How To Make A MAME Control Panel

A real quick showing of how easy it is to put together a CP for MAME.
Intro song "Prismatic Stars" ...Composition & Arrangement by Takayuki Iwai
Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing.

[@mooreiche6547]

5 Years later and still the best Video for wiring up a I-Pac. Thank you so much!

[@Brewskii2117]

I know this is old, however it explains the interface between the controls and i-pac perfectly. Thank you

[@lylyluvda916]

this video is the best MAME control panel how-to.

[@moomert1]

Thank you for the kind words.

[@Bearredjordan]

Ive read many books ive seen many videos but this tutorial has to be the most simplest and well done ive seen so far.

[@mrbigruss666]

Building my machine for the first time this month and have no clue about the wiring, so thankyou very much for your detailed video made it look very easy.

[@moomert1]

Glad my video could help

[@KiwiSTG]

Yeah, I couldn't figure it out either, thanks so much moomert1!

[@pmorales1931]

I'm going to be building my own cabinet sometime soon and this is probably the first video I've seen that explains things without all the loud music, funky camera work and just overall crappy shaky camera work. Thanks for putting it up - nice job!

[@RedFarmer2000]

This is exactly how an informational video should be done. Very well explained. Thanks!

[@yandman26]

i know nothing about wiring and had previously used an x arcade unit, i now know everything i need to wire my own as i really wanna build a pacman cabinet, thank you finally someone explaining everything clearly...............awesome

[@Vyson03]

you sir have really simplified this process. i really appreciate you taking the time to inform us. this method makes the machine look and feel more genuine compared to tanksticks/ect. also its cheaper, so people can that extra money into a monitor. thanks again

[@streaker30]

thanx dude, I looked at many videos that were not helpful, then after watching your explanation its all clear. Again, many thanks from Australia.

[@AlienWebguy]

I've been itching to hook up a raspberry pi to some arcade buttons and this showed me exactly what I need to do, thanks!!

[@moomert1]

@Thomas Brankin With this type of set up I recommend using two daisy chain ground cables. One for player one side and one for player 2 side

[@amelio5720]

Dude this helped me so much thankyou!. Theres hardly any helpful videos about Ipac on the entire internet! Like John said, this made my confidence go up alot :)

[@fifteendollarbill]

This video was extremely helpful, you have no idea how much it helped thank you!

[@ooberonfire]

Thanks for the simple and perfect explanation of how this works, I will be sure to revisit this when my son and I build our first cab :D

[@truhunk1]

Thanks alot. Good video. Very detailed, thats what we need, you didnt just say "do this and do that", you showed how to do it. Well done. Thanks.

[@Cactusgod11]

Thanks for the vid, fantastic. It took some of the more complicated and scary looking videos and made it really accessible.

[@moomert1]

glad my video was able to help you. Thats why I made this video in the first place. I wanted to make something very easy and simple to understand so others can enjoy arcades.

[@turtlepug]

best damn video ever thank u so much no one knows a got damn thing about mame building controls in detail like you man!!!!!!!! made my day.

[@wvcruffler123]

Thank you so much for the video. Planning to build my wife a controller so she can play Tempest with a spinner. Your short video answered 90% of my questions. Thanks!

[@johnreel8273]

Thats what I assumed. Thanks for getting back so quickly. Wish me luck.

[@Domarius64]

Thanks for this video. It's 7 years old and still relevant.

[@truhunk1]

Good video. Very well explained. Much better than those other videos of people rambling on with a shaky camera and not really saying anything usefull.

[@awesomepetertv]

wow, an actual 'how to' video on youtube where it was described well, very helpful and i actually learned something. thank you very much!

[@moomert1]

thank you for the kind words. I am glad my video is still able to help people after all these years

[@awesomepetertv]

moomert1 no worries, you earned it buddy. finding any kind of tutorial on here with someone actually showing you how to do things and using descriptions that make sense is very rare. never change that :)

[@cheekymunky80]

dude, that video is awesome, thank you so much, told me absolutely everything i needed to know!

[@Mysteriozone]

Great video!! This weekend I will be wiring up my control panel and this video helped out a ton, thank you.

[@Spictacular03]

Been looking for this video everywhere appreciate thanks

[@moomert1]

glad my video could help you

[@nawkwan]

I've just started researching on building an arcade and I thought the control panel -- interfacing with the PC -- is the most important part of the build because the rest are just bells and whistles. This how-to does a great job in explaining what each part is and how they tie in with the rest of the control panel as a whole.

[@crazykong1967]

Nice video, i learned alot about the whole wiring process. Thanks for posting this video.

[@redpiper1]

Thanks for the video sir :-) I'm building a future pinball table and this was a HUGE help.

[@MarkNorville]

Great video easy to understand even for a novice such as myself. Big thumbs up from me.

[@alpineracerr]

Great vid for people starting out, i've wired 5 cabs didn't know you can use the ipac for the extra volts. good job

[@wintermute3658]

This was so helpful! thanks!

[@FIXMYPACMAN]

I used your video about 4 years ago. Very Helpful! Thanks very much.

[@moomert1]

Glad my video was able to help you.

[@MrSexyugly]

Thanks for uploading, nicely explained.

[@JoeCnNd]

Great job in explaining in depth.

[@JoeCnNd]

This you 10 years in the future. Your lady ass just bought a xarcade instead.

[@Athomeintheshed]

Excellent tutorial thanks for posting

[@moomert1]

Thank you for the kind words. When I did this video, I wanted it to be very easy to understand so it could help a lot of people.

[@retro8263]

Wow love it!

[@moomert1]

Thank you for the kind words. That is exactly why I made this video. I wanted to makesure people didn't have to go through what I went through interns of finding "good information"

[@reinasoren9260]

Thank you so much! Extremely clear concise information that even an idiot like me can understand. Feeling much better about my DDR build now. =)

[@moomert1]

Glad my video could help

[@GILakaGP3]

this video was a big help. thanx

[@hwoarong13]

Great vid, very good info.

[@moomert1]

Yes, if you pull that clip, the shaft (whole handle) will pop up and you can pull it through the control panel. Once pulled, the plunger will also fall off....the plunger would be the large whit part. The joystick may also have another piece.....something like a hollow tube which will also fall out. Basically that clip keeps everything in place.

[@danmanx2]

Thank you for the great video.

[@yandman26]

yeah it totally was , As i have no electrical knowledge i know feel i can take on this wiring no issue , i have also found a company in the u.k. that sells a complete 2 player i pac kit with all wiring buttons etc, Thanks again have now subscribed to your channel you have a ,lot of cool videos i shall watch

[@TheRadRoom]

Very helpful video, thanks!

[@moomert1]

Glad my video helped

[@moomert1]

Thank you very much. Hopefully this video will help you when you build your cabinet. I made this video in the hope that it will give people exactly what they want.....quick, simple, easy to understand information. When I first got into the hobby, all the vids available on this topic were not very helpfull. I wanted to change that.

[@miraclechild_502]

thank you for explaining this situation to us.this gets kinda confusing to some of us newbies but you did an awesome job.. thanks friend :)

[@moomert1]

I'm glad you found my video helpful

[@miraclechild_502]

i did,i'm fairly new to building a cabinet and videos like this helps me get a better understanding of what i need to do. thank you for all your help. :)

[@moomert1]

+Jashon Moore be sure to check out my playlists. One of them focuses on "how to's" in regards to machines.

[@miraclechild_502]

yes and thank you..i am on your page now checking out all the great videos :)

[@scubasteve29388]

Sweet walkhrough, Thanks!

[@moomert1]

All you have to do is take a wire from the ipac, hooked up to the area marked "coin"......hook it up to the cherry switch on the coin door. Then hook up a ground wire.

[@evanfroeschl9474]

very great video!!!

[@moomert1]

no problem. Glad you found use for this video

[@firemblem64]

This was great help, thanks ^_^

[@GuvBubbs]

Great video!

[@ThaFrigginCaptain]

Very informative, thanks!

[@ilikecheetos12]

i used xkeys for my keyboard emulator when i was building a flight simulator, but i like how that ipac seems to go hand and hand with the mame software... Good video by the way..nice steady hand and to the point video.

[@TheCadillacRanch]

GREAAAATTT VIDEO thank you... Ciao dall' Italia

[@ivegotyournumber]

Really great video. I never knew you could screw down the bolts to hold the wires in... No wonder my wires kept falling off...

[@moomert1]

glad my video was able to help you

[@moomert1]

@Cristian Medina Hello, as for your question. You are set to go as long as you have a regular joystick and buttons. For the ripped off daisy chain, just remove about and inch of the protective rubber from the wires. Remove the same from the other side of the wire. Take the two exposed ends and twist them together. Once done. Cover up the exposed wires with electrical tape.

[@bdglfr07]

good video dude thanks

[@nicolaspal1629]

i like the oldschool style in shape of a sphere

[@moomert1]

glad I could help

[@angelusleciele]

very good video man........

[@moomert1]

@throwdown47 I'm glad my video could help. Making a control panel is really much easier then it seems.

[@moomert1]

Glad you liked my video. Hopefully my video answered all your questions.

[@moomert1]

@Namurashi if your talking about the cherry switch (white part) then that comes with the button. As far as wiring, just order a jamma harness and cut the wire you need and throw away what you dont need. If you buy wire from the store chances are it will not have the quick connects. If you buy a harness the quick connects will be attached to one end already. It makes it alot easier to build your CP.

[@moomert1]

@Jayza2006 Glad my video was able to help you. Let me know if you have any questions.

[@moomert1]

@RetroGamer120 They are just connectors that slip onto the switch underneath your buttons. It helps keep in making sure the wire stays into contact with the switch

[@moomert1]

Yes, I would go for a Happ competition joystick. It's really all about preference. Some people who build MAME cabs prefer to have 3 joysticks. 2 of them will be 8 way sticks for games like TMNT and street fighter while the 3rd joystick will be 4 way....for games like PAC man and donkey kong.

[@RaulBillieJean]

thanks for the info !!!!

[@johnnystuckert3045]

Honestly, this was really helpful. I know very little about wiring and you just made my fear level drop for my build. Thanks a lot, I'll probably refer to this video quite a few times once all my parts come together. I haven't looked, so if it already exists I apologize, but could you possibly make a video of the actual contructing of the panel? I'm looking for a good video guide on spacing and sizing and all that.

[@moomert1]

Glad my video could help you. As far as a video of the actual control panel build, I don't have any videos. Wood working skills are something I lack.

[@moomert1]

The daisy chain will already be attached to your jamma harness. You can always make a daisy chain byncutting and splicing wires together.

[@wuf1]

Really awesome guide, best i have seen yet, Just got a few questions ^^ When you connect the GND do you have to connect it From The player 1 GND to The player 2 GND ? And Does the Ps2 Cable come with the I-pac 2 ?

[@PubicCHEESE]

Great vid, an excellent resource for the mame builder! One question, how wide did you drill your joystick holes?

[@level42jeff]

@Morpun Thanks, I was hoping that was the case, as I plan to add pinball buttons on the side of my cabinet. Thanks.

[@moomert1]

@Snestastic glad my video could help.

[@moomert1]

@Vyson03 No problem. I remember what it was like to need information and not be able to find it. I am glad people find my vids usefull

[@oyama82]

thank you so much!

[@Raptinox]

Great video man! Exactly what i wanted to know. I do have one question though, do you know how to setup a button that manually turns on/off the computer you're running?

[@Marcdaddy2112]

Awesome video, you explain it so anyone with zero wiring knowledge can understand!!! I bought a Extra X Arcade tank stick and are going to mod it do I can have lit up buttons.

[@armaanaalim]

thanks this is the most helpful tutorial I've seen it can get confusing however what about LED buttons?

[@moomert1]

@MegaJstylez I believe you hook up the wiring to the little prongs on the lower portion of the ipac

[@moomert1]

@Jassarin The seventh button can be assigned for something like credits. As far as gaming. I use the seventh button as a "run" button for mk3

[@Dakatue]

yeah seriously your video so helpful compared to everyone elses :) when you download mame do you have to set it up with the buttons connected to the ipac? how do they know what to press?

[@moomert1]

@wuf1 The I-PAC comes with no cables for the buttons. You basically screw in wires to each section of the I-PAC. The other end goes to your buttons and joysticks. For the ground cable, you just daisy chain the ground to each button.

[@moomert1]

The controller was made by a company called Slick Stick. The model was the Fighting Stick. However, the company no longer makes this version. I'm not even sure if the company exists anymore.

[@moomert1]

glad my video could help

[@moomert1]

@breakdancer1967 you can store your mame settings by pressing F2 on your keyboard when you enter a game. Once you press F2, you will come to a screen in which you can decide what buttons do what functions. Then you save the settings there. Even after you turn the game off, the settins will still be saved.

[@moomert1]

Yes, your joysticks should have a small clip attached to them. That clip pretty much holds everything in place. Just pull the clip and that will allow your to remove the stick from the plunger.

[@moomert1]

@Santrielus you can buy a jamma harness from jammaboards. Cut off what you need and save the rest. Or you can always make yourself a daisychain connection.

[@moomert1]

There is a gound connection on each side of the I-pac. One side is for all of player 1 and the other side is for all of player 2. The I-pac comes with a ps2 cable. If you want a USB cable, the price is about $10 extra.

[@deanslegos1990]

I like how the trackball isn't crowded

[@moomert1]

Really all that matters is that each button is wired to ground. It doesn't matter which ground.

[@throwdown47]

great video. im muchl ess scared to build my control panel now

[@moomert1]

I see the clip. The first pic.....the joystick in the lower right corner, the stick on the side. If you look at the large white plunger, you will see the clip below it. The clip is shaped like a "C".....that is the clip you need to pull. When you pull the clip, the shaft will pop up.

[@moomert1]

@Dakatue well unless things have changed with newer versions of mame, mame uses sort of default settings. If you wire up like I showed you in this vid, you really should have no issues.

[@soursaul]

thanks! i was stumped because i was not sure what the ground was on a sanwa button

[@moomert1]

@ryanredz that I am not sure of. Maybe the newer versions of mame. However older versions are supposed to only use "keyboards". So you need to use an IPac or Jpac to trick the computer into thinking the control panel is a keyboard