I'm a total newbie when it comes to PCBs. Enlighten me :)

Shion · Post by **Shion** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 4:38 pm

I've been thinking about getting a nice PCB, maybe build an arcade cab for it, etc, etc.
However, I have no idea where to start, and it's hard to find solid information on some newer systems.
If I want to play say, one of Cave's newer games (Galuda 2, Mushi Futari, Death Smiles, etc) what would I need in order to get them running?

Of course I'd need the highly expensive PCB, but what else? Do I need a SH-3 Motherboard or is this build in each PCB?
Apart from that, I obviously would need a control panel with a stick and some buttons. I'd also need a monitor. What kind of monitor? Would a regular LCD screen work (like the one I use on my comp)?
What else would I need? I'm thinking about power supply, cooling, etc.
Like I said, I have no clue what I'm talking about here. I know how to build a regular computer, that's about it.

It would be nice if I could get some info on the whole matter. I'm aware it will cost me money, but this is a future project for me.

Ozymandiaz1260 · Post by **Ozymandiaz1260** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 4:45 pm

I think you might be better off buying a used cab. All you need to play cave games is a JAMMA cabinet, no motherboards or anything like that, with the exception of DDP II:Bee Storm.

Shion · Post by **Shion** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 5:42 pm

Getting a used cab is quite hard in the Netherlands (arcades don't exist here), and shipping such a huge machine doesn't seem like a good idea to me. Besides, I'd enjoy building my own.

neorichieb1971 · Post by **neorichieb1971** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 6:08 pm

You can build this circuit to make your own supergun.

You would need your own joysticks obviously, which someone could make or you could mod them yourself. Most people use the DB15 Neo geo standard.

The best screen is a SCART CRT TV, you can use LCD if you want but it won't look as good.

Look on ebay, there are cheap superguns on there. Some as little as 20 Euros I think. Since your in Europe you can get by with really cheap stuff as you have RGB on your TV.

If a arcade game has the jamma connector on it (56 pin) you don't need any other piece of hardware to make it play. Some systems like neo geo use motherboards and cartridges. But 90% of the time all the hardware is on the PCB.

Shion · Post by **Shion** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 7:00 pm

Cool, I'll look up some more info on the supergun. I don't have a lot of technical experience, so I'll probably skip the part where I make the board myself.

neorichieb1971 · Post by **neorichieb1971** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 7:06 pm

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Jamma-Arcade-Supe ... dZViewItem

There you go, you will need a European power cord. This one looks like it uses megadrive control pads. I would buy something simple like this to start off if your not sure what your doing.

The easy route is to buy an arcade cabinet though, but that would set you back about 1000 euros. Sven has some across the Swedish border.

Radiant · Post by **Radiant** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 7:12 pm

Buy a Cab......if you have the money to buy a 2000$ PCB you should also have the money to buy a cab....
An Egret 2 would be your best friend......

You will get the best Picture you can get, everything is plug and play, and you have a nice rotation mechanism for the monitor
Do not underrate this, you will need to rotate the monitor more often than you think (maybe you buy MVS or CPS2 etc....

), and a 29" has ~40+ kg and you can EASY damage the tube while turning on a cab without this mechanism

Do not buy one of those old european woodies...most of the monitors are crap

A supergun on a CRT TV is also ok but it does not look as good as a real arcade monitor, and i think you would like to get the best out of your PCB's

Supergun on a LCD=Eye cancer

Shion · Post by **Shion** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 8:49 pm

I don't actually have the money for a 2000$ PCB, I just mentioned DeathSmiles as an example of how "powerful" the machine has to be.

I think I'll just start with a cheap supergun (like the one linked from eBay).
The Egret 2 looks like a great machine, but ~1200$ for just the cab is beyond my budget at the moment. Thanks for the input guys.

Shion · Post by **Shion** » Thu Nov 22, 2007 5:30 pm

Another question for the arcade cab tweakers out there: Which refresh rate do I want for my monitor? I'm able to obtain a regular arcade monitor fairly cheap, but it's refresh rate is only 15 Khz. Is this enough to play modern games?

Smithy · Post by **Smithy** » Thu Nov 22, 2007 7:34 pm

I'm pretty sure that 'refreshrate' relates to the monitors resolution. 15Khz is the 'standard' resolution, meaning it will run virtually all JAMMA boards great (such as all CAVE boards, CPS2, Neo-Geo, etc). That would be a great choice..

Shion · Post by **Shion** » Thu Nov 22, 2007 7:56 pm

Thanks for clearing that up. Dumb me thinking the amount of Khz meant how often the screen was redrawn per second.

Edit:
Another easy question: If I buy a used Arcade cab which runs a JAMMA game, can I just replace the PCB in it with my own, and expect it to run? As this seems to be the cheapest option to play PCBs on an original arcade monitor.

Ozymandiaz1260 · Post by **Ozymandiaz1260** » Thu Nov 22, 2007 11:02 pm

Shion wrote:Another easy question: If I buy a used Arcade cab which runs a JAMMA game, can I just replace the PCB in it with my own, and expect it to run? As this seems to be the cheapest option to play PCBs on an original arcade monitor.

Yes, that's the purpose of the JAMMA standard.

Shion · Post by **Shion** » Sat Nov 24, 2007 6:57 pm

Well, I'm going to pick up a used cabinet tomorrow. Will only cost me 70 euros. Even if it's crappy, the PCB inside it (Batsugun) is worth more than the price I payed, so it's a win-win situation

I'm probably going to do some serious modding to the machine, like install a bigger monitor, better joysticks, etc. I'll get some pictures up when I start this project

overkill55 · Post by **overkill55** » Sat Nov 24, 2007 7:13 pm

Nice pickup on that Batsugun! Keep us updated with how/what you mod the cab with

Shion · Post by **Shion** » Sun Nov 25, 2007 7:36 pm

Got some pics up:

http://img235.imageshack.us/img235/68/arcadecab1vr5.jpg
http://img112.imageshack.us/img112/7378 ... ab3ej5.jpg
http://img519.imageshack.us/img519/5549 ... ab2dr4.jpg
http://img253.imageshack.us/img253/8529 ... ab4he5.jpg
http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/7016 ... ab5qk7.jpg

I'm planning to change the angle of the screen, it's too low for me at the moment. I'm also going to expand the control panel (in size), and get some better joysticks and buttons. I'll first have to do a lot of planning though, since I've never tried something like this before.

dpful · Post by **dpful** » Mon Nov 26, 2007 3:53 am

Luuuu-ckyyy on the batsugun! I've been trying to pick that up forever

sven666 · Post by **sven666** » Mon Nov 26, 2007 9:15 am

cool, a JK, that was my first cab too

not at all a bad way to start, it is very easy to mod, great beginners cab.