Knocker troubles

[ajlaird]

What version game ROM do you have? I am confused...

Suffice it to say that my guess is that the current ROM does not have the knocker functionality. Anyone else like to comment on whether that is a possibility?

Of course, we could be barking up the wrong tree on this one.

In the interim, is there any chance of you tracing the violet and black wires from the coil back to the driver board, and checking continuity between the coil end and driver end of the wires (with the machine turned off)? (Assuming they are violet and black - that's what the manual said.)

Adjust multimeter to 200 ohms setting.
Place one probe end on the coil end where the violet wire attaches.
Place the other probe end on the driver board where the violet wire attaches.
You should see a zero reading.

Repeat for black wire.

[felixthadog]

What version game ROM do you have? I am confused...

Suffice it to say that my guess is that the current ROM does not have the knocker functionality. Anyone else like to comment on whether that is a possibility?

Of course, we could be barking up the wrong tree on this one.

In the interim, is there any chance of you tracing the violet and black wires from the coil back to the driver board, and checking continuity between the coil end and driver end of the wires (with the machine turned off)? (Assuming they are violet and black - that's what the manual said.)

Adjust multimeter to 200 ohms setting.
Place one probe end on the coil end where the violet wire attaches.
Place the other probe end on the driver board where the violet wire attaches.
You should see a zero reading.

Repeat for black wire.

ROM version is LC-4, I have ordered ROM revision 9.4H from Pinbits so perhaps that will solve the problem.

I wasn't sure if I needed to switch the machine off at the mains or not, so I left it on at the mains but turned it off at the switch on the machine. Using the MM (set to ohms at 200), I put a probe on one of the lugs on the coil and the other probe on the wire at J130 on the driver board. The reading on the MM was 0.6. I then put a probe on the other lug on the coil and the other probe on the wire at J107 on the driver board. Again the reading on the MM was 0.6. Given the readings were not zero, does that indicate a problem? 

Matthew

[Marty Machine]

QUICK question:

did the knocker EVER work beforehand ???????????????
(this will help prove the rom version etc).

MM.

[ajlaird]

No, close enough I reckon.

Had another thought, and this one is even better than the last one re ROM setting. Check the jumper section; if the machine is jumpered for overseas that may preclude the credit knocker from working. To set it up for US (standard) you need to ensure that W14 through W18 all have jumpers in place.

They are located on the CPU board, just below and slightly to the left of U9 (a large mostly square IC). The jumpers themselves are designated as 0 ohms resistors, that is, a link. If you have no spare jumpers available you may be able to get a way with a bent paper clip (any comments on whether this is OK?).

[felixthadog]

No, close enough I reckon.

Had another thought, and this one is even better than the last one re ROM setting. Check the jumper section; if the machine is jumpered for overseas that may preclude the credit knocker from working. To set it up for US (standard) you need to ensure that W14 through W18 all have jumpers in place.

They are located on the CPU board, just below and slightly to the left of U9 (a large mostly square IC). The jumpers themselves are designated as 0 ohms resistors, that is, a link. If you have no spare jumpers available you may be able to get a way with a bent paper clip (any comments on whether this is OK?).

Can you post a picture of what a jumper looks like?  I think I am way out of my league now, I think it might be better for the knocker to remain non-functional than it would be for me to start poking around in the backbox. I should be getting the new ROM version soon so I will see if that fixes the problem, hopefully it does.

Cheers,
Matthew

[ajlaird]

No, close enough I reckon.

Had another thought, and this one is even better than the last one re ROM setting. Check the jumper section; if the machine is jumpered for overseas that may preclude the credit knocker from working. To set it up for US (standard) you need to ensure that W14 through W18 all have jumpers in place.

They are located on the CPU board, just below and slightly to the left of U9 (a large mostly square IC). The jumpers themselves are designated as 0 ohms resistors, that is, a link. If you have no spare jumpers available you may be able to get a way with a bent paper clip (any comments on whether this is OK?).

Can you post a picture of what a jumper looks like?  I think I am way out of my league now, I think it might be better for the knocker to remain non-functional than it would be for me to start poking around in the backbox. I should be getting the new ROM version soon so I will see if that fixes the problem, hopefully it does.

Cheers,
Matthew

It may or may not fix the problem as the jumpers may override certain ROM settings.

I will see if my pins have jumpers and take a photo for you.

[Strangeways]

Matt - Do you have a copy of the manual ?

Download it from www.ipdb.org

Look on page 1-40

There's a setting - A-3 .21 - Coin meter units - this bypasses the knocker. Adjustments / Pricing Adjustments / Coin meter units

Set it to "off".

[ajlaird]

Matt - Do you have a copy of the manual ?

Download it from www.ipdb.org

Look on page 1-40

There's a setting - A-3 .21 - Coin meter units - this bypasses the knocker. Adjustments / Pricing Adjustments / Coin meter units

Set it to "off".

The problem is that this setting is skipped at the moment - we already tried this one.

[Strangeways]

 

Oops.. Didn't double check.

So the solenoid is not recognised in the solenoid test, and the A 3 .21 Setting is missing.

Can someone who owns a TZ remove the connector to the Knocker, and test to see if "solenoid 7" or A-3. 21 is present ?

Sounds like an open wire to the coil.

[Marty Machine]

I'll just dash out and buy a TZ, be back soon.......hehehehe 

MM.

[ajlaird]

Oops.. Didn't double check.

So the solenoid is not recognised in the solenoid test, and the A 3 .21 Setting is missing.

Can someone who owns a TZ remove the connector to the Knocker, and test to see if "solenoid 7" or A-3. 21 is present ?

Sounds like an open wire to the coil.

I also believe he has checked continuity between coil and driver board - checks out OK.

[Marty Machine]

Locate the driver Transistor for the knocker coil, and temporarily joining the 'collector' pin to Ground (0v) will prove the entire connector-pin/wiring from board-to-coil.....

Either this transistor isn't working, or not being activated..... pointing back to the ROM issue again....

MM.

[Strangeways]

Oops.. Didn't double check.

So the solenoid is not recognised in the solenoid test, and the A 3 .21 Setting is missing.

Can someone who owns a TZ remove the connector to the Knocker, and test to see if "solenoid 7" or A-3. 21 is present ?

Sounds like an open wire to the coil.

I also believe he has checked continuity between coil and driver board - checks out OK.

Then it has to be the driver transistor - which I find hard to believe. This coil has to be the least "fired" coil in the game. The fact that the coil test skips "solenoid 7" is a fair indicator that either the ROM / Setup is incorrect, or there the driver transistor is stuffed.

I guess an option is to set the game to factory defaults ?

[ajlaird]

Locate the driver Transistor for the knocker coil, and temporarily joining the 'collector' pin to Ground (0v) will prove the entire connector-pin/wiring from board-to-coil.....

Either this transistor isn't working, or not being activated..... pointing back to the ROM issue again....

MM.

My logic says that if the adjustment is not available the knocker functionality has been turned off somehow - either in the ROM itself or via the jumpers.

See attached diagram and (poor) photo of what you are looking for. On the TZ you are looking for W14 through W18, these should be labelled on the circuit board. The jumpers on my Mousin' Around! look like small white resistors, presumably they look similar on your TZ. First question: are all of W14 through W18 present? Second question: if not, are you comfortable enough to solder in a piece of wire if a jumper is missing?

My camera battery is playing up hence I only managed one photo.

[felixthadog]

I installed the new Home ROM 9.4H today, hoping it would fix the knocker issue. It didn't. There is still no reference to the knocker in any of the Diagnostic menus 

Matthew