Building a SuperGun.

[Tupin]

I would think it takes analog RGB, it says it does and here are some of the other specs, from Tandy's service manual:

Resolution: 640 dots x 225 lines

15.071 kHz

Either way, I'll keep my eye out for an Amiga monitor just in case, I guess. I'll have to test this one first, I've seen someone that say a 15kHz CGA monitor can take video from a SuperGun somewhere.

[Arasoi]

Interesting, Ive never heard that. If it's true I think I'll get a cheaper CGA monitor as well for my vertical games. I'd been looking at a heavier (and more pricey) Sony PVM to start with.

[Tupin]

Here's where I got the info, on a review for a video upscaler:

http://www.ncsxshop.com/cgi-bin/shop/XRGB-2P2.html


After asking around on chat forums, the question was which XRGB upscan convertor should I get: XRGB-1, XRGB-2 or the XRGB2+ for playing arcade JAMMA game on my Supergun? I was told to get the discountinued XRGB-2 version as that's the one to get to play JAMMA games on via a VGA monitor. Of course, a 15khz CGA monitor would do the same trick even better as it displays as the same as an arcade monitor.

Now that I've figured I can use them, I'm going to connect the RGB wires, the Vertical sync, and the two grounds to a DB-9 Female connector. I'm not sure what to do with Intensity or Horizontal sync, I guess just leave them out.

[Arasoi]

Ah, yes I know the user who commented that on the shmups forums.

I don't think he meant a TTL monitor, though. Again if you have any luck let me know as I'd love to hunt down a cheaper, smaller second one for myself.

[Tupin]

I do have a Princeton HX-12, but I'm not sure of how I should wire a port on the SuperGun for it because I cannot find pinout information for it and I'm not 100% sure of whether it's not TTL. I found a thread on MAMEWorld about the exact same question being asked, but I cannot access it. I did find an arcade monitor that is 15Hz, TTL, and CGA:

http://www.arcade-game-sales.com/products/inch-cga-arcade/4808-1.html

I need to get a JAMMA harness and Neo-Geo ports soon, I am going to get a Neo-Geo to PS2 controller adapter, I finally found ones for $17 each.

[Tupin]

Good news, I asked the question over at the KLOV forums, and:

http://forums.arcade-museum.com/showthread.php?p=1027308#post1027308

[Arasoi]

Interesting..

I would pose the question here too:

http://nfggames.com/forum2/index.php?board=5.0

If you have success do let us know, I'm intrigued by the possibility.

[Tupin]

I will, might be a few days before results, have to make a couple of orders.

[Ed Oscuro]

The guy in that thread mentioned "older Apple monitors" - I wonder if he means from the Apple // days? All mine are the trinitron / shadow mask ones from the Mac LC era and later...basically PC compatible with a different plug. Would be interesting to find out though.

[Tupin]

The guy in that thread mentioned "older Apple monitors" - I wonder if he means from the Apple // days? All mine are the trinitron / shadow mask ones from the Mac LC era and later...basically PC compatible with a different plug. Would be interesting to find out though.
I've seen ones from the IIGS and LC era specifically mentioned and even found this picture, this is a monitor that would have been used with a IIGS.

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee311/undamned_photobucket/UD_SG_VERT.jpg

An AppleColor RGB Monitor is what's being used.

I think I might do this now, the manual I have for it even gives pinout info.

[Tupin]

A non-monitor question? Yes, I have one.

Is it a good idea to design an enclosure that the board can be surrounded by? I'm talking about a hinged wood box that I would have the harness on the inside and plug a game into that, set it down, and close the top. Should I add a fan to cool this area, will it be fine, or is it best just not to enclose the board?

[Arasoi]

What I've seen people do is buy low height small plastic see through rubbermaid bins in bulk, and mount their pcbs inside them with a hole cut for the JAMMA edge connector.

[Tupin]

What I've seen people do is buy low height small plastic see through rubbermaid bins in bulk, and mount their pcbs inside them with a hole cut for the JAMMA edge connector.
I guess I could always have the edge connector coming out of a slot in the top of the unit.

[TheDomesticInstitution]

I know you have everything taken care of, but I figured this may interest you. Maybe.

http://forums.arcade-museum.com/showthread.php?t=117245

[Tupin]

Another monitor change! I got my DB connectors in the mail today from Digikey, and I realized that a Performa and the IIGS have the same connector, just different wiring. If I wire it like a Performa, I can put an adapter on the port and hook the SuperGun into my TV with VGA ports.

I also won my first arcade board: The Main Event by Konami. Pretty decent wrestling game, and I got it for $18 shipped.

[Tupin]

Question: Does JAMMA use separate horizontal and vertical syncs, or is it combined? Here's the pinout for a the kind of connector I want to use now:

1-Red Ground
2-Red Video Signal
3-Composite Sync
4-Sense Line 0
5-Green Video Signal
6-Green Ground
7-Sense Line 1
8-None
9-Blue Video Signal
10-Sense Line 2
11-Ground for Composite Sync and Vertical Sync
12-Vertical Sync Signal
13-Blue Ground
14-Horizontal Sync Ground
15-Hortizontal Sync Signal

Ignore the sense line things. Those don't matter.

[Arasoi]

JAMMA uses composite sync.

[Tupin]

Meh, might as well cut out the middle man and just wire up straight VGA.

[Tupin]

Just unearthed a very helpful post in the archive, it helped me a lot:

http://www.digitpress.com/archives/arc00093.htm

VGA is easy to wire up, just connect the RGB wires up and connect them to ground, then hook up composite sync and ground. Will I have enough ground wires? I need two for the controller ports.

[aclbandit]

Just unearthed a very helpful post in the archive, it helped me a lot:

http://www.digitpress.com/archives/arc00093.htm

VGA is easy to wire up, just connect the RGB wires up and connect them to ground, then hook up composite sync and ground. Will I have enough ground wires? I need two for the controller ports.

VGA SuperGun? That sounds SEXY. Just sayin'.

If I'd have thought of that before I bought my first cabinet... well, I might have more space and might not be looking for a second one >_<;

Make sure and keep us updated with pics when you get it done. Really cool project.

[Tupin]

Well, I'll be able to assemble it long before I play it. But all of the parts have been ordered or are on the way. Prices include shipping.

Let's calculate price so far, shall we?
Power supply yanked from old PC-Free
2 DB-15 Male connectors-$4
1 VGA connector-$2
JAMMA Harness-$18.10
Audio connector taken from previous project-Free
VGA Cable I had laying around-Free
The Main Event Game board-$17.50
Neo-Geo to PS2 controller adapter-$19.55

Total cost thusfar: $61.55

I just ordered the controller adapter from Hong Kong from Hong Kong Game Doctor, they just appear to be a Tototek-like store, hopefully I should get it by the week of the 31st at the latest. I'm waiting for the harness to come so I can get an idea of how to build an enclosure based on its size. I'll have everything ready by the time the controller adapter comes, and I'll post pics along each step.

[Tupin]

Sorry, double post.

[Arasoi]

You might already have this angle covered, but are you using a scaler to get that RGB signal to VGA? Modern TVs and VGA monitors cannot natively display the older RGB signals.

[Tupin]

You might already have this angle covered, but are you using a scaler to get that RGB signal to VGA? Modern TVs and VGA monitors cannot natively display the older RGB signals.
I've read it could, according to this thread:

http://forums.arcade-museum.com/showthread.php?t=96148

But I'll go back to wiring it like a Performa and using an adapter anyway. Same result, but I'll save $50.

[Arasoi]

There are some VGA monitors capable of displaying composite sync and signals at 15khz, but they are fairly scarce. I would call those displays the exception to the rule basically.

[Tupin]

Which is why I'm going to wire it like a Performa now that I realized that.

[Tupin]

Just got my harness and game board today, I'm ready to wire it up as soon as I have time. :D

As for an enclosure, I figured I would take advantage of the military surplus near me. I'm going to take an old ammunition canister and mount it in that if I can.

[aclbandit]

Just got my harness and game board today, I'm ready to wire it up as soon as I have time. :D

As for an enclosure, I figured I would take advantage of the military surplus near me. I'm going to take an old ammunition canister and mount it in that if I can.

This will, I hope, look as insanely awesome as it sounds.

[thchardcore]

I did this a few years back.

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d35/thchardcore/DSC01630-1.jpg
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d35/thchardcore/DSC01631-1.jpg
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d35/thchardcore/DSC01629-1.jpg

[Tupin]

Probably a stupid question and it doesn't matter right now, but can I just plug an MVS cartridge into this and play it, or do I need a motherboard?

http://www.jammaboards.com/store/neogeo-mvs-to-jamma-adapter/prod_198.html?ccSID285e73f64c04744fc5f33ff68f52974 2=a49ee682df9d7726e74d7d42401397f3

SuperGun is being built this weekend.

[SPAZ-12]

...and what would you propose to plug the cartridge into without a motherboard?

[Tupin]

I knew it was probably a stupid question, but since I've never owned one, I wouldn't know. :drinking:

[Tupin]

Got the Red video working. The board works, and my wiring is solid! But there's no sound. I just get a buzzing noise when I try to hook up an RCA jack. Any idea how to troubleshoot? I've tried adjusting the volume control on the board.

[Arasoi]

Make sure the pcb's dipswitch settings are set to play sound in its demonstration/attract mode, if you are not simulating coin input in your sound testing.

If still no joy, make sure your audio lines are grounded.

[Tupin]

Well, I have the video all hooked up. Just the player controls are left, which might be difficult as the people who made this harness didn't include a 2P Coin input, both are for 1P. I touched the wire to where it's supposed to be, and it worked. Looks like I'll have to wire that myself, which is much easier now that I have a clean soldering iron with a smaller tip.

I have a small plastic tool box I'm mounting it all in, ammo canisters at the military surplus were either too small, too rusted, or too expensive.

[Tupin]

Got the player 1 controls working, yay.