Wiring a cab for both 2-Player, 6-Button Play AND 4-player, 4-button play

Hello, everybody.

I have a showcase cab that can accomodate up to 4 players and 6-buttons per player. I am trying to wire it up so that it is plug-and-play for the following systems:

1. 1066-in-1 2-player, 6-button play.
2. 1066-in-1 4-player, 4-button play.
3. CPS2 2-player, 6-button play.
4. CPS2 4-player, 4-button play.
5. Atomiswave, 4-player, 5-button play.
6. Neo Geo MVS 2-player, 6-button play.
7. Namco System 246 2-player, 4-button play.

There are two ways I can go about it. The first is to use molex connectors so that I can connect/disconnect each set of controls and reconnect them depending on the board I throw in the cab.

The second is to simply wire the buttons in parallel. For example, wire P1B4, P1B5, P2B4, and P2B5 in parallel so that they are going to BOTH the Jamma harness (for MVS and Atomiswave) AND to the CPS2 option harness. I could also wire the CPS2 option harness in parallel for both CPS2 2-player, 6-button play AND CPS2 4-player, 4-button play.

The first way is a bit more inconvenient by having to disconnect and reconnect the controls to a different molex connector everytime I swap the board out. The second would allow for plug-n-play.

My question is this: Does the second method pose any danger of damaging or frying the boards? In other words, if P1B4 is depressed and sends a signal to both the Jamma harness and the CPS2 kick harness, will it damage something or will it just do nothing at all? Also, are there any other concerns that I should pay attention to that I am maybe overlooking?

I appreciate any assistance in the matter. Thank you.

I've got a better solution: GET MORE CABS!!!!!!

andy251203 said:

I've got a better solution: GET MORE CABS!!!!!!

Click to expand...

This is a SHOWCASE CAB WITH A 50-INCH MONITOR. I want to be able to play all these systems on this cab, and no, I am not buying a bunch of 50-inch monitors.

rather than using molex or similar connectors, you could use switches. or be more advanced and use logic circuits. thatd be fairly easy and pretty neat. i could design something for you if youd like, but id have to find the time to do it.

but as long as nothing overlaps i dont see a problem with double wiring everything. just check what might get pressed that shouldnt, and if it does, will it cause any problems.

the only real issue you would have with just wiring everything at once is you wouldnt be able to reconfigure the button layout much.

if you have something like:

The buttons are already cut in the cab in the following:

(1) (2) (3)
(4) (5) (6)

So the button configuration would probably be as follows:

MVS, Namco System 246
(1) (2) (3)
(4)

Atomiswave
(1) (2) (3)
(4) (5)

2-player, 6-button: CPS2, 1066-in-1
(1) (2) (3)
(4) (5) (6)

4-player, 4-button: CPS2, 1066-in-1
(1) (2)
(3) (4)

Namco system 246 is tekken, right? I think that game uses the

(1) (2)
(3) (4)

layout in the arcades.

andy251203 said:

Namco system 246 is tekken, right? I think that game uses the

(1) (2)
(3) (4)

layout in the arcades.

Click to expand...

It is Tekken 4, but it is more than that. It is Soul Calibur II and III and a bunch of other games.

When I got this showcase cab, I got it from an arcade directly with Namco 246 and Soul Calibur III. It was wired up as follows:

(1) (2) (3)
(4)

So I always thought that that was the common arcade configuration. Maybe the configuration for Soul Calibur III is different from Tekken. Or maybe I got it a from retarded arcade operator. I don't know.

Bibliophile said:

4-player, 4-button: CPS2, 1066-in-1
(1) (2)
(3) (4)

Click to expand...

players 3 and 4 could be like that but 1 and 2 would have to be the same as neogeo if you dont want to swap connectors or switches.

MVS, Namco System 246
(1) (2) (3)
(4)

I'd just get an Xbox...

with those emulators, can set the software differently for different platforms/games.

not sonic said:

players 3 and 4 could be like that but 1 and 2 would have to be the same as neogeo if you dont want to swap connectors or switches.

MVS, Namco System 246
(1) (2) (3)
(4)

Click to expand...

To be honest, I don't mind leaving it at:
(1) (2) (3)
(4)

But I read in another thread that the button configuration for the D&D games is commonly:

(1) (2)
(3) (4)

However, I will probably leave it as the same configuration as MVS and Namco System 246.

It just dawned me that this wiring plan will work for everything EXCEPT for CPS2 2-player and CPS2 4-player. I will have to use a molex connector or switch to change between those two configurations. Otherwise, if in 2-player mode and someone accidentally pushes the P3 controls, it will mess up Player 2. That is unlikely to happen, though. What is more likely to happen is in 4-player mode, if either Players 1 or 2 accidentally push their kick buttons (or intentionally in the case of D&D games), it will mess up Player 3.

All other configurations should be easy to configure for plug-n-play.