On-Deck Pinball V2

PROJECT ABSTRACT

ASS WANTED A DIGITAL PINBALL MACHINE SO HE COULD PLAY ALL THE GREAT PINBALL GAMES HE ENJOYED AS A COLT. 
WE DON’T HAVE ROOM FOR A FULL SIZE DIGITAL PINBALL MACHINE SO WE DECIDED TO MAKE OUR OWN MINI VERSION USING OUR STEAM DECK.

FEATURES

HAND FINISHED AND ASSEMBLED ABS STAND

  • CRADLES THE STEAM DECK AND HOLDS IT AT THE PROPER ORIENTATION AND ANGLE FOR AN IDEAL PINBALL PLAYFIELD.
  • HOLDS THE 5″ LCD DISPLAY IN THE PROPER POSITION FOR USE AS THE BACKGLASS
  • HOLDS THE FLIPPER BUTTONS
  • FULLY ENCLOSED DESIGN. NO EXPOSED WIRING OR COMPONENTS
  • HAS STEEL REINFORCEMENT IN THE DISPLAY RISER TO STRENGTHEN IT
  • PROVIDES A USB-C CABLE WITH 180 FLIP FOR CONNECTION TO THE STEAM DECK.

EMBEDDED SYSTEM CONTROLLER

  • ENUMERATES AS A COMPOUND HID KEYBOARD, MOUSE, GAMEPAD, AND CDC UART
  • REPORTS FLIPPER PRESS/RELEASE EVENTS AS USER PROGRAMMABLE GAMEPAD BUTTON OR KEYBOARD KEY PRESS/RELEASE EVENTS
  • CONTROLS DISPLAY BACKLIGHT. DISPLAY ONLY LIT WHEN CONNECTED TO STEAMDECK.. ALSO PROVIDES HOST CONTROLLABLE ON/OFF..
  • FIRMWARE UPGRADABLE (SECURE DFU)

SOFTWARE

STEAM OS = PINBALL FX
  • NO SOFTWARE NEEDED FOR USE WITH PINBALL FX ON STEAM OS
  • A STEAM CONTROLLER LAYOUT IS AVAILABLE FOR PROPER MAPPING OF THE STEAM DECK CONTROLS
WINDOWS – PINBALL FX
  • NO SOFTWARE NEEDED FOR USE WITH PINBALL FX ON WINDOWS
  • A STEAM CONTROLLER LAYOUT IS AVAILABLE FOR PROPER MAPPING OF THE STEAM DECK CONTROLS
WINDOWS – VISUAL PINBALL / PINUP POPPER
  • ON-DECK PINBALL CONTROL
  • PRE-MADE CONTOLLER MAPPINGS FOR VIRTUAL PINBALL X AND  PINUP POPPER
  • THE THUMBSTICK IS REPURPOSED AS BOTH AN ANALOG PLUNGER CONTOL AND AS LEFT, RIGHT, AND FORWARD NUDGE CONTROLS.
  • A,B.X.Y BUTTONS REPURPOSED FOR MENU AND CABINET CONTROLS (COIN, START, AUTO-PLUNGER, ETC.)
  • ACCESSES STEAMDECK INPUT CONTROL SYSTEM AND USES ITS DATA TO REPURPOSE THE STEAMDECK CONTROLS FOR PINBALL RELATED FUNTIONALITY.
  • PROVIDES MAPPING OF FLIPPER BUTTON PRESS/RELEASE EVENTS
  • DETECTS ON=DECK PINBALL CONTROLLER

GAME PLAY

PINBALL FX

THE ON-DECK PINBALL STAND WORKS WITH PINBALL FX RUNNING UNDER STEAM OS. OR WINDOWS.

STEAM OS

THIS VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS PINBALL FX GAME PLAY IN STEAM OS

WINDOWS

THIS VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS PINBALL FX GAME PLAY IN WINDOWS

VISUAL PINBALL X / PINUP POPPER

  • THE ON-DECK PINBALL STAND WORKS WITH VISUAL PINBALL AND PINUP POPPER RUNNING UNDER WINDOWS.
  • THESE VIDEOS SHOWS GAME PLAY IN THE VISUAL PINBALL X

Connection And Startup

Nudge And Plunger Control

Mars Attacks

Twilight Zone

Creature From The Black Lagoon

CONSTRUCTION

THE MAKING OF ON-DECK PINBALL V2

  • THIS VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS THE STEPS INVOLVED IN BUILDING AN ON-DECK PINBALL V2 STAND.

DEVELOPMENT HISTORY

THE V2 DESIGN

  • THE V2 DESIGN IMPROVES ON THE THINGS WE LIKED LEAST ABOUT THE ORIGINAL VERSION.
THE V2
THE ORIGINAL

V2 DESIGN CHANGES

  • BUILDING ON OUR EXPERIENCE WITH THE ORIGINAL DESIGN, THE V2 DESIGN IMPROVES ON THE ORIGINAL IN THE FOLLOWING KEY AREAS. 
HARDWARE IMPROVEMENTS
  • THE UNIT IS NOW FULLY ENCLOSED.
    • IN THE ORIGINAL. DESIGN, THE COMPONENTS AND WIRING WERE EXPOSED AND HAD TO BE MANAGED WITH CABLE CLIPS.
    • THE V2 DESIGN EMBEDS ALL COMPONENTS AND WIRING WITHIN THE STAND.
  • THE BASE PLATFORM AND DISPLAY RISER ARE NOW EACH SINGLE PRINTS INSTEAD OF MULTIPLE COMBINED SECTIONS..
  • IT PROVIDES DISPLAY BACKLIGHT CONTROL.
  • IT HAS ADDITIONAL BASE USB PORTS (2 USB-A AND 1 USB-C)
FIRMWARE IMPROVEMENTS
  • A SECURE SOFTWARE INVOKABLE BOOTLOADER HAS BEEN ADDED TO ALLOW EASY USER FIRMWARE UPDATES.
  • THE DEFAULT MODE HAS CHANGED TO KEYBOARD EMULATION SO THAT FLIPPERS WORK IN PINBALL FX AUTOMATICALLY.
  • ADDED DISPLAY BACKLIGHT CONTROL SO THAT THE DISPLAY BACKLIGHT SHUTS OFF WHEN THE STEAM DECK GOES TO SLEEP OR GETS DISCONNECTED.
SOFTWARE IMPROVEMENTS
  • THE ON-DECK PINBALL CONTROL SOFWARE HAS BEEN UPDATED WITH COMMANDS TO ALLOW IT TO INVOKE THE FIRMWARE BOOTLOADER AS WELL AS CONTROL THE DISPLAY BACKLIGHT STATE.