MAME arcade cabinet
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MAME arcade cabinets are meant to provide the experience of an entire video arcade in one unit. The name MAME cabinet refers to the emulation software MAME, the software used in such a cabinet.
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Cabinet design
There are two common cabinet designs that people tend to choose when building their arcade machine: the upright machine, and the cocktail cabinet.
There are three options for the cabinet. Building one from scratch, obtaining a donor cabinet, or buying a kit.
Building an arcade cabinet from scratch can be very time consuming and may often cost much more than the other options because of all the parts and tools needed. However, building your own cabinet gives you total control over the design.
Obtaining a donor cabinet is often a less expensive option. This involves finding a pre-existing arcade cabinet. However, it often takes time to rehabilitate the more derelict cabinets, and the options for customization are less, as the cabinet's basic form is already set.
The third option is to buy a MAME arcade kit. These kits are available as simple pre-cut wood panels or as complete pre-wired and ready-to-assemble kits. These kits can simplify the process of building a MAME cabinet, especially when purchasing a complete kit. While this option can cost more than using a donor cabinet, prices have dropped in recent years due to competition from multiple vendors.
Panel design
When designing the front panel of the MAME arcade cabinet, one needs to take into account the position and quantity of buttons, as well as how the buttons will interface with the computer.
Arcade controls
While finding the right buttons and joysticks is crucial for personal enjoyment, choosing the right layout can be more difficult. First you need to account for the total number of players. Afterwards, you have to figure out which games you plan on playing on the unit. Different games require different quantities of buttons. Typically a three to four button layout is suitable for most games, with up to six buttons for some more complex fighting games. Other buttons generally included on a panel include 'Start' buttons for each player and an optional coin button. The coin buttons emulates the action of dropping a coin into a coin mechanism, which is generally not required in a home environment.
Joystick
There are three main kinds of arcade joysticks widely available to choose from:
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- 4-way
- The joystick is able to move in 4 directions: UP, DOWN, LEFT, RIGHT
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- 8-way
- The Joystick can move in the same directions as the 4-way as well as: UP-LEFT, UP-RIGHT, DOWN-LEFT, DOWN-RIGHT
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- all motion
- The Joystick can move in a free circular motion
Trackball
This is similar to trackballs used as a replacement for a computer mouse and is embedded in the control panel as shown in the photo.
Spinner
This is far less common than a trackball or joystick and consists of a large knob which can be rapidly spun on its axis.
Steering wheel
Although some specialty cabinets may include this, it is typically only installed in cabinets dedicated to driving games.
Control panel interfaces
Interfacing a computer with arcade controls is generally done in one of two ways: the "keyboard hack", and through the use of a keyboard encoder.
Keyboard Hack
The Keyboard Hack requires the extraction of the control board of a keyboard and then the soldering of the arcade buttons to the actual solder points of individual keys on the keyboard. Therefore, one may solder a blue arcade button to the connection point of the 'b' key. Please see "How to hack a keyboard for use in MAME" in the external links section for an in-depth reference.
Custom interface boards
An easy alternative to the classic "keyboard hack" is an interface board that is detected by the computer as a standard PS/2 or USB keyboard. The most popular units are the I-PAC and J-PAC by Ultimarc, the X-Arcade by Xgaming and the KeyWiz by Groovy Game Gear. Some vendors such as ThrustVector Controls, provide features such as variable rate autofire and macros with adjustable delay between each keystroke.
Monitors
There are three different types of displays used in MAME arcade cabinets: Computer Monitors, Arcade Monitors, and Televisions, each having specific advantages and requirements.
Computer monitors
A Computer Monitor is the least-troublesome way to go. Although more common sizes are normally less expensive than an arcade monitor, monitors that approach the size of arcade monitors are relatively rare and expensive. Computer monitors are also not designed for being mounted inside of a cabinet, so the construction of a custom mount is normally required. Using a computer monitor has a specific advantage in that you will be able to run an operating system as computer monitors can handle the full resolution some modern operating systems require.
Due to the higher refresh rate, this type of monitor will provide the least authentic image.
Arcade monitors
If one is performing a conversion on an existing cabinet, it may already have an arcade monitor. An arcade monitor allows games to be played on a monitor that displays the original resolution the game was designed for. Arcade monitors pose a specific challenge in interfacing with a computer, as the frequency output by modern video cards (31kHz) is different from the frequency used by arcade monitors (15kHz). Using a video card designed for use with an arcade monitor, such as an ArcadeVGA by Ultimarc, can help with this problem.
An alternative is to use a DOS or Linux based solution where appropriate software can force many types of graphics card to produce the required 15kHz frequency. This is generally not possible in Microsoft Window as it does not provide the necessary direct hardware access.
Television Sets
Using a TV set as the display device for the cabinet is a compromise between the Computer and Arcade monitors. Large televisions are easier to find than large computer monitors or arcade monitors, and many computer graphics cards support output to TV. Due to the lower resolution, televisions also feel a lot more like an arcade display than a computer monitor, and can be much less expensive than one at sizes bigger than 20".
Customization
This is the final point of construction. There are many things one can do at this point such as changing the t-molding, re-enameling the metal exterior parts, changing the marquee, or general painting. This really just has to do with personalization.
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- Marquee
- The Marquee is the backlit banner above the monitor. In commercial arcade machines, this normally shows the name of the game within the cabinet.
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- T-molding
- The basic molding that is seen on more classic machines.
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- Painting/enameling
- Allows for color changes/restoration or even just a bit of personalization
External links
- Wiki about building your own arcade cabinet
- Build your own arcade controls - FAQ and Forums
- Dream Arcades - Manufacturer of MAME arcades and kits
- MAMERoom
- Project Arcade
- LuSiD's Arcade Flashback Cabinet Plans
- Road Runner Cabinet Plans - How to build an upright MAME cabinet
- ArcadeParadise.org - Step by step build guide
- How to hack a keyboard for use in MAME
- Arcade Marquees, Sideart, Control panels, custom designed artwork
