do I need on the main control surface other than the sticks and buttons? Some games in MISTer benefit from things like a paddle or a trackball and such. Do I really need those on the frontpanel, how often will I use them? Could I, not include them on the main control surface but add them via USB when required? Maybe just the trackball for the added navigational functionality?

So there you have my update on my cabinet. In order to finish it I simply have to decide on the size of display, because that will determine the width of the cabinet. And I need to find a way or a spot to saw/cut the two side panels!! One good thing to know is that if I ever change the display and therefor the width of the cabinet I can still use the two side panels, I just need to finish those!!!! I will try to make a photo based step by step tutorial of my build!

[john-woods]

That's some good progress on the project, I think the planning part of these cabinet projects takes longer than the actual build when you haven't done it before I've made some actual progress on assembly but was also curious on how your build is progressing too.

• Display: I have two options. I bought an Arcooda 20.1" 4:3 display (effectively 17" 4:3 for the view of the game), the one that gave such low latency results in Bob/RetroRGB's test. This is the display that was actually bought/meant for this build. I also have an SNK MVSX Cabinet and its display has about the same dimensions as the Arcooda display so I'm familiar with the size and fine with it. But on second thoughts I'm considering using a Philips 32" widescreen display. I got it 'for free' with some subscription and it's basically catching dust, so using it for this project means nothing is lost. The reason I'm considering this 32" display is due to my cabinet having the dual computer idea. It will mainly be used for my MisterCade for which the 17" 4:3 ratio is very nice, but will also have the option of a second system which for now will be a Raspberry/RetroPie setup. The Retropie has a few emulators which benefit from widescreen display options.

• The main problem with the 32" Philips display: I have no idea of its latency. I want to buy a Time Sleuth now that it's possible again to order one, but it will cost me about the double amount when it comes to shipment and import/VAT costs to Europe, so I'm very hesitant to order one but it will be out-of-stock in no time I guess.

Did you decide which way you're going with the display option? A lot of displays have just terrible lag but probably someone has already done lag testing. I often just use RTINGS.com as they have great in-depth reviews including lag. That's why I went for the Gigabyte M32Q. There's no perfect monitor so I may well upgrade it in the future.

• Marque/Marquee: I'm still pondering whether or not I want a marquee that is static with some cool light-up art work or an actual display that is changing depending on the loaded game. Unlike the first that would basically require only LED lighting to light up a cool shine-through artwork by my own design/choice, the latter would require the purchase of a specific type of display which is basically the only thing besides wood which I don't own yet for this diy build. I also haven't checked yet how and if this even works with Retropie, but even in MISTer it takes a bit of additional setup steps and together with the purchase of the display it makes me hesitant to invest in such a fancy marquee. But still, it looks real nice if it switches to the marquee of the correct game, even if it is just the box art of the game, right?

I decided to go all in and went for a dynamic display marquee. I managed to find one for a not too eye watering price that is the exact same width as the M32Q display. Most of these 32" displays are actually 31.5" diagonal. For the wide marquee displays the manufacturers just cut them in to 2, 3 or 4 pieces. I received this a while ago but haven't actually tested it yet so am a bit nervous!

• Powers supply: I bought something 'fairly cheap' which for now gets the job done. It is an arcade compatible power supply which I have already tested successfully with my MisterCade. One thing missing is a second terminal for an additional 5V device like the Retropie, but that is resolved by using a power distribution block or whatever the name is. I will need one of those anyway because the display has its own power brick. Likely any computer/console that I will use for this cabinet will have its own power on/off switch. Because even though a central power switch is handy, if one of the two (up to four) systems doesn't get regular use then I see no reason to have its adapter powered on/in standby.

The power supplies that Arcade World UK sell are not that expensive. You can get a 12/+5V/-5V arcade power supply for under £30 like this one.

• External control: As I previously mentioned I am planning on having two USB ports for the MisterCade and two USB ports for the Retropie on the front of the cabinet in the lower area where the coin door would be. The USB ports for the MisterCade can have SNAC compatibility when desired. This area will also be a spot for the Remote v2, which is a remotely connected box add-on for MisterCade. It has two SNAC (PSX compatible) ports, GunCon support (via Composite/RCA), six MISTer specific buttons: P1/P2 Coin, Pause, Menu, Core/System Reset, a (crappy sounding) mini-jack headphone out (which auto mutes the sound to the MisterCade's speaker outputs when something is plugged in) and a big dial for the volume control of the built-in amp in the MisterCade which is connected to the cabinet's speakers. The only downside to this setup is that I can't use the big volume dial on the Remote v2 to also change the volume of the second computer, in this case the Retropie. The volume of any other computer/console than the Mistercade will need to be set inside that particular system, for now...because I haven't seen a low cost multi input amp for this purpose thus far.

I was going round in circles quite a lot for the audio setup. I was thinking to just get 2.1 computer speaker which have some kind of remote control unit on a wire to control the volume. Most of these have some limitations though so I went for a separate DAC/amp and speakers. This is much more flexible and easier to change out individual components in future if something breaks. I scoured the Audio Science Review (ASR) forum as they have some great moderators who review in-depth a lot of budget (and many far from budget) devices. I went for a Loxjie A30 which has multiple digital/analogue inputs as well as a good DAC/Amplifier.

• Other controls: What do I need on the main control surface other than the sticks and buttons? Some games in MISTer benefit from things like a paddle or a trackball and such. Do I really need those on the frontpanel, how often will I use them? Could I, not include them on the main control surface but add them via USB when required? Maybe just the trackball for the added navigational functionality?

Did you decide on the additional items? I also read a lot of forum posts on this topic and decided I wanted to include a trackball and a spinner 'just in case'. I didn't want to end up with a monstrosity of a control panel that has every single option but I think just these two elements will mean it's not too crowded. There is at least one good external USB spinner controller for sale online so that's probably covered if you decided not to add it.

[john-woods]

For the update on my build, it's a lot further on than last time I posted. The design is fully finalised now, using a Vewlix style arcade cabinet template but with a Neo Geo MVS 'big-red' theme. I created new vector art from scratch for all the Neo Geo/MVS/SNK logos, graphics and control panel vinyl overlay

• Dual wired and switchable between an emulation PC with a J-PAC-C and the MiSTercade using a RiddledTV 2-Way JAMMA Switcher

• 2 player / 6 button layout with Seimitsu PS-14-GN buttons in a Vewlix layout from Slagcoin

  • Dedicated MiSTercade Admin buttons and ServoStik 4-to-8 way hardware toggle switch
  • Dummy coin door with coin insert buttons
  • Under-mounted ServoStiks using the Slagcoin Layering Guide and this fantastic forum post from Gilrock and PL1
  • SpinTrak Spinner and U-Trak Trackball from Ultimarc
  • Front panel USB and 12V DC power sockets for Gun4IR light guns and arcade pedals
  • MVS style coin counters made using 7-segment LED displays and controlled with Arduinos so coin buttons insert coins in game and increment the counter

• Gigabyte M32Q 32" 1440p 165Hz VRR Monitor with KVM

  • Resolution ideal for integer scaling of a lot of retro game systems in 240/288/480p etc.
  • Monitor OSD settings accessible via PC software
  • KVM switch operated using remote controlled SwitchBot
  • Gun4IR LEDs mounted around the display
  • Additional 7-port Anker USB Hub for all input devices

• AUO P286IVN01.1 28.6" stretched marquee display. This is the exact same active display width and resolution as primary display

• Audiophile sound system with a Loxjie A30 Amplifier/DAC built into the front panel, MarkAudio CHR-90 speakers with tuned enclosures integrated into the cabinet made by me and a Cambridge Audio SX-120 Subwoofer

• Rear connectivity with LAN sockets for both PC and MiSTercade, active 10m HDMI to connect PC to OLED TV and MiSTercade Versus (just in case)

Below are some schematics of the design and pictures of the current progress. I'm hoping to finish this project in the summer and finally get to playing some games on it! The main cabinet parts have been primed and are in the middle of painting prior to full assembly. The vinyl overlay for the control panel is printed but the other artwork is still waiting to be printed using a plotter before it gets mounted. Internally I still need to install all the components so a lot of work still to go but I'm happy with the progress so far

Design overview of the cabinet

Custom speaker enclosure designs from Mark Audio

Control Panel Layout

Control Panel Underside

Control Panel Vinyl printed by Rock Star Prints

Mountain of cables prepared for the build, custom JAMMA harness and etc.

Custom PC in SFF case to fit in the tight space constraints of the build. The spec. went overkill but it should be relatively future proof, if that's possible

Custom speaker enclosures in progress

Completed speaker enclosures ready for installation

Initial steps of cabinet assembly