Project Feature: Arcade Cabinets with Raspberry Pi

Read the last updates and news about our brand and line of products.

Danny Patterson is a Vilros customer from the southern United States who has been using Raspberry Pi to build arcade cabinets.

Q: What was your inspiration for this project?

About 3 years ago I came across a company on Kickstarter (New Wave Toys) that was building a 1:6 scale replica Bluetooth boombox. I thought it was awesome, so I explored their other offerings and I found that they had already produced a limited number of Centipede arcade cabinets, which suddenly sucked me into this miniature version of my childhood.

Well, needless to say, they were never going to get license from companies like Nintendo, who are very protective of their brand, so getting a Donkey Kong or Junior DK was out of the question. You can't be a child of the 70's and 80's and have an arcade without those games, so I started to dig in to see if I could find a community of enthusiasts, which led me to a couple of Facebook groups. One was a New Wave Toys fan page, the other was a fan page for a product named GRS Build-A Cade. The BAC is a kit that allows you to build 1:6 scale arcade cabinets. It came with everything you needed besides the Raspberry Pi and the ROMS.

The drawback to this is that the cabinet, although loosely based off Donkey Kong, was that it was a uniform look for all of the games. Of course, you could add as many ROMS onto the card as you wanted, just like any other Retropi build and just stick with one cabinet or add artwork to fit the existing architecture of the cabinet and make several of your favorites, but I wanted my games as close the originals as I could make them. I saw that a couple of people had modded the side panels to make it look like a very close rendition of Donkey Kong. That's the moment I was inspired to figure it all out. No company was going to make every game that meant something to me personally so I would either have to keep hoping and dreaming or do it myself.

Q: What components did you use?

These are the staples for all cabinets:

Raspberry Pi 3 B+
MakerFocus Rpi UPSPack Standard V3P with a 4000 mAh rechargeable battery
3.5 Inch 640x480 Portable DIY LCD Display Screen with Mini-HDMI Driver Board – Compatible with Raspberry/Orange Pi
Various tactile buttons depending on available space.
AC 1A 125V 3Pin SPDT Limit Micro Switch Long Hinge Lever for Arduino- to build the joysticks
1 1/8" x 1 1/2" speakers
EI-14 Audio Transformer High Efficiency Audio Isolation Transformers 1:1 600:600 Ohm for Voltage Amplification and Power Output
Chironal PAM8403 Mini 5V Digital Amplifier Board with Switch Potentiometer can be USB Powered GF1002
Optional if space allows: Arcade Game Controller USB Encoder Zero Delay to Joystick Button for PC MAME Raspberry Pi Retro

Note: I started with these before learning how to program the GPIO pins to save space and money, since I was and still am building multiple cabinets.

The Tempest Build also included:

Pro Micro Atmega32U4 Module Type-C Development Board 5V 16MHz Microcontroller Board with Pin Header and AS5600 Magnetic Encoder 12bit high
Precision Magnetic Induction Angle Measurement Sensor Module 3.3V

Q: What were some of the technical challenges you overcame?

Literally everything. I didn't know anything about any of it. I knew absolutely nothing about electronics, and still very limited to what I need to accomplish my goal. I had only heard of 3D printing, but never actually saw a printer or even a video of one in action. I had never heard of a Raspberry Pi, either. CAD? Again, new what it was, but zero idea how to do it where to even start. I was also going to need to learn how to use photo editing software because I had never done anything like that, either.

The first thing I did was buy a 3D printer and started learning one of the CAD programs so I could make me one of those Donkey Kong cabinets. Afterall, I only needed those sides to make that cabinet using the kit, so it was the perfect learning experience for me to start with. Next, I bought an inexpensive soldering project and a soldering station so I could practice that skill. I can't tell you how many hours of YouTube videos along the way. Luckily, I found a couple of guys building these small cabinets that were willing to give me advice along the way. These two gents have been invaluable to me. No amount of internet searching can replace people who are genuinely passionate about their hobby and their willingness to help others.

After all of that, I had to figure out how to fit all of the required components into such a small space and still the overall look and integrity of the cabinet design, whick is most challenging when working on the control panel. Trying to figure out button spacing when the tactile switches are only so small can be challenging, but that's part of the fun.

Q: What advice do you have for other people attempting a similar build?

That's a great question, and it really depends on where they are on their maker journey. This can be a very easy project for those already familiar with the skills I outlined above or a seemingly very daunting task for people starting from square one, like I did. My advice would be to learn the basics of each skill and don't feel like it's going to be too overwhelming.

If they don't want to buy a 3D printer, they could certainly build them using wood as I've seen others do. The great thing about this project is that each skill needed only needs basic understanding of each if you just want to build a cabinet with buttons. Adding a joystick will add some more difficulty, but only in the design aspect, not the technical. Also, and perhaps most importantly, is find a group of people that are already doing what you want to do. I would look for groups that build 1:6 and 1:4 scale versions of these cabinets and join in. One such group is CBMA - Custom Built Mini Arcade on Facebook.