Common input setups for PC based cabinets

[n0rtygames]

Hey all,

Sorry if this post has been done before but I'm afraid being a bit of a novice on this side - the Hardware forum is a mysterious land full of scary things - so me searching hasn't been too useful. Do slap if needed though

I'm sort of wondering what the recommended and most common ways of hooking up a PC to a cabinet would be these days. I'm not looking to build a cab (yet) - but I am interested in experimenting with the actual controls themselves and interpreting the inputs received from them.

I've seen a lot of stuff floating around such as various pcbs and other sorts of whacky harnesses but I'm not so sure what most people actually run under the hood!

Any pointers would be appreciated. Hey, maybe it'll be phase one in me actually taking the plunge and building something too - despite the wifes protests.

[cools]

I use a JammASD. Works perfectly, though I wish there was a USB version.

[emphatic]

It depends on the how. If you have a JAMMA cabinet with a 15kHz CRT, a JAMMA ASD or a J-Pac makes the most sense. If you're gonna go with a flat screen, or a high res CRT, a Zero Delay Encoder (search eBay) or an Aki-Customs PS360+ is better. The PS360+ has built in support for PC, PS3, Xbox 360, PSX and Dreamcast (though no memory card support, use another port for now).

If space is an issue, it's best to buy a small bartop kit, there are plenty to choose from and while the price may turn you off initially, the re-sale value should be better than building one yourself and building them yourself might be more expensive in the end anyway.

[n0rtygames]

Thanks for the advice guys. When you say a bartop kit - you have any recommendations? I've seen a lot of DIY kits floating around but from the way you phrase it I assume you have something specific in mind?

[emphatic]

When you say a bartop kit - you have any recommendations?

I have never built one myself, but there's this: http://arcadeforge.net/Arcade-Bartop/Ar ... 3638c40d81 and it looks very nice.