Kick harness
Encyclopedia
The kick harness, also known as the extra harness or plus harness, is a set of additional connector
s that allow arcade PCBs
to have extra inputs beyond what the JAMMA wiring standard allows. A typical JAMMA PCB supports only 1 joystick
and 3 buttons each for 2 players. JAMMA boards that require this extra harness are referred to as JAMMA+ or JAMMA Plus boards.
The kick harness is named for its most ubiquitous use in arcades: the additional kick buttons in the game Street Fighter II
. Many games, especially fighting games, have adopted similar button layouts. Harnesses for games that do not employ kick buttons, such as trackball and driving games, are still commonly referred to as kick harnesses.
The harness connects directly to the PCB, having its own ground loop and power connection. In the case of Capcom's
CPS-2 system board, the kick harness is a 34-pin connector that plugs into the side of the 'A' Board.
Unlike JAMMA inputs, kick harnesses have not been standardized. Even PCBs requiring functionally-identical inputs may require different wiring. For example, Street Fighter II
and Super Street Fighter II
have the same control panel layout, and are both produced by Capcom, but they have different pinout
s due to the configuration of their respective CPS-1 and CPS-2 system boards.
Electrical connector
An electrical connector is an electro-mechanical device for joining electrical circuits as an interface using a mechanical assembly. The connection may be temporary, as for portable equipment, require a tool for assembly and removal, or serve as a permanent electrical joint between two wires or...
s that allow arcade PCBs
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...
to have extra inputs beyond what the JAMMA wiring standard allows. A typical JAMMA PCB supports only 1 joystick
Joystick
A joystick is an input device consisting of a stick that pivots on a base and reports its angle or direction to the device it is controlling. Joysticks, also known as 'control columns', are the principal control in the cockpit of many civilian and military aircraft, either as a center stick or...
and 3 buttons each for 2 players. JAMMA boards that require this extra harness are referred to as JAMMA+ or JAMMA Plus boards.
The kick harness is named for its most ubiquitous use in arcades: the additional kick buttons in the game Street Fighter II
Street Fighter II
is a competitive fighting game originally released for the arcades in . It is the arcade sequel to the original Street Fighter released in and was Capcom's fourteenth title that ran on the CP System arcade hardware...
. Many games, especially fighting games, have adopted similar button layouts. Harnesses for games that do not employ kick buttons, such as trackball and driving games, are still commonly referred to as kick harnesses.
The harness connects directly to the PCB, having its own ground loop and power connection. In the case of Capcom's
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...
CPS-2 system board, the kick harness is a 34-pin connector that plugs into the side of the 'A' Board.
Unlike JAMMA inputs, kick harnesses have not been standardized. Even PCBs requiring functionally-identical inputs may require different wiring. For example, Street Fighter II
Street Fighter II
is a competitive fighting game originally released for the arcades in . It is the arcade sequel to the original Street Fighter released in and was Capcom's fourteenth title that ran on the CP System arcade hardware...
and Super Street Fighter II
Super Street Fighter II
is a head-to-head fighting game produced by Capcom originally released as a coin-operated arcade game in 1993. It is the fourth game in the Street Fighter II sub-series of Street Fighter games, following Street Fighter II: Hyper Fighting...
have the same control panel layout, and are both produced by Capcom, but they have different pinout
Pinout
In electronics, a pinout is a cross-reference between the contacts, or pins, of an electrical connector or electronic component, and their functions.- Purpose :...
s due to the configuration of their respective CPS-1 and CPS-2 system boards.