Project: Arc

[NightrainSrt4]

ARC

This project was prompted when I realized I had a Thinkpad X61 that would get too hot in its case to do much of anything. If I couldn't use it as a laptop then what would I do with it? Bartop styled ARCade System.

Buttons, switches, joystick, and donor controller.
http://img859.imageshack.us/img859/8994/img2687l.jpg

Some nice Happ concave buttons.
http://img831.imageshack.us/img831/3228/img2688q.jpg

Happ competition joystick.
http://img854.imageshack.us/img854/516/img2689oo.jpg

Donor X61.
http://img820.imageshack.us/img820/1975/img2691vs.jpg

Opened up. Laptop is so nice. Wish it hadn't come to this.
http://img718.imageshack.us/img718/1773/img2692cu.jpg

Donor controller. Old USB controller that has been sitting for years. Busted analog stick, but I don't need that anyway.
http://img845.imageshack.us/img845/4613/img2690y.jpg

Stripped down.
http://img836.imageshack.us/img836/4144/img2693dn.jpg

Removed all the extras and stripped it down to the main controller board. Direct access to the signal pads.
http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/6568/img2695e.jpg

In retrospect I would have kept the wire leads, and soldered to them. I had an issue with some of the pads. Probably due to my very hasty soldering; I was in a rush to get it done before running out the door to class. I had mistraced the USB data + and - wires, so I had to resolder those. The +5V also pulled the pad off after moving around a bit, so I scraped the trace down to the copper and soldered to that. Hot glued it to keep it strong once I knew it worked.
http://img820.imageshack.us/img820/2353/img2696u.jpg

Placed into a project box and wired up so I can easily add / remove the arcade wires without having to desolder and mess with things. It now works and is recognized by the computer. Just have to wire up the buttons and joystick.
http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/1597/img2698bc.jpg

Tracing out my idea for the shape of the sides of the frame. All I have are basic hand tools, so instead of trying to be perfect and being disappointed I am going to just go with the flow and let the creative side of me deal with anything that may come up.
http://img26.imageshack.us/img26/7602/img2703wa.jpg

The two sides cut out.
http://img542.imageshack.us/img542/2193/img2705jo.jpg

Sides attached together with supports. LCD mounted.
http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/4940/img2710h.jpg

I kept the LCD in it's plastic frame as that way I didn't need to make custom mounts for each board.
http://img849.imageshack.us/img849/3566/img2712d.jpg

Plenty of room for the buttons and joystick.
http://img252.imageshack.us/img252/1164/img2713u.jpg

Another angle.
http://img714.imageshack.us/img714/5382/img2716k.jpg

Rear.
http://img706.imageshack.us/img706/6810/img2717mf.jpg

Ran wires to the 12V and ground on the LCD for a couple fans. Also ran wires for the monitor's power switch. I didn't realize the monitor gets 12V even when off, so I'll have to have a switch for the fans, or tie them to another switch.
http://img844.imageshack.us/img844/6913/img2719cb.jpg

The handrest mounted and hole cut for the acrylic for the joystick and buttons to go through. I cracked the handrest trying to use the rotary tool to drill, as my drill died, so I'll reinforce it when I get back today from picking up a new drill.
http://img851.imageshack.us/img851/8459/img2721h.jpg

Running the wires up through a whole in the lcd and down the back.
http://img835.imageshack.us/img835/272/img2723e.jpg

Tied off the wires in the hole at the top of the LCD. This way, if I accidentally yank on them, it won't rip them off the solder points.
http://img820.imageshack.us/img820/4951/img2724j.jpg
Expect more progress on the handrest, joystick, and buttons. Then I will wire them up and test them. Have to make sure it all works before I continue. Otherwise I'll have to tear apart another controller and rewire everything to the box.

Paint has always been my bane in this apartment; it never comes out the way I want it to. In light of that, I am going to be wrapping the sides, handrest, and trim boards in fabric. This will keep me from worrying about dealing with paint, and is why I left some gaps between pieces.

[Neodymium]

Wasn't this only a few days ago that it came up in a discussion:eek:

Looking forward to more!!!!

WOW...sub'd

[SXRguyinMA]

+ sub :D

[NightrainSrt4]

Thanks and yup! I started looking through my stuff the day after that thread. Ordered the joystick and buttons on ebay and went at it.

I picked up a drill today, so I will continue working on the handrest and acrylic base for the buttons tomorrow. Hopefully I can get the buttons in and wired up so I can test and make sure it all works. Then get the trim pieces going. I picked up some fabric at the thrift store today. I found some nice vinyl in the clearance section of JoAnn fabrics, but it turns out the price listed was per yard and not total, so I grabbed some fabric from the thrift store instead.

[AmEv]

Figure out how to have a slide-out keyboard!

[NightrainSrt4]

I was thinking about that, but once it is setup I will use it for nothing but NES/SNES/Genesis. Anything else any of my other computers could do just as well. So it will most likely be a set it and forget it deal once it is done.

[TLHarrell]

Leave an external USB hub. For keyboard, mouse and a USB thumb drive to offload new game ROMs from. Will make life easy in the future. Or have the hub just inside of an easily accessed panel.

[AmEv]

^And that's why I suggested the keyboard.
For accessing things you couldn't with a D-pad.

[NightrainSrt4]

I figured I would run a USB extension to the exterior of the case. I was also going to keep the wireless that way I could RDP if I needed to.

[d_stilgar]

Just boot into hyperspin. It's a front end for your OS that's pretty much an HD rom menu system. It's pretty awesome.

[AmEv]

So, are you going to have a screen on the back, so people can watch you play without hugging beside you?

[Neodymium]

I'm sure he don't mind hugs...:P

[AmEv]

Not when people are squishing the life out of you :P

[Neodymium]

:redface:

[AmEv]

*awkward*

[OvRiDe]

GREAT.. now he's going to keep his neighbors up by playing wild arcade games at all hours of the afternoon! :eek: :facepalm:

:P

I totally dig this project. Something I have wanted to do myself for quite a while but just never seem to get around to it.

Looks great so far, can't wait to see the end result!

[xr4man]

i'm really digging this. there are some great ideas here for re-purposing laptops that are quite inspiring and this one is at the top of the list.

[NightrainSrt4]

Thanks. I have to go out and grab a hole saw for cutting the holes for the buttons. I don't have any quiet and quick way to get these cut out. I drilled a pilot hole and was going to use a circular file to widen it and then file it out, but that is taking forever and making a huge mess.

Maybe I'll have better luck with a hole saw and then filing what little is left.

[NightrainSrt4]

Did some work after getting the hole saw today. The hole saw I used made the hole almost too big.

Holes cut.
http://img607.imageshack.us/img607/9529/img2726b.jpg

Wrapping with some vinyl cloth to tighten up the space a bit.
http://img828.imageshack.us/img828/9634/img2729y.jpg

Holes cut and buttons and joystick put through.
http://img809.imageshack.us/img809/7643/img2732s.jpg

Ignore the dark room and poor lighting.
http://img40.imageshack.us/img40/248/img2736a.jpg

Back side showing switches.
http://img828.imageshack.us/img828/9169/img2737ip.jpg

Just resting in its position. It isn't bolted in and tightened up.
http://img831.imageshack.us/img831/271/img2743v.jpg

Full view.
http://img845.imageshack.us/img845/8876/img2744p.jpg

No flash.
http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/525/img2745t.jpg

Later I will start wiring it up, then I will bolt it to the frame.

[Aldersan]

looking good! make me one :D

[xr4man]

yeah, that has awesome written all over it.

[NightrainSrt4]

All wired up and tested. Everything worked fine. Seems like I'll be spending more time configuring all the software than building it.

Need to get some tacks for the fabric. Also need to figure out where I'm going to mount the laptop. Once everything is all mounted then I can start fabric wrapping.

[NightrainSrt4]

The fabric worked great for the handrest, but horribly for the concave curve on the side panels. Time to think of something else. Duct tape, maybe?

[Neodymium]

soft rubber/silicone tubing slit down on the length for the edges, rest in fabric or paint...that way your cover the curves and protect too

[NightrainSrt4]

I've got some new pictures to post, but I'm having a major problem.

I'm not sure how much of it can be discussed here, so if there is a problem a mod could let me know.

I don't have enough buttons. MAME allows for multiple button presses, so I can hit the joystick left and select and it will exit the game. Other emulators don't seem to support multiple button presses, so on systems where all eight buttons are used I have no key I can assign to exit the game. I need to find a way to map joystick left and select to exit these, but I can't figure it out. Most of the emulators are one button press, one action. But I need to be able to hit two buttons at once and have it perform that action. Grrr.

[Aldersan]

Would it be possible to program some sort of macro that you could use outside of the actual emulators, that would simply exit the currently selected program when you hit joyleft+select ? I know there's a ton of macro programs out there, maybe check in to those?

[NightrainSrt4]

I'm trying but I can't get any of the usual programs to recognize multiple joystick presses. Can't get xpadder or joy2key to see IF start + select THEN key. They only recognize IF start THEN key, etc. Autohotkey has an exit emulator setting but I can't get it to recognize any of the button presses. Frustrating the heck out of me.

[Aldersan]

I'm not very familiar with those programs, so this idea could sound totally stupid to you, but would it be possible to use joy2key to map, say, joyleft to a key, say [, and then select to a different key, like ], then have the autohotkey exit emulator setting go off of [+]?

[Stonerboy779]

When going arcade it is easiest to use an opacity controller instead of modding controllers.
Also best thing for you to edge with is T-mould will give everything a nice clean look. I am loving the handrest.

Solid work it's got me itching to get back into my arcade machine.

[NightrainSrt4]

Yeah, I thought about looking for some u-channel / t-mould, just haven't gotten out yet.

I'm tired, so it's probably why I'm not thinking clearly. The using joy2key / xpadder setting both to a keyboard key then having autohotkey shutdown on the combination would work. I compromised by using xpadder to hit the select key if the button was pressed for 0-3 seconds, and to switch to hitting escape if the button was held for more than 3 seconds. Then having autohotkey shutdown on escape. Seems to work well enough. Not ideal, so I may switch to the start-select / select-left key combination.

I may also use this hold for x seconds setup to get at least one quick savestate / quick loadstate in. I'll probably set it to quit on a key combo and quick save on holding select for 3 seconds, and quick load on holding start for 3 seconds. That might work out alright.

[Aldersan]

Yeah, sounds good to me! Best of luck with that, and keep on modding! :D

[Stonerboy779]

You could add additional switches on the sides, in the style of pinball bumpers.
This would let you have a dedicated esc on one side and maybe a pause or back on the other if you don't already have it, the quick save that you want possibly.

Please tell me you are going to replace the speakers with something a little more substantial looking forward to more of this

[NightrainSrt4]

Hopefully in a year or two we will be in a house instead of an apartment and I can actually mod the way I know I could if I had the space and resources.

Ignore the crappy lighting. Taken at night and the room is poorly lit to begin with. I also forget to stop and setup a photo. I get going and pictures end up being an afterthought.

Flash:
http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/9473/img2770du.jpg

http://img835.imageshack.us/img835/1327/img2773o.jpg

http://img543.imageshack.us/img543/7049/img2776pe.jpg

No Flash:
http://img717.imageshack.us/img717/6797/img2772tf.jpg

http://img838.imageshack.us/img838/3480/img2775v.jpg

With LCD in place.
http://img861.imageshack.us/img861/8114/img2778i.jpg

The duct tape is growing on me. Kind of has that homegrown feel going for it. I tried to make the tape in perfect lines, but it didn't look right so I went for the random approach over the top of it. I may just make a few black plexi panels and u-channel it to cover it up, but I'm starting to like it the more I use it. Either way, it is a nice contrast with the other navy blue fabric wrapped pieces that will be on it versus my first attempt in wrapping those in navy as well. It was too blue, on top of not making that concave curve.

[Aldersan]

It's getting there! I think i would prefer some black plexi instead of the duct tape look, but to each their own :D keep up the good work

[Neodymium]

I like the duct tape! It's awesome! But, it'll start peeling off after a bit...plexi might bea good idea in the long run

[NightrainSrt4]

The plexi just brings the pain in the butt of having to cut things all over again. I spend five minutes cutting and 2 hours cleaning. It's why I stopped modding cases when I did. Such a pain.

It's why I started thinking of ways to keep cutting and painting to a minimum. Ideally, I would sand, filler, seal, paint, clear, etc but it just isn't an option here. It's either come up with creative uses of other materials, or just not mod at all. I've gone the not modding at all route and it is killing me, so I'm just going to have to learn to love these alternative methods. =)

The duct tape works well in a dimly lit room, which is the entire apartment. It doesn't look as nice when there are a bunch of bright lights on it (like the flash on the camera). Shrug. It is growing on me and I'm starting to like it.

Maybe when we get a new place I will rebuild the system and do it up right; I wish that was an option currently, but gotta work with what I can do and what I have.

[Aldersan]

Hmm, what about keeping the duct tape, but finding something to put over it to keep it from peeling and looking crappy in a month or so? Maybe some sort of clear coat of paint, or spray adhesive or something? I didn't think the duct tape looked bad, it has character, I would just be mostly worried about how it looks in a month after some use.

[NightrainSrt4]

I'll see how the duct tape holds up. If it starts to look bad then I'll figure out something else to swap it with.

As for more switches, I'll have to look at my notes of the pcb traces. I'm not sure there are any more buttons I can use that aren't dedicated to some functionality of the controller. Plus, adding more buttons means spending more money. The press and hold seems to be working well; I tried it out for quite a while earlier. If I had the extra pins on the controller board and if I had a pinball game, it would be cool to have the pinball bumper buttons.

EDIT: As for the speakers, I will be using the speakers on the monitor. This will give more oomph than the one speaker on the laptop, and will be plenty for me. I can't have things too loud anyway, not that I'd want to be blasting 8-bit sound at 140dB anyway.