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Control Panel - Internal Construction (2 of 2)

     As with everything else in the arcade cabinet, all of the parts on the control panel are modular and can be replaced.  Doing this with the buttons and trackballs was easy (they were designed as such).  The same would have been true with the rotary/spinner controllers and joysticks, but I didn't like the fact that their standard way of installation would result in bolts sticking up onto the top of the control panel.

    To avoid this I created a dual mini L-brace system.  One L-brace is screwed and glued onto the bottom of the control panel.  A second L-brace, who's back leans up against the back of the other L-Brace, is bolted onto the joystick/trackball, and bolted again into the first L-brace glued & screwed into the wood.  This results in a T-shaped design that is, surprisingly, VERY strong and sturdy.

     Screws/bolts are accompanied by washers and lock-washers.  If I didn't use lock-washers, the nuts on the bolts would make their way loose over time (this is especially true for the control panel since it absorbs a high amount of vibration due to use).

Close Up of the Joystick (Note the L-brace and bolt system holding it into place):

Another Close Up of the Joystick:

Close Up of the Spinner/Rotary Controller:

     See how close the L-Braces above (on the right) are to the spinner wheel?  There's about 2mm of clearance on one of them.  VERY tight, but fits fine (and the spinner wheels never rub up against the L-braces).

Another Close Up of the Spinner/Rotary Controller:

Hinged Up:

     Even though the left trackball looks orange, it glows red when lit up.

Bottom, Before Wiring:

The UltimArc I-Pac 4 (top) and Opti-Pac (bottom):

     All of the connections on these cards are labeled right on the card, making wiring simple.

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