MAME coin door and slots

Today I took a little break from woodworking and spent a little more time on my arcade system (aka "MAME").

A while back I had disassembled the coin door. This was once a real working system and vandals had tried to kick in the door to steal the coins or tokens. I wanted to hammer out the dents and make it look more respectable, which I did. The trouble was that I had long forgotten how to put the coin slot mechanisms back together again.

I contacted the man that I bought the cabinet from and went for a visit. During my visit I brought back the old monitor and a transformer. Both worked, but I didn't need them, and since he is in "the biz" I figured that he could use them as spare parts. In return I asked if one of his people could reassemble my coin door. None of his workers were there, so he gave me another coin door from a different cabinet. I used that as a pattern to reassemble my own.

Next up was to do some wiring. The coin slots have lights, to show you where the coins go. I had done some research and found that I could run these off a 12V source. When I got the PC I also got a Y-type splitter for internal drive components. I modified this and installed it in the PC, then ran my new wire out the back. I had to extend the coin door light wires, but that wasn't a problem When done I turned it on. Only 1 light came on, but I knew that it was wired ok. I pulled the bulb and found a broken filament. This bulb is commonly used in automotive trailer marker lights. So I went to Wal-Mart and bought a package of 2. Plugged one in and it worked, but the brightness was not the same as the original. Since it was a pack of 2 I changed out the original and they both glow the same now.

Finally, I did some more extension wiring and made another little Y adapter so that I could activate the coin door switches. When you put in a coin it rolls past a switch and that is wired to the computer to add "credit" to a game. If you look at my previous pictures you can see a green button on the console. That button was and still is wired to add credit. For now I hooked up the coin slots in parallel, so that credit could be added with a coin or a push of the green button. When I powered it up I started up Donkey Kong, and then inserted a coin. It was so pleasing to see it add credit. I tested both slots and they both work. Fantastic.

The green button still works, but it is temporary until the entire system is complete. When I build and install the permanent control panel the machine and keyboard will all be locked up. Then the only way to add credit will be with coins (ok, and with a black button that I will hide on top of the cabinet).

Here is how it looks with the coin slots illuminated:


Note that the locks are still not done. Those will be next. I wanted new locks but for some reason, store bought locks fit the holes right, but the locking bars do not engage their slots correctly. That will require a little lock bar bending (heat + anvil).