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Re: Chewlix C (Chinese Vewlix Capcom)

Posted: November 13th, 2018, 2:30 am
by bgspot
Man those are gorgeous 8-) . With some luck i'll be able to secure "1" vewlix/chewlix over the next 1-3 months. Not gonna lie, i've been really hesitant to pull the trigger on alibaba. Kinda hoping to find someone in the US willing to part with theirs

Re: Chewlix C (Chinese Vewlix Capcom)

Posted: November 15th, 2018, 10:29 pm
by mallowpie
Just wanted to say a huge thanks for making this thread and outlining all the hard work you've done to your Chewlix. I'm in the middle of making a group buy, and this thread has definitely helped me a lot in figuring out what I can and cannot do with a Chewlix (because I have pretty much no electrical or woodworking skills) :D . There's a ton of great resources out there, but not everyone has outlined how to operate the Chewlix from scratch.

Re: Chewlix C (Chinese Vewlix Capcom)

Posted: November 16th, 2018, 2:45 am
by mRCaESaR
Glad to be of help.

That's what I intended this thread to be - a one stop shop for all chewlix related things.

I struggled to find information on it when I first purchased mine, so I decided to create this thread.

Re: Chewlix C (Chinese Vewlix Capcom)

Posted: November 16th, 2018, 10:36 pm
by mallowpie
I've made a deposit for a bunch of chewlix that I'm coordinating a group buy for, and it's currently being produced now. I'm hoping it'll get here around January next year, so needless to say I'm pretty damn excited :D.

It seems what most people do after getting their chewlix is to rip the jamma out and install a brooks UFB in for versatility. I don't console game...so what I'm planning to do is to keep my pandora box for the older games, but also put in either a small form PC, or a steam link that I have laying around. This way I have access to my steam library, plus I can mame/emu down the road if I want. To that end... I'm hoping to keep the Chinese JAMMA harness in. Since I'm now playing the waiting game I figure I'd ask the opinions of experts.

What I'm hoping to do:
- set up my PC or steam link by getting a cheap JAMMA to USB converter from ebay, so I can connect either the pandora box or the PC through the jamma harness.
- get a HDMI splitter to connect to the monitor, and potentially an amp for sound if the JAMMA to USB converter can't do sound.
- I've specially asked the manufacturer to swap out the China power outlets to a North American one. They even charged me an extra $3 per machine to do it. If they screw me and still have the China plugs, I might consider swapping it, especially since it's kind of scary to think there would be no ground if I used an adapter on all of the devices...

Problems I think I'll run into:
- because it's Jamma I won't have access to a Xbox or PS button, so for games that I'll need those extra buttons for (like practice mode for tekken, dbfz) I'm not sure exactly what I'll do. I'm not sure if it's possible to program those keys with a pcb board...maybe a J-Pac?
- I won't have a smooth interface like hyperspin or whatnot, and every time I want to switch between the pandora box and PC I'd need to manually switch the JAMMA harness. Not sure how great that is from a durability perspective.
- even though I read about the coin mechanism part of the thread, I have no idea how mine will be like. I suspect it'll be the same as everyone else's, but I'll probably be too lazy to even bother trying to get the coin mech to work, since I don't have a nostalgic factor for those...


Questions:
- if I'm using the China harness that the chewlix comes with, would I need just one JAMMA to USB board? There's only one harness right? Im hoping that the cheap pcb boards off ebay or aliexpress would work, but to be safe should I go with a JPAC? not that they're that expensive, but considering shipping and conversion (in Canada), it's basically 3-4x the price of a cheap China converter. Any have experience with those PCBs? Are there other alternatives?
- I read that the chewlix JAMMA harnesses are slightly different than the original ones. If I get a Jpac will it work right off the hop, or will I need to tweak it in configuration?
- I've seen the posts of put connectors underneath the control panel so it's easier to swap out the controls between the JAMMA and a brooks UFB. I don't have any knowledge of how to do that, but would anyone be able to provide pointers on how to make quick connects on the jamma harnesses? That way I can just connect between the two if I want to switch between the pandora box or the PC.

I'm sure the answer is somewhere in this forum, but I am like super green when it comes to the arcade world... So I know very little about controls and such. Sorry in advance for some stupid questions, but hopefully people in the future can just refer to this :). Plus I'm sure I'll have more later on...

Re: Chewlix C (Chinese Vewlix Capcom)

Posted: November 19th, 2018, 1:26 am
by mRCaESaR
mallowpie wrote: November 16th, 2018, 10:36 pm I've made a deposit for a bunch of chewlix that I'm coordinating a group buy for, and it's currently being produced now. I'm hoping it'll get here around January next year, so needless to say I'm pretty damn excited :D.
Awesome! Make sure you take pics and post in the thread :)
mallowpie wrote: November 16th, 2018, 10:36 pm It seems what most people do after getting their chewlix is to rip the jamma out and install a brooks UFB in for versatility. I don't console game...so what I'm planning to do is to keep my pandora box for the older games, but also put in either a small form PC, or a steam link that I have laying around. This way I have access to my steam library, plus I can mame/emu down the road if I want. To that end... I'm hoping to keep the Chinese JAMMA harness in. Since I'm now playing the waiting game I figure I'd ask the opinions of experts.
For me, since my primary use was going to be a console, it was the natural thing to put a Brook UFB inside it.

If I could go back, I wouldn't even bother with JAMMA since I'll never put a pandora's box inside it. Granted, I purchased my Chewlix without ANY experience on JAMMMA/PC emulation etc.. so I just went with the "norm".

I know of people getting a Chewlix that's JVS ready and also Raspberry Pi ready. If I was to do it again, I'd probably get a JVS ready Chewlix (but it'd also depend on how much it'd cost)

IMO, there's absolutely no reason to have a Chinese Jamma installed on the Chewlix - unless your main purpose is for a pandora's box.
mallowpie wrote: November 16th, 2018, 10:36 pm What I'm hoping to do:
- set up my PC or steam link by getting a cheap JAMMA to USB converter from ebay, so I can connect either the pandora box or the PC through the jamma harness.
Can't say I've heard or seen that used. It'd be interesting if it works as well as something like a JPAC. If it's cheap and easy enough, I say go for it!
mallowpie wrote: November 16th, 2018, 10:36 pm - get a HDMI splitter to connect to the monitor, and potentially an amp for sound if the JAMMA to USB converter can't do sound.
If your main source will be HDMI, then you'll be able to pass through audio. What I've done to get the HDMI audio onto the cab speakers is from the splitter, I attach a "HDMI Audio Extractor" to one of the outputs of the splitter and then a 3.5mm into the speaker amp.

I personally wouldn't bother with the JAMMA audio since it'd be mono.
mallowpie wrote: November 16th, 2018, 10:36 pm - I've specially asked the manufacturer to swap out the China power outlets to a North American one. They even charged me an extra $3 per machine to do it. If they screw me and still have the China plugs, I might consider swapping it, especially since it's kind of scary to think there would be no ground if I used an adapter on all of the devices...
Just make sure it's the correct voltage. My monitor is 240v which makes it easier for them to plug directly into a power board inside the cabinet.

If all they're changing is a connector, you will want to make sure you have the correct voltage before plugging in anything.
mallowpie wrote: November 16th, 2018, 10:36 pm Problems I think I'll run into:
- because it's Jamma I won't have access to a Xbox or PS button, so for games that I'll need those extra buttons for (like practice mode for tekken, dbfz) I'm not sure exactly what I'll do. I'm not sure if it's possible to program those keys with a pcb board...maybe a J-Pac?
As you would've seen with mine, I added additional buttons at the top. But you mentioned earlier you weren't putting a console in, so you don't have to worry about such buttons. You can always have a wireless keyboard with a built in mouse (Logitech K400 Plus for example, it's far cheaper than a JPAC)
mallowpie wrote: November 16th, 2018, 10:36 pm - I won't have a smooth interface like hyperspin or whatnot, and every time I want to switch between the pandora box and PC I'd need to manually switch the JAMMA harness. Not sure how great that is from a durability perspective.
I'm still saying scratch JAMMA :)

Everything that a pandora can run, can be run on a pi and/or low end pc and the emulation on those are FAR superior than a Pandora
mallowpie wrote: November 16th, 2018, 10:36 pm - even though I read about the coin mechanism part of the thread, I have no idea how mine will be like. I suspect it'll be the same as everyone else's, but I'll probably be too lazy to even bother trying to get the coin mech to work, since I don't have a nostalgic factor for those...
I'm one of those.. I just haven't bothered.. lol.

I'm predominantly a console player, so there's really no need. On my Astro City setups running groovymame, on the otherhand, I like to have a working coin mech. One of them has a working coin mech for $1.00 AUD coins and it's awesome! :)
mallowpie wrote: November 16th, 2018, 10:36 pm - if I'm using the China harness that the chewlix comes with, would I need just one JAMMA to USB board? There's only one harness right? Im hoping that the cheap pcb boards off ebay or aliexpress would work, but to be safe should I go with a JPAC? not that they're that expensive, but considering shipping and conversion (in Canada), it's basically 3-4x the price of a cheap China converter. Any have experience with those PCBs? Are there other alternatives?
If it's anything like the JPAC, you would only need one. But you still would need to wire it up from the encoder/jpac to the buttons.
mallowpie wrote: November 16th, 2018, 10:36 pm - I read that the chewlix JAMMA harnesses are slightly different than the original ones. If I get a Jpac will it work right off the hop, or will I need to tweak it in configuration?
Chinese Jamma is generally wired up for 6 buttons compared to the original jamma which is only designed for 3 or 4 buttons. Since I don't use a JPAC on my chewlix, I can't really comment any further.
mallowpie wrote: November 16th, 2018, 10:36 pm - I've seen the posts of put connectors underneath the control panel so it's easier to swap out the controls between the JAMMA and a brooks UFB. I don't have any knowledge of how to do that, but would anyone be able to provide pointers on how to make quick connects on the jamma harnesses? That way I can just connect between the two if I want to switch between the pandora box or the PC.
Connectors are easy enough to swap out, you just need to make sure you use the correct connector and terminal crimps. Both my chewlix had 16 pin molex connectors. They weren't in any standardised format, so I had to make my own connectors.

Again, in hindsight, if they were JVS connectors, it's simple enough to make. Either way, you're best to invest in a crimping tool and buy some connectors off Digi-key or something.
mallowpie wrote: November 16th, 2018, 10:36 pm I'm sure the answer is somewhere in this forum, but I am like super green when it comes to the arcade world... So I know very little about controls and such. Sorry in advance for some stupid questions, but hopefully people in the future can just refer to this :). Plus I'm sure I'll have more later on...
I was you when I first started this thread, but since then, I've acquired a decent amount of skills/knowledge and the information is out there and there are many of us that's willing to help. There are never any stupid questions, if you don't know, then chances are someone else doesn't know, but if you ask, there's always a possibility it'd get answered :)

If you have any questions, I'm mnore than happy to help if I can.

Like I said, since this thread got started, I've learnt many things along the way with the projects I've come across so feel free to ask.

Re: Chewlix C (Chinese Vewlix Capcom)

Posted: November 20th, 2018, 6:21 am
by mallowpie
Thanks for your reply on everything! Yeah I'm definitely going to be documenting everything throughout the procedures. It's especially true since I have to be accountable for 5 other people's units too. I don't have a warehouse or anything...so I can't wait to see what 6x wooden crates are gonna look like in my garage LOL.

When I first inquired about the Chewlix, I was told by the manufacturer that having a Raspberri Pi installed would have cost me an additional $90 USD. I thought it was ridiculous at the time, but now I'm beginning to see why. I'd revisit the idea with the manufactuer...but honestly, I've already made the deposit, and paying them by itself is a pain, because of the wire transfer costs, fees, etc. Plus, it would still technically be cheaper for me to just by a JPAC or one of the cheaper eBay controllers than to pay nearly $100 for a Raspberri Pi that I probably wouldn't use (because I'd install a PC into it to play steam games). I guess I could keep it for future projects, or flip it on craigslist...but Nah. If the steam link doesn't work, I am currently using a mini gaming PC (Alienware Alpha) that's perfect to fit into the Chewlix. It's also an excellent excuse to upgrade my PC 8-).

This is all speculation at this point, since it'll be another couple months probably before I get my Chewlix, but I'd like to try the JAMMA system first because it'll be a cheaper alternative initially than getting x2 Brooks UFBs. However, if that doesn't work, maybe I'll go with an IPAC setup (or some sort of alternative) since I just can't imagine myself opting to go console and rebuild my games library.

Re: Chewlix C (Chinese Vewlix Capcom)

Posted: November 20th, 2018, 6:43 am
by mRCaESaR
If you're exclusively going to use a pc, I would suggest an ipac purely because it maps to keyboard keys. A JPAC is not required if there's no jamma.

USB encoders mean you're going to have to rely on drivers and the headaches of xpadder or joytokey (but I don't have much experience with this stuff yet)

Re: Chewlix C (Chinese Vewlix Capcom)

Posted: November 22nd, 2018, 10:40 am
by mRCaESaR
Finally got my artwork for SFV:AE!

First I got the sucker laminated so they last!

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Then I added the last piece of vinyl to the marquee holder..

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Went OTT on the magnetic strips

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So glad I changed the LED from blue to white..

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Installed the artwork...

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Turned the lights off and turned on a smart globe so I think I'm @ an arcade in Akihabara :)

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Re: Chewlix C (Chinese Vewlix Capcom)

Posted: November 23rd, 2018, 3:39 am
by mallowpie
Daaaaaamn those look nice. I was thinking of getting the Tekken 7 ones from seiiseiiseii2000 on eBay. Maybe I'll wait until I get my unit first though.

Speaking of getting the units. I received some photos of the finished units from the manufacturers yesterday.

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It's interesting that they put the 7th button on the control panel. I personally don't care if it isn't the original capcom 6 buttons, but as you can see it's not even plugged in, since I guess the chinese JAMMAs can't even utilize the 7th button. I guess it's better to have than to not have...

Re: Chewlix C (Chinese Vewlix Capcom)

Posted: November 23rd, 2018, 8:25 am
by mRCaESaR
7th button is there because the vewlix had 7 buttons on the CP.

Don't forget, it's a "clone" :lol: :lol:

I only wish they cloned the other CPs and not just the vewlix L.. Vewlix F, C, Diamond etc..

They cloned the colour schemes but didn't finish it off with the marquee and cp

Re: Chewlix C (Chinese Vewlix Capcom)

Posted: November 23rd, 2018, 3:56 pm
by bgspot
I just purchased the same SF5 vewlix art from seiiseiiseii! Very nice quality prints. 8-)

Anyone know a place/person that does repo vewlix control panel art??

Re: Chewlix C (Chinese Vewlix Capcom)

Posted: December 11th, 2018, 1:55 am
by mRCaESaR
Chewlix C repro overlays incoming!

All courtesy of Noodle Shirt! (they did the side decals too. Hit Carson up on noodleshirt.com)

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Re: Chewlix C (Chinese Vewlix Capcom)

Posted: December 13th, 2018, 11:00 am
by mRCaESaR
So I got the vinyl from Carson @noodleshirt today!

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Since I already had the side decals from him, I knew what to expect for installation

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When I did the first attempt, it looked OK initially, but then when I installed the buttons, it was off by a few mm unfortunately :(

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As OCD as I am, I will live with this for a little while, but it sure as hell looks 100 times better than the black and silver (for me anyway)

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My second attempt was much better, not oem perfect, but I am more than happy with the quality and work that Carson put in for me! Thanks heaps

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So the Chewlix C is pretty much complete!

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Re: Chewlix C (Chinese Vewlix Capcom)

Posted: December 13th, 2018, 1:42 pm
by nem
That would annoy me to no end.

That's too bad it didn't have holes already punched. That would have helped with the alignment.

Re: Chewlix C (Chinese Vewlix Capcom)

Posted: December 13th, 2018, 9:47 pm
by mRCaESaR
nem wrote: December 13th, 2018, 1:42 pm That would annoy me to no end.

That's too bad it didn't have holes already punched. That would have helped with the alignment.
Yeah it is, but I have to live with it as they cost me 44 bux and I'm not really wanting to drop another 44 on it just yet.

They also had holes, it's just because they were the first batch and I was the one that measured it, it had to be given some slack.

Re: Chewlix C (Chinese Vewlix Capcom)

Posted: January 2nd, 2019, 10:23 am
by RickyTTT
mRCaESaR wrote: December 13th, 2018, 9:47 pm
nem wrote: December 13th, 2018, 1:42 pm That would annoy me to no end.

That's too bad it didn't have holes already punched. That would have helped with the alignment.
Yeah it is, but I have to live with it as they cost me 44 bux and I'm not really wanting to drop another 44 on it just yet.

They also had holes, it's just because they were the first batch and I was the one that measured it, it had to be given some slack.
Hi,

What Chewlix supplier you choosed? there is like 4 in alibaba, do you guys know which one is the best in terms of quality?

BR,

Ricardo

Re: Chewlix C (Chinese Vewlix Capcom)

Posted: January 2nd, 2019, 10:47 am
by mRCaESaR
RickyTTT wrote: January 2nd, 2019, 10:23 am Hi,

What Chewlix supplier you choosed? there is like 4 in alibaba, do you guys know which one is the best in terms of quality?

BR,

Ricardo
Read the last part of this post.

https://forum.arcadeotaku.com/viewtopic ... 20#p488171

Quality wise, they won't change much between the wholesalers

Re: Chewlix C (Chinese Vewlix Capcom)

Posted: January 2nd, 2019, 12:58 pm
by RickyTTT
thank you ! Ive totally missed that info.

Re: Chewlix C (Chinese Vewlix Capcom)

Posted: January 2nd, 2019, 3:31 pm
by trev1976
Cabs look great tbh.

Re: Chewlix C (Chinese Vewlix Capcom)

Posted: January 11th, 2019, 9:06 pm
by mRCaESaR
I have the weirdest issue that I can't seem to determine the root cause and was wondering if anyone has any suggestions?

Setup:

2x 32 lcd cabs with both 1080p support (one cab being dvi/vga only and the other cab is hdmi/vga)

Sources - ps4 and pc (i7 SFF with a gtx 1050 low profile)

ps4 in slot 1 of and pc in slot 2

The setup is 2 cabs where the source is connected to a hdmi switcher.

The output of the switcher goes to the input of a hdmi splitter.

One output from the splitter goes to a monitor using a hdmi to dvi cable (since it only has dvi).

The other output goes to another monitor, since it has hdmi, it's using a hdmi cable.

The final output I have goes to a hdmi audio extractor so I can connect to an external amp via rca

Issue:

Using the setup above, when I put the ps4 in "automatic" setting for video, it only picks up a 720p signal.

I have to select 1080p (unsupported) to get 1080p.

I know the monitor is 1080p compatible because when I connect directly from a ps4 to the monitor using the same cable, it connects at 1920x1080.

The other issue I have is when switching the source to a pc, the absolute maximum resolution I can get from the pc is 1680x1050

Troubleshooting:

My first thought was the switcher is old and is not compatible, so I bought a new hdmi switcher.

I connected everything the same, and when powering on, the hdmi splitter wouldn't accept any output from the new switcher.

I confirmed this by connecting the output of the new switcher to the monitor - this method works fine (proper 1080p on both the ps4 and pc!)

So I then thought the splitter is too old, so I bought a new splitter too.

Unfortunately, the new splitter exhibited the same issue as the first splitter where it didn't accept the output signal from the switcher.

As a final test, I bought a different brand splitter but unfortunately, I still have the same issue.

So I've gone back to square 1 where I have to "force" 1080p on the ps4 and I can only get maximum of 1680x1050 on the pc.

Would anybody have any other way of trying to identify where the culprit is as I just want to be able to get native 1080p on all sources (main sources being ps4 and pc) displaying on both cabs.