Taito TT-18
| Taito TT-18 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| AKA | TT18; TT18" New Type Standard Cabinet |
| Type | Table / Cocktail |
| Monitor | 18 in |
The Taito TT-18 is an 18-inch general-purpose table/cocktail arcade cabinet produced by Taito.
A surviving Taito parts catalogue identifies the cabinet as the:
- TT18" NEW TYPE STANDARD CABINET
The catalogue cover provides strong primary-source confirmation of the model designation and shows a cabinet matching surviving examples.
At present, detailed factory specifications such as dimensions, weight, monitor chassis, original wiring standard and production year have not been confirmed.
Design
The TT-18 is a low table-style arcade cabinet built around an 18-inch CRT monitor.
Unlike a conventional upright or sitdown cabinet, the monitor is mounted beneath the upper surface of the cabinet and viewed from above.
Surviving examples show a rectangular metal cabinet with:
- 18-inch CRT monitor
- Large flat upper surface
- Removable front-mounted control panel
- Twin flat steel feet
- Front coin and service area
- General-purpose game PCB accommodation
The cabinet was evidently intended as a standard reusable arcade enclosure rather than a game-specific machine.
Control panels
Surviving TT-18 cabinets have been documented with more than one control arrangement.
Examples include:
- Two-player joystick and button control panel
- Trackball control panel with buttons positioned either side of the trackball
This indicates that the cabinet could be configured for different types of arcade software.
The exact range of factory control-panel options has not yet been established from surviving documentation.
Monitor
The TT-18 uses an 18-inch CRT monitor.
The original monitor manufacturer, chassis model and supported scan frequencies have not yet been confirmed.
The surviving cabinet photographs do not provide sufficient evidence to determine whether monitor rotation was an intended factory feature.
Wiring
The cabinet's original wiring standard has not yet been established.
Because the TT-18 appears to pre-date widespread adoption of the JAMMA standard, JAMMA compatibility should not be assumed without evidence from the wiring diagram or parts catalogue.
Surviving examples may have been converted during their operating lives.
Surviving examples
Surviving TT-18 cabinets show that the cabinet remained in use long enough to receive later games and control-panel configurations.
One photographed example is shown operating Taito's Syvalion, while another surviving cabinet retains a conventional two-player joystick panel.
These later installations demonstrate the cabinet's general-purpose nature but should not be taken as evidence of its original factory game configuration.
Identification
Useful identifying features include:
- Taito branding
- 18-inch table-mounted CRT
- Wide rectangular upper cabinet
- Detachable or interchangeable front control panel
- Twin flat steel support feet
- Separate front coin/service section
- Taito parts catalogue marked TT18" NEW TYPE STANDARD CABINET
The parts catalogue cover drawing closely matches the surviving cabinet design.
Gallery
-
TT-18 fitted with trackball controls -
Surviving TT-18 with two-player controls -
Front and lower cabinet detail -
Two-player control panel -
Taito TT18" New Type Standard Cabinet parts catalogue
Manuals
A factory Taito parts catalogue is known to survive under the title:
- TT18" NEW TYPE STANDARD CABINET – PARTS CATALOG
A complete scan has not yet been added to this page.