1. Decide what kind of virtual pinball machine you are building

There are several very different projects that people call “virtual pinball”. A desktop VPX setup is software-first: one monitor, keyboard or gamepad controls, no cabinet wiring. A two-screen cabinet uses a playfield display and a backglass display; the DMD is usually placed on the backglass. A three-screen cabinet adds a dedicated DMD or full-DMD LCD. A high-end cabinet may include real pinball parts, a real DMD, analog plunger, accelerometer nudge, surround sound feedback, solenoids/contactors, shaker motor, gear motor, fan, flashers, strobes and addressable LEDs.

Do not buy parts until this decision is clear. Screen sizes determine cabinet width. Cabinet width affects lockdown bar size, side rails and glass. Screen count affects Windows display layout. DMD choice affects DMDext and Popper setup. Feedback choice affects power supplies, driver boards, fuses and wiring space.

Do this before spending money

1. Write down your cabinet type: desktop, two-screen cabinet, three-screen cabinet, full-DMD LCD cabinet or real-DMD cabinet.
2. Write down the exact playfield, backglass and DMD screen sizes you plan to use. Do not estimate from photos.
3. Decide whether the cabinet will use only buttons, or buttons plus analog plunger, nudge, SSF, DOF toys and real DMD hardware.
4. Decide whether you want a simple first cabinet or a serviceable cabinet with future room for contactors, fuses, extra power supplies and output boards.
5. Keep this decision sheet beside you while buying parts. If a part does not fit the chosen layout, do not buy it because it is cheap.

• Beginner software build: VPX, VPinMAME, B2S, DMDext/FlexDMD where needed, and a few tables tested directly from VPX.
• Beginner cabinet: playfield, backglass, virtual DMD, cabinet buttons, basic controller and clean Windows setup.
• Intermediate cabinet: analog plunger, nudge, SSF audio, Popper frontend and curated media.
• Advanced cabinet: DOF outputs, contactors, shaker, gear motor, fan, flashers, strobes, addressable LEDs and real or full-DMD display.

2. Buy the layout-defining parts first

The most expensive mistakes happen when the screen/cabinet dimensions are decided too late. Start with the playfield display, backglass display, DMD/full-DMD decision, cabinet shell dimensions, lockdown bar width, leg choice and glass/acrylic size. Buttons and feedback toys are easy to add later; a playfield that does not fit the cabinet is not.

Parts and supplier starting points

• Pinball cabinet hardware: legs, buttons, flipper switches, side rails, coin doors and mechanical assemblies from pinball suppliers such as Pinball Life, Marco Specialties and Planetary Pinball.
• Virtual pinball controller parts: research Pinscape Pico/Open Pinball Device-compatible options, KL25Z Pinscape for existing documented builds, and Arnoz boards before choosing a wiring ecosystem.
• Plunger parts: use a real shooter assembly plus a position sensor/controller. Check Arnoz plunger hardware, Pinscape-style plunger documentation and your controller’s analog input requirements.
• Feedback parts: buy contactors/solenoids only after choosing voltage, power supply, MOSFET/driver board, fuse sizes and mounting points.

Practical buying order

1. Buy or choose the playfield display first, because this sets the cabinet inside width and depth.
2. Choose the lockdown bar and glass/acrylic size next, because they affect the cabinet opening.
3. Choose backbox screen and DMD/full-DMD hardware before cutting the backbox panel.
4. Choose the controller board before drilling every button hole, because the board determines input count and plunger/nudge support.
5. Choose feedback power supplies and driver boards before buying contactors or coils, because toy voltage and current matter.

3. Build the physical cabinet shell before final software setup

Do not do final Popper, DMD or DOF layout work while the screens are still sitting on a desk. The physical cabinet changes monitor orientation, cable routing, USB length, audio placement, cooling and service access. Build the cabinet enough that every screen and control board is in its real position before doing final software coordinates.

Build the shell in this order

1. Dry-fit the playfield display and leave space for the bezel, glass/acrylic, ventilation and cable exits.
2. Mount the backglass display so it can be removed later without destroying the backbox.
3. Cut speaker, DMD/full-DMD and ventilation openings before painting or wrapping the cabinet.
4. Plan a service path for the PC, power supplies, output boards, fuses and USB hubs.
5. Keep mains AC separated from low-voltage button, USB, audio and toy wiring.
6. Install fans so cool air enters and hot air leaves; do not trap GPU heat under the playfield.
7. Label every cable as it goes in. Future troubleshooting depends on this.

What to physically check before paint or wrap

1. Place the playfield display in the cabinet and confirm the screen is not pressing against the sides, buttons or glass channel.
2. Confirm you can remove the playfield display later without cutting wires or removing half the cabinet.
3. Put the PC, power supplies, fuse block, USB hub and controller board in their approximate positions and check that your hands can reach them.
4. Route one sample button wire, one USB cable, one HDMI/DisplayPort cable and one toy-power wire to check that cable paths are realistic.
5. Confirm the backbox can open or be serviced after the backglass and DMD screen are installed.
6. Confirm fans can move air across the PC/GPU and out of the cabinet instead of recirculating hot air.

Checkpoint: screens fit, the backbox closes, airflow exists, the PC can be serviced, and there is a safe route for control wiring and feedback wiring.

4. Prepare the PC and Windows correctly

Virtual pinball is unusually sensitive to Windows display order, USB power management, folder permissions, overlays and scaling. A clean Windows 10 or Windows 11 install is strongly preferred. Install chipset drivers, GPU drivers, audio drivers and Windows updates before adding pinball software. Reboot after driver installs and confirm that every screen appears in Windows display settings.

Windows setup checklist

1. Create a simple install root such as C:\vPinball. Avoid OneDrive, Desktop, Downloads and Program Files for the pinball stack.
2. Set Windows power mode to performance and disable sleep/hibernate for cabinet use.
3. Disable USB selective suspend if controllers or output boards disconnect.
4. Set all cabinet displays to their final orientation, resolution and refresh rate.
5. Use 100% display scaling where possible, especially on DMD/backglass screens.
6. Disable Game Bar, capture overlays, GPU overlays and RGB utilities while testing.
7. Install runtimes only from trusted sources or from the installer package you are using.

Exact display setup procedure

1. Connect only the final cabinet screens you actually plan to use.
2. Open Windows display settings and arrange the screens in the same left-to-right order you will use for the cabinet.
3. Set playfield orientation first. Most cabinets run the playfield as portrait/rotated, but this depends on your table setup and frontend.
4. Set the backglass screen resolution and scaling. Use 100% scaling if possible.
5. Set the DMD/full-DMD screen resolution and scaling. Use 100% scaling if possible.
6. Reboot. If display numbers or positions change after reboot, fix that before installing Popper or configuring DMD windows.
7. Only after the display order survives reboot should you configure B2S, DMDext, PinUP display positions or Popper screens.

If the playfield or DMD moves after a reboot, fix Windows display order before touching VPX, B2S, Popper or DmdDevice settings. Software cannot reliably compensate for unstable monitor enumeration.

5. Install the software stack in layers

The beginner route is PinUP Baller Installer on a clean Windows build. It installs the common virtual pinball stack and avoids a lot of manual registration mistakes. The manual route is still valid, but it requires knowing what every piece does.

Recommended beginner path

1. Prepare Windows and displays first.
2. Run PinUP Baller Installer from its official page.
3. Do not add your whole table library immediately.
4. Test one non-ROM VPX table.
5. Test one ROM-based VPX table with VPinMAME.
6. Test one table with a matching directB2S backglass.
7. Only after that, configure PinUP Popper media and playlists.

Manual install order

1. Visual Pinball X: main simulator and editor.
2. VPinMAME/PinMAME: ROM emulation for ROM-based tables.
3. B2S Backglass Server: animated backglass output.
4. DMDext: virtual/real DMD output, mirroring and colorization path.
5. FlexDMD: display layer used by many original tables.
6. PinUP Player and Popper: PuP Packs and frontend.
7. DOF: cabinet output toys and feedback devices.

After each item, test the one thing that item is supposed to do. If VPinMAME fails, do not install Popper and hope it fixes it. If B2S does not show outside Popper, Popper will not fix it.

6. Understand the file structure

Most broken table installs are not complicated software problems. They are files in the wrong place, renamed files, extracted ROM zips, blocked downloads or mismatched table/backglass filenames.

C:\vPinball\
  VisualPinball\
    VPinballX.exe
    Tables\
      Example Table.vpx
      Example Table.directb2s
      Music\
      User\
  VPinMAME\
    Setup.exe
    roms\
      romname.zip
  PinUPSystem\
    PinUPPlayer.exe
    PinUPMenu.exe
    PUPVideos\
      pup_pack_folder_name\

• .vpx files are the tables and normally go in the VPX Tables folder.
• .directb2s backglasses normally sit beside the matching VPX table and share the same base filename.
• ROMs stay zipped in the VPinMAME roms folder.
• PuP Pack folders normally go in PinUPSystem\PUPVideos.
• Frontend wheel art, videos and playlist media belong in Popper media folders, not in the VPX table folder.

7. Wire cabinet buttons, plunger and nudge

Wire the basic controls before feedback toys. A cabinet that cannot reliably read flipper buttons is not ready for solenoids. Use labelled wiring, quick disconnects or terminal blocks, and avoid permanent soldered wiring that makes service difficult.

Button wiring

Most input boards use one side of each button as a signal input and the other side as common ground. Do not guess the ground terminal: read your board pinout. Put a label on both ends of every wire before closing the cabinet.

1. Mount the left and right flipper buttons first. These are the most important controls and should be the most reliable.
2. Run one wire from the left flipper switch signal terminal to a labelled input on the controller.
3. Run the switch common/ground side to the controller ground/common terminal, or to a ground daisy chain if your board documentation supports it.
4. Repeat for right flipper, start, exit, coin/credit, launch, magna-save and service buttons.
5. Open the controller test tool or Windows game controller panel and press each button. Fix wiring before opening VPX.
6. Open VPX key/button preferences and map the inputs. Test in a simple table before wiring anything else.

Plunger wiring

A plunger has two parts: the mechanical shooter assembly and the sensor. Potentiometer plungers commonly use 5V, signal and ground. Optical or linear sensors may use different wiring. Ready-made boards such as Arnoz ecosystem parts can simplify the build if they match your controller.

1. Mount the mechanical plunger so it moves smoothly through the cabinet front and returns without scraping.
2. Mount the sensor so the full plunger travel is read by the sensor without hitting the end of the sensor range.
3. Wire sensor power, signal and ground exactly as your controller board specifies.
4. Open the controller calibration tool and confirm the value changes smoothly from rest to full pull.
5. Invert the axis only if the controller or VPX shows the plunger backwards.
6. Test more than one VPX table because some tables script launch behavior differently.

Nudge wiring

Nudge requires a real accelerometer mounted to the cabinet, not a loose board hanging by USB. Mount it flat and square to the cabinet. Calibrate after the cabinet is assembled and on its final feet/legs. Test gently; over-sensitive nudge makes tables unplayable.

1. Mount the controller or accelerometer board firmly to the cabinet floor or a rigid internal plate.
2. Keep it away from loose wiring, fans, speakers and anything that vibrates constantly.
3. Calibrate the accelerometer after the cabinet is standing on its real legs/feet.
4. Open a simple VPX table and test small nudges first. Reduce sensitivity if normal play causes warnings or tilts.

Controller choices

• Pinscape Pico / PicoScape-style builds: modern direction for DIY pin cab input and Open Pinball Device-style support.
• KL25Z Pinscape: classic Pinscape controller, but check board revision because newer KL25Z boards may not include the original accelerometer.
• Arnoz boards: useful for Pinscape-style boards, plunger parts, MOS boards and cabinet electronics.
• Keyboard/joystick encoders: fine for basic buttons, weaker for proper analog plunger/nudge.

Input test order

1. Connect only the controller board and one button first.
2. Confirm Windows sees the board as expected: keyboard, joystick, Pinscape/Open Pinball Device or vendor device.
3. Wire flippers, start, exit, coin/credit and launch before wiring optional buttons.
4. Assign inputs in VPX and test with a simple table.
5. Add plunger wiring and calibrate the axis.
6. Mount the controller firmly, then calibrate nudge.
7. Only after controls are stable should feedback outputs be connected.

8. Set up virtual DMD, full-DMD LCD or real DMD

DMD setup is not one universal thing. VPinMAME ROM tables, FlexDMD originals, PuP DMD media and real DMD hardware all use different paths. Decide the hardware type first.

Virtual DMD

A virtual DMD is a window rendered on a normal monitor. On a two-screen cabinet, it usually lives on the backglass screen. On a three-screen cabinet, it goes on the DMD/full-DMD screen.

1. Launch a known VPinMAME table outside Popper.
2. Move the DMD window to the correct screen.
3. Resize it to match the DMD panel area.
4. Save the position using the table/DMD window options available for that setup.
5. Close the table, relaunch it, and confirm the DMD returns to the same place.
6. Reboot Windows and test again before configuring Popper media.

Full-DMD LCD

A full-DMD LCD can show a DMD, topper-style content, Popper media or PuP Pack content. It is flexible, but it means Popper, PuP Packs, B2S and DMD windows all need to agree on screen positions.

1. Set the full-DMD screen in Windows before configuring PinUP display positions.
2. Run PinUP display setup and assign the screen to the matching full-DMD/PuP role.
3. Test a normal DMD table first, then a PuP Pack table second.
4. If media appears on the wrong screen, fix PinUP display setup before changing table files.

Real DMD

A real DMD requires compatible hardware, power, USB/data connection and DMDext/DmdDevice configuration. Test the hardware with its own utility or DMDext test before mounting it. Then test a known VPinMAME table. Then test colorization. Do not troubleshoot real DMD hardware through Popper first.

DMD troubleshooting order

1. Confirm Windows sees all screens in the correct order.
2. Confirm the table type: VPinMAME DMD, FlexDMD, PuP DMD or custom script.
3. Check DmdDevice.ini and back it up before editing.
4. Test outside Popper.
5. Only then adjust Popper/PuP layouts.

9. Wire solenoids, contactors and DOF feedback safely

Feedback wiring is where cabinets become dangerous or expensive if guessed. A controller pin does not power a coil. A PC USB port does not power a shaker. DOF sends events to an output controller. The output controller triggers a driver board. The driver board switches a separate fused power supply. The toy receives power through that fused circuit.

Contactors

Contactors are common for flippers, slingshots and bumpers. They produce a convincing mechanical click and are easier to mount than loose pinball coils.

1. Choose contactors with a coil voltage that matches the DC power supply you plan to use.
2. Mount them firmly to wood or a bracket. A loose contactor sounds weak and can vibrate wiring loose.
3. Wire the contactor coil through a driver board, never directly to a controller pin.
4. Fuse the branch feeding the contactor group.
5. Test the contactor from the output board utility before using a VPX table.

Solenoids and coils

Solenoids/coils can hit harder, but they can overheat if held on. They need correct voltage, current capacity, pulse behavior, driver capacity, fusing and flyback protection.

1. Find the coil voltage and current draw before wiring it.
2. Confirm the driver channel can handle the coil current with margin.
3. Use pulse-style output behavior where required; do not allow a coil to stay energized indefinitely.
4. Mount the coil so the moving plunger cannot jam, bind or hit wiring.
5. Test with short pulses first and check for heat.

Flyback protection

Coils, relays, contactors and motors create voltage spikes when switched off. Use driver boards with built-in flyback protection or add flyback diodes/suppression as required. If you skip this, the cabinet may work briefly and then kill outputs or USB devices.

Fusing

Fuse every feedback supply branch sensibly. A short should blow a fuse, not melt insulation. Keep a wiring map in the cabinet. Label output board ports, fuse ratings, voltage rails and device names.

Safe wiring workflow for one toy

1. Read the toy voltage and current requirement.
2. Confirm the power supply can handle the load with headroom.
3. Choose a driver/MOSFET channel rated above the toy current.
4. Fit a fuse on the supply branch feeding that toy or group.
5. Wire positive supply to the toy positive, toy negative to the driver output, and driver/power/controller grounds only as required by the board documentation.
6. Add or confirm flyback protection for coils, relays, contactors and motors.
7. Test the output with the board utility or DOF test before launching a table.
8. Write the output name, port number, voltage and fuse rating into the cabinet wiring map.

Example: adding one flipper contactor

1. Pick the left flipper contactor and label it LEFT_FLIPPER_CONTACTOR.
2. Mount it near the left flipper button area, but leave clearance so the side button wiring cannot touch the contactor terminals.
3. Run fused DC positive from the correct supply/fuse block to the contactor positive terminal.
4. Run the contactor negative terminal to one MOSFET driver output channel.
5. Connect the MOSFET board to the output controller according to the board manual.
6. Confirm flyback protection exists on the board or across the contactor coil.
7. Use the output board test utility to pulse the channel.
8. Map the channel in DOF as the left flipper output and test with a simple VPX table.

10. Add tables the right way

Install one table completely before the next. A table can require a VPX file, ROM, directB2S, music, altcolor files, PuP Pack, POV settings and table-specific scripts. Read the table notes every time.

1. Download the table from the author-approved source.
2. Check the required ROM name before launching.
3. Place the VPX file in the Tables folder.
4. Place the ROM zip in VPinMAME roms and keep it zipped.
5. Place the directB2S beside the table and match the base filename.
6. Launch from VPX and fix errors there.
7. Add PuP Pack only after the table works.
8. Add to Popper last.

Use the Retrocade virtual pinball table database, VPS, VPUniverse and VPForums to cross-check table versions, ROM names, backglass availability and PuP Pack notes.

11. Tune Popper only after the cabinet works

PinUP Popper is the menu and launcher. It should not be used to hide a broken VPX setup. Once a table launches correctly from VPX, add it to Popper, then add wheel art, playfield videos, backglass videos, full-DMD media, playlists and launch scripts.

If Popper launches to the wrong screen, rerun PinUP display setup. If a PuP Pack plays on the wrong screen, check PinUP Player displays and the pack option files. If the table itself has ROM, DMD or B2S errors, go back to VPX and fix the table outside Popper.

12. Troubleshoot by layer, not by guessing

When something fails, go back to the lowest layer that can prove the part works. Do not troubleshoot a ROM problem from Popper. Do not troubleshoot a dead solenoid from a table script. Prove the hardware, then the driver, then DOF, then VPX, then Popper.

13. Final testing checklist