So you could just use a pair of pliers? And do you know what type of USB cable is needed for the Ipac2? OR should I get the ps2 interface one? Is this one any good or is the 2 better? http://www.ultimarc.com/ipacve.html
Also does the wire just plug into the Ipac2 and buttons/joysticks, or does it need something like soldering or crimp-on plug ends?order abortion pill http://unclejohnsprojects.com/template/default.aspx?morning-after-pill-price where to buy abortion pill

All of my controllers work with Mame. Pretty much any input device can be used. I've used a keyboard encoder, mouse, keyboard, Saitek X45, PS2 controller with adapter, Thrustmaster RGT Pro Clutch edition wheel, Thrustmast F16 FLCS & TQS, Thrustmaster FT2 wheel, and a N64 controller with adapter.

Hacking a ps2 controller isn't all that difficult. Learning to solder properly is the most challenging part. Some knock off ps2 controllers are easier to work with, but they are hit and miss when trying to find a decent one. And as far as finding controller adapters, ebay is your friend.

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=ps2+controller+to+usb&_sacat=0&_odkw=ps2+to+usb&_osacat=0&_trksid=p3286.c0.m270.l1313I own the blue dual one.

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=n64+controller+to+usb&_sacat=0&_odkw=ps2+controller+to+usb&_osacat=0&_trksid=p3286.c0.m270.l1313I haven't owned this one. The one I use to own was for a ps2 and n64 controller. It had a switch to switch from one to the other.

I wouldn't cannibalize an arcade machine for a Mame cab. Arcade machines are slowly disappearing and the spirit of Mame was and is to keep them alive and around for future generations. Designing and building one of your own has a certain pride that comes with it, just like anything you create. And there are plans for just about any of the popular arcade cabs of the 80s on various websites. I have a bunch I've downloaded over the years. Do lots of research on some of the links we pointed to and learn as much as you can. The more you know, the less frustrating and more enjoyable building one will be. If your going to build or convert a cab, I'd start with building a controller by it's self. Most of the difficult stuff is in setting that up.

I plan on making it so that my cab can have interchangeable control panels. That way, I can have different setups for different games and not have a cluttered panel. Battlezone uses two sticks, while Tron uses a stick and spinner. Some, like TMNT and Simpsons use four sticks. I have one design that is boarder line of being too cluttered but not too bad. Also, the more you know, the less money you'll waist. Some products might cost a little more up front but save you a lot of money down the road.

(Right-Click, View image to enlarge)

The top controller has the 4 red buttons for neo geo fighter games and 6 button config for capcom fighter games. I made it with scrap wood around the house. It's very lightweight. I took a router to all the edges. On a full size controller or cab I would use T molding.
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trekking95 Wrote:So you could just use a pair of pliers? And do you know what type of USB cable is needed for the Ipac2? OR should I get the ps2 interface one? Is this one any good or is the 2 better? http://www.ultimarc.com/ipacve.html Also does the wire just plug into the Ipac2 and buttons/joysticks, or does it need something like soldering or crimp-on plug ends?

Yes, you can use a pair of pliers. The USB cable you need to connect it is similar to this one, which can be found at any RadioShack and Big Lots (or possibly any equivalent of). But the real way to be sure if it is the one I linked, you're going to need to see the shape of the USB connector on the I-PAC 2, but I'm fairly certain that its that particular one. As for which one to get the PS/2 or USB, it's primarily depends on the motherboard you are putting into the machine that you're going to use. Basically, either will do, because they are both the same. My dad went to Goodwill and bought a cheap wireless keyboard that he's going to use to control the machine if things go wrong or if he needs to download another ROM of a game that he doesn't have.

A cool site you may want to check out is called CoolROM (you can find it via Google).

As for the coin slot, the plan here is just for your own personal use, right? Because, as I've stated before, if this is for your own personal use, whatever preference have is what matters, as I've mentioned before that those who use the coin-slots in their own machines is primarily a means of keeping things "old-school" or for nostalgic purposes. It's not a requirement to have a coin slot (as I mentioned, you can wire a button for the "coin inserted" portion to read), it's a preference.

FYI, since you don't own the games, a lot of those companies that own them, no longer are viable, so you can't ask them for permission to use the games. No one has the legal right to charge $.25 to play it. It's kind of a gray area. So, personal use is okay. Public use, not so much (again, gray area).

Now, I'm voicing my opinion here about "gutting arcade cabinets". Let me go ahead and say this: the three that my dad and I recovered were completely non-functional, slightly water damaged (in fact, my dad and I are going to have to re-enforce the bottom of two) and couldn't be restored any other way back to their original glory (and doing so would cost well over $3,000 each, at minimum). Now, I don't agree with ripping out the insides of a fully functional arcade machine, or one that requires just a couple of parts that need to be replaced. But if you can't restore a non-functional machine back to a fully functional machine with the original parts, I feel its a bigger sin to just rot away in pieces than to turn it into a MAME cabinet and continue to get enjoyment out of it.

That's part of the point of an arcade machine: to play and have fun with. If you can't do that, then what's the point of having one?

So, in closing, I'm a purist as long as the machine is functional and can be repaired. If it can't, then I say why not turn it into MAME cabinet as a means of respect for the arcades of the past? It's better to have a functional machine with non-original parts than to allow a 100% original machine that is non-functional just rot away in some back room, where all it does is gather dust and becomes the new home of a rat's nest.

You may not like my opinion, but that's how I feel about it and how I feel of it.

Well yeah if the cabinet was not worth fixing then I would make a MAME one too.
I think I will likely go with USB for the Ipac2 since so far the computer I am going to use needs a keyboard on the PS/2 input, a USB one wont let it start up. And could a coin slot be wired to the Ipac2?

I did a little shopping around. Some prices in other places were cheaper if you bought bundles, but from my experience not all push buttons and sticks are created equal. You get what you pay for. I'll recommend Suzo-Happ parts, because that's what have lasted for me. My kids rough up the stick and buttons, and they still are working great after several years of use. The Competition Buttons are nice because they round up instead of having a dip in the center of them. Makes them much more comfortable.

Competition Joystick, 8-way, Microswitch, Black Knob 2x $14.40 = $28.80
Competition Pushbuttons 14x $2.55 = $35.70
1 & 2 Player Pushbuttons 2x $2.85 = $5.70
Standard Pushbuttons (coins) 2x $2.70 = $5.40
I-PAC VE $35.00
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total $110.00

That's not accounting for wood, wiring, connectors, cable management, paint or laminate.

Other additions could be
T-Molding 3/4" x 1' $.50 (At that price it's worth it for asthetics)

SlickStick Tornado Spinner and Knob $73.15 + $19.55 = $92.70
or SpinTrack Spinner, Flyweight and Knob $69.00 + $10.00+$12.00 = $91.00

Suzo-Happ 3" Trackball with USB and PS/2 Interface $185.35 or $197.20 for illuminated trackball.
I've seen other trackballs for less, but this and the Golden Tee Trackballs are solid arcade quality.

Suzo-Happ sells the Slick Stick with a illuminated Atari Knob that looks really nice and retro.
http://na.suzohapp.com/joysticks/95856000.htm
The Arkinoid Spinner is going to probably be the closest to the Tron spinner.
http://na.suzohapp.com/joysticks/95093100.htm

I've never tried finding used arcade spinners and trackballs on ebay, but if you found some, I'm sure there are tutorials on how to wire one up for a pc.

So, as you can see, things can add up quickly. If you don't have all the money upfront to build the controller your wanting to, I'd start out with building the controller box for 2 players and purchase the parts needed to get the thing functional for one player then add on as you purchase more. That would be better than buying cheap parts all at once and they wear out in 5 years or less.

Darth Tronage Wrote: CB2001 Wrote:Now, I'm voicing my opinion here about "gutting arcade cabinets". Let me go ahead and say this: the three that my dad and I recovered were completely non-functional, slightly water damaged (in fact, my dad and I are going to have to re-enforce the bottom of two) and couldn't be restored any other way back to their original glory (and doing so would cost well over $3,000 each, at minimum). Now, I don't agree with ripping out the insides of a fully functional arcade machine, or one that requires just a couple of parts that need to be replaced. But if you can't restore a non-functional machine back to a fully functional machine with the original parts, I feel its a bigger sin to just rot away in pieces than to turn it into a MAME cabinet and continue to get enjoyment out of it. That's part of the point of an arcade machine: to play and have fun with. If you can't do that, then what's the point of having one? So, in closing, I'm a purist as long as the machine is functional and can be repaired. If it can't, then I say why not turn it into MAME cabinet as a means of respect for the arcades of the past? It's better to have a functional machine with non-original parts than to allow a 100% original machine that is non-functional just rot away in some back room, where all it does is gather dust and becomes the new home of a rat's nest. You may not like my opinion, but that's how I feel about it and how I feel of it. Actually, I agree 100% with your statement. I've seen, too often though, salvageable arcade machines mutilated into Mame cabs. But, definitely, if it's not worth the investment to restore it, then put it to good use as a Mame cab. And diffidently, playing and having fun with an arcade cab is what's most important. It's what the hobby is all about. Introducing classics and that arcade room feel to future generations. It doesn't do that just sitting in the corner looking pretty.

Don't get me wrong, but most Arcade Cabinets I've seen are freshly made, scratch built from MDF. A lot of the old ones still survive., and I know they offer kits for installing newer hardware into the old cabinets. I saw a "turn key" MAME cabinet at DragonCon where you didn't really need to assemble anything. A majority of people go that route.

But I say that if the equipment can't be salvaged for an old Arcade machine to work, I say go for replacing it with MAME and continue to enjoy it, and possibly have something for your kids to enjoy as well.

trekking95 Wrote:Still I would like to know what games work with the buttons and joysticks from the eBay link I have and how to power everything.

Depends on the game, primarily. I mean, if you're playing Donkey Kong, the game is set to recognize the joystick and the one/two buttons used for the game. If you were playing the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles brawler, then the game will recognize the joystick and four of the buttons for its control because it's program to respond to buttons A, B, C and D. So, it depends on the game and what was programmed into the game itself.

When it came to the TRON arcade game, my dad and I played with it on MAME with a keyboard. We found out we couldn't play the game correctly because the game was programmed to respond to a spinner and joystick, not a keyboard. Though the joystick portion of the game worked correctly, the spinner portion did not.order abortion pill abortion pill buy online where to buy abortion pill

trekking95 Wrote:What about games like pacman or the different Star Trek or Star Wars games? Will they work with those joysticks and buttons? Or do those last 2 only work with the control yoke thing?

As far as I'm aware of, Pacman shouldn't be a problem since it's only a joystick game.

My dad says "they'll all work with the controls. You'll have to configure them inside MAME. (i.e. Press Button A for Kick, Press Button B for Jump, etc), the same way you configure most buttons for gameplay on the PC."order abortion pill http://unclejohnsprojects.com/template/default.aspx?morning-after-pill-price where to buy abortion pill

trekking95 Wrote:Oh yeah, I went back to that Church that had the Arkanoids game and the spinner makes a grinding sound and doesn't spin well. Is that normal or is it a bad one?

That's nothing that can't be cleaned and be back to working to normal. The Spinners work on the same principle as the computer mouse with the rolling ball. When you take it apart, you'll see.abortion pills online abortion pill online purchase cytotec abortion