Build Your Own Arcade Machine Construction Images – Part 4
Pictures of my DIY Arcade Machine Project
Hey all! We got a lot of work done on the Arcade Machine this weekend. We came up with a “To Do” list last week so we knew exactly what we needed to get started with this time around. This helped keep us on track and we got a lot of misc. additions installed.
During the construction we cut out the Arcade Controller panel piece, and created a nice beveled edge for it. We also did the modified wiring for the Power LEDs and Power Switch in the system. In addition to that we installed the plexiglass for the monitor and the Arcade Marquee, and also mounted the White Cold Cathode for the marquee into place.
Once all that was complete we installed the modified wiring, hooked up the light kit, uncovered the LCD display and POST tested the system for the first time. Everything went great with the exception of me forgetting to plug in the data cable for the SATA hard drive, and some problems with an inconsistent power supply (PSU).
So overall we got a lot done and we got the first look at the POST screen on the system. It was late but we wanted to see some semblance of an OS running on the system so we booted it with a Linux Live disk of Kubuntu Linux KDE 4. I will be installing Windows XP Home as the primary OS on the system, but I have set aside a 10gb partition for Kubuntu Linux so I can write up some articles on using Emulators in Linux and add them to the site.
As always, all of the pictures for the construction can be found on my Flickr account but I have featured the highlights of the construction here with details and tips for Building your own Arcade Machine.
Home Built Arcade Machine Images - Part 4
Here is a picture of where we finished up last time. As you can see we have most of the external parts of the Arcade Machine complete with the exception of Arcade Controller.
The first thing we did was cut out the Arcade Control Panel piece according to the PDF Arcade Machine Plans I have posted on the site.
Once we had the Arcade Control panel cut out we mounted it into the Arcade Machine to make sure everything fit correctly. It was a perfect fit. We went ahead and added a 45 degree cut sloping towards the monitor for aesthetics and so we would have access to the controls on the LCD monitor if needed.
Once we knew the Arcade Controller piece would fit into the system properly we added a second layer of MDF along the bottom so we could create a beveled front edge for the Control Panel. I traced a line along the bottom of where the Arcade Controller rested on the system so we would know where our second piece of MDF needed to stop.
We traced out the shapes we needed and got them as close to the right size as possible. You want a little bit of overlap on your original piece and then you can use a router to even up the edges.
Once this was done we used a beveled edge bit on the router to round the top and bottom edge on the front of the Arcade Control Panel. This gave the piece a very nice rounded look and feel.
Here is a close up shot of the beveled edge on the bottom of the Arcade Control panel. Once we were finished, both the top and the bottom of Arcade Controls had a nice beveled edge like this.
Next I prepped the wiring for the Arcade Cabinet. Because we are running the power switch to the top of the Arcade Machine (like you would find in many Commercial Arcade Machines) I needed to use the wiring from another power switch to create an extra long one.
I also needed to splice together two Red Power LEDs to illuminate the coin plate I will be crafting for the system. The red LEDs will provide the glow from behind the coin clot that is so trademark of most modern Arcade Machines.
Here you can see the dual red LEDs I have wired up. I spliced the two LEDs into one set of wires so both lights will be powered by the Power LED lead on the motherboard. This way I will have two constant red LEDs glowing in the system. I just need to solder the points where I connected the wires and they will be good to go.
Next we had to cut the plexiglass for our Arcade Machine. There are a lot of suggestions online on the proper way to do this. After reading some forum posts to get a little background we decided using the back of our razor blade (the dull side) to score the plexiglass was the best way to go.
Once this line had been scored into the plexi we used the sharp side of the blade to create a nice line where we would break to the plexi-glass. After that was done you just give it a light whack and it should break perfectly along the line you have made. Worked like a charm!
Next I got the White Cold Cathode light kit ready to be installed into the Arcade Machine. This will be mounted behind the plexiglass for the marquee to provide illumination for the Arcade Marquee.
Here we have installed the plexiglass for the Display and Marquee in the Arcade Machine. We tacked in cleats on the side of the LCD monitor so we would have a place to attach the plexiglass.
In the top you can see the Marquee piece still has the protective film on it. If you look closely you can see the White Cold Cathode mounted inside the system behind the Marquee plexiglass.
Once we had the additional wiring in place we fired up the system to make sure everything was working properly.
Here you can see the White Cold Cathode behind the Marquee is turned on and working properly along with a faint POST screen that can be made out from behind the protective cover for the LCD Monitor in the Arcade Machine.
Since I opted not to install a CD/DVD ROM drive into the system (to save on space and budget) I am using an external DVD-RW drive that I borrowed from work to install Windows XP Home and Kubuntu Linux KDE 4 onto the system.
This way I can just plug the drive into the USB ports on the motherboard, set the BIOS to boot from a USB device and I am ready to go.
This is the final shot from this week’s construction. It was about 1:30am and we had just POST tested the system for the first time. All the hardware worked great with the exception of the power supply which is experiencing an inconsistent POST on hard reboots (Shutdowns).
We used a Micro ATX 200w Power Supply to test the system and rule out problems with the one we had installed. (An AGI 350w PSU). This cleared up the problems with the inconsistent POST so I will need to exchange the PSU before next Friday so we can get this bad boy up and running.
Building Your Own Arcade Machine Follow-Up
Overall I am very happy with the way things are progressing. We have been taking our time and thinking things through while we construct the system. I think this is one of the most important pieces of advice I could offer to people who want to build their own Arcade Machine.
“Take your time. Plan things out. Have fun, and be Creative!”
After all that's what makes a project like this worth doing. If you're not having fun, or don't like the way things are turning out, take a breather and come back with a fresh perspective on your project.
If you have any questions or comments feel free to leave them below. I will respond to any and all comments people leave on the site regarding the project.
As always thanks for visiting my site and keep coming back to check for updates! Next week we will be working on the construction of the Arcade Controller so be sure to check back and see how things turn out!
Updated Build Plans for my DIY Arcade Machine
Design Updates for my Home Built Arcade System
Hey all. As I mentioned in my previous plans post I had a feeling some things would change in the design of the Arcade Machine as the project went along. Well I am pleased to say that because of the initial planning phase, and my friend’s talents as a carpenter, the arcade system is almost 99% to spec.
So I will be keeping the original plans on the site for anyone that wants to take a look at them. The original plans can be found here:
Build Your Own Arcade Machine - Plans, Designs & Guide
I am however updating the plans for the layout of the internal components as this has changed. I will also be adding a more legible plan for the side panels of the Arcade machine.
Updated DIY Arcade Machine Designs
The first download below is for the improved side panel plans. My friend recommended to me, that I remake the side panel plans so they are easier for people to read without the need for a compass, or protractor. In the revised version of the plans we've marked that the back of the system and the bottom of the system are a 90 degree angle. You can match the side of your wood with this for a starting point. From here we have measured the length up the wood and the distance out for each angle in the side panel. Using this plan you should easily be able to determine the shape of the side panel without the need for a protractor.
Download (Arcade Cabinet Plans - Side Panel)
In the next two images I have shown the slightly revised layout of the parts inside the system.
We decided against the fold out keyboard in the first Arcade Machine as it just seemed to be unneeded. (Maybe in a future project) This space is now being utilized for the hard drive mounting area. The next change we made was moving the speakers down to the lower section of the Arcade Machine. This was for two reasons. First there was not enough room for them up top, and second I did not want them blocking the light for the marquee.
Download (Arcade Machine PC Hardware Layout - Side)
Download (Arcade System PC Hardware Setup - Top)
These are the most noted changes in the layout. If you have any comments or suggestions please feel free to leave a comment! Thanks for checking out the site!
Computer Hardware Choices – Parts for a DIY Arcade Machine
What Computer Parts Do I Need For a Great Home Built Arcade Machine?
So I finally picked up my parts the other day! Woot! This means I can finally start moving forward with the project again. I had been stuck on the “Plans” article for awhile because without having the monitor I would be using I couldn’t finish the measurements for the design.
Now that I have the parts I will be using I wanted to take a moment to discuss why I purchased the specific parts I will be using.
Computer Parts List for DIY Arcade Machine
- Motherboard - INTEL BLKD945GCLF MITX ATOM CPU
- Memory - Crucial Technology 1GB DDR2 PC2-6400 240
- Video Card - EVGA e-Geforce 6200 PCI Graphics Card
- Hard Drive - Western Digital 5000AAKS 500GB SATA II 7200 RPM 16MB
- Power Supply - AGI 350W P4 Power Supply W/2 SATA Connection
- Operating System - Windows XP Home OEM SP3
- Surge Protector - Tripp Lite Protect It! TLP606B 6 Outlet
- Speakers - Cyber Acoustics CA-2016WB Speakers
- Montor - ACER V173B 17" LCD Monitor
Hardware I Still Need to Order
- Trackball Mouse - Kensington Orbit Optical Trackball Mouse 64327
- Small “Miniature” Keyboard - Adesso Mini Multimedia Black PS/2 Internet Keyboard ( MCK-91 )
- USB Gaming Controller - Logitech Precision Plug and Play Gamepad (Blue)
So as you can see I have the bulk of the parts I need to workout the measurements for my Arcade Machine design. I still need to order the mouse and keyboard that will be using with this system, but for now I can use spare ones I have lying around for building, and testing purposes.
I also needed to pickup a USB Gaming Controller for wiring my Arcade Controls. I have a great idea that I have been messing around with for this, so I want to read some reviews on which Gaming Controllers people think are the best. (Yet are still affordable)
NOTE: Also notice that I do not have a CD or DVD ROM drive listed in my parts. I have access to spare drives I can use for my installation, and once Windows is on the system I will be transferring the bulk or my ROMs and Emulators via the network to save myself time and energy. You will NEED a ROM drive of some kind to install your operating system, so if you do not have a spare one lying around make sure you purchase one when you get your parts.
PC Hardware Considerations for a DIY Arcade System
Motherboard - INTEL BLKD945GCLF MITX ATOM CPU
The motherboard I will be using in the system is the Intel Bulk D945GCLF Mini ITX Motherboard. This is a great motherboard for a small DIY Arcade system because it is a Mini ITX motherboard that measures roughly 6” by 6” inches.
The CPU is the Intel ATOM Processor which comes built onto the board. It is a 1.6 ghz CPU which should be fine for almost any type of emulation. I remember running Emulators on my old 533 HP PC, and my crappy 486 Thinkpad Laptop.
This motherboard has Onboard Audio and LAN. Supports one stick of memory, and has one PCI expansion slot. Overall this is a great little board for the price and costs about $75 dollars for the motherboard and cpu combo.
Memory - Crucial Technology 1GB DDR2 PC2-6400 240
For RAM I went with a 1GB module of Crucial DDR2. Crucial is a really solid brand and has a good reputation for producing quality memory. The motherboard I am using requires DDR2 memory so that is why I choose DDR2. PC2-6400 indicates 800mhz memory which is the fastest common DDR2 memory (Excluding DDR2 1066 which isn't as common as 800).
The 1GB memory capacity should be more than enough for Emulating any old Console or Arcade system, including Playstation and Nintendo 64. Older systems did not utilize this much memory, as it has only become common place in the past 2 or 3 years.
Video Card - EVGA e-Geforce 6200 PCI Graphics Card
Because onboard video is usually fairly limited I have opted to go with a PCI Video Card to expand the video memory and capability of the system. Even though Emulators do not require much in the way of graphics, I recommend that if you are building an Arcade Machine you utilize some type of video card. Since the Emulators requirements are low you do not need to blow your bank on the card.
I went with the EVGAGeForce 6200 PCI Card. I am not a big fan of EVGA as their customer service is hit or miss, and quality goes up and down depending on the model of your video card. But I was hard pressed to find a PCI video card to use with this motherboard as it does not support PCI-E or AGP, so I decided to go with this card.
Clock speed and video memory are negligible with a video card in a system like this. The main thing we are going for is hardware that will provide dedicated video and take additional load off the processor. Even with low video requirements onboard video is never great for gaming so I do not recommend using it.
Hard Drive - Western Digital 5000AAKS 500GB SATA II 7200 RPM 16MB
For the hard drive I will be using a Western Digital 500gb Serial ATA hard drive. I have opted for Western Digital because they have a higher reliability rate than Seagate from the numbers I have seen based on customer returns.
I am going with SATA to make use of the faster transfer rates. This is mainly because the price difference between IDE and SATA is only a few dollars, and because the motherboard I am using only has one IDE port, but has two SATA ports.
Also the price difference between a 320gb drive and 500gb drive is only about $6 dollars so it makes more sense to go with the larger capacity. With Emulators for the original Nintendo and SEGA systems ROMs are only a couple K each, so they do not take up much hard drive space.
But once you have hundreds of Super Nintendo, Nintendo 64 ROMs, and Playstation ISOs that space starts being used up fast. Having a larger capacity hard drive is always a good idea when you will be storing thousands of files on it.
Power Supply - AGI 350W P4 Power Supply W/2 SATA Connection
The PSU I am going with is an AGI 350 watt power supply. It has SATA connections to power my hard drive, and the wattage is sufficient to power all my hardware including the low end video card.
Make a note that higher end video cards and CPUs require more power. Depending on your setup you may need to go with a 400 or 500 watt PSU or higher. The Intel ATOM CPU and 6200 Video Card do not draw much power from the system so I will be fine with a 350 watt Power Supply.
Operating System - Windows XP Home OEM SP3
For the OS I am going with Windows XP Home. It is about $50 cheaper than XP Pro, and XP Pro does not offer any advantages for an Emulation System.
It is also compatible with many of the Emulators out there, where Vista can be hit or miss depending on the software you are running. I also know XP works well with the menu software I will be using to create a custom interface for my Arcade Machine.
And the biggest benefit is that it is so much cheaper than Windows Vista. I also saved money buy purchasing an OEM copy which can be bought with a computer hardware purchase.
Speakers - Cyber Acoustics CA-2016WB Speakers
The speakers I am using are just an inexpensive pair of Cyber Acoustic speakers. They are USB powered, and have decent a sound for the size and price.
I will be taking these speakers apart so I just wanted to get something cheap, incase I mess up.
Montor - ACER V173B 17" LCD Monitor
I discussed all the considerations for my monitor in a previous article. If you are interested in checking it out, click on the link below.
Using an LCD Monitor for a DIY Arcade Machine
Tripp Lite Protect It! TLP606B 6 Outlet Surge Protector
I will be using a surge protector to plugin the monitor and the system (power supply) within the Arcade Cabinet I build. This way there is only one power cable coming out of the system and it looks more professional.
This will also protect my equipment for over voltages and surges. The surge protector is black so the power cable coming out the system should match the overall look as the system itself will be black.
HARDWARE I STILL NEED TO ORDER:
Trackball Mouse - Kensington Orbit Optical Trackball Mouse 64327
The trackball mouse I have selected was one of the best ones I came across for the design I have in mind. I am planning on mounting the mouse directly through the controller with as little modification to the mouse as possible.
This mouse is very symmetrical so it should be easier to mount through the controller. It is also less expensive than some of the other mice I researched.
Small “Miniature” Keyboard - Adesso Mini Multimedia Black PS/2 Internet Keyboard ( MCK-91 )
I am going with this keyboard mainly for the size. I am looking for a keyboard that is smaller than normal so that I can incorporate it into the design of the system. I want to make it so the keyboard folds out of the Arcade Machine for the times I need to work on the computer, or set things up.
USB Gaming Controller - Logitech Precision Plug and Play Gamepad (Blue) - x2
The last item I am going with is a Logitech Gaming controller. I went with a cheaper model because I do not need the dual analog sticks found on most new controllers.
I will also be taking this item apart to build it into the Arcade System so I wanted to go with something inexpensive but that had good reviews. The controller had a four star rating on Amazon.com and was one of the best that I came across for being a Logitech controller and having for a cheap price.
NOTE: Make sure to get a controller with an "8 way D-Pad".
PC Light Kit - Buying Locally
I will be getting a light kit for illuminating the Marquee on the system. I plan to design a custom marquee and would like to get a white light kit to go behind it. I have not given this part a lot of thought yet so where I get for this is currently up in the air.
Conclusion
This is the basic hardware configuration I will be using in my DIY Arcade Machine. This is by no means a definitive guide as to what is “required” to build your own Arcade machine. You can probably get by with older hardware, or get even better parts if you plan on using it for more than just old Arcade and Console systems.
My main goal here is to create a very functional Arcade machine that will run Emulators great while still staying within a reasonable budget for those who want to build an Arcade machine but can’t blow the bank doing it.