Universal Free Play??

baloo70

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I just added "Free Play" to my Spy Hunter cabinet and I believe this method could be used for any arcade game. I built a small capacitive switch using the QT113 chip. It basically works like a touch lamp does. I register a coin credit by touching a piece of metal on the cabinet. I wired the sensor to one of the four bolts that holds the coin basket in my machine. The circuit I built is extremely small. I mounted it to the inside of the coin door and it gets power from one of the 12V lamps. I even tested the circuit as a proximity sensor through a 1/4" of glass - so if you don't have any metal to mount the sensor wire, you could just place it behind the arcade glass and wave your hand in front of it to register a credit. I posted a video of it here!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I70iaR66QtE
 
I smell a little side business potential dude! I especially like the proximity switch behind the bezel idea, it would be less awkward than reaching down for a bolt.
 
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Glad to see that many of you like my little project. It was a lot of fun to plan and build. I have also received several private messages asking whether I plan to make boards and sell them and the answer is I am not sure. The thought has crossed my mind, but I am pretty busy and free time is really non existent. The design is also not ready for the masses yet. I think the circuit is just a little too sensitive right now and it needs some minor tweaks. I will also need to do some more prototypes on some different machines to make sure the design would be universal.

Now I do have a few questions for you guys. I know there are plenty of Pre-Jamma era games that don't have free play, but is there also a need for a free play switch on Jamma games? That would be much simpler to make at first. It would be a small adapter board that plugs in between your Jamma board and the harness with one additional wire to be used as the sensor.

Thoughts?
 
Why mess with a JAMMA adapter? All you need is the 12V +, ground, the touch sense lead and the trigger output.

Keep it simple. We can figure out how to power it, etc. :D
 
In my experience there are a very limited number of Jamma games this would be needed for. Most Jamma games have a free play option already.

The biggest complaint about pre-Jamma free play settings is the loss of the attract screen. That is where I see this as most needed.
 
Except my Black Tiger cabinet. I like the idea so I don't have to have a coin door open all the time!
 
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