Jazman wrote:It still doesn't make sense why you would specifically prohibit from running without a dual core.

Keith, it doesn't work with a single core.

Jazman wrote:1. How do I turn off the "Nucore" logo that appears on the attract mode screens? I know you guys are proud of your work, but I don't want to see that all the time. If you guys have it on a boot up splash screen, that would be fine. I also wouldn't care if it was on the service menus. But definitely not during any screen that would show during normal operation. If I buy a replacement translite, I don't expect to see "The Pinball Factory" or "Illinois Pinball" somewhere on it.

It's more than just a graphic. It denotes when you can use the jukebox. There may be a switch to disable it (there used to be.) If it isn't still available I'll add a switch to turn it off in the next release. For now if it bothers you that much make a one pixel black bmp and name it watermark.bmp. Then put it in the resources directory in watermark I believe (not sitting at machine.)

Jazman wrote:2. This is more of an Ubuntu question... I've used other distros of Linux for some equipment at work and there is the ability to cover the bootup text with a splash screen so you don't see all the text during power up. Usually, if you need to see it, you would just press escape to do so. But, normally, you would just get a nice clean boot splash. Does the Ubuntu version you are using have such a thing? Can you send me a link to how I might enable that?

You'll have to edit the proper kernel boot line in menu.lst. search for ubuntu quiet boot on google.

Jazman wrote:3. You said that the jukebox could access a music library on a network drive. However, I don't see any instructions on how to set that up. All I could find what how to add music locally with a USB stick. Did I not read the instructions thoroughly or is that just not described yet?

You can do it now but it is a manual setup. I will post what you need to do on the nucore side to make it happen. On the ubuntu side you will have to access a network share that contains mp3 files.

1. A switch would be great. But, the replacing of the .bmp is a very acceptable workaround.
2. Great. Not really a linux guy so thank you very much for the point in the right direction.
3. Great again. No rush for the directions but I am glad to hear it is able to be done. I was never that interested in the jukebox function but I've recently moved all my music to my Home Server and now it is a pretty interesting feature to play with.

Thanks Chuck.
Keith

Jazman wrote:1. A switch would be great. But, the replacing of the .bmp is a very acceptable workaround.
2. Great. Not really a linux guy so thank you very much for the point in the right direction.
3. Great again. No rush for the directions but I am glad to hear it is able to be done. I was never that interested in the jukebox function but I've recently moved all my music to my Home Server and now it is a pretty interesting feature to play with.

Thanks Chuck.
Keith

np, I just added the instructions on how to add paths to the juekbox. It assumes you already have a network share to your server. I would add instructions on how to do this but it would be a book depending on which client you connect to. Google info on how to create a share to your specific server.

(moved to support forum)

Please post and support questions in that forum.

Mine is up and running! The ArcadeVGA card is working perfectly with the original CRT monitor and I didn't have to change anything at all from the standard install - just plug the card into the motherboard and plug the VGA cable from the machine into the card. I ended up getting the PCI Express version for the motherboard that I'm using.

The motherboard, hard drive, power supply, USB adapter, and audio amp board are all sitting on top of the machine, so I can't put the back or marquee back on yet, but it is running and totally 100% playable. YEAH!!! The smoothness of the display is really a treat compared to the clunkiness of the original board. Very cool!

mjannusch wrote:Mine is up and running! The ArcadeVGA card is working perfectly with the original CRT monitor and I didn't have to change anything at all from the standard install - just plug the card into the motherboard and plug the VGA cable from the machine into the card. I ended up getting the PCI Express version for the motherboard that I'm using.

The motherboard, hard drive, power supply, USB adapter, and audio amp board are all sitting on top of the machine, so I can't put the back or marquee back on yet, but it is running and totally 100% playable. YEAH!!! The smoothness of the display is really a treat compared to the clunkiness of the original board. Very cool!

Awesome news!

I've played a few games on it now, and actually my last game got all the way through Attack Mars - so I'm definitely liking the new setup!

One thing I noticed is that some of the scenes do seem to be a bit rushed. For instance, when you go through the Robo-Lincoln phase and complete it, if it chooses the "16th President Wins" audio, it only has enough time to get out "16th President" before the game continues to the next mode. At the end of Attack Mars after you destroy the giant brain it kind of suddenly flips from Attack Mars to right into the next mode. I remember on the original game being underwhelmed at the end of the final phase, but I'm not sure whether it flipped out of the last mode and into the next so suddenly or not.

The knocker sound is gone. Any chance of getting that back? I've got the NuCore audio amp on mine, if that makes a difference.

These are super-minor things in my mind, and I might just be making up the Attack Mars one - I dunno. Overall, playing the game seems quicker and more "snappy" like the action is sped up a little bit or something. A lot of it is probably that the animations are very smooth now with no dropped frames, but the game does "feel" better. I always had a few spots where there were audible crackles in the sound (a bad ROM or socket pin, perhaps?) which is gone with NuCore.

Just need a case now.

I'm pretty sure the horrible knocker sound is there. Make sure it's set in diags because you can turn it off. Our first add-on project for nucore will be a real knocker kit.

As far as things seeming a little faster, they probably are a hair faster. The original system prioritized tasks and when the cpu was overloaded it would delay tasks. This is why there the screen freezes on the original game in a lot of places. Even with emulating it we have enough horsepower to run the game at full speed which you've never experienced until now. There is zero frame skipping and processes that might have been delayed in the original aren't. So I wouldn't really say we're running faster I would say Nucore is running at full speed and the original ran at 80-100% depending on what was happening. I'm pretty certain this is what you are experiencing. It does play better though doesn't it

Well, my plans got boned. My old 19" computer monitor that I was hoping to use with Nucore ended up having too large a throat on the tube so it doesn't fit in the upper chassis.

As I've stated before, I have not seen an LCD that I'm happy with as the backlight always has enough of a glow to ruin the illusion for me (I usually play in fairly low light).

So, as of now, I think I'm probably going to order an ArcadeVGA card and stick with the original monitor. I'll give myself the day to figure out and decide if that is definitely the way I want to go.

Jaz

Jazman wrote:Well, my plans got boned. My old 19" computer monitor that I was hoping to use with Nucore ended up having too large a throat on the tube so it doesn't fit in the upper chassis.

As I've stated before, I have not seen an LCD that I'm happy with as the backlight always has enough of a glow to ruin the illusion for me (I usually play in fairly low light).

So, as of now, I think I'm probably going to order an ArcadeVGA card and stick with the original monitor. I'll give myself the day to figure out and decide if that is definitely the way I want to go.

Jaz

There is a newer dell lcd that has led backlighting you could try. Much better black level. Someone referenced it in one of the posts.

Unfortunately the LED backlit Dell G2210 is not the solution for poor LCD black level. I gave it a shot and it was only marginally better than the Dell E2209W I was originally using. Not recommended if you want the proper black levels.

Yesterday my ArcadeVGA card finally came in, and so the original monitor went back in. Blacks are black! The difference is staggering. Of course the downside is that the colors are not as solid and vibrant as with the LCD. I'm taking one last shot at improving the video side of what has become an expensive project. I ordered the Ultimarc Video Amplifier, as was written about on pinrepair.com, to try and boost the video signal without ruining the black levels. I still prefer the slightly dimmer image of the CRT monitor over the LCD mainly due to the black levels.

The upside to all of this is I now have a new dual 22" monitor setup for my computer workstation

My 8" sub comes in today. Time to increase the hole size on the cabinet!

My understanding about the washed out colors on the stock monitor is that it was due to the voltages not being as high as they should be for the monitor used. Doesn't the ArcadeVGA card drive the display at the proper levels? Based on your post, I would say you believe it isn't.

Jaz

The ArcadeVGA does display at the proper levels, and it looks just as it did with the original hardware. I'm looking to get a little bit of an extra boost with the amp to put it closer to the color/brightness levels the LCD was at.

Troz wrote:The ArcadeVGA does display at the proper levels, and it looks just as it did with the original hardware. I'm looking to get a little bit of an extra boost with the amp to put it closer to the color/brightness levels the LCD was at.

Ok thanks. Did you get yours from Ultimarc or is there a 3rd party distributor?

Jaz

I got mine from a 3rd party distributor via Ebay with Bing.com cashback, otherwise I would've gone straight to Ultimarc. It's the only, as far as I know, distributor for Ultimarc products in the US. He also posts at arcadecontrols.com. Took a few weeks to get here. Wasn't Pinball Life originally planning to stock the ArcadeVGA cards?

Of course, I still have another issue with the original monitor that I'm opening a new thread for. I had hoped to solve it by today but am not having any luck with it.