How to Read an Arcade Kit Installation Guide Before You Start

By HighScoreSaves Technical Team

Reviewed and updated August 20, 2026

An arcade installation guide is most useful when it is read before any CPU, ROM, connector, or PCB is removed—not while the installation is already halfway complete.

Game-specific instructions identify the correct hardware, component locations, Pin 1 orientation, adapter requirements, ROM changes, and final checks needed for that exact upgrade.

This guide explains how to read a HighScoreSaves installation guide so you know what to verify before starting and how to use the photographs and written steps together.

How to Use an Arcade Installation Guide at a Glance

Confirm the guide is for the exact game and kit.
Read the entire guide before removing components.
Compare the PCB in the cabinet with the board shown or described.
Identify the correct CPU, socket, and Pin 1 orientation.
Review all ROM removal or ROM Saver instructions in advance.
Identify adapters, ribbon cables, and extra connections before installation.
Take your own reference photos before removing anything.
Follow the documented sequence rather than skipping ahead.
Complete the final inspection before applying power.

Browse This Article

Start with the Exact Guide for the Exact Kit Read the Entire Guide Before Removing Anything Verify the PCB Shown in the Guide Locate the Correct CPU Understand Every Pin 1 Reference Read ROM Instructions Literally Identify Adapters, Ribbon Cables, and Extra Connections Use the Guide Photos as Verification, Not as a Substitute for Markings Follow the Installation Sequence Treat the Final Power-Up Check as Its Own Step Installation Guide Pre-Start Checklist Support

Start with the Exact Guide for the Exact Kit

Before touching the PCB, confirm that the installation guide matches the product you purchased and the arcade game or multigame kit being installed.

Similar games can use different boards, processors, ROM locations, or adapters. A guide for another product may look close enough to be convincing while still containing the wrong component locations.

Use the current guide linked from the HighScoreSaves product page or Installation Guides section.

Read the Entire Guide Before Removing Anything

Do not work one photograph at a time without first understanding the complete sequence. Read the guide from beginning to end before removing the PCB, CPU, ROMs, or connectors.

The later steps may explain an adapter, ROM change, control connection, or orientation detail that affects how an earlier step should be approached.

Reading first also lets you identify any tools, anti-static packaging, labels, or photographs you should prepare before starting.

Verify the PCB Shown in the Guide

Compare the complete board in the guide with the PCB inside the cabinet. Look for manufacturer markings, board numbers, revision identifiers, CPU location, ROM arrangement, connector layout, daughterboards, and previous repairs.

If the PCB does not match, stop. A cabinet can contain a conversion, bootleg, reproduction, or replacement board even when the marquee and game appear original.

Compatibility should be confirmed before components are removed.

Locate the Correct CPU

The installation guide identifies the processor used by the kit and where it is located on the original PCB. Confirm the part number and physical location before attempting removal.

Make sure the processor is socketed. A soldered CPU requires a different procedure and should not be pried from the board.

Photograph the CPU and surrounding markings before removal.

Understand Every Pin 1 Reference

Pin 1 may be shown with a chip notch, molded dot, socket notch, PCB silkscreen, square pad, printed number, arrow, or daughterboard marking.

A daughterboard installation can require separate Pin 1 checks for the original PCB socket, the daughterboard header, and the original CPU installed on the daughterboard.

Do not rely only on the direction of the printed manufacturer name or part number.

Read ROM Instructions Literally

If the guide identifies program ROMs for removal, relocation, or ROM Saver operation, follow only the exact positions shown.

Do not remove additional ROMs because they look similar or because another game uses a comparable installation. Graphics ROMs, sound ROMs, PROMs, and program ROMs can be located near one another.

Photograph and label every removed original ROM and store it safely.

Identify Adapters, Ribbon Cables, and Extra Connections

Some kits use a game-specific adapter, ribbon cable, header, or additional plug in addition to the main daughterboard.

Read the orientation and connection order for each part. Similar connectors can face different directions, and a ribbon cable can have its own Pin 1 reference.

Do not assume an unused connector should be attached simply because it physically fits.

Use the Guide Photos as Verification, Not as a Substitute for Markings

Installation photographs are extremely useful for identifying locations and general orientation, but perspective can make pins, notches, and board edges appear different from your view of the PCB.

Use photos together with physical Pin 1 markings, PCB labels, component part numbers, and written instructions.

When your board differs from the photograph, investigate the difference rather than forcing the installation to match the picture.

Follow the Installation Sequence

The order in the guide is designed to reduce mistakes. For example, it may be safer to inspect the socket before seating the daughterboard, or to install an adapter before reinstalling the PCB in the cabinet.

Skipping ahead can hide a bent pin, make a connector inaccessible, or cause an original ROM location to be forgotten.

Keep removed hardware organized so the original configuration can be restored if troubleshooting requires it.

Treat the Final Power-Up Check as Its Own Step

Before restoring power, compare the completed installation with the guide from more than one angle.

Verify Pin 1, daughterboard seating, CPU seating, ROM changes, adapters, ribbon cables, edge connectors, grounds, and any game-specific settings. Make sure no tools or conductive debris remain near the PCB.

If anything is uncertain, leave the cabinet unplugged until the installation can be verified.

Installation Guide Pre-Start Checklist

The guide matches the exact game and kit.
The entire guide has been read before removing parts.
The original PCB matches the board shown or described.
The correct CPU and socket have been identified.
Pin 1 markings are understood before removal.
Required ROM changes have been identified exactly.
Adapters, ribbon cables, and extra connections have been reviewed.
Before-removal photos have been taken.
Removed original parts will be labeled and stored safely.
The final power-up checklist has been read before work begins.

Product Pages and Installation Guides Are the Final Authority

Features, compatibility, board revisions, CPU requirements, adapters, ROM changes, settings, and installation steps vary by game and kit.

Always use the specific HighScoreSaves product page and game-specific installation guide for the exact kit being installed. Those instructions are the final authority for compatibility, features, and installation.

Technical Support

If the exact PCB, kit configuration, component orientation, or installation requirement is uncertain, stop before applying power or making additional changes.

Email is the preferred support method. Contact sales@highscoresaves.com and include the game title, exact kit, and clear photos of the complete PCB and the area in question.

Disconnect cabinet power before removing or installing arcade PCB components. Verify the exact board, Pin 1 orientation, socket condition, and game-specific instructions before applying power.