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MAME arcade cabinets are meant to provide the experience of an entire video arcade in one unit. The name MAME cabinet refers to the emulation software MAME, the software used in such a cabinet. They come in many different flavors, such as upright cabinets which are the full-size cabinets many people are used to, cocktail cabinets which are similar to tables with a glass top that players look down on to play on, and bar-top machines which are miniature versions of the uprights. You can buy these machines fully built at numerous companies on the internet or order parts and build one yourself.

Contents 1 Control panel design 1.1 Control panel interfaces 1.1.1 Keyboard hack 1.1.2 Custom interface boards 2 Monitors 2.1 Computer monitors 2.2 Arcade monitors 2.3 Televisions 3 Customization 4 External links

When designing the control panel of the MAME arcade cabinet, one needs to take into account the position and quantity of buttons, as well as how the buttons will interface with the computer. In addition there are different ways one can actually build the control panel. One common way to do it is to build the panel out of wood, then place a graphic on the top of wood and cover that in plexi glass. The other way that one can do this is to use counter-top surface materials such as granite or cheaper materials to build the control panel.

Interfacing a computer with arcade controls is generally done in one of two ways: the "keyboard hack", and through the use of a keyboard encoder.

The "keyboard hack" requires the extraction of the control board of a keyboard and then the soldering of the arcade buttons to the actual solder points of individual keys on the keyboard. Therefore, one may solder a blue arcade button to the connection point of the 'b' key. Please see "How to hack a keyboard for use in MAME" in the External links section for an in-depth reference.

An easy alternative to the classic "keyboard hack" is an interface board that is detected by the computer as a standard PS/2 or USB keyboard. The most popular units are the I-PAC and J-PAC by Ultimarc, the X-Arcade by Xgaming and the KeyWiz by Groovy Game Gear. Other arcade companies have universal control boards such as Quasimoto's Quasicon that allow play on video game consoles as well as PC. Some vendors such as ThrustVector Controls, provide features such as variable rate autofire and macros with adjustable delay between each keystroke.

There are three different types of displays used in MAME arcade cabinets: Computer Monitors, Arcade Monitors, and Televisions, each having specific advantages and requirements.

A Computer Monitor is the least-troublesome way to go. Although more common sizes are normally less expensive than an arcade monitor, monitors that approach the size of arcade monitors are relatively rare and expensive. Computer monitors are also not designed for being mounted inside of a cabinet, so the construction of a custom mount is normally required, even though this is a relatively easy task of building proper supports within the cabinet. Using a computer monitor has a specific advantage in that you will be able to run an operating system as computer monitors can handle the full resolution some modern operating systems require.Due to the higher refresh rate, this type of monitor will provide the least authentic image.

If one is performing a conversion on an existing cabinet, it may already have an arcade monitor. An arcade monitor allows games to be played on a monitor that displays the original resolution the game was designed for. Arcade monitors pose a specific challenge in interfacing with a computer, as the frequency output by modern video cards (31kHz) is different from the frequency used by arcade monitors (15kHz). Using a video card designed for use with an arcade monitor, such as an ArcadeVGA by Ultimarc, can help with this problem. An alternative is to use a DOS or Linux based solution where appropriate software can force many types of graphics card to produce the required 15kHz frequency. This is generally not possible in Microsoft Windows as it does not provide the necessary direct hardware access.

Televisions are a popular choice for the fact that they are capable of displaying any and all content on a MAME arcade machine but give closer to the real thing then computer monitors can do. The only problem with televisions that can sometimes present itself is the need for the television to have an input available on it that can interface with a computer graphics card. Since VGA and DVI connectors on TV's are only present on high-end expensive flat panel TV's that usually isn't an option. However S-Video can be done, but you still typically will need newer equipment to be able to accommodate this as well.

This is the final point of construction. There are many things one can do at this point such as changing the t-molding, re-enameling the metal exterior parts, changing the marquee, or general painting. This really just has to do with personalization.

• Marquee

  The Marquee is the backlit banner above the monitor. These can be backlit by either flourescent lights or black lights. In commercial arcade machines, this normally shows the name of the game within the cabinet.

• T-molding

  The molding used on classic arcade machines acquiring the T name because of its shape. In addition you can always lay down wood tape on the edges and then router the edges to make the edges appear rounded.

• Painting/enameling

  Allows for color changes/restoration or even just a bit of personalization.

• Side Art

  You can put new art pictures on the sides of the cabinet. On commercial arcade machines these are typically pictures of the game inside the cabinet.

• Speakers

  There are many options available for a speaker system inside a cabinet. The cheapest way being just two simple PC speakers, this is usually enough to represent the arcade experience as older arcade games didn't have any advanced sound in them. However a lot of arcade cabinets built now can do full sound with good speakers and subwoofers inside them, and can be commonly used as sound systems themselves.

• Wiki about building your own arcade cabinet
• Build your own arcade controls - FAQ and Forums
• Road Runner Cabinet Plans - How to build an upright MAME cabinet
• ArcadeParadise.org - Step by step build guide
• Guide on modifying a standard arcade cabinet to support MAME
• Timekiller's Linux based XMAME Arcade