Check this out! Thi guy made an Arcade with an empty arcade frame, wired his own controllers, and runs MAME on a PC connected to the unit. For those of you who don't know, MAME is an emulator program that loads Console games (Nintendo, Sega, Atari, Dreamcast...) that are created in a ROM file. Not sure how they turn a cartridge game into a ROM file on a PC, but they are all over the internet.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/javamoose/sets/1778185/

Very Impressive!

Nice! It's funny you posted this, as I have been working on one of these for my basement for a few months. Kenny came over to help me cut the pieces out over Christmas break. I ordered all of my buttons and joysticks from www.happcontrols.com , a kickass distributor. Oh, and remember the Destination PC from the workroom?...it's removed from its shell and in my basement. I'll go home tonight and put up my pics of work so far. I'm glad you stumpled across this one!

The part I was trying to figure out is how all those buttons, joysticks, and track ball all get wired back into the PC. Is it a PS2 connection that they all go back into or is it multiple USB connections?

OK, for the buttons and joysticks to make it back to the PC they need to be conncted to a device called an I-PAC. There are other brands available, but this seems to be the most popular. The I-PAC has two PS/2 ports, one for the keyboard and one for the tie back to the PC. Check it out...





I bought the I-PAC 4 considering it has 56 inputs...meaning I can have you guys over for some 4-player action on classic arcade games!

When you have your control pad made you use a program to bind each button/joystick to the I-PAC.


Below are some pics of how far I am now. When I have the Car PC more solidified I'll be finishing this guy up.

Rob was it raining in your basement? what are all the water spots from....haha

Yeah, I was tired of the roof so I did a convertible mod hahaha

Nice! I think when I get my IP Phones and PBX wired in my house, and my universal remote finally programmed for my TV and HTPC this is going to be next. I hate to be a copycat, but reading all those sites out there for MAME construction plans has really got the gears turning for me.

Keep the pics flowing... you've got me hooked.

Tom, check your mail for some plans...

Thx for the plans. They are nice and detailed.

Alls I know is that bitch better have 4 player X-Men or Simpsons on it. Those were tits!

Hey Rob can you email me the plans as well. This looks like a very neat project, and something that if the right time and materials were put into could turn out very nice. Oh and Rob you are right HAPP rocks. Back from my golden tee days I would love it if I could find a machine with a HAPP track ball in it. They were so much more accurate then the OEM hunk of shit they came with. Keep us posted on the progress of this I cant wait to see how it turns out..


OH and you need one of these.

They are going for all different prices on ebay.

HERE IS A GOOD PRICED ONE...

But you need to figgure out how to wire it up to interact some how with the computer. You could probally wire it into that ipac device and get it to send an enter comand or something like that. PIMP

Jeremy

I can't wait to see the finished product so I can be transported back into my younger days. I am still keeping my eye out for a linked up daytona racing setup (like the bank of 6 they had in padonia station a few years ago) they are just too damned expensive right now. If I didn't have a project car I might have one by now.

Steve, you can probably make a Daytona racing setup yourself. What would be cool is that you could emulate a bunch of other racing games, too. Check out www.happcontrols.com for some equipment. I know they have steering wheels, and probably foot petals and shifters too. Get some bucket seats from a 5.0 and you'll be sitting in something familiar whilel racing!

Jeremy, I looked at the coin-op device but decided against it. One, it costs money. Two, I was going to put a small stereo system(~$30 - $50) in the cabinet and I would put the sub where the coin drawer would be. Now if I ever got a soda machine for beer cans....psych, basement is too small for all these toys.

Here's some updated shots of the cabinet. Thanks to all who came over and helped me lift the heavy-ass monitor into place and to GDAWG for assisting with the front panel installs! My remaining tasks are to complete construction of the game pad, install the top speakers and both the top and bottom speaker covers, install a monitor bezel, install a marque, and clean the sides up with some graphics. I'll be working hard to finish this up soon so the 8-bit action can begin.

I'll tell you that I can't wait to enjoy some 31" 8-bit action with a Jacob Best or cold pour from the kegerator in my hand(s)

WOW man, that really has come a long way since we put the monitor in there. Have you designed your keypad layout yet?