Description:

The Drago Arcade 34B board aims to enable the easy interfacing of hardware buttons or similar inputs with a PC or a machine similar to a PC over a standard USB interface. Its feature set best matches the use case of an Arcade machine (as seen in the pictures attached).

Main features:

• 34 configurable inputs
• Combinations of up to 4 inputs are supported for triggering an event.
• Can have the coin impulse as an event (to be sent as a keyboard press or game controller button).
• Configurable coin cost for each button press (can be disabled)
• Supports the configuration of an Admin mode for enabling events.
• Event output can be (combinations of outputs are supported as well):
  • USB
    • Keyboard
    • Joystick 1
    • Joystick 2
    • PC Power
    • Admin control
  • Special
    • PC Power
    • Admin control
• Configuration over the serial connection using an USB Micro port
• Easy software update over the serial connection using the integrated Bootloader.
• All configurations can be stored and are automatically loaded when the software starts.
• Supply from the USB Micro ports or a 12V supply (12V supply is mandatory in order to support coin machines and the fan control)
• Fan control based on an external temperature sensor. Custom analog sensors can be used as the main parameters are software configurable.

Configuration and Setup:

Serial communication is done over a USB/Serial converter with the following specs: baud = 115200, no parity, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit and no flow control.

Tested under Windows (PC) and Linux (Raspberry pi). For the serial communication it may require a device driver for the FT230X usb to serial converter chip (https://www.ftdichip.com/Drivers/VCP.htm).

Bootloader – in application loader

• Used to make an update of the application software
• Binary file is uploaded via the Ymodem protocol
• Easy to use terminal: ExtraPutty, hyperterminal
• Options:
  • Input key “1” to load a new image.
    • In ExtraPutty go to Files Transfer -> Ymodem->Send and select the new image file
  • Input key “2” to start the main application.
  • Input key “3” to get the unique ID of you board. Used to request the updated image.
  • Input key “4” to get the Hardware, Bootloader and Main application software versions.
• In 10 seconds, if there is no key event a jump to the main application will occur.

Main Application

• Easy to use terminal for the communication is “Termite”. If the power is unplugged, reset also the connection in “Termite” for it to work again.
• All commands must be written with lower case.
• All commands must start and finish with the sign ’#’
• All examples should work if they are sent to the target
• After a change in the events list or in the temperature definitions a “savemem” command must be executed to store the new options so that they are available after a reset.