I built a Supergun

Long story short, I've spent a very long time inevitably working towards this device. I started 6 months ago collecting parts and information and even further back deciding many other aspects of things. Therefore, a lot of well educated, somewhat well supplied and moderately skilled work went into this box.

It may not be pretty, professional or even that sturdy to be honest (I'll probably add glue), but none of that will keep this big grin off my face. And just in time for my Birthday as well! :D Commentary is below each image.

http://img59.imageshack.us/img59/2136/im004378.jpg

Picture of Supergun inside VHS case with custom modded Neo-Geo compliant arcade sticks.

http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/3315/im004379.jpg

http://img840.imageshack.us/img840/4...04384small.jpg
http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/7076/im004384.jpg
^Larger version

Inside of the Supergun. Soldering is average, but from what I can tell it all holds together. As you can see, I'm lazy with grounding. Concerning all the taped wires, I soldered them together and insulated them. I should have made all the wires longer be default. Lesson learned. (at least it all works!)

http://img839.imageshack.us/img839/9333/im004386.jpg

I've hardly ever drilled holes in plastic before and these were the first I did, so unfortunately the masking tape and sharpie didn't help much. That S-Video jack was straight last time I saw it. I should tighten the nut.

http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/9592/im004387.jpg

Neo-Geo compliant controller ports. They're even plastic! I don't have any games that use D Button so I honestly don't know if it works on either port (need to do more double checking!)

http://img594.imageshack.us/img594/7872/im004388.jpg

I should label these. Left is Service, middle is JAMMA Test and the switch on the right is the Audio Attenuator. For some weird reason it's an on-off switch, even though the switch itself is on - on. I don't really know how it works, I just wired it according to instructions.

http://img707.imageshack.us/img707/4995/im004389.jpg

Power jack is on the right and MVS Test is that switch on the left. I know this sounds strange, but this Supergun has no built-in on/off switch. It must be powered on/off via unplugging it's power source. I have two reasons for this. First, I had no switch that would work at the time of construction. Second, the PSU can't be switched off once it's been plugged into the wall, so I felt it wouldn't really matter if a case-mounted power switch was implemented. I may one day add a power switch, it'd be relatively easy to put in.

http://img534.imageshack.us/img534/5083/im004390.jpg

Sure this is a pretty nice setup, but does it work?






Yes, it does.

http://img855.imageshack.us/img855/5499/im004391.jpg

http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/7616/im004392.jpg

http://img846.imageshack.us/img846/5811/im004393.jpg

http://img840.imageshack.us/img840/5089/im004394.jpg

It plays a pretty mean game of Metal Slug 3 for sure. Power runs nice, the S-Video looks emulator quality (seriously) while the composite is full of red bleed, it sounds amazing and the controls are of course very responsive.

This is so far my biggest soldering project (modded controllers included) by a long shot. I think it turned out well in the end. The most important thing is it all works, function over form you know. I think I'm gonna ask Mrbigreddog if he can make me a big Neo-Geo decal to put on the top. :D

If I were to ever do one of these again, I'd probably get a high amp 12v AC adapter and use one of my 7805 voltage regulators to replace the hard-to-replace AC adapter I have currently. That is of course, if the 7805 could handle a couple of amps going through it.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Guntz

I think I'm gonna ask Mrbigreddog if he can make me a big Neo-Geo decal to put on the top. :D

---

Thank god, for a second there I though you were going to say you were thinking of painting it white.

Kudos for making something yourself man, it looks functional!

Pardon my ignorance, but What the fuck is a "Supergun"?

^With lighter wording, same question.

I think it's something that lets you plug in a JAMMA harness from an arcade board. It powers the board, give you controller input and all your AV outputs. So you can take an arcade board and play it on your TV without an arcade cabinet. That's pretty sweet to have made your own. I can only assume it was MUCH cheaper than buying a pre made one?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Guntz

Long story short, I've spent a very long time inevitably working towards this device. I started 6 months ago collecting parts and information and even further back deciding many other aspects of things. Therefore, a lot of well educated, somewhat well supplied and moderately skilled work went into this box.

It may not be pretty, professional or even that sturdy to be honest (I'll probably add glue), but none of that will keep this big grin off my face. And just in time for my Birthday as well! :D Commentary is below each image.

http://img59.imageshack.us/img59/2136/im004378.jpg

Picture of Supergun inside VHS case with custom modded Neo-Geo compliant arcade sticks.

http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/3315/im004379.jpg

http://img840.imageshack.us/img840/4...04384small.jpg
http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/7076/im004384.jpg
^Larger version

Inside of the Supergun. Soldering is average, but from what I can tell it all holds together. As you can see, I'm lazy with grounding. Concerning all the taped wires, I soldered them together and insulated them. I should have made all the wires longer be default. Lesson learned. (at least it all works!)

http://img839.imageshack.us/img839/9333/im004386.jpg

I've hardly ever drilled holes in plastic before and these were the first I did, so unfortunately the masking tape and sharpie didn't help much. That S-Video jack was straight last time I saw it. I should tighten the nut.

http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/9592/im004387.jpg

Neo-Geo compliant controller ports. They're even plastic! I don't have any games that use D Button so I honestly don't know if it works on either port (need to do more double checking!)

http://img594.imageshack.us/img594/7872/im004388.jpg

I should label these. Left is Service, middle is JAMMA Test and the switch on the right is the Audio Attenuator. For some weird reason it's an on-off switch, even though the switch itself is on - on. I don't really know how it works, I just wired it according to instructions.

http://img707.imageshack.us/img707/4995/im004389.jpg

Power jack is on the right and MVS Test is that switch on the left. I know this sounds strange, but this Supergun has no built-in on/off switch. It must be powered on/off via unplugging it's power source. I have two reasons for this. First, I had no switch that would work at the time of construction. Second, the PSU can't be switched off once it's been plugged into the wall, so I felt it wouldn't really matter if a case-mounted power switch was implemented. I may one day add a power switch, it'd be relatively easy to put in.

http://img534.imageshack.us/img534/5083/im004390.jpg

Sure this is a pretty nice setup, but does it work?






Yes, it does.

http://img855.imageshack.us/img855/5499/im004391.jpg

http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/7616/im004392.jpg

http://img846.imageshack.us/img846/5811/im004393.jpg

http://img840.imageshack.us/img840/5089/im004394.jpg

It plays a pretty mean game of Metal Slug 3 for sure. Power runs nice, the S-Video looks emulator quality (seriously) while the composite is full of red bleed, it sounds amazing and the controls are of course very responsive.

This is so far my biggest soldering project (modded controllers included) by a long shot. I think it turned out well in the end. The most important thing is it all works, function over form you know. I think I'm gonna ask Mrbigreddog if he can make me a big Neo-Geo decal to put on the top. :D

If I were to ever do one of these again, I'd probably get a high amp 12v AC adapter and use one of my 7805 voltage regulators to replace the hard-to-replace AC adapter I have currently. That is of course, if the 7805 could handle a couple of amps going through it.

---

Great Job, Guntz! Rep'd:D

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by MN12BIRD

I think it's something that lets you plug in a JAMMA harness from an arcade board. It powers the board, give you controller input and all your AV outputs. So you can take an arcade board and play it on your TV without an arcade cabinet. That's pretty sweet to have made your own. I can only assume it was MUCH cheaper than buying a pre made one?

---

Sweet. Sounds like a great way to consolize these babies.

Great job there Guntz.

Great work!!, can you run other arcade PCBs?? or it's only for Neogeo?? you are lucky, arcade boards are cheaper and easier to come by in USA, there are lots of games that you run play on a supergun, you should get some Konami pcbs like Super Contra, Gradius, Salamander, you can even get a Nintendo PC10 board and run NES games in it.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by MN12BIRD

I think it's something that lets you plug in a JAMMA harness from an arcade board. It powers the board, give you controller input and all your AV outputs. So you can take an arcade board and play it on your TV without an arcade cabinet. That's pretty sweet to have made your own. I can only assume it was MUCH cheaper than buying a pre made one?

---

The parts for the Supergun and controllers cost me roughly between $100 and $150. It was all from online sources (minus controllers). The cheapest pre-built Superguns I've seen are between $250 and $300 (RGB encoder included).

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by chinitosoccer

Great work!!, can you run other arcade PCBs?? or it's only for Neogeo?? you are lucky, arcade boards are cheaper and easier to come by in USA, there are lots of games that you run play on a supergun, you should get some Konami pcbs like Super Contra, Gradius, Salamander, you can even get a Nintendo PC10 board and run NES games in it.

---

Actually I'm in Canada. That's different from the USA. Not quite as much video game stuff available (especially arcade items).

I only wired it with NEO-GEO in mind, but other than Capcom 6-button games, I assume this Supergun has some decent compatibility. It has Mono sound over dual RCA jacks so that too should work with a lot of boards. There's no -5v, so I can't really run any Midway boards.

Thanks everyone for the nice comments. This was such a fun project! It's great soldering practice since almost everything is just passive wire connections (50+ without custom controllers). If anyone wants to make one themselves, feel free to ask me for pointers and where to buy parts. :)

Great work Guntz!

Ironically, I just finished building one of these today!

http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._1822322_n.jpg

http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._4169371_n.jpg

I've been wanting to invest in a Supergun and some arcade boards for quite some time now. I just might do it before the end of the year.

http://www.multimods.com/SGModels.html

There are some good looking builds there.

Most of those look like junk to be honest, especially for those prices. Just disgusting. That's exactly why I built my own for significantly less.

I linked the wrong page. Here you go Guntz.
http://www.multimods.com/SGModels.html

If I were to get one from this guy, I'd get the 'Pistol' model and 2 of his modded Sega Saturn controllers.

Excellent work! The use of the VHS box is frekkin priceless. Rep added.

I absolutely love that supergun. Good job!

Cool Supergun. You really surprised me. ;)

WOW that looks Awesome Guntz :ok: Good work on the Supergun. Rep added

Pure awesome. I'm very jealous. I also hate You very much. :) I'd love to get into actual arcade hardware, so I could play all those cool old sprite-pushers that never got a console release.

Were you following online instructions? If so can you link me? I've got plenty of Neo controllers, and if I wire the video to use RGB SCART I can probably make one for peanuts.

Fatboy, the original Xbox + Final Burn Legends = your salvation.

Thank you everyone for all the rep! I wasn't expecting that. :D

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by fatboy

Pure awesome. I'm very jealous. I also hate You very much. :) I'd love to get into actual arcade hardware, so I could play all those cool old sprite-pushers that never got a console release.

---

I suppose you aren't that good with soldering or basic electronics? A Supergun is relatively easy on paper. It's only difficult in how long it takes to construct and how many wires you must solder.

... Or you could just take Genesis Knight's advice on the matter. It's certainly costs less.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by GohanX

Were you following online instructions? If so can you link me? I've got plenty of Neo controllers, and if I wire the video to use RGB SCART I can probably make one for peanuts.

---

Yes, it was all online instructions, though I gathered information from a few different sources in order to get a relatively well informed view of the project. Along with the following links, I asked for clarification on some things over at Neo-geo.com.

http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/28/h...n-arcade-game/
http://www.jamma-nation-x.com/jammax...ergunbuild.pdf

Boiled down, the instructions look like this:

- Attach power lines and ground (your specific PSU will need a matching power jack, keep that in mind)
- Connect RGB, Sync and Ground to your video encoder and then attach your NTSC video to the TV jacks (skipping the encoder removes a lot of the cost)
- Attach sound to an audio attenuator switch, then move attenuated sound to the RCA jacks. (Mono sound is the most compatible)
- Wire up both controller ports.

The most important tool you'll need though, is a multi-meter with a continuity test function. I used that just as much as the soldering iron itself. Without it, everything you're doing is blind. You won't know for sure if anything still makes it to the JAMMA harness or isn't touching each other.

Instructions and tool lists are pretty easy to get a hold of mind you, the hardest part for me was collecting parts. No guide ever tells you of good places to get parts from. Since I have no Fry's Electronics or '90s era Radio Shack nearby, I had to buy everything online. I went with Mouser because it was the first parts distributor that came to mind. A few other parts came from eBay and Jamma Nation X. Since terminology always seems to kill people when it comes to search, I'll list some pointers on how to find parts you'll likely use making a Supergun:

- RCA Jacks are also known as Phono Jacks (they were used on Phonographs at some point)
- S-Video jacks also go by the term 4 Pin Mini-DIN (or 4p)
- Neo Geo controller ports are typically called DB-15 jacks (TWO ROWS! NOT THREE!) and sometimes D-Subminiature
- The Jamma Nation X audio attenuation switch uses a DPST On - On switch which will have 6 pins (DPST on - off has 4)

If anyone here uses Mouser, I can post links to all the parts I bought for the project. I found some real nice screw nut panel-mount S-Video jacks. Sure beats the Gorilla Glue ones off eBay. ;)

[QUOTE=Guntz;385071\
I suppose you aren't that good with soldering or basic electronics? A Supergun is relatively easy on paper. It's only difficult in how long it takes to construct and how many wires you must solder.

... Or you could just take Genesis Knight's advice on the matter. It's certainly costs less.
[/QUOTE]
The ability to construct it is not whats held Me up. Hell, My soldering iron's plugged in and sitting under My work table as I write this, and My DMM is tucked away in a drawer with the rest of My tools. It's usually either lack of time to build it, or if I have the time, My money's usually got more important places to go.

That was my case for quite some time. Eventually I just decided to make the time to collect the parts and information to actually do it. If you skip the encoder, you can cut an easy $50 off the bottom line of the Supergun. Finding an enclosure around the house can also cut some significant cost out of the project, especially if you want to get fancy. For functionality over style, I went with a VHS case. Most everything else is required though, like the JAMMA harness, power related items like a switch and jack, the controller ports, an audio attenuation switch and push button switches for Test and Service functions. I guess if you go RGB you only need one plug (like an 8-pin DIN) instead of a few of them for NTSC AV.

Still, if ever you decide to hop on the arcade band wagon, I wish you good luck in the endeavor. :)

Thanks, Man. The video output wont be a problem for Me, thanks to My small-yet-awesome Amiga monitor (15Khz RGB, WOOT!). I forgot to say, the VHS case was a great idea. Actually, it was fucking brilliant. A few months ago I was building an AV breakout box for My Sega Saturn, and I was using this awful little kit box I had bought at the local electronics shop. The sideplanes of the thing had this thick plastic ribbing on the inside of the case, which made it unsuitable for mounting the output jacks where I wanted them, and the box itself was just to awkward to work with. Now I look around at all the plastic clamshell cases I have and think, Well duh, why didn't I think of that!