Arcade tech people, help me out here.

[John Berger]

So I've been thinking about buying this arcade machine from this surplus place I sometimes go to. It's a Captain America and the Avengers game (http://www.klov.com/game_detail.php?letter=&game_id=7275), but I had a few questions.

It's conversion class is JAMMA. I don't know much at all about arcade cabs, but I have heard this name quite a bit. If I got this cab, how hard would it be for me to get other games and put them in? Is it just like a switch of the PCB? Is that possible for non-tech people to do that?

For example, if I found a Turtles in Time PCB, how easy would it be to switch (and then switch back eventually)?

Thanks,
John

[Pempoii]

putting in another pcb is easy, pretty much liek a cart-based consol, but actually configuring the game is the tricky part.

since they're both 4player-8way-2button games, it shouldnt be hard at all, and should just be plug and play, but im only experienced with 6button games so im not entirely sure

[John Berger]

Is the "configuring" just software settings, or does it require rewiring?

[NoAffinity]

JAMMA is a standard that was developed around 1985 (someone that knows for sure can correct me on that), simplifying arcade machine operation dramatically. Pretty much every game manufactured after the JAMMA standard was adopted complies with JAMMA. In laymen's terms, JAMMA is a standard that defines a 56-pin edge connector, which routes all signals to/from cabinet and game PCB. That edge connector plugs directly into the game board, and is wired to the various peripherals of the cabinet (monitor, speaker(s), sticks, buttons, power supply, coin slots, etc etc...do a google search for "jamma pinout" if you want to know exactly what pin does what on the edge connector). Without going into further detail, as Pempoii said, when swapping in a game that uses the same joystick/button setup, you will need to do nothing more than simply swap the game boards. If going to a different game, such as a Street Fighter 2 or other game with a completely different joystick/button layout, then yes, some major conversion would be necessary. In that case, you would be better off getting a cabinet dedicated to that type of setup....but that's another topic, which I won't bother expanding on unless you are interested.

[Pempoii]

for TiT it should be as easy as just changing boards and software settings *if needed( freeplay etc)* but im not entirely sure

edit:NoAffinity beat me to it and said a better answere :)

[Cryptlord]

Pretty ugly cab. I think your should buy a candy cab or something else.

[NoAffinity]

Pretty ugly cab. I think your should buy a candy cab or something else.

For what he wants to play, I don't think candy cab would be the best choice. ;) That right there is the beauty that was late-80's arcadia. :rock: