Tech: STTNG all optos open

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

Ok, I have checked the LEDs for power; the trough leds are off and so
are all the other opto boards. The board (the 16 opto board?) that is
under the left VUK is off as well. I have tried following the wires to
see where it is getting power from, but it looks like everything is a
giant loop (granted, I didn't have a lot of time to check). I don't
know if this has anything to do with the problem, but I open the
backbox and on one of the boards (bottom left, I don't have my manual
with me) there are three LEDs; bottom is solid, middle is blinking
rapidly, and the top one is off.
Any suggestions are greatly appreciated; I will be doing more
troubleshooting in the morning (I live in the UK).

Thanks!

Rian

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

All open--my first guess would be no power to the transmitters/receivers.

Check to make sure the wires are connected to the trough boards(they need
power).

Check to make sure the same wires are connected to their power source.

Check for voltage at the trough boards/connectors.

Then:

You have to determine if the optos in the trough are working.

Transmitters--either get one of the ir detect cards from radio shack and
check them or get out your digital video camera and look at them through
it--they should display illuminated with the power on the machine.

Receivers--with the room dark and the power on the game in switch edge test,
shine a flashlight into each receiver. It should close the switch on the
test. Wil display on the matrix and you will get a bong.



Otto

CARGPB11

My web page: http://home.bellsouth.net/p/PWP-Ottoslanding

"Tony the Squid" <rianlawrence@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1121513357.620181.144270@g49g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
>So I went to the switch edge test and lo and behold all the
> optos are open! I changed the fuse, nothing. I guess I could look for
> shorts, but I don't see how this could happen since the game was fine
> (everything worked great, except switch 61) up until I switched that
> stupid wire (Why oh why must I try to fix things!). I really want to
> get this fixed; this game is awesome and I got it for a really good
> price (a first for me).
> Anybody have any ideas?

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

"Tony the Squid" <rianlawrence@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1121513357.620181.144270@g49g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> Alright, I finally got all the broken glass out of my game. That's the
> good news. Now back to the original problem: Switch 61 (ball trough).
> While looking at the trough and the manual I noticed the Black (ground
> wire) J1-5 was located instead in J1-3. This isn't the place the
> manual says it should be located. So moved the wire to J1-5.

On the LED board, pins 3 and 5 are a common ground so the black wire can be
in either one. If you pulled the wire out of the connector pin and then
pushed it back down into another, you should re-pin it correctly with a
punch tool and new connector pin or go with a crimp style connector. You
should also make sure the solder points on the backside of that connector
arent cracked.


> Now the
> damn pin kicks balls constantly, even in attract mode. So I put a new
> connector end on the wire and put it back again in J1-3. Same thing,
> kicks balls constantly, even in attract mode. So I put the wire on
> J1-5 and this still doesn't correct the problem. I also tried cleaning
> the optos on this board along with every other opto on the game (a lot
> of them!). So I went to the switch edge test and lo and behold all the
> optos are open! I changed the fuse, nothing.

If ALL optos remain open, first thing to check is power. Is LED 7 lit on the
power driver board (big board in center of head).

> I guess I could look for
> shorts, but I don't see how this could happen since the game was fine
> (everything worked great, except switch 61) up until I switched that
> stupid wire (Why oh why must I try to fix things!).

Because they break! As far as I can tell, you didn't cause any additional
problems. Maybe a loose ground wire now in that trough board connector.

> I really want to
> get this fixed; this game is awesome and I got it for a really good
> price (a first for me).
> Anybody have any ideas? I have tried google, but maybe I am just not
> using the right terminology with my queries.
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> Rian
>

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

Your LEDs are reporting that the WPC board is operating correctly.

"Tony the Squid" <rianlawrence@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1121521697.557898.140630@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
> Ok, I have checked the LEDs for power; the trough leds are off and so
> are all the other opto boards. The board (the 16 opto board?) that is
> under the left VUK is off as well. I have tried following the wires to
> see where it is getting power from, but it looks like everything is a
> giant loop (granted, I didn't have a lot of time to check). I don't
> know if this has anything to do with the problem, but I open the
> backbox and on one of the boards (bottom left, I don't have my manual
> with me) there are three LEDs; bottom is solid, middle is blinking
> rapidly, and the top one is off.
> Any suggestions are greatly appreciated; I will be doing more
> troubleshooting in the morning (I live in the UK).
>
> Thanks!
>
> Rian
>

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

Tony the Squid wrote:
> Ok, I have checked the LEDs for power; the trough leds are off and so
> are all the other opto boards. The board (the 16 opto board?) that is
> under the left VUK is off as well. I have tried following the wires to
> see where it is getting power from, but it looks like everything is a
> giant loop (granted, I didn't have a lot of time to check). I don't
> know if this has anything to do with the problem, but I open the
> backbox and on one of the boards (bottom left, I don't have my manual
> with me) there are three LEDs; bottom is solid, middle is blinking
> rapidly, and the top one is off.
> Any suggestions are greatly appreciated; I will be doing more
> troubleshooting in the morning (I live in the UK).
>

Check the 12 volt fuses on the power driver board.

Clive
---
Board repairs, EPROMs, servicing...

The Coin-Op Cauldron
405 Wild Wing Way
Easley, SC 29642
(864)238-1707
http://www.coinopcauldron.com

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

Rian,

Search for this thread: "Clive's Handy ST:TNG Opto troubleshooter Part 1
(was: Tech: STTNG)". Sounds like this might help track down the issue or
issues.

Eric

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

Hmm... NONE of the optos work? Check fuses F114, F115 and F116. When you
turn on the game touch bridge rectifiers on the power driver board? Any one
of them cool to the touch?

Adi
www.txpinball.com

"Tony the Squid" <rianlawrence@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1121513357.620181.144270@g49g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> Alright, I finally got all the broken glass out of my game. That's the
> good news. Now back to the original problem: Switch 61 (ball trough).
> While looking at the trough and the manual I noticed the Black (ground
> wire) J1-5 was located instead in J1-3. This isn't the place the
> manual says it should be located. So moved the wire to J1-5. Now the
> damn pin kicks balls constantly, even in attract mode. So I put a new
> connector end on the wire and put it back again in J1-3. Same thing,
> kicks balls constantly, even in attract mode. So I put the wire on
> J1-5 and this still doesn't correct the problem. I also tried cleaning
> the optos on this board along with every other opto on the game (a lot
> of them!). So I went to the switch edge test and lo and behold all the
> optos are open! I changed the fuse, nothing. I guess I could look for
> shorts, but I don't see how this could happen since the game was fine
> (everything worked great, except switch 61) up until I switched that
> stupid wire (Why oh why must I try to fix things!). I really want to
> get this fixed; this game is awesome and I got it for a really good
> price (a first for me).
> Anybody have any ideas? I have tried google, but maybe I am just not
> using the right terminology with my queries.
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> Rian
>

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

Hello Adi,

Yes, all the optos are out; all I did was change one wire! No smoke,
pops, or bangs (unless you count the translight glass exploding; that
was loud), nothing. Really weird stuff. Anyways, to answer your
question about the power driver board: BR1 & 2 are warm as are 3 & 4
but BR5 is ice cold. Should I replace it? What does BR5 do anyhow?

Thanks!

Rian

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

Hello all,

Special thanks to all who helped diagnose this problem (especially
Adi); everything seems to be working fine now except switch 61 (suspect
a broken trace). I can't say for sure if it was fuse 116 or J114 on
the power driver board that solved the problem (I did them both at the
same time, D'oh!); all I know is that they both *appeared* to be seated
correctly but once I reseated them everything was fine.

So thanks again, now I am back to lurking.

Rian

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

Okay, good you got it oing again. Now... Get the balls out of the ball
through. Power up the game go to switch edges test. Feed the balls into
the ball through one by one, you should see on the display all through
optos registering, through6, through5, through 4 etc... up to through 1
and then it will stop. Put 2nd ball in, same thing, now it stops at
through 2 and so on. Now, find which of the switches is 61. Touch the
big ass blue resistors on the board. Any one of them cold to the touch?
Resolder them all. If you find a broken trace, retrace it, make sure
you know where it goes, or where it is supposed to go (verify with the
schemativs, if necesary), and do the jumpering and soldering.

Check the connector that goes to the boarde, see if the soldering broke
on it, it is common. Get the board out. Inspect visually, inspect and
test for continuity with dmm for the switch 61, don't bother with the
rest of them, since they work fine.

Your problem has to be on that board. Remember that receiver opto
rarely fails, it doesn't do jackshit, just sits there receiving the
light, transmiter is the one working hard and in most of the cases they
are the first to fail. Before replacing it, check if the wires didn't
fall off of it. To make sure the receiver works fine, in switch edges
test, block the transmiter and shine pen flashlight into it, it should
register. If you need any more help, post back. Don't buy Radio Shack
"substitute" transmiters, they are sort of flaky and unreliable on
distances greater than 1.5 or 2 inches, at least that was my
experience. Best of luck.

Adi
www.txpinball.com

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

It provides unregulated 12 Volts for optos. Check the fuses before, as I
suggested. You really need to read Marvin's guides. There is a connector by
BR%. It's J114. Did you disconnect it by any chance? IF yes, connect it and
power up again.
Adi
www.txpinball.com


"Tony the Squid" <rianlawrence@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1121601702.952186.289460@g47g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> Hello Adi,
>
> Yes, all the optos are out; all I did was change one wire! No smoke,
> pops, or bangs (unless you count the translight glass exploding; that
> was loud), nothing. Really weird stuff. Anyways, to answer your
> question about the power driver board: BR1 & 2 are warm as are 3 & 4
> but BR5 is ice cold. Should I replace it? What does BR5 do anyhow?
>
> Thanks!
>
> Rian
>