2-1 remote JAMMA switcher being a pain, help me...

[keithsarcade]

I am trying to make this heap work with an MK/MKII setup. Only problem is MK is acting strange, almost like a button is stuck. Once you hit start it selects Kano right off the bat, skips the battle plan screen and the punch/kick buttons are wrong, you lose a game and the timer goes straight to zero, game over. The kick harnesses are daisy chained and work fine without this contraption attached.

Upon further inspection, I see there is nothing linking the -5v or video ground. Instead, a jumper wire is soldered in linking the video ground to ground at pins 1 and 2, and theres one -5v jumper wire for the second harness but not the first. So it seems the first one isnt even getting -5v and the second is only getting it on one side.

I'm thinking the only way Ill get this thing to work properly is to bridge all the -5v connections and video ground connections (I also get no service switch with this thing, but thats not a big deal). Not sure if this will solve my issue or not, but what concerns me is this: If I bridge these connections, that means both boards will always have -5v going to them, even if one isnt getting the other voltages, and the video ground would also be going to both boards at once. Would this cause any problems or have any damaging effects to either PCB?

Theres also a jumper at XS8 and I have no clue what it does, does anyone know? Heres what this thing looks like...

 

[keithsarcade]

More crickets? Someone's gotta have some expierience with this thing.

 

[keithsarcade]

Will this video help?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgLbe6u1hJ4

Skip to about midway thru the video if you want to see the issue I'm having.

 

[Grbgemen]

Might wanna do a search on those jamma switchers. I think i remember reading about the -5v and you are right, it is only present at the first slot. You will have to jump it to the other slots. Check the other posts first though to make sure.

 

[mecha]

if this is anything like the 6-in-1 switcher, then there's a few different things you'll need to do to get it to where it'll work right with the MKs.

first off, if there's no -5 present on the one side, you'll have to jumper it from the other side that does have it with a wire and you just solder it to the fingers.

second, for whatever reason they don't include the test switch either and you've probably discovered. you can either mod this or you can leave it alone and just use dip switches to access the test mode. since this one's an input though, you're going to need to put a diode inline on each of the wires you use to jumper the dead pin on the JAMMA input to the 2 slots, otherwise the test button will remain constantly on.

likewise, the problem where Kano gets selected immediately (etc.) is because all player 3/kick harness headers will remain constantly active unless you place diodes inline in the wiring for EACH button. I just woke up, I have no idea which direction they're supposed to face right now, lol.

if you look for videos on youtube from a user called YourMKArcadeSource here: http://www.youtube.com/user/YourMKArcadeSource there will be vids on the 6-to-1 switcher.

unfortunately the good one that shows how to do ALL the mods was deleted. he's Zenomorp on here, maybe you can PM him on here or youtube and he'll help you out, he actually performs all those mods for people, like they send their boards in, he mods them, and ships back to them. so I'm sure he can lend you a hand with this if you have further questions.

 

[keithsarcade]

Sounds like I need to add some Diodes to the mix then. Does the shack have them, which ones do I need?

I bridged all -5v so all is well there, my concern was constantly running -5v to a board not in use, but it sounds like thats not an issue. Although another issue has popped up, the switcher is making poor contact with the MK PCB, causing the video to go in and out. A jiggle will get the video to come back for awhile.

I may just forget all about this thing. Ive spent so much time and effort already into it that it hardly seems to be worth the trouble. It literally takes less than 30 seconds to switch the JAMMA harness from one board to the other thanks to that sliding drawer that comes right out of the front of that MK cab. Not exactly a push button remote, but I was trouble free with that setup.

 

[mecha]

Sounds like I need to add some Diodes to the mix then. Does the shack have them, which ones do I need?

I bridged all -5v so all is well there, my concern was constantly running -5v to a board not in use, but it sounds like thats not an issue. Although another issue has popped up, the switcher is making poor contact with the MK PCB, causing the video to go in and out. A jiggle will get the video to come back for awhile.

I may just forget all about this thing. Ive spent so much time and effort already into it that it hardly seems to be worth the trouble. It literally takes less than 30 seconds to switch the JAMMA harness from one board to the other thanks to that sliding drawer that comes right out of the front of that MK cab. Not exactly a push button remote, but I was trouble free with that setup.

the constant -5 won't be a bother.

I just ordered a shit ton of zener diodes from mouser last year. they'll work, just have to be at least 5V. Zenomorp recommends like a 4N1000 or whatever it is... I don't know much about diodes, lol.

the JAMMA harnesses can only really take so much abuse from plugging and unplugging boards, I've seen it on a few of my games now, there'll be 1 input pin or a damn primary color for the video (or worse, the sync) that'll crap out and you'll have to bend and wiggle shit to make it work. and then in my case I whipped out the hot glue gun to hold the wiring in the place I need them!

so yeah, for the little elbow grease you have to apply to get the bastard working, it'll be worth it in the long run I think.

did you get my message about your old MK2? those speaker +/- wires from the sound board needed to go to the main board, that's probably why all your sound hardware worked but you didn't hear anything.

EDIT: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sZMHw6P25o the video, it has a 2nd part. watch both.

 

[keithsarcade]

Oh, yeah I got your PM, thought I wrote you back. Well as you can see in the first part of the video I had 2 bad sound PCB's all along. I bought a whole new boardset and it arrived this week, working all the way. After I tested everything I now basically have 2 working PCB's and one working sound PCB, and another 2 that dont work. Now hopefully this one working sound PCB will last a long time, I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Extras are up for grabs BTW. I put the JAMMMA switcher up for sale also, but if it dosent move Ill try adding diodes and see what happens.

 

[mecha]

yeah, I really truly wish I could use my 6-in-1, but the major problem is that my games are operated in a commercial setting, and I don't trust the jomokes running around the place when I'm not there with that remote.

I don't even trust the bastards with the task of even selecting a game when it turns on. lol

then again, I can't be hip and cool like all the other multi MKers out there: I don't feel regular MK3 is a justifiable purchase.

I'll just occupy a slot with High Impact Football. that and 4 MKs... my world would be complete.

I'm sure you'll have no problems unloading your JAMMA switcher though, but if you wind up keeping it, I'll dig out mine and tell you how to do things. the new vids Zenomorp put up don't outline the actual moding as well as the old ones before his youtube account got deleted did.

 

[TK_Monkey]

http://forums.arcade-museum.com/showthread.php?t=102083&highlight=kombat+diode

This thread has all the info you'll need and then some. You need to put diodes in line in the kick harness or you'll wind up with essentially a phantom button press. Whenever I find the time to get my multi fighter truly multi (starting with replacing the shitty under-spec relays) I need to do that to a bunch of kick harnesses. Pretty sure I got a buttload of them from pacmandotcom.com , which is Riptor here. First link in that wall of links on the first page of that thread will give you the type of diode you need.

 

[keithsarcade]

I just added diodes, Still having the issue though. Going into the test menu this time and in switch tests, theres now a constant flickering effect with the kick & test buttons (before they were just constantly on). I also added a diode to the test switch wire going to the second harness for MKII (since I had to add that wire), and now the test switch wont even work for MKII.

Still having the video issue, even cleaned the edge connector, this thing is touch sensitive, a jiggle makes it go away for awhile, but then I notice some wash out on the screen.

With all that being said, This thing IMO is a piece of junk, I'm finished wasting time and money on it. Going back to switching harnesses around which, like I mentioned, takes less than 30 seconds to accomplish.

 

[TK_Monkey]

I just added diodes, Still having the issue though. Going into the test menu this time and in switch tests, theres now a constant flickering effect with the kick & test buttons (before they were just constantly on). I also added a diode to the test switch wire going to the second harness for MKII (since I had to add that wire), and now the test switch wont even work for MKII.

Probably a dumb question, but the latter makes me wonder if you put a diode in backwards? Either way sounds like a major pain, hopefully going back to switching harnesses will prevent any further grey hairs.