For a while now, I’ve wanted to build something special; it wasn’t too long before I decided to create a full-sized arcade machine. I found some basic plans on the internet somewhere about the general dimensions and shape of the cabinet. I then took these plans and adjusted them for my liking and requirements.
The entire cabinet is constructed out of stained and painted maple wood to match the room it resides in. The actual functioning parts of the cabinet consist of a standard coin slot, ten buttons, two joysticks, and of course, the computer and screen. The screen is an old, unused TV; I chose it because it will look a little more authentic – pixels, distortions, and all.
Controlling the system is quite simple; it operates by a simple push of the power button located on the front of the cabinet. The circuit I built then takes care of the rest by switching the light, TV, and computer on at appropriate times while displaying information on a small LCD screen.
Once in the system, the user is greeted by a menu allowing them to select whichever game they desire to play. For each system, game, and menu, the buttons on the panel change colour to their associated buttons found on the original controller and/or system. Any unused buttons then turn off to avoid user confusion. To quit a game or return to the main menu, the user simply pushes the coin return lever on the coin slot, and they are quickly swept away. To shut down, the user pushes the power button, which then starts a ten-second countdown, flashes the LCD, and allows the player to react if it was an accidental push by pressing the button again to cancel the shutdown.
As for the actual board I designed to control the system, I used an ATtiny4313 coded in C. The chip outputs the PWM signal to the power button, waits for any interaction, drives the relays controlling the system, and manages the small LCD screen. This simple board is quite important as I quickly realized how complicated it would be for a random person to start up and run the machine without my assistance. The machine now sits in the basement, where anyone can play whichever game they wish.
