2014 UPDATE — Raspberry Pi Upgrade
The latest revision runs completely from a Raspberry Pi Model B, booting within 20 seconds to its menu.
Changes made:
- Replaced the 133MHz Pentium with a Raspberry Pi Model B
- Added a cable to convert HDMI output to standard VGA
- Installed the USB cable sold with the iPac keyboard controller (the iPac's buffering features make games more responsive than a generic PCI-to-USB adapter)
- PiMAME 0.7.10 as OS and menu system — a significant visual step up from the PC DOS-based ArcadeOS
Recent Version — Cabinet Redesigned Yellow to Black
Earlier Iterations and Design Aspects
I've finally decided to build a full-fledged arcade cabinet — something I'd wanted to do for at least 20 years. Being a video game player (addict) since 1978 and developer since 1987, the only thing left was to become a manufacturer (limiting myself to just one system — for now).
Below is my cost breakdown, tools, software, and materials, along with my home-grown design documentation. Hopefully someone else can benefit from my work and have as much fun pursuing their own arcade dream.
Project Cost Breakdown
| Qty | Item | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spare PC 133MHz or better w/Monitor & Speakers (recycled — not included in total) | $0? |
| 1 | Red Ball top Joystick (ultimarc.com) | $15.00 |
| 1 | Player 1 Button (ultimarc.com) | $3.50 |
| 1 | Player 2 Button (ultimarc.com) | $3.50 |
| 2 | Red Push Buttons (ultimarc.com) | $5.00 |
| 6 | Yellow Push Buttons (ultimarc.com) | $15.00 |
| 1 | Green Push Button (ultimarc.com) | $2.50 |
| 1 | IPAC Splitter Board (ultimarc.com) | $39.00 |
| 1 | Shipping (ultimarc.com) | $14.00 |
| 2 | 4×8 Particle Board Sheets ¾" (Home Depot) | $39.00 |
| 1 | 4×8 Plywood ½" Sheet (Home Depot) | $15.00 |
| 2 | Spools of wire, Black & White (Radio Shack) | $6.00 |
| 28 | Crimp Terminal lugs (Ace) | $10.00 |
| 1 | Box of #6 wood screws × 100 (Home Depot) | $4.40 |
| 1 | Box of 1.5" wood screws × 100 (Home Depot) | $3.60 |
| 1 | Bottle of Wood Glue (Ace) | $4.30 |
| 1 | 32×20" Sheet of Plexiglas + cutting tool (Home Depot) | $9.90 |
| 2 | Pint of Glossy Black and Yellow Paint (Ace Hardware) | $14.00 |
| 4 | 2×2"×8' boards (Home Depot) | $8.00 |
| 1 | Black Ball Shaped cabinet knob (Home Depot) | $2.00 |
| 2 | Hinges for front door (Home Depot) | $4.00 |
| 1 | Roll of black electrical tape (Home Depot) | $2.00 |
| 4 | Rubber Feet for cabinet bottom (Home Depot) | $3.00 |
| 1 | 30×20 Black poster board ¼" thickness (Office Max) | $10.40 |
| 1 | 200" Roll of T-Molding (t-molding.com) | $20.00 |
| 1 | Coin Door from Asteroids cabinet (eBay) | $25.00 + $15.00 S&H |
| 1 | Fluorescent light (Marquee) | $12.00 |
| 1 | Clear plastic corner wall guard (Marquee) | $1.99 |
| Total Cost | $307.09 |
Tools Required
- Circular Saw
- Router with Biscuit Cutter Bit
- Electric Screw Driver
- Electric Drill with Drill Bits, screw driver bit, and 1⅛" Hole Cutter Bit
- Electric Sander
- 4 Wood Clamp Grips
- Jigsaw
- Tape Measure / Yard Stick / Pencil
- Wire Cutter / Crimping Tool
Software Required
Construction Diagrams
| Diagram | Description | Photos |
|---|---|---|
 |
Wood Cutting 1 of 3 — 4×8½" ¾" plywood. Most stores will cut for you; Home Depot won't cut pieces under 12". | |
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Wood Cutting 2 of 3 — 4×8½" ¾" plywood. | |
 |
Wood Cutting 3 of 3 — 4×8½" ¾" plywood. |  |
 |
Support Beams — 4 qty of 8' 2×2" boards. | |
 |
Basic Construction Measurements — Support beam placement may need adjusting depending on cut accuracy. | |
 |
Control Panel Wiring — Typical layout using real arcade controls with Ultimarc IPAC PCB. |       |
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Basic Construction and Assembly — How to mark and attach all main cabinet elements. |  |
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Internal Construction — Basic placement of wood between side panels. |  |
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Plexiglas Cutting — Where to cut the plexiglas. | |
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Cabinet Finishing — Plexiglas placement and t-molding fastening. t-molding.com |  |
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Computer Placement — How a typical desktop PC integrates within the cabinet. |   |
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Internal Components — How hardware is wired within the cabinet. | |
 |
Completed Cabinet | |
|
Cabinet Decoration and Painting — Current version is fully semi-gloss black. |   |
Artwork
Marquee
Bezel
Left and right menus (not in final design)
Control Panel Background
Joystick Base
FAQ
Q: It looks like you have plexiglas mounted on top of your control panel? A: I didn't like how simple black painted wood looked, so I used a sheet of plexiglas on top (sized and drilled with 11 × 1⅛" holes to match the wood). This lets me insert printed artwork underneath for a more polished look.
Q: Regarding the MAME marquee — did you print transparencies on an inkjet and put them behind clear plexiglas? A: Yes. I printed the logo onto transparencies (3 sheets) placed between two sheets of Plexiglas. The top and bottom edges are clear plastic corner wall guards (4', cut in half, $1.99). A fluorescent light is mounted behind it ($12.00).
Q: How do you switch between games? A: I use ArcadeOS (see link above).
Q: Which MAME version do you use? A: v37b — any DOS version of MAME should work fine.
Q: What OS are you running?
A: DOS 7 (a hard drive formatted with Win95 SR2 using format c: /s).
Q: The monitor looks mounted 90° from upright — how do you rotate the picture? A: Set it in ArcadeOS setup — it calls MAME with a switch to rotate the screen.
Q: Did you consider buying an old arcade machine just for the box? A: Yes, but dealers in Cincinnati wanted $1000+ even for broken ones, and eBay cabinets ran ~$400 plus $150 shipping. Easier to build.
Q: How did you do the side graphics? Stencils? A: Yes — removed the stenciled MAME name from the sides and left only the Space Invader icon.
Q: PC specifications? A: Pentium 667 Celeron, 64MB RAM, 10GB HD, SB16 sound card. Formatted with DOS 7 (no Windows), CD-ROM DOS drivers, SB16 drivers, MAME 37b, and ArcadeOS. The autoexec.bat launches ArcadeOS, which uses the joystick/buttons to navigate.
© 1996-2025 John A. Reder