3 replies to this topic

[Pezman]

Hello everyone,

I'm trying to rebuild a chinese VP machine for my son who although fully Autistic is a pinball genius.

We got him the Chinese table with 380 games on it and it is his most valuable possession.

It is a 1080p tv with a windows 8 OS and I believe it is a locked HDD so difficult to upgrade.

I have replaced the 50" TV with a 4k 144Hz one...so far.

I am at the stage of building a new PC capable of runing the 4K.

The machine itself is awesome but I will upgrade the DMD and sound system also.

I tried to buy a HDD from a guy on marketplace called Damien Holmes but he took my money and ran. :-(

Is there anywhere I could buy a complete PC with good specs set up ready to go or a HDD set up ready to go to replace the Chinese one or will have to put my smart hat on and build from scratch.

Pinball is the world to my son and I, we had Pinbot and Bride of Pinbot in the early days but found VP to be more reliable but less realistic as a tradeoff.

Any suggestions would be much appriciated and if you've got this far thanks for reading my post. Have a Gr8 day. 

[SixOfTwelve]

As a dad of a kid who's on the spectrum, my suggestion is to build from scratch - while keeping the other cab running for as long as you can until it's time to make the swap. 

 

That way, if something breaks - and eventually it will - you can fix it yourself, because by then you'll have acquired the knowledge how things work (or at least how to ask informed questions that will get you help quicker). Depending on your son's level of autism, he may or may not deal too well with interruptions to his favorite pastime, so the quicker you can fix things, the easier it'll be on him.

 

Bonus: If your kid has an affinity for computers, and depending on his age, it may be a hobby the two of you can get into together. There's always someting to tinker with on a machine you built yourself.

[anthias]

The Chinese cabinets I've seen run IPaC or ipac2 usn controllers, so those are the drivers you would need to operate the cabinet buttons when setting up the new PC or HDD. I have tried it myself but have read that those units use a program called xmapper.

Edited by anthias, 20 September 2025 - 11:39 PM.

[Tesla]

Pezman,

 

I suggest you keep stripping it down until it's more like this:

http://mjrnet.org/pi.../BuildGuide.php

 

Like how you installed the 50-in 4K-TV and re-integrated it with what you have and are keeping ... keep doing that with the other sub-systems and components. 

 

Connect the monitors to a real Windows gaming-capable computer (via conventional ports like HDMI or Display-Port). Many people install the computer (motherboard and what not) inside the cabinet. I keep mine (a whole computer) on the floor hidden underneath the cabinet. Now-days, you use a SSD for C-Drive (not a spinning HDD).

 

https://www.vpforums...=52387&p=548001

 

For buttons and nudge-capability (on a budget) ... you can use a little "Pinscaped" KL25z (if you can still find an original/Legacy model). You will need to solder-in the Header-Pins (or have someone do it for you) and build some simple wiring harnesses. I don't know if (Raspberry-Pi based) Pinscape-Pico project is quite ready yet, but if it is, that is poised to be the new alternative.

 

For poor-man's SSF-7.1. see section in MJR's Build-Guide. You can also start small with a set of 2.0/2.1 Computer Desk Speakers and attach to 3.5mm audio-jack on your computer. 

Edited by Tesla, 21 September 2025 - 03:42 AM.