The Aussie Pinball Arcade
Aussie Pinball Forums => Archived Threads => Homepin => Topic started by: Homepin on February 08, 2013, 08:16:56 PM
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The artwork has been completed for the trough opto board to suit widebody WMS machines as follows:
Demolition Man, Indiana Jones, Judge Dredd, Popeye, Star Trek the Next Generation
We have already done a lot of bench testing on the TX board (which we will design up next week) and have eliminated the large resistors that cause so much trouble on these boards.
With the RX board we have made a lot of improvements, even over other aftermarket boards. For a start our PCB tracks are ALWAYS at least double the width of every other board maker ensuring maximum reliability.
The tracks coming away fom the connector are made MUCH wider to prevent track fracture at this often abused point on the board. The pads for the opto receiver transistors have been made as large as possible to allow desoldering and replacing of the transistors many times without pad lifting and the holes for the legs of these transistors is double the size so the old one will virtually drop out if you heat up both pads at the same time - this ensures the PCB is preserved as much as possible if repairs are ever need.
We have included visable LEDs along the bottom edge of the board to quickly check if the optos are working. These can be observed through the front door of the machine so the playfield doesn't even need to be raised. Naturally, the two LM339 IC's will be in turned pin sockets for easy servicing.
They will probably both be ready in a couple of weeks to send off to the board house for manufacture and be assembled and ready for sale in about a month or so - probably around $60 a pair (to be confirmed).
Finished RX board artwork:
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/ALL.JPG)
Indicator LEDs along the bottom:
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/INDICATORS.jpg)
Thicker tracks coming away from the connector:
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/THICKERPADS.jpg)
Bigger pads and holes for the receiver transistors:
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/BIGPADSHOLES.jpg)
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Mike u never stop designing. You are a man on a mission for sure.
The pinball industry is much better off having good people like yourself designing and producing items that others havent brought up to 2013 specs.
Well done mate. ^^^ One day I will catch a flight to China with you to see how its all done at your overseas offices. Excellent.
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One day I will catch a flight to China with you to see how its all done at your overseas offices. Excellent.
You are welcome. I am off again for 5 weeks on the 3rd of March and I have to go again at least two more times in 2013 BEFORE November to fulfill visa requirements (it's a long story). In fact my wife is in China now and has been for a week - she is there for another week and a half yet.
I can show you some amazing stuff that many - even 'ordinary businessmen' - don't get to see when they visit China.
Some come with me and stay a few days or a week as that's the longest they are able to drag themselves away for...up to you.
You should see the security electronics building...it would blow your mind........hahahaha
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Here is the artwork for the transmitter side of the trough opto pair. No large resistors to heat up and vibrate off the board and two LEDs to indicate that all of the TX LEDs are working.
A little fine tuning of both and they will be ready for the board house.
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/optotxf.jpg)
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/ind.jpg)
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Getting closer with this project. The PCBs were delivered to my office this morning and are of brilliant quality as usual.
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/topto.jpg)
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/topto2.jpg)
Here are the I.R. LEDs, and the small 3MM indicator LEDs that show if the board is working correctly. (I bought all of these yesterday):
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/topto3.jpg)
Now I'm just waiting on the two right angle connectors and I have all the parts to get some of these together.
These are probably the trickiest part to source as there are three varieties of this connector and it's pretty hard to explain that to a Chinese parts supplier.......
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The bits all finally arrived yesterday so I have assembled a short run of six sets. They should be up on my website in a day or so but if anyone wants a set earlier please PM.
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/6sets.jpg)
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Mike, received my boards today. I must say I am extremely impressed with the quality of them and the packaging and of course your first class service.
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Thanks for the kind words - look forward to the same high quality from my new pinball :D
Mike, received my boards today. I must say I am extremely impressed with the quality of them and the packaging and of course your first class service.
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Mine work flawlessly also. Thank you
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I used these boards on the ST TNG I'm restoring and they are flawless. Well done Mike !
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We are running a small batch of these - they sell out very quickly and have been a really popular board.
These ones are destined for the Homepin agent Johns-Arcade in Brisbane so he should have stock a couple of weeks after we finish and test them.
For small runs like this it isn't worth firing up the soldering machine so we do them by hand in a solder bath. These will be the first ones that are RoHS. Still a little hand soldering to do on them after the solder bath with optos and the connectors.
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/troughpcb1.jpg)
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/troughpcb2.jpg)
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/troughpcb3.jpg)
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Can we buy direct from you Mike or do we have to go through John?
How much are they each?
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Can we buy direct from you Mike or do we have to go through John?
How much are they each?
I will be ceasing all direct sales and only selling via resellers such as John, RTBB and others. Sell prices will be up to the resellers but I expect them to be much the same as my original sell prices.
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What was the price Mike? I'm interested in a few, would like to know expected price, so as to put it on my list of future purchases. Thanks for making these again.