Johnny Mnemonic Problem ?

[Strangeways]

Can any current owner of a Johnny Mnemonic please try a simple test for me. Switch the game on, and tell me if the Autoplunger coil fires twice as the game boots 

Mine did it before I reconditioned it, and it does it after I've finished it.

From a technical perspective, I'm at a loss.

It is not the driver board - swapped another in the game
It is not the CPU board - swapped another in the game
It is not the switch matrix - disconnected during testing
It is not the coil - changed for testing
It is not the ROM - Burned fresh Eproms

I can't find any reference to it being a sneaky little "addition" to the software etc. But I did find a Youtube vid of a booting JM and it sounded like it popped once, not twice.

[skywalker]

Nino,
Pm hashman he got one

[Hashman]

Nino. Mine doesn't do that. Get the usual glove calibrate only when switching on.

[Strangeways]

Thanks for the info Hashman.

Anyone have any ideas ? I'm stumped on this issue. It happens every time I switch the game on - as the game boots, it fires twice. All four balls are in the trough and there are no errors. I thought it was something stupid like a 3 ball game, but it is not that simple.

[Strangeways]

OK - An update on this issue.

I replaced all the ribbon cables - no change.

I placed a Flintstones CPU board, with Flintstones ROM and Security chip - it shares the same solenoid as the JM (solenoid 2 - autoplunger). The game boots perfectly with the Flintstones setup - solenoid 2 does NOT fire. So the fault seems to follow the ROM / Security Chip.

Since I've burned a FRESH ROM, I'm looking at the security chip. Considering that the ROM resides in the Switch Matrix circuitry, I was thinking that the security chip is causing the issue as it happens ONLY at bootup - during the "Testing...." message..

So does anyone here have provisions for programming a Security Chip for this game ?

[beaky]

if you don't have any luck you can try a pic from another machine and patch the rom with "any pic" just to prove your theory
I have a customer with a JM and it does not do what yours is doing either

[beaky]

also i have the gear to program the pic but i don't have the image

[Strangeways]

also i have the gear to program the pic but i don't have the image

I have a burner but no image. I think I might just order and new Security Chip

I did put the SC from Corvette in the game and nearly all the solenoids fired on bootup. Strange behavior !

I tried the Flintstones SC in the JM board and it would not boot, but gave me the message "Wrong U22 for this game".

Back to original JM ROM and SC (U22)

If I go into test mode, and then exit, the game does not fire solenoid 2. That's AFTER the game has initially booted. My theory is that the game checks U22 first to determine it is indeed the correct U22 -at this point, the solenoid fires twice "Testing......" and then the game boots normally. Going into TEST mode does not invoke the U22 check, so the solenoid does not fire. The game has already determined U22 is correct at initial start up.

I think that U22 is corrupt.

[Homepin]

I don't believe you will find the image anywhere - off to see the wizard I suspect for a chip or there is someone in Europe that re-wrote the security chips

[Strangeways]

I don't believe you will find the image anywhere - off to see the wizard I suspect for a chip or there is someone in Europe that re-wrote the security chips

Yup - Will do. This has to be the most interesting problem I've come across in a long time !

[Strangeways]

Beaky sent me a patched image and it worked perfectly with the Security Chip from the Flintstones. So I know it is the Security Chip. I ordered a replacement over the weekend.

I've never seen a problem like this, nor have I ever had to replace a Security Chip. Very interesting problem.

Thanks VERY much to Beaky for his suggestion. 

[beaky]

no problem Nino
at least now you know that when you get the new security chip your problem will be gone.