ya cool, add me to kit list. i just picked up the pin a couple days ago
Quoted from pin-pimp:
any updates on this? we are getting into this pin a lot now!
Yes I’m waiting for the latest revision of my new all in 1 controller boards to arrive.
Kits using proc boards are still available
Update on my indy project new controller boards. First a small recap, these new controller boards are a single board with everything that's needed to run my updated code including audio. The audio side of things was previously controlled by seperate audio amps, as seen in many 'boutique' pinball games like spooky games and highway games etc. Although this is a solution i never liked it and wanted something more contained and neat. Also the advance of rPi computer technology has meant on board computers can be added in place of seperate boxes. The 3rd thing was to re-engineer my own iso controller device to do away with the expensive and black box proc board. So, i/o and computer side of things had previously been cracked which left the audio side.
Today i have cracked that to. I have been over the past few months (since christmas) working on a design using audio amp ics which are popular with arcade games. I have also been learning about audio ground and digital ground! The main issue i was having previously was audio noise generated from the rPi being picked dup by the amplifier. Jeeping the 2 ground plans seperate until the external connector has now solved this.
So some pics and vids.
Latest board assembled being assembled before the ics, i/o and rPi controllers go in
indy i-o controller board v5 assembly - 1 (resized).jpg
Board being tested
indy i-o controller board v5 assembly - 2 (resized).jpg
Testing video
https://www.instagram.com/p/CAZ_AbdnV7k/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
I'm testing it on bench using a crappy atx power supply so this is the worst i think it will sound in terms of any noise. Next is to swap out the earlier test board in my game and use this one to see what its like.
I am also working on some i/o updates to hopefully allow reading of some special switch info. Something that the proc board was unable to do. The sam system has some special switches that are read via the data bus not the usual switch matrix. These are things like the coin door voltage disable switch, the zero cross circuit and the lamp status etc. The most useful here is the coin door switch so you know when the hv is off and the door is open.
Some pics of the new rgb display installed. (The rgb screen could also be used with ccc kits)
Also played for a good hour the other night and any lag on video modes is gone now with the latest design, the rpi4 and the off loading of the dmd processing to a slave controller. Mine cart is my go to test video mode, and its now silky smooth!!
DQqTXBt8TbeWK7DTAOh3ZQ (resized).jpg
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I am also hoping to offer the full kit for £400 plus shipping for early adopters on this new kit. Thats as close to a single colour dmd as i can get i think (based on uk pricing). Regular price after that will be £450 plus shipping after that.
Thats also HALF the cost of the original kit using a proc board and bigger computer, seperate amp etc
The new board looks good and not out of place in the machine.
Does it work with the original plasma DMD?
Quoted from luvthatapex2:
Tremendous impressive work Jim!
Thank you. The message is much appreciated
Quoted from CookyJar:
The new board looks good and not out of place in the machine.
Does it work with the original plasma DMD?
No, it only works with either an LCD screen like before, or with my new rgb led display
This is nuts! Holy cow!!! Very impressive!!!! What an endeavor!!! Makes me want to get a Stern Indy just to do this!
Quoted from applejuice:
No, it only works with either an LCD screen like before, or with my new rgb led display
Sorry if this sounds stupid, but does that mean the Color DMD LCD/LED displays will work?
I've been thinking about purchasing one for my machine and also been thinking about being an early adopter for your board set, it looks awesome! The only thing really holding me back is my lack of "fun money" due to a loss of income flow because of the whole COVID situation.
Quoted from applejuice:
A pic of how the backbox now looks with just the new hardware in now. Much cleaner and factory looking
[quoted image]
Does this run PyProcGame?
Quoted from CookyJar:
Sorry if this sounds stupid, but does that mean the Color DMD LCD/LED displays will work?
I've been thinking about purchasing one for my machine and also been thinking about being an early adopter for your board set, it looks awesome! The only thing really holding me back is my lack of "fun money" due to a loss of income flow because of the whole COVID situation.
No the display is my own design rgb led display. It uses the same display led hardware as colordmd led panels. The only other game it could work with right now is ccc
Quoted from TheBEAVR:
Does this run PyProcGame?
Yes, my rewrite has always run on top of it. The version I use was forked years back
Quoted from transprtr4u:
So what's the pricing including boards and display?
Fantastic work , great read.
See here
A working coin door open message. Something thats been missing from my rewrite for a number of years until now. Stern sam hardware does not use a regular coin door closed switch like other game hardware and uses instead data from the driver board sent back on the data bus as a read. More complex to sort out, but its solved now
Quoted from applejuice:
A working coin door open message. Something thats been missing from my rewrite for a number of years until now. Stern sam hardware does not use a regular coin door closed switch like other game hardware and uses instead data from the driver board sent back on the data bus as a read. More complex to sort out, but its solved now
[quoted image]
Great job, should have hard to track.
First generation new hardware kits are now available and taking orders. I fixed the final firmware issue today that i've been working on, so now offering the new board and rgb led display as a full drop in kit to folks. Price is £450 plus shipping to begin with. That includes everything you need i.e a new hardware board that is a direct replacement for your old cpu board (keep it somewhere safe) and a new full colour rgb led display to replace your old orange dmd. (keep it safe somewhere to ). I think its a pretty good price for a completely new game and colour display included.
Drop me a pm if you want a kit for your stern indy. I will build them to order.
Cheers
Quoted from applejuice:
First generation new hardware kits are now available and taking orders. I fixed the final firmware issue today that i've been working on, so now offering the new board and rgb led display as a full drop in kit to folks. Price is £450 plus shipping to begin with. That includes everything you need i.e a new hardware board that is a direct replacement for your old cpu board (keep it somewhere safe) and a new full colour rgb led display to replace your old orange dmd. (keep it safe somewhere to ). I think its a pretty good price for a completely new game and colour display included.
Drop me a pm if you want a kit for your stern indy. I will build them to order.
Cheers
Simply incredible work, Jim. I would love to see some game play video!
No problem. I’ll shoot some new game play videos and maybe stream some to now the new hardware is sorted.
Incredible work as always Jim. A huge accomplishment that deserves to be really successful. What are the plans around opening up the hardware platform for other homebrew efforts? I suppose it could work with any pyprocgane project, or any other game software that could run on a pi?
Quoted from stumblor:
Incredible work as always Jim. A huge accomplishment that deserves to be really successful. What are the plans around opening up the hardware platform for other homebrew efforts? I suppose it could work with any pyprocgane project, or any other game software that could run on a pi?
+1, it has great potential for sure
To answer a few questions on the indy rules.
If you have a look at this doc it should explain what the 4th film modes are that i created and also how the williams game embeds into this alternative playfield layout.
Shortish Game Play video (around 15 mins). Gives a flavour of what this is all about Running the latest code and from the new hardware etc. Wish I was a better player when videoing as I missed loads of shots ha ha ha, but should give an idea of what its like anyway. Will shoot more vids to and add to my youtube channel as I get time.
Quoted from applejuice:
Shortish Game Play video (around 15 mins). Gives a flavour of what this is all about Running the latest code and from the new hardware etc. Wish I was a better player when videoing as I missed loads of shots ha ha ha, but should give an idea of what its like anyway. Will shoot more vids to and add to my youtube channel as I get time.
Looks fantastic. Really great job.
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