Yappy: 1-Player Arcade Console
Machine Overview
After months of toying with several different build, I was able to finalized my 1-player arcade build which I'm calling it "Yappy".
The build for this arcade can be found at this link and it highlight all the major components required to build this arcade and how it is put together.
Just to highlight some of the components required to put this arcade together:
Housing – To “house” all the components together. In this build, I will show you my laser cut version. I do have several other versions available but in general, the same build principle applies.
Raspberry Pi Ver. B+ rev 2 – This is the “brain” of it all that manages the joysticks and runs the emulator. It’s basically a computer and can be substituted with actual computer. On the Raspberry Pi, it should have
At least 8gig mini-SD memory card which acts as the hard drive.
Arcade Emulator – In all my build and for ease of build, I have opted to use Raspbian (website: https://www.raspberrypi.org/downloads/) standardize using
Emulation Station as it will run on my other build for the Arcade
HDMI cable to output to Video Card Adapter to display to an external monitor
Sound cable to output the sound to an external speakers
Video Card adapter – HDMI Output from Raspberry Pi to an external video display unit
10.1" LCD monitor with HDMI / VGA / Composite Video Card and all relevant cables
Joysticks and Buttons – I have adopted the 10 buttons systems, which should cover most of the games and up to PS2 as well as SNES.
Pair of 4Ω 3W Speakers
Power – As the Raspberry Pi B+ rev. 2 takes 5V, 1.2amp and the monitor takes 5V (to 12V), 5amp, and speakers that’s requires 5V, 500mA, I needed a power supply from the wall socket of 220 V – 240 V and step down to the mentioned voltage and amperes to manage all the stated components. For ease of maintenances and adaptability, I have opted to use an external 5V, 5amp multi-USB adapter that takes 100V – 240V so it can simply be plug into a wall socket.
This version of my arcade built actually allows me to "wrap skins" onto it. What it essentially means is that I can put any 3.0mm wood (i.e. laminates / veneer ply / etc) around or partially around the whole housing.
Here are some samples of partial wrapping.
I have opt to do partial wrapping as I find it "a-tat" overwhelming to wrap the whole housing but some people think otherwise... you'll be the judge. I particularly like this wrap that I did but again, that's only my opinion.
Here is a full wrapping of a completed arcade that wrapped with veneer ply.
I am putting up all these arcade up for sale so do swing by the office to take a look and have a "go" at them. Google "openbuilds.sg" or simply key "openbuilds.sg" into Google Map to see where my office is. Do make an appointment ahead of time as I'm not always in my office as this is a "1.3-man" operations (I count my partner as 0.3 man).
