Control question on JAMMA switched cabinet

fmc819

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I have a Williams 19-in-1 running Robotron in a cabinet with two joysticks. Left joystick moves player, right joystick fires.

I put a RiddledTV JAMMA EZ Switcher in the cabinet to be able to switch over to Smash TV, which I have on a PCB.

So Robotron --> Switcher --> controls/monitor etc.
Smash TV--> Switcher --> controls/monitor etc.

I assumed that Smash TV would recognize the right joystick similarly to Robotron, and use it to fire weapons. But it recognizes it as Player 2 for movement. Again, only two joysticks in total.

Is there a way I can rig this so that when I switch the JAMMA over to Smash TV, it recognizes the right joystick as Player one "fire'? '

Could I add a second set of wires to the right joystick and run them to the appropriate pins on the Smash TV JAMMA harness (skipping the EZ Switcher harness)?
 
If you want to use the player 2 joystick as the button inputs for player 1, you just have to connect that player 2 joystick to the player1 button inputs on your Jamma harness.

Alternatively, you could daisy chain the P1 buttons with your P2-joystick so it triggers both simultaneously... But you wouldn't be able to play any other 2 player games on your 19in1 board.
 
I only want to play Robotron on the 19-in-1 (the cabinet only has the two joysticks and no buttons so the only other game on there that's playable is Bubbles). I can't connect the player 1 buttons to the player 2 joystick because there aren't any actual player 1 buttons.

If I follow your first suggestion, and connect the player 2 joystick to the player 1 buttons on the harness (I'm assuming you mean the harness that goes into the Switcher), wouldn't that have the unintended consequence of rendering the joystick non functional in Robotron? Or did you mean rewire the harness between the Switcher and the Smash TV harness so that the player 1 button wires coming out of the Switcher connect to the player 2 joystick pins on the harness that connects to the Smash TV?
 
Put this on the harness on the smash TV side going into the switcher then re-route the inputs. I did something similar on aero fighters. I wanted to switch player 1 and 2 inputs for just that game. Works fine and when I switch to the other pcb in cabinet the controls are correct.
1000022640.jpg
 
Put this on the harness on the smash TV side going into the switcher then re-route the inputs. I did something similar on aero fighters. I wanted to switch player 1 and 2 inputs for just that game. Works fine and when I switch to the other pcb in cabinet the controls are correct.
View attachment 860933
thanks - can I ask where you go that (I can't find it by searching what's printed on that), and I assume it involves soldering?
 
That adapter will work, but you don't need it if you are only wanting robotron and smash TV.
1762784831881.png

The 19in1 board has (software) dip switches to allow you to use the player 1 buttons to control shooting, which is exactly what Smash TV uses. You just need to connect your player2 joystick to those player1 button inputs. If you don't wish to use the player 2 joystick for any other games, you can just connect it directly to player 1 buttons 1 thru 4. Both games use the same controls, so you don't need an adapter board.
 
how are you connecting the smash tv to the ez switcher?

I am assuming EZ game interface Jamma? What i have done with many of my EZ game interfaces is I have cut the traces to remap any way I needed. Could also use the EZ any game interface, but I have found cutting traces and remapping is simpler if you just need to change 4 or 5 things.
 
how are you connecting the smash tv to the ez switcher?

I am assuming EZ game interface Jamma? What i have done with many of my EZ game interfaces is I have cut the traces to remap any way I needed. Could also use the EZ any game interface, but I have found cutting traces and remapping is simpler if you just need to change 4 or 5 things.
While this is innovative and accurate, I do not think it necessary for this instance. Admittedly there are definitely other workarounds for this, but OP expressed to me via email that he does not want to solder anything to make this revision.
I'm also not sure that the test and service wires are needed. The 19in1 board has a service switch on the board, and only buttons 1-3 are needed to change the software dip settings.
All that I think is necessary is to move 4 wires on the control panel from the P1-buttons to the P2 joystick... assuming that the Jamma harness still has those 4 wires.
 
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While this is innovative and and accurate, I do not think it necessary for this instance. Admittedly there are definitely other workarounds for this, but OP expressed to me via email that he does not want to solder anything to make this revision.
I'm also not sure that the test and service wires are needed. The 19in1 board has a service switch on the board, and only buttons 1-3 are needed to change the software dip settings.
All that I think is necessary is to move 4 wires on the control panel from the P1-buttons to the P2 joystick... assuming that the Jamma harness still has those 4 wires.
I have always found it better to make the board work with the cabinet, not the cabinet work with the board, especially when using a switcher system.

JAMMA standard is just 3 buttons rather than 4, so fingers crossed op's setup has that 4th wire.
 
I saw you wrote further down that this 19-in-1 board has a service switch on it--I have to look again since I couldn't find it. Otherwise, since I only need to use it this one time, I thought I could temporarily connect the service switch wire to the player 1 or 2 start button to get into the 19-in-1 service menu to change Robotron to joystick plus buttons instead of 2 joysticks.
 
I saw you wrote further down that this 19-in-1 board has a service switch on it--I have to look again since I couldn't find it. Otherwise, since I only need to use it this one time, I thought I could temporarily connect the service switch wire to the player 1 or 2 start button to get into the 19-in-1 service menu to change Robotron to joystick plus buttons instead of 2 joysticks.
RiddledTV makes this jamma tester with pass through that is very handy for doing stuff like this :)


1762791341251.png
 
I saw you wrote further down that this 19-in-1 board has a service switch on it--I have to look again since I couldn't find it. Otherwise, since I only need to use it this one time, I thought I could temporarily connect the service switch wire to the player 1 or 2 start button to get into the 19-in-1 service menu to change Robotron to joystick plus buttons instead of 2 joysticks.

This physical switch from page 2 of the 19in1 PCB manual I sent you is the one I mistakenly called a service switch. It allows you to access the service menu. The manual calls it a test switch. Potato/Tomato
1762791499789.png
 
This physical switch from page 2 of the 19in1 PCB manual I sent you is the one I mistakenly called a service switch. It allows you to access the service menu. The manual calls it a test switch. Potato/Tomato
View attachment 861007
It's a dip switch. EDIT: this is a supportive commentary to your comment, not contrary :) I feel like the picture makes things clearer for people.

1762792414058.png
 
This physical switch from page 2 of the 19in1 PCB manual I sent you is the one I mistakenly called a service switch. It allows you to access the service menu. The manual calls it a test switch. Potato/Tomato
View attachment 861007
Thanks, I'll give this a shot. Hooking up the Smash TV PCB to my Robotron monitor has revealed that the monitor is quite dim. Not so noticeable on Robotron since it's such a black-heavy game. Always something I suppose.
 
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