Firepower intermittently blowing solenoid fuse ..

[deadlydave]

Hi Dave,
Given that the fuse is lasting 20 games or so, it could be that the fuse is getting stressed every game, but not enough to blow until it finally breaks down. Does the fuse look a bit shitty after 10 or so games? If so I wonder if an amp meter in series with fuse (analog would be best), which could be in view while playing, would show up at what stage during game that the amps peak? Just a thought..
Cheers
Dave

[goodolddays]

Hi Dave,
Given that the fuse is lasting 20 games or so, it could be that the fuse is getting stressed every game, but not enough to blow until it finally breaks down. Does the fuse look a bit shitty after 10 or so games? If so I wonder if an amp meter in series with fuse (analog would be best), which could be in view while playing, would show up at what stage during game that the amps peak? Just a thought..
Cheers
Dave

Gday Dave .. don't know cause once I start playing it I can't stop at just 10 games 

[goodolddays]

I've been wondering if it could actually be a mechanical problem so have the hood up now and checked operation of all solenoids manually (for free/easy operation) and found right kicker sluggish and not fully returning to home position though it seemed like enough to open the switch but hard to see .
I have pulled it apart , cleaned it up and fitted a new coil sleeve .
Also found the switch blades bent so have straightened them up.
Just doing the left kicker while I'm at it and will then fire her up and see what happens

[goodolddays]

Hmm .. didn't get too far .. turned it on and got the missing digits problem in all score displays (including master display) and sounded like one of the special solenoids continually firing (same sound repeated)

Have lost motivation for tonight but will try swapping driver board as planned as both above probs would indicate a driver board issue , I suspect.

[goodolddays]

Tonight I swapped in the working CPU board from my Tri Zone (as PIA on both CPU boards is unfortunately not socketed) .  after a logical suggestion from Ken (suspect PIA on CPU board)
Currently I have gone backwards .. now have no score displays or CPU controlled lamps . 
I am thinking this might be a 40 pin interconnector problem ? as 40 pin male on this CPU board is original (as are all the male edge connectors) , the female on the driver board (the board from Firepower) has been replaced.
I tried reseating IJ3 thru IJ7 (display outputs and blanking) on CPU board and 2J4 thru 2J8 (logic power in and lamp driver outputs/power etc ) on driver board but no change.

I also noticed none of the PIA's on either driver board is socketed .
Of course this means all PIA's are also original 

[Retropin]

Yes... PIA 1 is common to both displays and CPU controlled lamps... but to have the same PIA faulty on 2 boards and give same symptoms??? - Highly unlikely

[goodolddays]

Yes... PIA 1 is common to both displays and CPU controlled lamps... but to have the same PIA faulty on 2 boards and give same symptoms??? - Highly unlikely

Gday Gav . I certainly agree and this board that I swapped in was working in my other game as recently as a few days ago.

[Skybeaux]

Hi Dave, you can't just swap the Firepower game roms into the Tri-Zone cpu board....it won't work at all.
The Firepower cpu is modified to take the combo rom set up , so that's probably why things have gotten worse for you.
Put the Firepower cpu back into it and just swap driverboards and see how you go.

[goodolddays]

Gday Ken .

The CPU board from TriZone was originally in my Firepower .. I can't remember having to change anything on it other than the game roms when I put it into TriZone a couple of years ago ?

[Skybeaux]

Originally you wouldn't have had to change anything on the board to to put it in your Tri-Zone if Firepower was using it's 6 original chips...which it must have been.
The Firepower board you have now is modified , and if you wanted to to put it's chips into your Tri-zone board then you would have to modify it for them to work.

[goodolddays]

Originally you wouldn't have had to change anything on the board to to put it in your Tri-Zone if Firepower was using it's 6 original chips...which it must have been.
The Firepower board you have now is modified , and if you wanted to to put it's chips into your Tri-zone board then you would have to modify it for them to work.

Ah .. now I get what you mean Ken .. ok, so will fall back to the modified CPU board with a different Driver board and see what happens .
I don't understand how a fault on the driver board could cause the missings digits in score displays prob tho ..

[ddstoys]

 If there isna data fault on the driver board is could carry back to the CPU causing the display issues

[goodolddays]

Maybe the next logical step is to put the CPU board from Firepower (currently out of the machine with Tri Zone roms installed) into Tri Zone .. along with the driver board from Tri Zone (currently out of the machine)

That will at least prove if there is a fault (eg PIA causing display issues) on the CPU board or not.

Then, if that CPU board checks out OK put both those boards into Firepower and see what happens ?

[ddstoys]

Im not sure if that will work either i think once the cpu has had the combo rom modification u cant use any other game roms without convering i back to standard?   Put the firepower roms back in the firepower cpu and test it with the Tri zone Driverboard in firepower

[goodolddays]

Im not sure if that will work either i think once the cpu has had the combo rom modification u cant use any other game roms without convering i back to standard?   Put the firepower roms back in the firepower cpu and test it with the Tri zone Driverboard in firepower

Yeah, Ok Daniel .. was not sure myself which is why I posted .. thanks for your feedback ..