The online community for MiSTer FPGA enthusiasts
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I'm using the MAYFLASH F300 Elite arcade stick and it has a USB port so I'm wondering if anyone has come up with a way to add some kind of a coin button or even a real coin mech that way? I don't think any of the other buttons are right for COIN.
Now that I think about it, you'd want to connect the extra COIN button/mech to USB on the MiSTer, not USB on the controller.
This would be fun:
Really funny you should post this, I've got the F300 elite and I've recently Macgyvered (or perhaps, Mickgyvered) exactly such a setup.
I've put a Pro Micro inside the F300 and wired it up to work as a Daemonbite Arcade controller. There's a usb breakout on the Pro Micro that hijacks the regular usb cable of the F300.
The Select pin and Ground on the Pro Micro are then wired up to the female USB.
Then I have a cheap generic Coin Acceptor with a male USB cable that is wired up to deliver the COIN line and Ground into the Pro Micro, via that female USB port on the F300.
I'm very happy with this solution! In principle it should work still the same with the stock PCB if you solder it to the "Select" pins on the board and sacrifice the functionality of the female USB but don't quote me on that.
misterrocks wrote: ↑Tue May 23, 2023 5:44 pmNow that I think about it, you'd want to connect the extra COIN button/mech to USB on the MiSTer, not USB on the controller.
In addition to my other reply, as far as I'm aware it isn't currently possible to use two devices as the same player input, which forced my hand in adding the functionality to the stick itself rather than the mister (which would be much better - perhaps someone else has a workaround)
It should be possible to wire up the coin acceptor as "Player 2" for the sole purpose of adding credits but although my solution is a little convoluted, file under "if it's dumb and it works it's not dumb"
Wow! I'd love to see photos if you get a chance.
You mentioned a "cheap generic Coin Acceptor with a male USB cable". That coin acceptor comes with USB output? If so which one do you have?
I'll get some photos together when I can, absolutely!
It's just a standard cheapo coin acceptor (JY-100F) with the usual 12v, ground, coin and counter wires.
12v and Ground go to their own external power supply.
Coin and ground are DIY soldered to a USB cable with the sole purpose of using two of the USB pins to connect coin and ground to the Pro Micro. It has no USB functionality of its own - very much the same philosophy as SNAC, not real USB, just borrowing the connector to form a circuit.
I also have a 3.3v zener diode between coin and ground to regulate the current
I don't know if it would fit that stick, but I was considering one of these: https://www.amazon.com/Atomic-Market-Cr ... 07XXCX889/ Although I have the Hori Rap N, which has a good height to it, and sides that go straight down rather than angled like the Mayflash.
Nice idea. You would replace one of the existing buttons on the controller? Need to solder it internally?
Since my last reply I've had a slight change of plan and picked up a mechanical coin acceptor mechanism from AliExpress. It's designed for USA quarters (which I have a small batch of) but I found that it also accepts UK 10p coins too, which are almost identical in size.
Once I've had time, I'll get this all wired up properly and will share pictures. A mechanical mechanism is better imo, super reliable and no zener diodes or PSUs required (unless you want it to light up)
homerghost wrote: ↑Fri May 26, 2023 5:21 pmIn addition to my other reply, as far as I'm aware it isn't currently possible to use two devices as the same player input
This is being addressed. If you follow the github link, you can download a MiSTer ZIP file and have the functionality right now. viewtopic.php?p=74120#p74120
I have found the best thing to use for my coin door is a keyboard. This always seems to work. I have an aruduino that sends keypresses just for the coin door and front buttons on my arcade cabinet.
Are the keypresses standard across all arcade cores?
(i.e. 1,2 for 1P/2P start, 5,6 for coin 1/2)
Not necessarily. I pretty much always map them. I have an extra dummy button because when mapping the first thing it asks you is to press Right. This wakes it up and lets you skip the rest of the questions until you get to the ones that apply to the coin slots and start buttons, etc.
Checking in in case there are any updates. I'm thinking of using one of these for COIN:
see below
misterrocks wrote: ↑Sat Aug 12, 2023 7:08 pmChecking in in case there are any updates. I'm thinking of using one of these for COIN:
$28 for a one-button usb keyboard???
You must have a lot of coins! 
Wouldn't it be cheaper to just buy the following,
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/255757727676
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/256011973036
Stick them in a small cheap plastic container, and you're good to go.
Or, if you're really cheap, then you can buy a pack of these,
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/124632571966
And just stick them on a couple of spare buttons on your MAYFLASH F300 - those stickers are really small. You already have a white "Start" button, you just need a "Coin" button - possibly one of those tiny buttons at the top left of your MAYFLASH, just stick the "Coin" sticker underneath it.
I made a custom stick with a real coin mech using the arduino pro micro for a daemonbite arcade Encoder, although if I were to redo it I would go with the gp2040-ce as it supports X-Input, Nintendo Switch, PS3 and even ps4 if you source the right files and would work a whole lot better on steam. And yes the coin mech makes a whole world of differences it is so satisfying to put a coin in and hear the sounds as it works it's way through the mech and you hear the clink of the coin falling in the coinbox. Basically the coin mech is a rupe goldberg button so if you have lead wires coming out of the stick with some sort of quick connect socket so you can easily remove it you can make a separate coinbox and coin housing furthermore you could probably make use of the internals and wire your own GP-2040-CE to the stick as it is small and can fit in most places. Check it out and feel free to ask any questions
Nice! Is there a way to pull this off with a standalone coin mech without soldering?