Space Invaders...Source a PCB or 60 in 1

[ripperman]

Ok here goes.

I recently acquired a Taito Space Invaders that needs work... Main area of technical concern is that it doesn't have a game board.

So basically trying to source and more than likely try to fix an original board frightens me!? I'm led to believe that SI hardware is much different to everything else?

I could certainly give it a try, maybe, if I sourced an original board at the right price! 

However if not, is the following at all possible...

a 60 in 1 board connected to the original B/W monitor? Would I need some form of converter and could I then boot straight into Space Invaders hiding all other menus and games, if it was possible?

1 Question of possibly many down!! Thanks! 

[Belike]

You can turn off all the other games, the SI is quite good in the 60 in 1 pcb, you can use that one.
I have no idea about the black and white conversion thing.
If you want to buy a cheap 60 in 1, Danny (Forthmeister) has some for sale for a grerat price.

[Etienne MacGyver]

I think if the 60 in 1 has a composite output you should be able to connect that to the video in on the monitor.

[Luigi]

That's the problem. The 60in1 that I know supports VGA (31kHz) and CGA (15kHz)....no composite video. If you have the original b/w-monitor in your cab you won't be able to connect it to a 60in1 without a converter inbetween.

[Wurstkopp]

You can make composite yourself. RGB + composite sync = composite video.

[Laszo]

You can make composite yourself. RGB + composite sync = composite video.

Yup, I'm running exactly this setup in my space invader. Set it up to boot with si only and just tied rgb and sync together. Works great

But one day I will fix the si board... One day soon 

[Luigi]

And this really works with an old bw-monitor 

[Laszo]

Yup, the original bw monitor from Japan  https://www.dragonslairfans.com/smfor/index.php?topic=3541.0

[ripperman]

Yup, the original bw monitor from Japan  https://www.dragonslairfans.com/smfor/index.php?topic=3541.0

Thanks to everyone for the replies. Most appreciated.

Laszo, just read your thread. Really interesting stuff and such great work on that cabinet.  Well done.

Just wondering mate if you would have any detailed instructions on how to hook the pcb up to the B/W monitor? This could likely be the route I take but not 100% sure yet. I've never done any thing like this before so any help would be so great, plus I don't want to kill myself working on a SI cabinet!! 

[Wurstkopp]

It really is no big deal. 5 connections have to be hooked up. You have to merge the following signals coming from the 60-in-1 pins to one single wire: R, G, B and sync. This is your composite signal, it goes directly to the monitor. The other necessary signal is video ground, just grab it from the video ground pin from the 60-in-1 and wire it to the video ground signal the monitor is expecting. That's it.

[ripperman]

It really is no big deal. 5 connections have to be hooked up. You have to merge the following signals coming from the 60-in-1 pins to one single wire: R, G, B and sync. This is your composite signal, it goes directly to the monitor. The other necessary signal is video ground, just grab it from the video ground pin from the 60-in-1 and wire it to the video ground signal the monitor is expecting. That's it.

Oh ok cool. That sounds alright! Thanks for the info.

[Laszo]

Yup, the original bw monitor from Japan  https://www.dragonslairfans.com/smfor/index.php?topic=3541.0

Thanks to everyone for the replies. Most appreciated.

Laszo, just read your thread. Really interesting stuff and such great work on that cabinet.  Well done.

Just wondering mate if you would have any detailed instructions on how to hook the pcb up to the B/W monitor? This could likely be the route I take but not 100% sure yet. I've never done any thing like this before so any help would be so great, plus I don't want to kill myself working on a SI cabinet!! 

thanks and don't kill yourself. As long as you only connect these wires with the power of you should be good. Wurstkopp instructions are correct. 

[ripperman]

Ok apologies for long post. I’m moving ahead slowly. Luckily sourced a Taito PCB so I said I’d give it a shot and of course nothing happened when I put it in the cab and powered up.   

It looks a mess in there. Here’s how I see it, but again please, please forgive my novice behaviour. This is how I got the cab basically.

There is a new switching power supply installed and this is powering the monitor and marquee I believe (Was like this when I got the cab)

The original PS is still there and this powers the coin door it seems (the light and I can only assume credits)
The wires in connector F though are cut.





I checked voltages on the G and Q connectors that connect into the pcb and they seem  wrong, so then I…

Checked wires coming from new switch power supply and
   There’s stuff coming from AC’s and ground and one wire coming from +5v Nothing else.



   So I assume 12V has to be hooked up somehow?

   The wire from 5V has been soldered together with the red cut wires from the F connector on the old power supply
   Also the wire from ground has been soldered together with the black cut wires from the F connector on the old power supply

   These are left as is though, taped up and doing nothing!? Should I attempt to rewire these to the F connector? That may not work. A new PS suggests that the old one was giving trouble with voltages to the PCB anyway!?


Cut from F connector and soldered together with ground and +5 from new PS


This is the monitor connection. I think this is right!?


Plus there’s this spare cable connected straight to the top of the transformer. This may power the credit counter in the cash box?


I don’t know if it makes a difference but the coin door light only lights up when the G and Q connectors are attached to the PCB too!?

God I’m getting a bit scared here. Really feel I’ve bitten off more than I can chew!!?  Any ideas at all on how I might proceed? Your help would be so appreciated. Thanks guys.

[Etienne MacGyver]

Video looks ok, its black and white monitor, so i guess the yellow not connected wire is the sync
Black and white is basicly a component signal

The last pic looks like mains for the monitor, blabk and white wires are many time for that And its comming from the transformer so my guess its comming from the 110 volt part (isolation transformer section for the monitor)

As for only 5 volt, 12 volts is normally only for the audio amp

Looks like connector f on the powersupply is cut because that part is replaced by the switcher, and the 12 volts is still comming from the old ps

I would search for a wirediagram of the cabinet an check that to your setup

Edit:
http://www.crazykong.com/manuals/SpaceInvaders.man.pdf
Page 22

Aonther link with lots of info ;

http://www.brentradio.com/SpaceInvaders.htm

[Q*ris]

I did that mod in one if my cabs.
I'll go in the storage Sunday and take a few pics.
Actually what I did was: keeping the original PS to feed the screen with 110V and use the modern switching power supply to feed my PCB with 5 and 12V.
Makes sense?