Hardware Pentium 200 & motherboard w/ onboard sound (Yamaha OPL)
& video (ATI Rage) :: eBay $26
Due to the motherboard mounting directly under the monitor, I knew there wasn't going
to be room for conventional video or sound cards. My motherboard requirements were
that it needed to be an ATX form factor and have onboard video & sound. I lucked
out an won an eBay auction for a board that met my requirements and it came with a CPU.
I have no idea what kind of board it is, as there are no markings on it at all.
The bios flash screen has a Sony logo on it, but there's no indication of the board
manufacturer. The onboard sound chip read "Yamaha YFM701", and I was able
to find DOS drivers for it on Yamaha's website. No problems running the onboard
sound under MAME in pure DOS. :)
Removable administration remote control ::
Radio Shack ~$10
As I am using a keyboard hack for the interface, I needed access to the MAME
configuration options, but I didn't want to clutter up the control panel with a bunch of
otherwise useless buttons. I have had many people use my other MAME cabs, and they
always end up in the configuration menus somehow during gameplay.
There are other ways to lock people out of the config menus, but making a removable remote
seemed like a really neat idea, so I figured "why not?". The remote
currently has the computer power switch, tab, and enter keys with room for about 3 more
buttons. The buttons and project enclosure were all purchased at Radio Shack.
Project Enclosure - Radio Shack #270-1804
External serial DB9 com port
The expansion port allows a connection to a mouse or the future trackball / spinner
module(s).
14" Computer monitor :: $20
The monitor was picked up at the Michigan State University "Re-Sale Barn".
The university sells off all their old stuff once a week. You can definitely
find good bargain buys there.
Controls
8-way Wico leaf joystick ::
videoconnect.com $10.95
I have the Happ Supers on my upright cabinet, and I think they are great. For
this project, I wanted to make the control panel as classic looking as possible.
The ball top Wico has the best classic look and feel, in my opinion.
Custom paint job on the stick. A plastic primer coat, two base coats, and about 15
clear coats.
Competition pushbuttons :: Happ Controls
$1.55 ea.
These were left over buttons from a previous project. It was just luck that they
matched my color scheme. To be honest, I don't care for their feel for classic
games. I will be ordering the Horizontals with my next Happ order.
Mini-Buttons :: Radio Shack $1.69 ea.
I used the mini-buttons for the Player 1 start, Player 2 start, coin insert, and pause
buttons. The mini-buttons were chosen because of their small size, and to keep the
control panel clean and un-cluttered.
Red buttons - Radio Shack #755-646
Black buttons - Radio Shack #755-644
Escape button
I had an extra mini button from a previous project years ago. It is a similar to
the control panel mini-buttons, but a slightly different style. I placed it under
the control panel on the right side to keep it from being accidentally hit during a game.
Lack of controls??
In an effort to keep the control panel as classic looking as possible, I chose a
seemingly sparse layout. With only 3 buttons and a single stick, the game
compatibility is limited. Seeing as I have an upright with all the controls I could
want, this doesn't bother me at all. There is an additional control module in the
works now that will plug into the external com port. I did choose Centipede side art,
right? When the trackball module is complete, I will add it here to the controls
section.
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