Outrun Cab to Cannonball Interface

[ColinD]

I'm currently working on an Outrun Cab to Cannonball interface.....

This has kept me quiet for quite a few weeks....

More updates to follow, but basically allows you to almost 'plug and play' a PC running cannonball via usb and audio into an Outrun Cab.... you will have to sort your own video options out, via Arcade VGA and Video amp board (if required) or a VGA monitor ( not quite in the spirit of the project though)

I'm still at the prototype stage, but basically all the connectors are the same/similar as the origonal game pcb and we should also be able to use the motion control on the sitdown cab, and the audio mix down for the sub woofer !! - All Outrun I/O, Shaker motors / knocker / brake lights supported and all that !!!

I'm going to get 3 proto pcb's made up in the next couple of weeks, then onto testing, and hopefully produce some diy kits in the summer......

Watch this space

Chris Whites Blog is here..... <BLOG>

He is also helping me by supporting this interface in his project and we already have some results.... It's basically an Arduino UNO Outrun 'wing' and will be called "The CannonBoard".... Most of the Arduino firmware has been written already by myself and tested by Chris...

Also will be looking at other hardware platforms (such as Rpi and/or Odriod) and also if I can find someone to help ??. a virtual joystick driver so you can also run other games (like Outrun 2) in your original cab (Possibly even using force feedback to move the cab with the steering wheel !)

Cheers, Colin

ColinD2014-01-30 21:05:46

 

[IDCHAPPY]

Very interesting dude

 

[ColinD]

I've had the Boards made up and they are on the way in the post.... I
have used SeeedStudio as recommended by a very trusty guy in the USA
(Mark Spaeth).....I got more boards a little cheaper....

Now
these are the proto boards and I've found a couple of mistakes so far,
but are easy to fix and tweak to get to the 1st hurdle 'beta stage' of
the project....

Cannonball will use a special mode to support
the proprietary comms interface protocol we are using in the Arduino Uno
custom firmware and allow motion control/audio mute, brake lights,
shakers etc..... however.......

Anyway.... Posted this on Facebook so sharing here.....

###########

Outrun / CannonBall / Cannonboard update.....

Now this is a cool find.... http://blog.arduino.cc/2012/05/14/unojoy-a-usb-joystick-for-mac-pc-linux-or-ps3/#.Uv5vH_vPYyY

It allows you to use/abuse a standard Arduino Uno to function as a USB
HID Joystick Device..... What does that mean ?? - Well it will
hopefully allow my Outrun > Cannoball interface PCB (with some
firmware tweaking to talk to my board) to support native PC games, by
turning it into Driving Controls.... This needs some investigating and a
good looking at.....

This is good timing as my Proto Boards
are on the way and I've just ordered a LOT of costly parts to build a
few units up for testing..... I'm also kind of guessing that we might
also be able to support consoles too ? (but that's too far down the line
to ) , They should be quite easy to interface to the video on your
arcade monitors too

I can't wait to play Cannonball and Outrun 2 on my machines, maybe even some modern drivers and simulators too as a bonus

The only negative thing I can think of at the moment is that with the
USB HID drivers set up for you lucky lucky deluxe moving cab owners out
there.... you will loose the motion control function in Cannonball....
but I have some other plans in the bag to allow the motion control to
respond in some subtle and some more violent ways in response to how you
move the steering wheel..... This will prove most interesting to play
with in the future.... watch this space.....

##############

So
there you go...... In HID mode, I'll probably put some safety things
in place for the motion control.... so motion is disabled if no user
input for a few seconds (not a problem during the game)... and is
enabled by the start button..... or even a long press......

Finally however.... UNO's can be found dirt cheap, so there is no reason why you can't have 2 or 3 of the buggers all flashed differently and just swap out to suit !!!
ColinD2014-02-14 20:59:13

 

[ColinD]

I tried the example HID code today, however I couldn't get the
visualizer to run..... knowing it was working tested code, I thought
sod it, lets reflash the usb interface chip anyway !!!

Took me a
little while to cotton on as when the jumper was fitted, it dissapeared
from the usb device list.... hmmm... then I sussed.... removed the
jumped.... and it toggled between the two programming modes.....

I
ran the uno > joystick batch file... and it worked first time.....
it then appeared as an analogue joystick... with 2 extra axis's and a
load of buttons !!!

shorted the pins out briefly, mode changed
and then was able to reflash back to standard uno mode..... all without
any tools !!!

So basically just need to have a 2nd lot of firmware to talk to my board by mashing a couple of examples together.....

YES....
This will be also Mame Compatible, either using this Joystick mode, or
by a virtual joystick wrapper interface..... for the next boards I get
made, I'll probably add some extra button inputs too.....

IF the buttons / axis are not right, you can remap easily too.....