Random Reset Issue - Any Ideas?

[Pintoxicated]

Hi Guys,

I have a random reset issue on one of my Wms machines.

The problem is intermittent but is becoming more frequent. The machine doesn't actually power off and then come back on like a dud BR or similar but the machine acts as though the 'enter' button has been pressed like you want to go into the diagnostics/menus and stops the current game, another symptom is that both flippers activate for a second or two - drop and then typically this is when the machine goes into the first screen of the menus. You can also hear the 'beep' sound the machine makes when a menu button is pressed.

Initially I jiggled the connectors on the board just inside the door which solved the problem for a while. The problem came back so I changed coin doors and therefore the harness was replaced as well. Again this appeared to have solved the problem - I was thinking that maybe the 'enter' button was dicky but once again it came back with the new coin door.

I removed the board that the flippers and coin door harness connect to and checked it over - no obvious signs of a dry joint or anything untoward. The problem definitely seems to be in this board or maybe somewhere else up the line and not the coin door buttons.

Has anyone encountered this problem before and/or could you give me some ideas or point me in the right direction to sort it out?

Cheers,
Blair

[Homepin]

http://www.pinrepair.com/wpc/index2.htm#reset

I would have a good read of that before doing much more.

[MartyJ]

Blair,

Just out of interest - is there any batt damage on the CPU board?  I'm thinking perhaps switch matrix issues - but direct switches (ie coin door) are not on the matrix...

In switch test mode - if you press both flipper buttons are any other switches reporting activations?

[Strangeways]

Check the ground cable (green) from the door to the leg bracket. Sounds like a grounding issue to me.

[Pintoxicated]

Blair,

Just out of interest - is there any batt damage on the CPU board?  I'm thinking perhaps switch matrix issues - but direct switches (ie coin door) are not on the matrix...

In switch test mode - if you press both flipper buttons are any other switches reporting activations?

Only flipper switches show up on the switch edges test when I press the flipper buttons.  Definitely no battery acid damage on the CPU.
 

Check the ground cable (green) from the door to the leg bracket. Sounds like a grounding issue to me.

The ground cable from the coin door appears to be all good.  It is screwed into the ground wire - I might remove it and give the wire a quick clean or sand with some fine sand paper to make sure it has good contact.

What I did do is swap the board over with one from another machine.  I have played several games on each machine and have left them turned on for now (the problem was happening if the machine wasn't being played as well).  I was expecting the problem to follow the board I thought was bad but so far, neither machine has reset - yet!  I am going to leave them turned on for a while and see what happens.  I will update later.  It would be good if it sorts itself out but I would like an answer as to why or what was causing the problem as well.

Is there any known issues or faults with these boards as they age?

[silverball]

Ground cable to coin door shouldnt matter, switch ground is contained within the connector appearing at the coin door pcb. Swap pcb as I suggested earlier and see if fault travels as a starting point.

[MartyJ]

If swapping the coin door pcb doesn't work, I guess you can isolate the coin door / coin door pcb assembly if you remove the corresponding connector from the CPU board and play.  If the problem reoccurs then it may be an issue on the CPU.  On my HS2 I had issues were it was going straight into the test menu from boot (as if the button was held down)...However this was due to acid damage.

[silverball]

If swapping the coin door pcb doesn't work, I guess you can isolate the coin door / coin door pcb assembly if you remove the corresponding connector from the CPU board and play.  If the problem reoccurs then it may be an issue on the CPU.  On my HS2 I had issues were it was going straight into the test menu from boot (as if the button was held down)...However this was due to acid damage.

Could still be a problem at the CPU, but always easier to start with the basics, isolate as Marty has suggested.

[Pintoxicated]

Machines have been left on for almost 2 hours and no sign of the reset in either machine.  Will have a few more games on them tonight and see what happens.

Thanks for the help thus far.

[MartyJ]

Any further issues Blair?  Have you managed to isolate it to the coin door pcb?

If not - I reckon next step is to locate the CPU board plug for direct switches and remove (game off before hand)....See if problem happens again..

That should eliminate any physical wiring issues between coin door and CPU board.

From my WPC games - my understanding of B.R & Cap issues generally causes the game to actually reboot - ie same as switch on / off

If switches are activating on their own (ie flippers) & coin door test buttons there would be something screwy going on on CPU board in /around switch matrix and direct switch IC's

[silverball]

email sent

[Pintoxicated]

I've had a few days without a reset so far but I am not holding my breath that the problem is sorted.  At this stage all I have done CPU wise is re-seat the connectors.  Hopefully that may have done the trick.