MAME 178 Crashes on game launch - only from Launchbox

[Fursphere]

Hello - please forgive me, i'm new to LaunchBox.   (previous Hyperspin user...)

I've updated my ROM set to .178 (clrmamepro) and I'm uses MAME64.EXE  .178 to match (MAMEDEV version - no custom compiles).  I've got LEDBlinky setup too.

My 'test' ROM is Metal Slug X (mslugx) - Everything runs fine when I start MAME by itself / from the command line.  When I launch it from LaunchBox (regular or big box mode), MAME gets to 100% "loading rom", then hangs for a second or two, then crashes.  

I've got LaunchBox successfully launching NES games with Nestopia and Wii games with Dolphin.  

I'm at a bit of a loss as to whats going on here - but it feels like something the way LaunchBox is starting the emulator is causing it to crash.

Any ideas?

[Fursphere]

Made some progress.

Seems MAME 178 and LEDBlink 6.3.0.1 aren't getting along.  I was able to reproduce the error in my HyperSpin setup - so this is not LaunchBox specific.   Disabling LEDBLinky in LaunchBox makes the error go away.  

[Fursphere]

More progress.  MAME 170 doesn't have the problem.  MAME 175 does.  

There was some "output' behavior changes in 170 through 175, so LEDBlinky users should avoid those versions.  Seems 176 and up put the output stuff back in, but requires some tweaks.  (Thanks to Arzoo for the info)

http://ledblinky.net/Support.htm#MAMEOutputsProblem

But I'm not sure if that's my problem or not.