Vector Test Jamma Adapters for testing vector pcb's on the bench

Malice95

Well-known member

Donor 2011
Joined
Aug 29, 2010
Messages
3,692
Reaction score
31
Location
Howell, New Jersey
Vector Test Jamma Adapters for testing vector pcb's on the bench

So I got my Jamma test rig up and running and I am starting to
buy or get the parts to make jamma adapters for the raster boards I have.

What about all the vectors I have?

How can I work on the boards and test them without building a specific
big test rig on a wooden board for each one? I have a bunch of dead
tempests and an Omega race pcb I want to mess with. I'd like to be able to
swap them in and out easily.

So I came up with the idea of a Vector Test Jamma Adapter...

My current Jamma rig is self contained for raster games.. it has everything
they need but as we know, vectors are unique but they have many of the
same fundemental requirements.

5v Power
a speaker
test switch
service switch
coin1/coin2
P1/P2
And basic controls.. buttons, joysticks, etc.

Take battlezone for example..

If I created a jamma adapter with a built in audio amp that
provided a battlezone board..

+5v, Speaker, joysticks, buttons, coin 1/2, start 1/2, test, service, and test
points to connect an oscillscope to the adapter. I'd mostly be in business
except for the odd voltages most vector boards require for the vector
output. In this case I need +22v/-22v for battlezone.

Probably the easiest solution is to just have points on the Vector test jamma
adapter where you could hookup an external adjustable bench power supply(s)
for the odd voltage supply.. Or maybe an AR2 connector for Atari vectors.
The negative voltage will be a PIA to make without a center tapped
transformer. Gotta research this part more and see what common voltages
are used across vectors and the easiest way to generate them.

This seems like a really clean solution to me. My Jamma test rig, an
Oscillscope, adjustable bench power supply or transformer/Ar2 and the
vector test jamma adapter and I have a vector game running on my bench
ready to work on.

So am I crazy? Am I missing anything? I imagine someone has done this before.

Yes I know Kurz Kasch made something like this but try finding one these
days. Last one I saw sold for $800.
 
Great to see someone doing this.

I have plans to do this also

As well as a BW / Color switch too for BW games

I am thinking all you need is a vector environment (IE Working Amplifone setup), and you feed the correct voltages in the x y and z to get a picture

Well that's the plan anyway

I will get there one day

Great effort! :)

I would love to see a pic or a diagram if possible :)
 
You are not crazy. I did this for Asteroids and AD. Used a transformer brick from an Atari chassis for the monitor power and used the jamma test rig for the other voltages so I did not need the AR. The audio amp substitute is easy - just get a set of amplified PC speakers. I got a proto board and added the edge connector for Asteroids/AD and the other side was a jamma fingerboard that I wired and soldered tight to the protoboard. I added connectors for the monitor x y z and ground signals, start, coin, fire, thrust, etc. buttons of course used the jamma test buttons, and added two leds for the lights in the cone switches, and a connector for the audio. Also added two switches to change the signals that are different between asteroids and asteroids deluxe. I did not take it further but I would probably do the same for other vectors, just swapping out the jamma interface board specific to the game. One for BZ/Red baron (add pots to simulate the joystick) - maybe use a partial AR to generate the other voltages since you already have the brick.

A small adapter using my asteroids adapter to go to lunar lander (Add pot for the thruster) - this is my next project as I have a LL board here waiting to be repaired.

I think you need a small 13" vector monitor, though. It does not have to be a visually good one, just work. Mine has horrible burn from an Omega race so I don't feel badly about using it on a test bench. You just can't see what you need to see on a small oscilloscope screen.

You could then do your color vectors in a similar fashion.

I "Jammatize" all of my test adapters. I even have a JAMMA adapter I built for ROTJ with two pots to simulate the flight yoke and an on-board audio amplifier just for grins.

Bottom line - it's your test setup. As long as you accurately simulate the cabinet conditions for your repair setup, the board will work in an actual cabinet. Heck there are boards that I repair that I have no idea what the cabinet looks like inside.

Bill
 
Thanks for the not crazy feedback Bill.. I'd love to see some pics
of your adapters.

I saw you posted a centipede or MC one the other day?

How did you do the mouse to TB hack?

I guess the same could be done for a spinner as well.
 
I did this a long time ago but the rig is torn down now. I used the JAMMA sides switches to operate the games, an atari transformer block and A/R2 for power/amplification and an old scope for a monitor. Worked pretty well until I discovered that the scope didnt have a Z or "blanking" input so if the Z output from the board was bad I had no way to tell until the board was put back into the game. I ended up building a 13" Amp and used that AFTER I verified that the X/Y outputs were good on my scope.

I just made a bunch of "pigtails" for each game that would plug into the test harnesses.
 
Thanks for the not crazy feedback Bill.. I'd love to see some pics
of your adapters.

I saw you posted a centipede or MC one the other day?

How did you do the mouse to TB hack?

I guess the same could be done for a spinner as well.

I jammatize everything just about. I built an MC to Centipede adapter because the centipede adapter already had the track ball stuff. I modded an old trackball (one with an actual ball and two optos) by removing all of the electronics except the optos and added whatever else was needed to mimic the track ball optos. It is much lighter than a trackball and can be placed anywhere on the workbench to move around. You can mimic a spinner with it by only using one of the two optos.

Have fun designing and building your adapters. The cool thing is you only have to build it once and it will last forever.

Bill
 
What no pics? :) Inspire me!

I have a tiny laptop 1/2" track ball coming in the mail that should work.
 
What no pics? :) Inspire me!

I have a tiny laptop 1/2" track ball coming in the mail that should work.

Yeah but using your imagination is much better.....

If you need some pics, pm me with your email.

Bill
 
My XY jig is almost complete. Are you using a full size yoke for a Star Wars control?? World Series and old baseball vid used a stick control that if I found one I thought that I could reduce the footprint and keep the functions. What are your thoughts?
 
My XY jig is almost complete. Are you using a full size yoke for a Star Wars control?? World Series and old baseball vid used a stick control that if I found one I thought that I could reduce the footprint and keep the functions. What are your thoughts?


You really don't need the yoke. I would just use two 5K pots to simulate the yoke and you can use switches for the triggers. That's what I did for a ROTJ test adapter.


Bill
 
I have a need to test some battlezone boards on the bench and found this thread. I don't need all the control testing just enough to boot the game and display on scope for now. So really just looking to get the the correct voltages. I assume my only realistic quick option is to use an atari transformer brick and AR2 to get the +/- 22vdc?
 
I have a need to test some battlezone boards on the bench and found this thread. I don't need all the control testing just enough to boot the game and display on scope for now. So really just looking to get the the correct voltages. I assume my only realistic quick option is to use an atari transformer brick and AR2 to get the +/- 22vdc?

you could probably build something with +/-24VDC outputs or better yet adjustable outputs and use that instead.

I think the board regulates those voltages down to +/-15 so theres that as well.
 
you could probably build something with +/-24VDC outputs or better yet adjustable outputs and use that instead.

I think the board regulates those voltages down to +/-15 so theres that as well.

Yea I looked at some used bench power supplies and even some kits. Because I am cheap, will just use a spare atari brick and ar2. thanks.
 
Back
Top Bottom