As I recall (it's been a while) the ANT was for when you wanted to plug into a TV instead of a monitor. Kurt
If I remember correctly, John is a crack wiz with Ping boards (Am I right? Memory is vague on this one). Figure I'd try something a little different in the mean time and look at a couple of non-CPU based boards :-) I've got the schems (no manual), so wanted to ask a few general questions. I've included the pinout that I have below for reference. I believe it to be the correct one.
1) I'm guessing that I can just drive the board off of +5 and gnd and ignore the xformer. Looking at the schems (they are *very* fuzzy in the version I'm looking at), that looks to be it. Guess I'm half thinking aloud here.
2) Monitor. I see a composite sync line on the schems, but note explicitly documented in the wire diagram. But I'm guessing that you can just pick a color (or tie all three together) and just run it into a normal monitor.
3) Antenna? FCC regulation or something? Interesting.
4) Any other "gotchas"? I was going to start playing around with it tonight during MNF. I do have a Pong on hand right now, so I can also peek inside. Just much easier to run the thing on my bench.
Pinout
1 transformer 2 3 4 transformer 5 6 transformer 7 8 +5 9 +5 10 Coin NO 11 12 Coin NC 13 14 Paddle 1 15 Ant (wtf???) 16 Sound 17 18 Paddle 2 19 20 Video 21 22 Gnd
[snip]
1) I'm guessing that I can just drive the board off of +5 and gnd and ignore the xformer. Looking at the schems (they are *very* fuzzy in the version I'm looking at), that looks to be it. Guess I'm half thinking aloud here.
You are correct, find the start lamp vcc output pin, it is actually +5v going straight to the bus. Remember the entire pcb will be drawing +5 through one pad, so don't leave it like this for long periods as it will heat up and lift.
2) Monitor. I see a composite sync line on the schems, but note explicitly documented in the wire diagram. But I'm guessing that you can just pick a color (or tie all three together) and just run it into a normal monitor.
define normal. If you are hooking it up to an RGB monitor you will have to find the VIDEO signal (this is composite video) back and split it off at the point where it combines the sync and video signals into the one composite signal. Then of course run sync to sync and then run the video to one of the colours. However, if you have an old amiga monitor on your test bench (like i do) then you can just run the video straight into its composite video input. No board hacking neccesary. These monitors are great, with RGB input on the back, and composite RCA phono jacks on the back, with a mode switch on the front. I modified my jamma test rig pinout to include a composite video input on the end of the jamma connector, so i can hook up my b/w games to my regular jamma connector, flip the mode switch and et voila i'm in b/w mode.
3) Antenna? FCC regulation or something? Interesting.
as John already said, anti cheat device, not neccesary to hook up while testing.
4) Any other "gotchas"? I was going to start playing around with it tonight during MNF. I do have a Pong on hand right now, so I can also peek inside. Just much easier to run the thing on my bench.
Pinout
[snip] i don't like the look of your pinout tho, i don't have my schems to hand, but i'm not sure pins 8 and 9 are +5v. I could be wrong, or gettign the pinout confused with other atari pong-style games that i have done recently. you'll also find that you actually need to have a NC/NO switch to coin them up as they use a flip flop for coin input, and it wont register anythgin more than your first credit if you are simply tapping the NO pin to ground. Also, check the schems, again i could be getting confused here, but ithink you might be able to wire pong with a start button instead of it starting as soon as you drop a coin in.. usually a looped pin to ground. [snip]
--James Bright www.QuarterArcade.com Restored Arcade Games for your Home
Let us know how you get on, pongs are dead simple to work on. Andy Welburn www.andys-arcade.com
However, if you have an old amiga monitor on your test bench (like i do) then you can just run the video straight into its composite video input. No board hacking neccesary. These monitors are great, with RGB input on the back, and composite RCA phono jacks on the back, with a mode switch on the front. I modified my jamma test rig pinout to include a composite video input on the end of the jamma connector, so i can hook up my b/w games to my regular jamma connector, flip the mode switch and et voila i'm in b/w mode.
Okay, this is something that is very interesting to talk about because I have built a few monitor hook ups and have yet to find the "ideal" solution. I currently run a 13" monitor off my bench that has a few simple switches to switch into composite mode. It can only handle negative sync right now, so it I have to run a bypass when I'm running Williams Defender type of games. And if I recall correctly, Mortal Kombat boards (usually I am just testing them) are special too. My notes aren't in front of me... so it's fuzzy. (I seem to remember having to run each H and V sync line separately for MK.) What do you do when you have positive sync? Or does the Amiga monitor have a mode for that? Not being familiar with the Amiga monitors, are you talking about the 1080, 1084 monitors? Or something else. I'd keep my eyes open for one to try out. There is a flea market near here and chances are I could get something pretty cheap. (Come to think of it... I believe I have an old Apple II mono monitor lying around. That'd probably work for this Pong.) --James Bright www.QuarterArcade.com Restored Arcade Games for your Home
Okay, this is something that is very interesting to talk about because I have built a few monitor hook ups and have yet to find the "ideal" solution. I currently run a 13" monitor off my bench that has a few simple switches to switch into composite mode. It can only handle negative sync right now, so it I have to run a bypass when I'm running Williams Defender type of games. And if I recall correctly, Mortal Kombat boards (usually I am just testing them) are special too. My notes aren't in front of me... so it's fuzzy. (I seem to remember having to run each H and V sync line separately for MK.)
the monitor handles composite (negative) sync on the jamma, and the composite sync is negative too... Most games (like defender) can be jumpered on the cpu board for negative composite sync output... i've never had a problem with mortal kombat, thats just normal negative composite sync, a la standard jamma?
What do you do when you have positive sync? Or does the Amiga monitor have a mode for that?
nope it doesn't have a mode for it, i usually modify the board if it takes it, or i add an inverter on the jamma connector..
Not being familiar with the Amiga monitors, are you talking about the 1080, 1084 monitors? Or something else. I'd keep my eyes open for one to try out. There is a flea market near here and chances are I could get something pretty cheap.
there are a few types, look for the ones with both RGB inputs (either with a 9 pin D-plug or a SCART socket) the one i use daily is a Philips CM8833 it also has a built in stereo sound amp, good for games without audio amps, and despite what people tell you, good with pcbs that have amps too.. there are other monitors i have used in the past, but i forget the model numbers, i'm pretty sure i used a commodore 1084s for a few years too before selling it on to a psx user who wanted to play import games in RGB.. (yes, when psx's were popular hehe)
(Come to think of it... I believe I have an old Apple II mono monitor lying around. That'd probably work for this Pong.)
quite possibly.. i find its deasy to have one monitor for all arcade use.. one thing i would say tho, the philips didn't require adjusting, but the commodore monitor i have used all needed the H.Freq adjusting internally with a pot hidden on the main board.. becasue it wont sync up to a lot of jamma games from the word go.. I found it would sync up to later konami games (late 80's early nineties) but nothing else, simply put on a pcb that wont syncand ddjust the pot till it syncs, once adjusted, i never had to touch it again, and that is using it with over 100 pcbs without problems.. Also, these monitors are looking for RGB on a 2v peak to peak maximum, so some jamma games (especially namco pcbs, and some later sega's) look really bright.. i live with it as its not too bad if you're jkust using it as a test monitor.. you could add a proprietry circuit to limit the RGB with some resistors or something, something i may build into my rat9000 once i build it, but its ok for now. Also, Acorn Archimedes computers also used the philips range of monitors (essentially the same as the amiga types) but i don't think Acorn computers had much market penetration in north america, so its unlikely you will find acorn monitors over there, they are dead common here as they were used in every school in the land before PC's took over...
--James Bright www.QuarterArcade.com Restored Arcade Games for your Home
hope it helps.. Andy Welburn www.andys-arcade.com
This is really cool... I just ran a +5V, gnd jumper and used an old Apple II monitor I had. I now have Pong running (well, broken!) on my bench. Very neat. Anyone out there have an original Pong schematic they can re-scan? The one that I got (I am assuming originally on Spies) is really, really blurry. Makes it very hard to read. JB --James Bright www.QuarterArcade.com Restored Arcade Games for your Home
I could be wrong, but I'm not sure Atari ever shipped 'original' Pong schematics with the game. I recall seeing copies in the 'Major Assemblies' books they published though. I also have a Kurs-Kash (sp?) and Atari repair guide that has the schematics in it. I'll take a look and see if mine are clearer than the ones Al posted. Generally Al had 'the best' copies of the early stuff... tm James Bright wrote:
Anyone out there have an original Pong schematic they can re-scan? The one that I got (I am assuming originally on Spies) is really, really blurry. Makes it very hard to read.
participants (5)
-
Andy Welburn -
James Bright -
John Robertson -
Kurt Mahan -
Tom McClintock