Capcom Lock up on NOS Switch Board

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

"Popbumper" <tilt@popbumper.com> wrote in message
news:1119066619.072563.50750@g49g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> I have a Pinball Magic that seems to exhibit a funkadelic problem. Can
> you figure this one out??? Crazy!
>
> PROBLEM: Machine doesn't boot - yet LED's appear normal.

LEDs should be as follows:

ALL LEDs on power board should be on.

CPU: LED1 sould be pulsing about every half-second. LED 2 should be on
solid.

SOUND: LED1 should be pulsing about every half-second. LED2 on solid.

> Get a "dong"
> from sound board, but nothing on DMD, Start button on cabinet flashes.

The sound board should generate a PEEP/WARBLE sound.

> Occasionally get a little music from sound board on boot up with error
> code, but this is quite rare.
>

Hmmm...

> WEIRD FIX: Which isn't a fix at all. If I remove the ribbon connector
> from the switch board, the machine will boot, DMD displays ROM version
> info, etc. Obviously the game doesn't function correctly with no switch
> control.
>

The game should boot up and immediately go into ball search - firing
solenoids and looking for the ball trough switches to activate. Check.

> If I keep the ribbon connector on the switch board but remove from the
> driver board - I get an expected driver board problem message on the
> DMD. Expected.
>

DMD displays "IMPROPER DRIVER BOARD" over and over. Check.

> Still, if both are connected (Switch & Driver PCB), the game just sits
> there locked up.
>
> I bought a new (NOS anyway) Switch board from Illinois Pinball as I
> thought this just had to be the problem. It wasn't. Same problem
> exists.
>

Ooof! That was an expensive troubleshooting step, but now you have an extra!
And I think you can pretty much eliminate the switch board now.

> In a thread from Sept. 98, another person had this same problem on an
> Airborne but no resolution was posted AFAIK.
>
> Anyone see this before? Ribbon cable issue? Power supply PCB has had
> everything re-flowed. Every connection has been examined per the
> manual.

Here's a couple of things to try. Inspect those three ribbon cable headers
and make sure none of the pins are bent over. Connect all three boards.
Disconnect sound board connectors. Power up. If it now boots, there's a
problem on the Sound board pulling the system down.

If that has no effect, disconnect all the connectors from the switch board
except J5 and J12 and power up. If it now boots, power down reconnect one
connector at a time and power up until boot fails. The problem will be at
the other end (or somewhere in between) of that wiring loom.

> The game must have exhibited this problem early on as it has
> almost no wear and the inside of the game is as clean as your kitchen
> table.
>

This game also has plenty of possible ball traps. When I took mine to Texas
I checked on it once and ALL THREE balls were stuck on the playfield. Not
good for operators.

> Thanks,
> Rob Craig - Popbumper.com
>

Rob, please report back to this thread (or start a new one if you can't find
it) with your progress.