new hardware Pin2DMD EVO 128x32 with Built in Data East DMD Controller PCB - Help & Ideas

[Terranigma]

Hi guys,

 

I've been wanting to create a Pin2dmd EVO with the Data East DMD controller built in. Anyone who has used a Pin2dmd on a Data East (or Sega) machine will know how the SD card and USB port are inaccessible once installed. Updating your colour file, testing your colour file and dumping games can become a bit of a mission as you have to remove the DMD PCB and the metal plate to get to your Pin2dmd. The other benefit on having an all in 1 pcb is that people can often have faulty or failing DMD driver PCBs and the cost to replace this can be almost as much as the Pin2dmd itself.

 

Unfortunately I am not skilled enough to create a new PCB, but I have been speaking with @Rene368 who does have the skills required to create such a device. There are however a few things we need to work out before we can bring this device to life. First is the availability of the microprocessors  U9 (68B45) and U11 (68B09E), does anyone know if there is a good resource/supplier for these chips that are guaranteed not fake?

 

The next issue will be the PAL chips, we would need to get these dumps and then have a way to reliably program them. Does anyone know if these have already been publicly dumped? If not, does anyone have the equipment/skill to be able to do so?

 

The last factor will will be the cost. Hopefully the final product will be cheaper than buying a Pin2dmd and a DMD Driver PCB separately, that is the goal. The project, once finished would be made available publicly with all the required files so that anyone get create one themselves.

 

If you can help with any of the above or you are interested in this product, please leave a comment below. I have a few other project ideas in the pipeline but we will start with this one

 

Thanks

[Rene368]

The above sums it up nicely😃. 

 

Just to mention one more time: If you have a Data East or Sega machine with a 128x32 plasma DMD or a 128x32 PIN2DMD EVO board and would find this a useful project. Just leave a comment.

 

 

Because we also want to make sure that (besides the challenges mentioned above by @Terranigma) there is interest in this project.

 

-René

[lucky1]

I don´t see any reason to design this pcb. You would never make this for WPC machines then why make this for DataEast ??

Why not simply mount the DMD controller at a different location to have better access to the DMD ?

The only reason why you want to do this, is because of the accessibility of the USB and SD card ?

Why not find another solution for that specific problem which is more universal.

Currently the design of the 128x32 DMD ican be used in almost all pinball machines with 128x32 DMD to replace the plasmas.

Why make a new pcb which it limited to only one brand ?? 

IMHO makes no sense.

 

[Terranigma]

Thanks for your input, will take your comments on board.

[lucky1]

Would it not just be enough to move the SD slot and the USB from the top to the side of the pcb. 

I think between speaker and DMD pcb is enough space to access both easily, but maybe someone who owns such

a machine could confirm.

[Terranigma]

Yep, the SD and USB connectors need to be moved regardless. I've got a DE machine so I can check the measurements. This will probably be the first thing done and if the DMD driver pcb integration doesn't happen, it will hopefully be a universal fit for those connectors.