Pinner Software

Setup, configure, and use your PinnerOPI Kit

These guides walk you through every part of the Pinner software stack — connecting the cabinet to WiFi for the first time, configuring the cabinet through the management daemon, hooking up an optional community-built backglass, and understanding how over-the-air updates work.

Looking for the hardware install guide? The PinnerOPI Kit installation guide (PDF) covers physical assembly and wiring. This site picks up where that leaves off — once your cabinet boots, start here.
🎮 Exiting a table — go back to table select first to save your scores

Before you leave a table, it's recommended to return to table select using the left white button first — this makes sure your high scores are preserved. From table select, press the Right Flipper + Launch button at the same time to return to the Pinner Launcher.

In Pinball Arcade (PBA) specifically, the left white button must be held down to exit to table select.

Start here 1

Network Setup

Connect the cabinet to your WiFi using the PinnerSetup access point and the captive-portal phone view.

 2

Pinner Management

The browser-based management interface — pages, Williams & Zen tables, Google sign-in, leaderboards, audio, gyro, and more.

 Community 3

Backglass Display

Optional community-built backglass on a Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W. Setup, wiring, and configuration.

 4

OTA Updates

How over-the-air updates work, when they apply, and how to manually trigger an update check.

📌 Buying additional tables? Read this first

🛑 Tables only sync from Google Play on Android

The cabinet's stock pages (Marvel, Star Wars, Williams, Pinball Arcade) come with their tables included — enable a page and the cabinet downloads and installs them automatically.

If you want to buy additional tables on top of the stock bundle, the cabinet reads ownership from Google Play, which means very specific rules:

Full Table Ownership guide → with direct app links + the why behind the rules

⚠ Modifications & warranty — what voids it

🛑 PinnerOS is the only OS supported on this hardware

The PinnerOPI HAT uses a specific GPIO pin configuration to talk to the cabinet's controls (flippers, plunger, nudge, buttons). PinnerOS knows this configuration. Other operating systems do not, and booting them while the HAT is plugged in can put voltage on pins that aren't expecting it — which can permanently damage the HAT.

Specifically: do not boot Batocera, RetroPie, Armbian, stock Orange Pi OS, or any other Linux/Android image with the HAT connected. Cabinet controls won't work on those OSes anyway (different pin mapping), and you risk frying the HAT.

Booting any OS other than PinnerOS while the HAT is connected voids your warranty on the HAT. If you want to experiment with another OS on the OrangePi 5 Max, physically unplug the HAT first.

🛑 Hardware modifications void the HAT warranty

Adding custom solenoids, knockers, shaker motors, additional driver circuitry, or any other hardware that wires into the HAT's pins or power rails — anything not explicitly documented in our installation guide or tutorials — voids the HAT warranty. The HAT is designed for the stock Arcade1Up control set; pulling more current or feeding back EMF from a solenoid coil can damage the driver chips or the OPi5 itself.

If you want to add hardware: ask in the Team Encoder Discord before wiring anything up. We document supported additions; everything else is at your own risk.

🛑 Software modifications to PinnerOS void support

Modifying PinnerOS itself — patching the launcher, swapping in custom binaries, sideloading APKs that hook into Pinner services, etc. — voids your support and warranty coverage. PinnerOS is a closed ecosystem on purpose. Tables come from stock pages and verified Google Play licenses (see Table Ownership), and there's no manual-loading path.

SD-card cloning to share or resell a configured cabinet will brick the recipient cabinet and may get the original account banned. PinnerOPI is licensed for use on Arcade1Up virtual pinball cabinets only — it's a repair product for that cabinet, not a general-purpose softmod or pinball platform.

Bottom line: install the kit per the printed guide, follow the tutorials on this site, ask Discord before doing anything outside that scope. We're happy to help with documented setups; we can't help with damaged HATs from unsupported modifications.

About these tutorials

Where it helps, you'll find working simulators embedded inline — the same HTML the cabinet shows you, running with mocked data so you can click through every screen exactly as you'll see it on your machine. Hover any control in a simulator to get a quick description of what it does. No screenshots, no guesswork.

If you get stuck, the Team Encoder Discord is the fastest place to get help: discord.gg/cZrs9FwBPU — once inside, pick the Pinball role under #roles to unlock the pinball-related channels.

Optional upgrades & hardware notes

🔊 External speakers (3.5mm)

The stock cabinet pulls audio off the HDMI line through a built-in HDMI audio extractor — you don't have to think about it. If you want to upgrade to your own setup (e.g., Logitech speakers with a subwoofer), you used to need to bring your own extractor with previous cabinets. Not anymore.

The OrangePi 5 Max has a 3.5mm audio jack on the board itself. Plug your speakers straight into it and the cabinet automatically detects and routes audio there — no extractor, no setting to flip in software, nothing to configure.

🔉 Volume control & on-screen indicator

The cabinet's physical volume controls adjust the global Android system volume. Whenever you're in the Pinner Launcher, an on-screen indicator briefly appears showing how loud you've set it — so you can see at a glance whether you're cranked up or muted before launching a game.

🖼 Backglass display

Optional secondary display that sits above the playfield. Recommended monitor: Acer SB220Q (21.5" 1080p IPS). The backglass software (PP Enhancer) is community-driven — full setup details are on the Backglass tutorial.

🖥 Upgraded playfield screen

Technically any screen will work now, so long as it fits and has an HDMI input. If you want to swap the stock cabinet screen for something larger or higher-quality, these 32" panels are ones we know fit and have been used successfully by community members:

  • LG 32MN60T
  • LG 32MN50W
  • LG 32MN500M
  • LG 32QN55T
  • LG 32MN600P
  • ViewSonic VX3276-2K-mhd

The kit's installation guide PDF assumes the stock screen — talk to the Discord #pinball channels before swapping if you want guidance.