ArcadePay Controller Installation Overview

ArcadePay Controller Installation Overview

Before installing an ArcadePay Controller, power off the machine. Do not connect or disconnect wiring while the machine is powered.

Before You Go On-Site

First-time cellular provision takes 10–30 minutes. Power the ArcadePay Controller on at home, your shop, or your warehouse and wait for that first connection to finish before you drive to the location.

  • 1 blue light — controller is powered on
  • 2 solid red lights — connecting to the cellular network
  • Blinking red light — connected
  • ArcadePay dashboard → Machines shows Online
  • Scan the QR — if the buy options appear, you are ready

Confirm it is online before you leave for the stop. After the first connection, future power-ons typically reconnect in about 15 seconds, so on-site work is wiring and a pulse check — not waiting on the network.

Most installs use one of three methods.

Which Method Do I Use?

Every ArcadePay Controller ships with two harnesses. Match the harness to the connector already in the cabinet — not the one that looks more involved. Most machines never need a cut wire.

Power the machine off. Then look at how the coin mechanism is plugged in.

  • A standard coin-mech plug you can unplug → Easy Coin Mechanism Connector
  • A CandyMachines or Neofuns cabinet with a dedicated 4-pin or 6-pin port → plug-and-play
  • No compatible plug at all → hardwire

Do not cut the converter just because it came in the box. If you are unsure, photograph the coin-mech area and email it to ops@arcadepay.app before you start.

More detail: Easy Connect vs Hardwire — how to choose your ArcadePay install method.

Easy Coin Mechanism Connector

Use this for many standard machines with a coin mechanism connector.

  1. Power off the machine.
  2. Unplug the factory connector from the back of the coin mechanism.
  3. Plug the Easy Coin Mechanism Connector into the coin mechanism.
  4. Plug the factory connector into the pass-through side of the Easy Connector.
  5. Plug the 6-pin end into the ArcadePay Controller.

This keeps the original coin mechanism working while adding ArcadePay.

CandyMachines And Neofuns Plug-And-Play

Some CandyMachines and Neofuns machines have a dedicated 4-pin or 6-pin connector.

  1. Power off the machine.
  2. Locate the matching connector inside the machine.
  3. Plug the ArcadePay harness into the machine connector.
  4. Plug the 6-pin side into the ArcadePay Controller.

If your machine has the current 6-pin connector, it can support credits, cash reporting, prize sensor, and locker box input when the machine hardware supports those features.

📹 Install video: Watch the CandyMachines/Neofuns plug-and-play install walkthrough

Hardwire

Use hardwire only when the machine does not have a compatible connector.

The typical wire functions are:

  • Yellow: 12V power
  • Black: ground
  • Brown: pulse 1, usually credits or cash reporting
  • Pink: pulse 2, often prize sensor when supported

If you are not sure where to connect these wires, stop and contact ArcadePay Support before cutting or wiring anything.

First Power-Up

After the controller is connected, power the machine on.

On first boot, first-time cellular provision takes 10–30 minutes. A blinking red light means the controller is connected. After the first connection, future reconnects are typically about 15 seconds.

If you already completed first connect at home, the shop, or the warehouse, this step should be much faster on-site.

If signal is weak, move the antenna outside the cabinet if possible.

QR Sticker Placement

Wait until the controller is online and the QR code loads the correct checkout page before placing stickers.

For glass-front machines, inside stickers usually look cleaner and are protected from wear. Place QR stickers where customers naturally look before inserting money or starting play.

If you are applying the NFC tap-to-pay tag: NFC tags must not be applied on metal; glass is OK.

ICT A6 Bill Validator

ICT A6 bill validator? Pick 12V DC or 110V AC.

Credit output is a dry relay (pins 7/8). Keep validator power on the ICT harness; tap the credit pulse into the same path the machine uses for coins, then into ArcadePay Pulse 1.

Final Test

Before leaving the machine:

  1. Scan the QR code.
  2. Confirm the machine name and pricing.
  3. Send a test play from the ArcadePay dashboard (on a phone the Pricing tab is shorter; desktop may say Products & Pricing), or complete a small test payment.
  4. Confirm the machine credits correctly.
  5. Confirm the customer sees a successful checkout.

If the payment works but the machine does not credit correctly, check the pulse count and wiring first.

Still stuck? Contact ArcadePay Support with the machine name, location, and a photo of the wiring.