How do you hook up a monitor?

Supreme Emperor

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Hi I'm new here and new to building arcade machines. I have a Wells-Gardner monitor, model number 13K7886 (I have one with a touch screen and a couple of others that don't). I have no experience whatsoever on monitors and unfortunately, there is no one to take it to in my town to get this thing hooked up professionally. I can't seem to find a manual. I need to know everything I can about this so I don't blow anything up by accident. (esp. what is an isolation transformer? Where to get it, how to hook it up, etc.)

Can anyone point me in the right direction? Pictures would be the most helpful and if anyone knows what other parts I might need and where I might be able to purchase parts online for a JAMMA machine.

Thanks
 
Holy crap, where to begin....

Uh... jesus, hmmm.....

Monitors are usually hooked up one of two ways (assuming we're talking about JAMMA, and since you said JAMMA, I'll just stick with that). You can hook it up with VGA for high res/31khz games, or you hook it up with red/gree/blue/ground/sync for low res/standard res or medium res games. That's the video. You then need power hooked up to it, which is where the isolation transformer comes into play. Most, if not all, the new monitors don't need a separate transformer anymore. It would be best to tell us what game and what cab you're using, firstly. The Iso transformer almost always is behind and under the monitor itself, off to the side from where the main power supply is. You can see a a black wire and a white wire coming from the power supply leading to a little box like thing. From that, wires come from that to the monitor. There may or may not be a green earth ground, too.

As for using the touch screen ability, I have no idea. I've never had a machine that used it, so I couldn't even begin to help you on that. Sorry.

Where to buy parts? You can go to HappControls.com to look. They have EVERYTHING, but they will be expensive. I do most of my shopping either here or ebay, unless I have to have something new.... in which case I do go to Happ. TwistedQuarter on ebay is a great source for stuff. But, you can go to all sorts of places depending on what you need (bob roberts, lizard lick, neo-geo.com, arcadeotaku). Tons of options.

But, you're asking a lot in a very short post. You may as well tell us to explain the bible in one paragraph. There's lots to know and talk about on the subject. Pics of what you have will help a great deal.
 
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Regarding the different wires needed for a standard monitor, which I'm sure is what you are asking for, you can find what's what on your JAMMA. Here's the pinout for that.

http://www.arcadetreasure.com/techinfo/techinfo.htm

The red green and blue wires will be exactly those same colors. sync and ground are (I believe) usually white and black. Most machines will have a connector with all of these on them coming from your jamma already, so just look for a connector with five wires that are all together in the same housing that fits the description I just gave. Best to be 100% sure and follow where it's coming from.
 
The cab I'm using is a completely empty Atari Asteroids arcade cabinet that I saved from going to the dump by the previous owner it has nothing in it no power supply or any wiring no speakers no nothing.

The game I what to put in it is Capcom's Alien vs. Predator it is a CPS2. I have a jamma harness and some other things already.

here are some pics

IMG_5464.jpg

IMG_5463.jpg

IMG_5275.jpg

IMG_5570.jpg
 
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The monitors are not broken or out of order they are still relatively new.
Thanks for the service manual it may help in the future but it still doesn't help me on how to hook it up right for a scratch built machine.

IMG_5557.jpg

IMG_5569.jpg

IMG_5558.jpg

IMG_5565.jpg

IMG_5564.jpg
 
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Yeah, hooking up an arcade monitor is really straight-forward. Just hook the Jamma red, green, blue, sync and video ground to the input header on the monitor, and supply power through an isolation transformer. Pinouts are all in the manual.

I'd be more worried about finding a 19" monitor. That tiny little 13" monitor is going to look weird in that cabinet :D

-Ian
 
yeah I may use them in a bartop or something smaller. I just needed to know what to do to get them to work.
 
Maybe I'm going to come off as rude, but you asked for help, a guy told you where the manual is, and you brushed him off?

If you really want help, throw that god awful control panel in the garbage and get a monitor that's bigger than a chipmunks dick.
 
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The monitors are not broken or out of order they are still relatively new.
Thanks for the service manual it may help in the future but it still doesn't help me on how to hook it up right for a scratch built machine.

RTFM... Ken has provided you with all of the info that you need. (The Manual)

1. Power to the power plug via an isolation transformer.
2. Monitor input via the 10 pin .156 header

It is all outlined in the manual
 
I love that game!

but I can't believe what you are doing to it.
Save a cab or not, you are building a horrible play experience.

A 13" monitor really isn't going to do it for a 3Player game. I'm working on a project long term to have a AvP in a 3KOAM cab which is huge in comparison.

You seem a fan of the game. Try to find a 4P Data East, Konami or Atari Gauntlet cab to convert if you can't find the original dedicated 3KOAM cab for it.
 
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I'll take the low road, if there is one here.

Regarding your pics, you see the pins where there are a row of 6, a space, and then a row of 3? Orient the monitor so you're looking at 6+3, from left to right. Then your connections go red, green, blue, video ground, positive vertical sync, positive horizontal sync.

Next, the 3 pin header is video ground, negative vertical sync, negative horizontal sync.

I assume at this point you've figured out the AC power and earth ground connections. (use an isolation transformer)
 
but I can't believe what you are doing to it.
Save a cab or not, you are building a horrible play experience.

A 13" monitor really isn't going to do it for a 3Player game. I'm working on a project long term to have a AvP in a 3KOAM cab which is huge in comparison.

You seem a fan of the game. Try to find a Data East, Konami or Atari Gauntlet cab to convert if you can't find the original dedicated 3KOAM cab for it.

+1.

I know you're just starting out, but for AvP, you definitely need at least a 19" monitor and a better cab to house it. But if you're just trying to make the best of what you have, good luck with it. :)
 
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Maybe I'm going to come off as rude, but you asked for help, a guy told you where the manual is, and you brushed him off?

If you really want help, throw that god awful control panel in the garbage and get a monitor that's bigger than a chipmunks dick.

Maybe I'm going to come off as rude,
Hey man, I told you I'm not a professional and that I have no experience. The manual that he gave me seems like it's about how to make adjustments to the picture.
I didn't brush him off! I just don't understand what it is I'm looking for in there. I work well with pictures not a "Here, read this crap that an electrician would understand" I'm not an electrician. There are no arcades or repair places in my town, they have either gone out of business or moved off.
This whole thing is becoming more trouble than it's worth, I can't get the easy answer on how to hook up the monitor that I have. I didn't ask about all of the monitors just the one I have. And this is why kids these days don't know what an arcade machine is, that's because they're in the garbage and because everyone treats fixing an arcade machine up like it's a big secret or something! I did take off that god awful control panel by the way!
I don't mean to be rude, I'm just very frustrated that there is a lack of information on how to do this type of stuff that a dummy could understand and that I can't just take it somewhere to be fixed up. That is why I asked for help here.
 
+1.

I know you're just starting out, but for AvP, you definitely need at least a 19" monitor and a better cab to house it. But if you're just trying to make the best of what you have, good luck with it. :)

Yes I'm just trying to make the best of what I have here, this is not permanent I'm not even going to paint over the original picture, I'm just trying to learn.
 
Maybe I'm going to come off as rude,
Hey man, I told you I'm not a professional and that I have no experience. The manual that he gave me seems like it's about how to make adjustments to the picture.
I didn't brush him off! I just don't understand what it is I'm looking for in there.
The information you seek is in the manual. Also, one of the other guys posted it here as well.

I work well with pictures
The manual has pictures. Attached to this post is a screencap from a part of the manual, with the pinout of the monitor's interface connector

This whole thing is becoming more trouble than it's worth, I can't get the easy answer on how to hook up the monitor that I have. I didn't ask about all of the monitors just the one I have. And this is why kids these days don't know what an arcade machine is, that's because they're in the garbage and because everyone treats fixing an arcade machine up like it's a big secret or something!

I don't mean to be rude, I'm just very frustrated that there is a lack of information on how to do this type of stuff that a dummy could understand and that I can't just take it somewhere to be fixed up. That is why I asked for help here.

We're trying to help you help yourself. Spoon-feeding you the information isn't how you learn. Knowing the answer to a question really isn't as useful as knowing how to look it up. Also, it gets *real* frustrating answering the same questions over and over. Would you rather call someone and ask for directions every time you need to go somewhere, or would you rather simply know how to read a map, so you can look up the directions when you need them?

There is LOTS of information out there. It is not hard to find. Speaking of information that's not hard to find, here's the pinout, straight from the manual that Ken pointed you to earlier.

-Ian
 

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The information you seek is in the manual. Also, one of the other guys posted it here as well.


The manual has pictures. Attached to this post is a screencap from a part of the manual, with the pinout of the monitor's interface connector



We're trying to help you help yourself. Spoon-feeding you the information isn't how you learn. Knowing the answer to a question really isn't as useful as knowing how to look it up. Also, it gets *real* frustrating answering the same questions over and over. Would you rather call someone and ask for directions every time you need to go somewhere, or would you rather simply know how to read a map, so you can look up the directions when you need them?

There is LOTS of information out there. It is not hard to find. Speaking of information that's not hard to find, here's the pinout, straight from the manual that Ken pointed you to earlier.

-Ian

Yes thank you,
I see that I know that is the video part of the monitor. The part I'm looking for is a picture of what the isolation transformer looks like and if I need to add plugs and wires in to it I need to know what they look like and the names of the types of plugs and wires for the connector piece.
Hey everyone learns in a different way but spoon-feeding is the first way we all learn how to eat by ourselves.
 
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yes I see that I know that that is the video part of the monitor the part I'm looking for is a picture of what the isolation transformer looks like and if I need to build one and the name of the type of plug for the connector piece

Ah. OK. Sorry - I wasn't sure what pary you were having trouble with.

An isolation transformer is a 1:1 power transformer. 120vAC input, and 120vAC output. Arcade monitors must always be powered through an isolation transformer, as they are "hot chassis". Not using the transformer will result in destruction of several components in the monitor's power supply section.

An isolation transformer is a standard arcade part. If you do not have one, you'll need to get one. It's not expensive, maybe $15 brand new from Bob Roberts or something, or you can post a WTB in the trading section here, I'm sure someone has a spare they'd sell cheap.

The connector on your particular monitor appears to be an AMP connector, but the type is not important. If you can't find a connector that mates with it, just get a pair of matching, mating connectors, and replace the one on the monitor to match your installation. Two pin Molex connectors are commonly used on arcade monitors, and I believe they area available at Radio Shack.

The monitor accepts 120vAC on two wires (no polarity), which go to the output of the isolation transformer. If the monitor has a green wire coming off the power connector, tie that to earth ground, which goes to the third prong of the game's power cord, as well as the metal frame of the isolation transformer. Many monitors don't already have a ground wire, since it's pretty standard to simply bolt one onto the metal monitor frame.

-Ian
 
Oh, almost forgot - an isolation transformer looks much like any other transformer. It's exact appearance varies from game to game, but it's an iron block the size of a coffee mug with four terminals - two input, two output. No polarity on either side. The wires simply solder onto the transformer's lugs. Some transformers have more taps - it's common for some games to have extra windings to power things like coin door lamps or something. Atari games used one BIG transformer that contained isolation windings as well as windings for supplying the linear power regulators. Standard "Jamma" type transformers will be simple and straightforward though.

-Ian
 
Ok thank you it's starting to make some sense to me now.
So I can cut off the AMP connector if I can't find the right type of connector and replace it with a pair of matching two pin Molex connector? Now is it best to solder the wires or do I use quick connectors like the ones from the control panel and joy stick? I'll have to go buy the isolation transformer from one of those places you mention.
It's starting to look straightforward now.
Thank you for all your help!
 
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