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: : <center><img src="http://www.1bigparty.com/e/mojo77/cptop.jpg"></center> : : This thing will control any game!!! ;-) Now, instead of using my keyboard, I can still hunt and peck my way thru Defender and get that real arcade button feel. What do ya think? HeHeHe. : : Seriously, my arcade project is still going strong. First, I decided to build a PC for the project. I got a K6-2 500 and an AOPEN AX59Pro(VIA MVP3 Chipset) mobo for dirt cheap. $110 for the board, processor, and fan. I'm pretty sure my wife can get a case, power supply, and floppy for free from her work (Earthlink). I have a spare CD ROM, 8 Gig HD, and 15" Monitor, so I'm set on that stuff (I plan to get a 19" monitor or MAYBE a Wells-Gardner Later). That leaves the Vid and sound cards and some other items like memory, NICs, and such. But the cards are a tough one. Seems like the Soundblaster Live Value is popular - I might go with that. I'd like to also play fairly current PC games in my cab as well, so I'd like to get a nice 3D sound card that could also do DOS. Any thoughts on the somewhat leading edge sound cards out there today that may be able to still support DOS? Is that a pipedream or what? As for the Vid card - I'm seriously thinking of getting the Viper 550 TNT type card. It has the output to TV function that I want my Vid card to have(gotta have the option of playing games on the 52" screen! I think some on this board have recommended the ATI rage fury. The Fury seems to be a little bit faster and has a different chipset, but the 550 seems to be a whole lot cheaper. Is there any MAME compatibility problems with TNT vid cards? Anyone have any idea if the Viper 550 will work MAME in DOS? Speaking of DOS! I've been trying (as others seem to have been as well) with getting sound on my DOS mame program that I have on my Gateway PC (PII 233) which has the Ensonic AudioPCI card. I think I have the s/w needed to set up the Ensonic in DOS, but I have found that I need to config EMM386 for DOS and am having a devil of a time doing so. I used to be fairly proficient at tweaking Config.sys and Autoexec.bat files under Win 3.x, but it seems I'm fairly clueless at doing it on Win 95. very frustrating. I guess I will run DOS by selecting it in the Shutdown/Restart sequence - Will this give me the full speed that DOS offers? or do I need to boot a more "real" version of DOS from a floppy or HD? Can anyone pass along to me sample config.sys and .bat files that config EMM386.exe? I tried something like this already - : : Device = himem.sys : : device = emm386.exe noems : : load dos hi (or whatever that cmd looks like) : : this didn't load the emm386 drvr. any help would be appreciated. If there is anyone who has got a Ensoniq AudioPCI card to work - please help me! I have some info from Mameworld on this and I might also try using a frontend to help as well, but I think I gots to get this dang EMM386 thang to work. Jeez! If only Apple had allowed Mac Clones much earlier on in the Game!!!! : : Well, as for more on my Cab project - So the PC part is underway. I have decided to build my own Cab. Seems like Arcade cabs are made with 3/4" board - that is what I will try as well(The high density type at The Home Depot looks mighty nice). I will model my Cab after the old Dig-Dug cabs which seems to be a slight variant of the Defender Cab. This to me is the Quintessential Arcade Cab. : : <img src="http://www.klov.com/images/D/cDig_Dug.jpg"> : : I like how the control panel portion protrudes from the bottom part of the cabinet. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but the Defender Cab goes strait down to the ground from the edge of the control panel. I also like having the monitor somewhat upright and also like the swept forward look of the upper front section which holds up the Marquee. I guess I have plenty of cardboard to make a dry run model of my cab first. That will be fun. : : As for the CP, I will interface it with the IPAC device (Should have shipped out last Wed!). I'm still looking into the CP layout, and it looks like I will design for changeable cp's. Well, I'll try to get this all down on a web site soon. I have also ordered some Happs parts (2 supers, and a ton of buttons, and a ton of quick disconnects) I looked for quick disconnects everywhere, and could not find the small ones (.187") anywhere. My local Ace di not have it or the Home Depot or Home Base either. Radio shack had 'em but sold them in packs of 5 which also included male disconnects as well! Mail ordering them wasn't so bad. I also got a Tron Spinner on an Ebay auction. I got it for $30 or so. I hope I can get an interface that will work with it! IT would be cool to get an "original" spinner integrated into the project. I also would like to have a couple of rotating joysticks on my panel (I love that EPROM game!). I know Happ's sell them and I am willing to pay the price for them, but does anyone know how rotating joysticks are integrated into MAME and a PC? I'm not even sure if MAME supports the rotating joystick portion of the game. I'll have to look that up tonite on the MAME defaults for EPROM. Oh well, that was an earful. I would really appreciate any help on my numerous questions. Thanks for all the info already on this board!!! : : <h1>GAME ON!!!</h1>

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