Arcade system board



An arcade system board is a dedicated computer system created for the purpose of running video arcade games. Arcade system boards typically consist of a main system board with any number of supporting circuit boards.

History
Throughout the late 20th century, arcade video game hardware was most often considerably more powerful than contemporary consoles and home computers of their time, sometimes even an entire generation ahead of home systems. The way arcade systems were built with multiple boards linked together, and upgraded every year with more powerful components, was a precursor to the way PC systems are built and upgraded every year.

The earliest non-microprocessor based arcade system boards were designed around codeless state machine computers with the main board and any support boards consisting of discrete logic circuits comprising each element of the game itself. The next generation of arcade system boards(with the inclusion of microprocessor based technology) incorporated the game program code directly on the main system board via game code stored in ROM chips mounted on the main board. Later arcade system boards, including the DECO Cassette System, SNK's Neo-Geo, Capcom's CPS-2, and Sega's NAOMI, separated the system board from the game program itself, akin to a home video game console and cartridge/CD/DVD/hard disk. This method benefitted both manufacturers and arcade game owners. Once the system board was purchased, the owner could switch out the games at a fraction of the price and with less effort, and the manufacturers could produce fewer of the costly system boards and more of the less-costly games.

Up until the early 2000s, arcade system boards frequently used expensive custom GPU and sound chips significantly more powerful than what was available on home consoles and personal computers at the time. Since the early 2000s, however, arcade system boards have mostly been using commercial graphics and sound cards found in consoles and personal computers in order to reduce production costs.

Currently, the company with the record of the highest number of original arcade system boards is Sega.

The following generational periods mainly refer to the high-end arcade hardware of each era.

1st generation: Discrete era (1971-1975)
The first generation of arcade hardware was based on simple discrete logic circuitry, beginning with the Computer Space hardware by Nutting Associates (employees of which would later form Atari) in 1971.

The graphics during this era was monochrome, and consisted of simple, blocky 2D graphics, up until basic sprites stored in ROM (read-only memory) and vertical scrolling were introduced by Taito's Speed Race in 1974. There were no sound chips during this era, so the sound usually consisted of either simple digital bleeps generated from the discrete circuitry or explosion sounds generated through electro-mechanical methods.

2nd generation: 8-bit era (1975-1982)
The second generation saw the introduction of microprocessors, beginning with the 8-bit Intel 8080 CPU of Gun Fight, by Taito and Midway, in 1975. After the huge success of 8-bit microprocessor based blockbuster Space Invaders, which marked the beginning of the golden age of arcade video games in 1978, discrete logic hardware eventually faded away.

This era marked a transition from simple, blocky, monochrome 2D graphics, to multi-coloured, 2D hardware sprites, and multi-directional scrolling backdrops, by 1980. Some pseudo-3D techniques were also introduced, in the forms of vector graphics and sprite-scaling, by 1981. Sound boards and sound chips also began to be used during this era, leading to the introduction of chiptune music in the late 70's.

3rd generation: 16-bit era (1982-1988)
In the third generation, 16-bit microprocessors began to be used, starting in 1982, with the Namco Pole Position system using two Zilog Z8002 processors (one as a CPU and the other as a GPU) and the Atari 68000 Hardware using a Motorola 68000. While 16-bit, both the Z8002 and 68000 also had 32-bit features.

This era saw a transition from 2D sprites and vector graphics, to advanced pseudo-3D sprite-scaling, which, following the introduction of Sega's Super Scaler technology in 1985, was able to scale thousands of sprites per second, and functioned similarly to, and was a precursor to, texture-mapped 3D polygons. There were also failed attempts at primitive 3D polygons, such as Atari's I, Robot in 1984 and Taito's Midnight Landing in 1986. Sound chips capable of FM synthesis and PCM sampling were also introduced during this era, along with audio playback from the Laserdisc format, by 1984.

4th generation: 32-bit era (1988-1993)
In the fourth generation, 32-bit microprocessors began to be used, starting in 1988, with the Namco System 21 using the Motorola 68020 CPU and five Texas Instruments TMS320C20 DSP processors, the Taito Air System using the 16/32-bit 68000 CPU and 32-bit TMS320C25 DSP, and the Williams Z Unit using the TMS34010 DSP as a CPU.

This era marked the transition from 2D sprites and pseudo-3D sprite-scaling to true polygonal 3D graphics, powered by GPU chips and graphics boards dedicated to 3D graphics, as early as 1988. The first dedicated polygonal 3D game systems were the Taito Air System and Namco System 21 in 1988. However, 3D polygons would not become dominant up until the arrival of the Sega Model 1 in 1992. Sound chips also became more sophisticated, with more advanced FM synthesis, dozens of PCM channels, MIDI support, and playback of compressed audio files, by the early 90's.

5th generation: 64-bit era (1993-1998)
In the fifth generation, 64-bit microprocessors began to be used, starting in 1993, with Namco's Magic Edge Hornet Simulator hardware using multiple 64-bit SGI Onyx RealityEngine2 systems, the Namco System 22 (while still using the 32-bit Motorola 68EC020 CPU) using the 64-bit Evans & Sutherland TR3 GPU, and the Sega Model 2 system using the 32/64-bit Intel i960 CPU and multiple 64-bit Fujitsu MB86934 GPU processors.

This era marked the transition from simple, flat-shaded, 3D polygons, to texture-mapped 3D polygons with effects such as Gouroud shading, texture filtering, anti-aliasing, and T&amp;L, as early as 1993.

6th generation: 128-bit era (1998-2003)
In the sixth generation, 128-bit microprocessors began to be used, beginning with the Sega Naomi hardware, the more powerful arcade counterpart of the Dreamcast console, in 1998; both the Naomi and Dreamcast used the 128-bit Hitachi SH-4 CPU and PowerVR 2 GPU processors.

This era saw the introduction of more advanced 3D features, such as hardware Phong shading introduced by the Sega Hikaru system in 1999, and bloom lighting, depth-of-field effects and programmable shaders introduced in the early 2000s.

In the early 2000s, as powerful graphics boards previously limited to arcade systems became commercially available for PC systems, the PC platform eventually overtook arcade systems as the platform of choice for the most powerful graphics cards. As a result, the Sega Naomi 2 system, released in 2000, was the last major proprietary arcade hardware, not based on PC or consoles.

7th generation: 256-bit era (2003-present)
As a result of the PC platform surpassing arcade machines in terms of power in the early 2000s, arcade systems eventually transitioned away from expensive proprietary hardware towards being based on more affordable commercial PC hardware.

In 2003, the seventh generation of arcade hardware began with the Namco System N2, based on PC architecture, using a 256-bit nVidia GPU. While most CPU processors continue to be either 64-bit or 128-bit, most GPU processors are now either 256-bit or 384-bit.

Bally

 * Bally Sente Sac 1 (1984-1987)
 * Bally Sente Sac 2 (1987)

BrezzaSoft

 * Crystal System (2001–2003)

Capcom

 * Capcom Z80 (1984–1991)
 * Capcom Commando Hardware (1985–1988)
 * Capcom Section Z Hardware (1985–1987)
 * Capcom 68000 (1987–1989)
 * CP System (CPS) (1988–1995)
 * Capcom Mitchell (1989–1991)
 * CP System Dash (CPS Q Sound) (1992–1994)
 * CP System II (CPS2) (1993–2003)
 * CP System III (CPS3) (1996–1999)

Cave

 * Cave 1st Generation (1994–2001)
 * Cave CV1000B (2004–2007)
 * Cave CV1000D (2008–2012)
 * Cave PC Based (2009)

CD Express

 * Cubo CD32 (1995-1999)

Data East

 * DECO Cassette System (1980–1985)
 * Data East Laser Disc (1983–1985)
 * Data East Z80 (1984–2001)
 * DECO 8-bit (1986–1988)
 * DECO 16-bit (1987–1990)
 * DECO 32-bit (1991–1995)
 * DECO Simple 156 (1993–1996)
 * DECO MLC System (1995–1996)

Eolith

 * Eolith System (1998–2001)
 * Eolith 16-bit (1999)
 * Eolith Vegas (2002)
 * Eolith Ghost (2003–2005)

Examu

 * eX-BOARD (2008-2010)

Fuuki

 * FG-2 (1995–1996)
 * FG-3 (1998–2000)

Gaelco

 * Gaelco GAE1 (1994)
 * Gaelco GAE2
 * Gaelco GG-1v (1998)
 * Gaelco 3D (1996–1998)
 * Gaelco PowerVR Based (1999-2002)
 * Gaelco PC Based (2003–2005)

ICE

 * VP101 (2002-2004)

IGS

 * PolyGame Master (1997–2005)
 * PolyGame Master 2 (2007–2011)
 * PolyGame Master 3 (2012)

Incredible Technologies

 * Incredible Technologies 8-bit Hardware (1988-1992)
 * Incredible Technologies 32-bit Hardware (1992-2002)
 * Incredible Technologies Eagle Hardware (1999-2003)
 * Incredible Technologies PC Based Hardware (2004-)

Interpark

 * NEXUS 3D (2006-2007)

Irem

 * Irem M-10/M-15 (1979-1980)
 * Irem M-27 (1980-1981)
 * Irem M-52 (1982-1983)
 * Irem M-62 (1984-1986)
 * Irem M-63 (1984-1985)
 * Irem M-72 (1987-1990)
 * Irem M-73 (1991)
 * Irem M-75 (1988)
 * Irem M-77 (1988)
 * Irem M-81 (1989-1990)
 * Irem M-82 (1989-1990)
 * Irem M-84 (1989-1991)
 * Irem M-85 (1990)
 * Irem M-90 (1991)
 * Irem M-92 (1991-1994)
 * Irem M-97 (1992-1993)
 * Irem M-107 (1993-1995)

Jaleco

 * Mega System 1 (1988-1993)
 * Mega System 32 (1993–1997)
 * Jaleco Tetris Plus 2 (1997-2000)

Kaneko

 * Kaneko 16-bit (1991-1995)
 * Super Kaneko Nova System (1996–2002)

Limenko

 * Power System 2 (2000–2003)

Metro

 * Metro System (1992-2000)

MicroProse

 * MicroProse 3D Hardware (1990-1993)

Mitchell

 * Mitchell System (1988-1991)

Nintendo

 * Nintendo 8080 (1979-1980)
 * Nintendo Classic (1979-1981)
 * Nintendo Punch-Out (1984-1985)
 * Nintendo VS. System (VS. UniSystem, VS. DualSystem) (1985-1987)
 * PlayChoice-10 (1986-1991)
 * Super System (1992-1993)
 * Triforce (2002-2007)
 * Unnamed Wii-based arcade board (2008)

Psikyo

 * Psikyo 1st Generation (1993–1996)
 * Psikyo SH-2 (1997–2002)

RCI

 * NEO STANDARD (2011)

Sammy

 * SSV (Sammy, Seta, Visco) (1993–2001)
 * Atomiswave (2003–2009)

Seibu

 * Seibu SPI System (1995–1999)

SI Electronics

 * System Board Y2 (2009–2010)

Seta

 * Seta 1st Generation (1987–1996)
 * Seta 2nd Generation (1993–2002)
 * Seta Aleck64 (1998–2004)

Skonec

 * SkoPro (2008)

SNK

 * SNK 6502 / SNK Rockola Hardware (1980-1982)
 * SNK Marvin's Maze Hardware (1983-1984)
 * SNK Main Event Hardware (1984-1985)
 * SNK Hall 21 Based (1985)
 * SNK Triple Z80 Based (1985-1988)
 * SNK Ikari Warriors Hardware (1986-1988)
 * SNK Psycho Soldier Hardware (1986-1988)
 * SNK Alpha 68K Based Hardware (1987-1989)
 * SNK 68K Based Hardware (1988-1989)
 * SNK Beast Busters Hardware (1989)
 * Neo Geo MVS (1990–2004)
 * Hyper Neo Geo 64 (1997–1999)

Sony

 * ZN-1 (1995–2000)
 * ZN-2 (1997–1999)

Tecmo

 * TPS System (1997–2001)

Terminal

 * TIA-MC-1

Williams

 * Williams 6809 REV.1 (1980-1985)
 * Williams 6809 REV.2 (1983-1986)
 * Williams Z-Unit (1988)
 * Williams/Midway Y UNIT (1990-1992)

Evolution of arcade video game hardware
This is a list of notable arcade systems and their specifications, demonstrating the evolution of arcade video game hardware.