Japanese Amusement Machine Manufacturers' Association
Encyclopedia
Japan Amusement Machinery Manufacturers Association (社団法人日本アミューズメントマシン工業協会), often known as JAMMA, is a trade association
based in Tokyo, Japan
.
JAMMA is run by representatives from various arcade video game manufacturers, including Namco Bandai
, Sega
, Taito
, Tecmo, Capcom
, Konami
, Atlus
.
JAMMA began as a rights group in January 1981, but turned into an organization in June 1989.
As an organization, JAMMA is well known for its namesake wiring standard
for arcade machines, but it has also defined other guidelines for arcade operators.
In addition, JAMMA organizes a trade show hosted in Japan
called the Amusement Machine Show.
s wired to the JAMMA standard can be made to play all games built to this standard, simply by installing the circuit boards
for the new game. By the 1990s, most new arcade games were JAMMA standard. As the majority of arcade games were designed in Japan at this time, JAMMA became the de facto world standard.
Before the JAMMA standard, most arcade PCB
s, wiring harnesses, and power supplies were custom-built. When an old game became unprofitable, many arcade operators would rewire the cabinet and update the artwork in order to put different games in the cabinets. Reusing old cabinets made a lot of sense, and it was realized that the cabinets were a different market from the games themselves. The JAMMA standard allowed plug-and-play cabinets to be created (reducing the cost to arcade operators) where an unprofitable game could be replaced with another game by a simple swap of the game PCB, and an update of the artwork.
The JAMMA standard uses a 56-pin edge connector on the board with inputs and outputs common to most video games. These include power inputs (5 volts for the game and 12 volts for sound); inputs for two joysticks, each with three action buttons and one start button; analog RBG video output with negative composite sync; single-speaker sound output; and inputs for coin, service, test, and tilt (the former to accept game credits and the latter to maintain the board).
Later games (eg: Street Fighter II, X-Men) use arcade boards that incorporate extra connectors or utilize unused JAMMA pins to implement extra buttons, different controller types, or support more players. These games are sometimes referred to as JAMMA+.
The standard consists of peripheral device connections and communication protocol sections.
In the peripheral device connections, it specifies the use of separate I/O board for peripheral devices.
1st edition
It was released in 1996-11-15.
Peripheral devices are connected to USB-A port on the I/O board, while the USB-B on the I/O board is used to connect it to the USB-A port on the main board.
2nd edition
It was released in 1997-07-17.
3rd edition
It was released in 2000-05-31.
Video signal standard was defined in 2 steps, with step 1 enacted before year 2000, and step 2 beginning from 2000. Step 2 has different timing parameters.
Recommended timing values for SYNC code were added.
At protocol section, general software entry action code type is added. Character output code now supports ASCII, Shift-JIS. Mahjong controller software entry code, general driver outputs 2-3 are added.
It specifies the retail value of a prize item cannot exceed 800 yen. In addition, following items cannot be manufactured, sold, or transferred to arcades as prizes:
Trade association
A trade association, also known as an industry trade group, business association or sector association, is an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific industry...
based in Tokyo, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
JAMMA is run by representatives from various arcade video game manufacturers, including Namco Bandai
Namco Bandai
, also known as the Bandai Namco Group, is a Japanese holding company formed from the merger of Namco and Bandai. It has interests in toys, video games and arcades, anime, and amusement parks. The new entity was founded on September 29, 2005...
, Sega
Sega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
, Taito
Taito
Taito may mean:*Taito Corporation, a Japanese developer of video game software and arcade hardware*Taito, Tokyo, a special ward located in Tokyo, Japan*Taito, also known as matai, paramount chiefs according to Fa'a Samoa...
, Tecmo, Capcom
Capcom
is a Japanese developer and publisher of video games, known for creating multi-million-selling franchises such as Devil May Cry, Chaos Legion, Street Fighter, Mega Man and Resident Evil. Capcom developed and published Bionic Commando, Lost Planet and Dark Void too, but they are less known. Its...
, Konami
Konami
is a Japanese leading developer and publisher of numerous popular and strong-selling toys, trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, slot machines, arcade cabinets and video games...
, Atlus
Atlus
is a Japanese computer and video game developer, publisher, and distributor based in Tokyo, Japan, best known for developing the console role-playing game franchise Megami Tensei. The first Megami Tensei was a Nintendo Entertainment System video game published by Namco based on a trilogy of...
.
JAMMA began as a rights group in January 1981, but turned into an organization in June 1989.
As an organization, JAMMA is well known for its namesake wiring standard
Standardization
Standardization is the process of developing and implementing technical standards.The goals of standardization can be to help with independence of single suppliers , compatibility, interoperability, safety, repeatability, or quality....
for arcade machines, but it has also defined other guidelines for arcade operators.
In addition, JAMMA organizes a trade show hosted in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
called the Amusement Machine Show.
Connector standards
The JAMMA wiring standard was introduced in 1985. Arcade cabinetArcade cabinet
A video game arcade cabinet, also known as a video arcade machine or video coin-op, is the housing within which a video arcade game's hardware resides. Most cabinets designed since the mid-1980s conform to the JAMMA wiring standard...
s wired to the JAMMA standard can be made to play all games built to this standard, simply by installing the circuit boards
Motherboard
In personal computers, a motherboard is the central printed circuit board in many modern computers and holds many of the crucial components of the system, providing connectors for other peripherals. The motherboard is sometimes alternatively known as the mainboard, system board, or, on Apple...
for the new game. By the 1990s, most new arcade games were JAMMA standard. As the majority of arcade games were designed in Japan at this time, JAMMA became the de facto world standard.
Before the JAMMA standard, most arcade PCB
Printed circuit board
A printed circuit board, or PCB, is used to mechanically support and electrically connect electronic components using conductive pathways, tracks or signal traces etched from copper sheets laminated onto a non-conductive substrate. It is also referred to as printed wiring board or etched wiring...
s, wiring harnesses, and power supplies were custom-built. When an old game became unprofitable, many arcade operators would rewire the cabinet and update the artwork in order to put different games in the cabinets. Reusing old cabinets made a lot of sense, and it was realized that the cabinets were a different market from the games themselves. The JAMMA standard allowed plug-and-play cabinets to be created (reducing the cost to arcade operators) where an unprofitable game could be replaced with another game by a simple swap of the game PCB, and an update of the artwork.
The JAMMA standard uses a 56-pin edge connector on the board with inputs and outputs common to most video games. These include power inputs (5 volts for the game and 12 volts for sound); inputs for two joysticks, each with three action buttons and one start button; analog RBG video output with negative composite sync; single-speaker sound output; and inputs for coin, service, test, and tilt (the former to accept game credits and the latter to maintain the board).
Later games (eg: Street Fighter II, X-Men) use arcade boards that incorporate extra connectors or utilize unused JAMMA pins to implement extra buttons, different controller types, or support more players. These games are sometimes referred to as JAMMA+.
JAMMA Video Standard
JAMMA Video Standard (JAMMA VIDEO規格, JVS) is a newer JAMMA connector standard designed to use modern peripherals.The standard consists of peripheral device connections and communication protocol sections.
In the peripheral device connections, it specifies the use of separate I/O board for peripheral devices.
1st edition
It was released in 1996-11-15.
Peripheral devices are connected to USB-A port on the I/O board, while the USB-B on the I/O board is used to connect it to the USB-A port on the main board.
2nd edition
It was released in 1997-07-17.
3rd edition
It was released in 2000-05-31.
Video signal standard was defined in 2 steps, with step 1 enacted before year 2000, and step 2 beginning from 2000. Step 2 has different timing parameters.
Recommended timing values for SYNC code were added.
At protocol section, general software entry action code type is added. Character output code now supports ASCII, Shift-JIS. Mahjong controller software entry code, general driver outputs 2-3 are added.
Amusement Machine Prize guideline
The Amusement Machine prize guideline (アミューズメントマシンにおいて提供される適正景品のガイドライン) is a guide for the type of prize that should be provided by arcade operator. The standard was enacted in 2004-11-01. The standard was released on 2004-10-21.It specifies the retail value of a prize item cannot exceed 800 yen. In addition, following items cannot be manufactured, sold, or transferred to arcades as prizes:
- Tobacco and tobacco-themed items
- Alcohol and alcohol-themed items
- Drugs, or items containing material that causes high, dizziness, hallucination
- Medium containing contents that interferes with proper youth growth or good social order
- Items for sex, and items resembling sexual organs
- Underwear
- Coupon or similar items
- Item violating food safety laws
- Counterfeit brand or counterfeit character items, or items violating intellectual property
- Item causing physical or mental harm (e.g., weapons)
- Life forms violating the spirit of animal protection
External links
- Japanese Official Site
- Amusement Machine Show page
- JAMMA information for beginners
- A listing of Arcade Game PCBs that are JAMMA pinout ready
- English forum for Arcade Video Game Collectors