RECO PCB - a JAMMA button remapping and autofire device

[RGB]

Introduction

The RECO is a PCB that connects in between your arcade cabinet/supergun and the JAMMA PCB game offering features such as on-the-fly button layout remapping, rapid-fire, 6 profiles to store your settings, and more.

General
JAMMA, JAMMA+ compatible
Programmable button layout
Programmable rapid-fire (VSync synchronized or asynchronous, 6 different fire rates)
Buttons 1-6 on the JAMMA connector (buttons 4-6 can be disabled), making it a "CHAMMA" compatible output
CPS-2 kick harness input for buttons 4-6 (the RECO's JAMMA edge accepts buttons 1-5)
Buttons 4-6 on the JST-XH 6 pin “kick harness” connector that is compatible with the HAS kick harnesses
6 profiles per player to save the button layout and rapid-fire settings
Tournament Mode for disabling the programming functionality
Built-in voltmeter for +5 V (comes in red, blue or yellow, shipped randomly)
Selectable buffered CSync
Equipped with a connector for the Negatron DC/DC converter
Comes with a plexiglass case


The way the button remapping and autofire features work, creates a whole new level of functionality. For example, in a 6 button setup you can assign all 6 buttons to work as button "A", then, you can additionally set a different autofire rate for each button "A" clone if needed.

This systems gives an incomparable freedom in experimenting with, and finally using your own button layouts and autofire.[/list]



Operation

Button configuration mode


Press and hold down two arbitrary buttons and the START button for 3 or more seconds. After 3 seconds an appropriate status LED on the board will light up and buttons will no longer register – this means the RECO PCB has entered the button remapping mode and you can release the buttons (including the START button).
Right after you release the last of the buttons held down, you can set a new button layout by pressing the buttons.
Each press of a button corresponds to the JAMMA button number, and is indicated by the status LED blink.
If you press a button once, it will be JAMMA button 1, twice - button 2, thrice - button 3, and it works up to button 6. The seventh press sets the button as “START”; the eighth press disables the button; the ninth press starts the countdown over. No button press means the button will not be set.
To exit the button configuration mode and save your new layout, press the START button.

Note: Every time you access this mode, your previous layout will be erased and you will need to set your layout anew. This is an easy and fast way to reset your settings.

This system allows to have multiple physical buttons mapped as the same JAMMA button. For example, you can have the "shot" mapped to button 1 and button 3, but have the rapid-fire enabled just for the button 3. Button 1 will be your "charged shot" and button 3 will be "rapid shot", akin to how it is handled in Cave shmups.



Rapid-fire configuration mode


Press and hold down one arbitrary button and the START button for 3 or more seconds.
After 3 seconds an appropriate status LED on the board will light up and buttons will no longer register – this means the RECO PCB has entered the rapid-fire configuration mode and you can release the buttons (including the START button).
Right after you release the last of the buttons held down, you can enable the rapid-fire feature by pressing buttons. Each press of a button corresponds to the rapid-fire rate, and is indicated by the status LED blink. There are 6 rapid-fire rates to choose from, the seventh press disables the rapid-fire; the eighth press starts the countdown over. No button press means the rapid-fire will not be set.
To exit the rapid-fire configuration mode and save the settings, press the START button.

Note: Just like in the button remapping mode, your previous rapid-fire settings are erased the moment you access the rapid-fire mode. Consequently, if you want to reset all rapid-fire settings, just enter the rapid-fire mode and exit it without pressing any button.


Asynchronous rapid-fire mode

Press and hold down the Player 1 START button for 3 or more seconds while powering on the RECO PCB. After 3 seconds the status LEDs will blink rapidly as a confirmation that the asynchronous rapid-fire is active. You can release the START button.

In the asynchronous mode, you enter the rapid-fire configuration mode as usual, but the button presses will correspond to the following rapid-fire rates:

1 press ~ 30 Hz
2 presses ~ 20 Hz
3 presses ~ 15 Hz
4 presses ~ 12 Hz
5 presses ~ 10 Hz
6 presses ~ 7.5 Hz


Saving and loading profiles

1. Press and hold down three arbitrary buttons and the START button for 3 or more seconds. After 3 seconds an appropriate status LED on the board will light up and buttons will no longer register – this means the RECO PCB has entered the profile selection mode and you can release the buttons (including the START button).

2. Right after you release the last of the buttons held down, you can select the profile by pressing one of the six buttons on your arcade cabinet's control panel. For example, by pressing button 1 while in the profile selection mode, the RECO will load, and use the profile 1. If you press button 2, it will load the profile 2, and so on. You will automatically leave the profile selection mode when you press a button. There are 6 profiles available for each player that store both the button layout and rapid-fire settings. The RECO will remember the last used profile and automatically load it when you power on the arcade cabinet.



Note: By default, the profiles are blank. This means that when you switch to a new profile, you will need to create a new button layout using the button programming mode.


Tournament Mode

When active, it locks the button remapping, rapid-fire configuration, and profile selection modes. Can be enabled/disabled anytime during the game. It is controlled using the DIP switch (SW1) DIP1.



DIP switch (SW1) explanation


Tournament Mode
Not used
Player 2 button 6 JAMMA connector output
Player 1 button 6 JAMMA connector output
Player 2 button 5 JAMMA connector output
Player 1 button 5 JAMMA connector output
Player 2 button 4 JAMMA connector output
Player 1 button 4 JAMMA connector output

Output through the kick harness connector (CN4) is always active.


Video Sync Separator (JP1)

Positions:

Buffered, or CSync separated if fed Composite Video to the RECO
Passthrough (unprocessed CSync) - DEFAULT SETTING


Negatron DC/DC converter for -5 V generation (CN2)

If your power supply does not supply -5 V, then you can use the CN2 connector to connect the Negatron DC/DC negative voltage converter. Read Negatron's documentation and make sure you connect it the correct way. IN/OUT voltages are described on the RECO's bottom silkscreen layer. The Negatron itself is not part of the RECO and must be purchased separately.




Older RECO versions:

Spoiler

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5334/8752 ... 1d5d48.jpg
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3823/8754 ... c4f7da.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7380/8754 ... d131f6.jpg
http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2857/8754 ... c11e6e.jpg



Picture courtesy of Artemio.

Special thanks to testers from this forum:

• emphatic
• Ghegs
• kowal
• rtw

Buy it here

[shmuppyLove]

This is the most glorious thing I have ever seen.



Commence frothing.

[Wonderbanana]

Looks ace I'd buy one for sure.

Are these going to be available soon?

[BareKnuckleRoo]

This looks fucking sexy.

My only concern is that is it possible to accidentally enter the remapping mode unintentionally? I can't think of any case where you'd hold a start button in a game for 3 seconds for gameplay reasons, except for Progear maybe if you're using one of the alternate gunner configurations and you hold one of the start buttons for too long (but in that case you can be quick about it and you don't need to hold the buttons that long to do it), and I can't think of any game that uses the start button for something else once you're in the game itself, so I imagine my fear is totally unfounded.

[RGB]

Thank you guys

Are these going to be available soon?

Yes, they're available right now, I just need to set up a sales thread. I'll do it later today.
These are also limited in quantity.

@BareknuckleRoo, that's the START button + 2 more buttons held down for over 3 seconds, I hope nobody does this by accident while playing.

[mastercello]

Looks and sounds great - deffo gonna buy one of them!
How can we order, pay etc.?

[Ghegs]

I had the honor of testing the device and it really is a great piece of hardware. Also works great with games like Out Zone that are sometimes difficult to get to work with other autofire solutions.

[THE]

Awesome! It's exactly what I need for Fireshark. Autofire kills the fire weapon otherwise.

[Ed Oscuro]

These look great. Any chance of putting together a (more expensive) version with fuses on each of the lines, as this project had?

[trap15]

This is fucking brilliant. You are a saint and a scholar. Definitely going to have to get one of these

[RGB]

These look great. Any chance of putting together a (more expensive) version with fuses on each of the lines, as this project had?

Not anytime soon (if ever) I'm afraid :/ That's a neat PCB right there, I wanted to buy it, too, but havok disappeared..

[Ed Oscuro]

There is some diagram of at least an early version of them online somewhere, if you wanted to have a look. But perhaps that's best kept as a separate device. Anyway, enough derailing. I'm considering getting one of these, if only for OutZone

[emphatic]

This is brilliant indeed, and the reasons are many.

* As an EGRET II owner, this PCB bridges the GND with Switch GND, solving problems I've had with some of my bootleg PCBs as well as my old Gamebox, as the EGRET II's wiring is not up to JAMMA spec.

* For games like Mushihimesama, you can have A button cloned into buttons 4 and 5 with their own autofire setting for example

I loved testing this unit too, and it will surely render my previous autofire circuits into dust collecting novelty items now.

[undamned]

• Button configuration mode:
  
  1. Press and hold down two arbitrary buttons and the START button for 3 or more seconds. After 3 seconds an appropriate status LED on the board will light up – this means you are in the remapping mode and you can release the buttons.
  
  2. Right after you release the last of the three buttons held down, you can make changes to the layout.
  Each press of a button on the arcade cabinet panel/supergun joypad corresponds to the JAMMA button number.
  If you press a button once, it will be your JAMMA button 1, twice - button 2, thrice - button 3, it works up to button 6. The seventh press will disable the button; the eighth press will start the countdown over. No button press = no button set.

Ha! I love the button mapping scheme!
-ud

[Wonderbanana]

This is brilliant indeed, and the reasons are many.

* As an EGRET II owner, this PCB bridges the GND with Switch GND, solving problems I've had with some of my bootleg PCBs as well as my old Gamebox, as the EGRET II's wiring is not up to

I've ordered one already but as an EII owner this is a huge bonus!

[drunkninja24]

So, just to make sure I understand this thing correctly, could I use this to map my button 1 to button 3 and have button 3 be autofire? While leaving button 1 as my standard fire button? Would be useful for something like Raiden for sure.

[trap15]

Yes, precisely!

[RGB]

This is brilliant indeed, and the reasons are many.

* As an EGRET II owner, this PCB bridges the GND with Switch GND, solving problems I've had with some of my bootleg PCBs as well as my old Gamebox, as the EGRET II's wiring is not up to

I've ordered one already but as an EII owner this is a huge bonus!

There is no connection between the input GND (pins #1, 2, A, B) and the GND at the other end of the JAMMA connector (pins #27, 28, e, f, which I believe cabinets use as the "output" GND, i.e. EII) anymore, this was available in the prototype PCB only.
This is a one wire fix though, so if anybody needs this, just give me a shout and I will gladly do it : )

So, just to make sure I understand this thing correctly, could I use this to map my button 1 to button 3 and have button 3 be autofire? While leaving button 1 as my standard fire button? Would be useful for something like Raiden for sure.

Exactly. This was kind of designed with games, where you might need different autofire rates (eg. mushihimesama) in mind. I'm also looking forward to see how this performs with games like Garegga where autofire may be useful for bomb, too.

@undamned - Thanks. I can't wait for your joypad converters man These will be/are the best thing ever.

[cools]

Are settings saved through power cycles?

[colour_thief]

Are settings saved through power cycles?

Yes, otherwise the internal memory reset feature would not be required.

[zakk]

Crazy too-late-you're-already-selling-them suggestion: P1/P2 swap. Say I'm on a one player panel and I'm playing a game where playing as P2 gives an advantage. Would be nice to be able to have something like this just do a straight P1->P2 mapping.

[cools]

Are settings saved through power cycles?

Yes, otherwise the internal memory reset feature would not be required.

Thanks. I must've skipped that sentence

[cools]

Crazy too-late-you're-already-selling-them suggestion: P1/P2 swap. Say I'm on a one player panel and I'm playing a game where playing as P2 gives an advantage. Would be nice to be able to have something like this just do a straight P1->P2 mapping.

This'd be nice on a 2P panel as well.

[emphatic]

Crazy too-late-you're-already-selling-them suggestion: P1/P2 swap. Say I'm on a one player panel and I'm playing a game where playing as P2 gives an advantage. Would be nice to be able to have something like this just do a straight P1->P2 mapping.

This'd be nice on a 2P panel as well.

I suggested this while beta testing, but IIRC, the PCB design didn't allow it.

[RGB]

Yep, this would require a new, bigger microcontroller that would cover additional 20 more signals (8 inputs and 8 outputs for both P1&P2 controls + P1&P2 start input/output) or the use of some decoders to cover such large number of signals. Either way, this means a complete PCB and program re-design.

The P1&P2 switch PCB would be extremely easy to design, it doesn't need any additional electronics, too. If you guys want, I can design and produce a few of these - the more people want it, the cheaper the final cost.

[zakk]

I'd certainly be interested; how would it interact with the current RECO? Would I have plug them into each other or something? (a daisy chain of jamma adapters, lol)

[emphatic]

I made an adapter that connects player 1's controls to the inputs of player 2 at all times. It has a microswitch that when pressed, Player 1 start button inputs Player 2 start. This means that you can play as Player 1 (switch not pressed while starting a game) or Player 2 (switched pressed while starting). I use this to play Silk Worm as Jeep.







It was pretty easy to do, but it only allows 1 Player. You can also use it to control both ships at the same time of course.

[RGB]

@zakk - This would be a simple passthrough pcb with changed controls, independent from the Reco PCB
I'll start a fresh thread about it when I get more time, to check the interest, because I just can't produce one pcb.

edit: yeah, pretty much like emphatic's, but obviously without wires etc. and it would do the actual P1<->P2 controls switch.

[rtw]

Great device Simple question:

Can I get autofire on button 4 without the special 6 pin harness ?

[emphatic]

Great device Simple question:

Can I get autofire on button 4 without the special 6 pin harness ?

If your cabinet is up to JAMMA spec, then yes.