Sega-Naomi

Hello all,



I recently took my first step into the realm of actual arcade hardware. I have been looking to buy a NAOMI for quite sometime now, and since I recently have some decent income, I decided to take the plunge.



Here is what I have on the way:



2x NAOMI Motherboard

1x CAPCOM I/O Board with cables

1x power supply

1x audio amp

1x sega I/O (not JAMMA)

1x joystick and buttons (standalone parts)

1x ROM Board, Spawn: In the Demon's Hand



Here is a picture of some of the goods above from one seller. Is anything missing? I believe there should be some sort of a power cable for the PSU right? Any help here would be great.



I am acquiring gear for linking 2 NAOMI setups. I plan to have these in a consolized environment. Which means no cab. I am going to hook them up via VGA to standard CRT monitors.



Please note that I am new to all of this, and do not have previous experience with arcade hardware. Though I have been learning a ton via research over the past few days. I do have a few critical questions:



What do I do about controls? - Will I have to build my own arcade stick? Is there an easy solution for controls? Can I buy a control panel somewhere for a decent price?



Is it possible to run the Capcom I/O board even if I am not using a cab? I read how the board draws power from the JAMMA connection negating the need for a power supply. How am I going to get power to unit if I am not planning to connect this to a cab?



Thanks for any replies, I greatly appreciate it.



-Ben

If you have a Capcom I/O (which I don't see in your supplied picture), then using a standard arcade PSU and a jamma cable will be all you need to power the Naomi.

Or, you can get a Supergun which is the PSU, controls and jamma cable all-in-one. They can be a little pricey, but it would simplify your no-cab setup.

However, if you plan on running 2 Naomi's at once, then you will need 2 Capcom I/O's and 2 Superguns to run a networked setup with this configuration.



As for the cable for the Sega (Sun) PSU, this is usually inside the cabinet that it was meant to be installed in. If the seller didn't include this, then you either have to find one (either through the forums or, if you're lucky, ebay), or cut off the specialized connector and splice an AC cable for power.

joshua3dg wrote:If you have a Capcom I/O (which I don't see in your supplied picture), then using a standard arcade PSU and a jamma cable will be all you need to power the Naomi.

I do have a Capcom I/O. The only things that arn't featured in the image above are the stuff I got via other purchases. Which is a Capcom I/O with all cables, and a standalone mint NAOMI mobo.



What is the JAMMA cable? is this the power cable for the standard arcade PSU?



Also is there a place I could buy thie arcade PSU / JAMMA cable with ease? Thanks

joshua3dg wrote:Or, you can get a Supergun which is the PSU, controls and jamma cable all-in-one. They can be a little pricey, but it would simplify your no-cab setup.

What can I connect to a supergun as far as controls? What type of controllers?

joshua3dg wrote:However, if you plan on running 2 Naomi's at once, then you will need 2 Capcom I/O's and 2 Superguns to run a networked setup with this configuration.

Why do I have to have identical setups? I can't network one NAOMI running a Capcom I/O? and Another running a Sega I/O?

joshua3dg wrote:As for the cable for the Sega (Sun) PSU, this is usually inside the cabinet that it was meant to be installed in. If the seller didn't include this, then you either have to find one (either through the forums or, if you're lucky, ebay)

Could I buy a second PSU kit off an arcade parts dealer? I have seen some 3.3v Power kits for naomi selling on a few sites.



Here is one:

http://www.highway.net.au/parts/machine/5664.html

joshua3dg wrote:, or cut off the specialized connector and splice an AC cable for power.

This is something I want to avoid at all costs.



---



Also I need some more clarrification on controls. What are my options for controls? The controls supposedly connect via USB, does this mean I could use a convertor and a PS2 stick?



Is there somewhere I could buy a standalone Astrocity arcade stick setup?



Is going with a supergun the best option for a consolized NAOMI setup as far as controls?



Please keep in mind that I will need to also run 2 copies of Outtrigger which has its own special control panel and I/O board. What I am trying to have is a dual networked NAOMI environment, consolized, with SPAWN and Outtrigger linked.



-Ben

The supergun has the controls already mounted to it. Here is an example--->Supergun example<---Click Here.



It has practically everything you need to run the Naomi with a Capcom I/O. Since the controls are specific to the Supergun, there are no other control options (without making them yourself). But a Supergun will not work on the non-jamma Sega I/O without custom wiring (again, making one yourself).



The 3.3v kit you mentioned takes the 5v and/or 12v from a standard PSU and supplies the missing 3.3v that the Naomi needs. Depending on the setup you choose, this may or may not help you.



The reason I mentioned cutting off the specialized connector on the Sega PSU is because you can't really find the replacement cable through arcade suppliers (except maybe special order). You won't find it on their websites. But you can order the appropriate connector that would fit and make a cable from it. I don't know the connector part number, but someone looking at this topic may know the number and where to buy it.



The Naomi does not interface with standard usb devices. Only specific I/O's that comply with the JVS standard. Any other device plugged into the Naomi will be completely ignored.



Although it is possible to use 2 Naomi's with different I/O's, it makes it difficult to connect the controls because the setups will not be the same. I'm sure that if you spend enough time, effort and money, you can get it to work. I just figured that someone without experience would want the best or simplest way.

The 2 main problems it looks like I need to solve are connecting things:



Plugging the setup into a wall socket



&



Plugging a controller into the setup and playing the game



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So far my POWER options for the Sega I/O + Sega non-JAMMA PSU are:



1.) Find an arcade dealer to buy a replacement power cable from (this would let me plug it into the wall right?

2.) Cut off the special connector on the Sega PSU, order a compatible connector, and make a cable

3.) ???? Anything else ????



So far my POWER options for the Capcom I/O are:



1.) No idea. How does the Capcom I/O get powered? Via the same cable connections as the Sega PSU? I read that the Capcom I/O is able to supply power to the NAOMI without the need for an additional PSU (but when a GDROM unit is attached, it does need an extra power supply.



-can you supply more information about how the Capcom I/O draws power and from where?



--------------



So far my controller options are:



1.) Buy a supergun



2.) ???



What are my other options besides a supergun, if I do not own an arcade cab, and want to have this setup in a consolized environment.



Also, most of the superguns I see output to Television video, such as Composite, S-Video, and Component. Will this interfere with me outputting VGA directly from the NAOMI motherboard? I plan on setting these NAOMI's up on spare PC Monitors via VGA.



Finally it doesn't seem like a Supergun would solve me connecting the Outrrigger control panel. Would this panel be able to connect directly to the NAOMI motherboard without the need for a supergun?

joshua3dg wrote:The supergun has the controls already mounted to it. Here is an example--->Supergun example<---Click Here.

My friend had a supergun when he dabbled with MVS. Does this solve both the controls, and power issue in one shot?

joshua3dg wrote:But a Supergun will not work on the non-jamma Sega I/O without custom wiring (again, making one yourself).

Would this be a JAMMA harness?

joshua3dg wrote:The 3.3v kit you mentioned takes the 5v and/or 12v from a standard PSU and supplies the missing 3.3v that the Naomi needs. Depending on the setup you choose, this may or may not help you.

Ok so this 3.3v kit would be needed if I was using a PSU besides the Sega PSU? Like say a PC PSU?

joshua3dg wrote:The reason I mentioned cutting off the specialized connector on the Sega PSU is because you can't really find the replacement cable through arcade suppliers (except maybe special order). You won't find it on their websites. But you can order the appropriate connector that would fit and make a cable from it. I don't know the connector part number, but someone looking at this topic may know the number and where to buy it.

Yea I would need a lot more assistance with this as my experience with electrical wiring / soldering is minimal.

joshua3dg wrote:The Naomi does not interface with standard usb devices. Only specific I/O's that comply with the JVS standard. Any other device plugged into the Naomi will be completely ignored.

Would the Outtrigger panel be an I/O that interfaces with this port? Connecting directly to the motherboard?

joshua3dg wrote:Although it is possible to use 2 Naomi's with different I/O's, it makes it difficult to connect the controls because the setups will not be the same. I'm sure that if you spend enough time, effort and money, you can get it to work.

The main variable here is when it comes to different control panels for say Virtual Golf or Outtrigger (which I definatly need to get working). Any information on conflicts with this would be greatly appreciated.

joshua3dg wrote:I just figured that someone without experience would want the best or simplest way.

Well, I don't have much experience now but that is quickly changing. The one thing I would like to avoid is having to start ripping apart console arcade sticks and soldering stuff for controls, or taking apart PSU's. I have no current electrical modding experience. While it is something I want to dabble with later on for fun, such as making my own arcade sticks, right now I just want to get this up and running. At the same time I am trying to buy exactly what I need, rather than blowing money on unecessary items.



What I bought so far was for a good deal I think. I scored everything in the picture above for 180 shipped, then I got the Capcom I/O for 180, and a mint standalone NAOMI mobo for 70. All of these prices include shipping. I really needed Spawn (since I will eventually need 2), so I figured it was a good opportunity to score a lot of NAOMI related hardware in one shot. Feel free to let me know how good I made out in terms of price.

You might need to do some research on arcade related wiring. This would answer alot of the basic questions you are asking; such as 'how to wire...', 'what is jamma', 'type of power...', 'connect panel', etc. Most arcade machines have the same type of wiring standard which makes installing games easier. This standard is called JAMMA which stands for Japanese Amusement Machine Manufacturers Association.



If you look at the Capcom I/O, you will see an edge connector that looks like the old style Nintendo cartridges that usually needed to be cleaned. This interfaces with the Jamma harness (bundle of wires) which connects power and connections. Jamma harnesses are, for the most part, wired the same. There are a few exceptions like NeoGeo hardware which looks the same, but is wired differently.



Take a look at some wiring diagrams for games like Street Fighter 2 and, of course, the Sega Naomi Wiring Diagram. Once you understand the basics, then ask more technical questions.