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Thread: Modifying Daito Ball dispenser for electric release

  1. #1
    I was thrown out of Top Gear Drunkenclam's Avatar
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    Default Modifying Daito Ball dispenser for electric release

    One of the final plans for my games room is to fit a ball dispenser to use on those machines that aren't CR ready due to age.
    I picked up this dispenser last year, but never really wanted to use coins. After reading the spec Daverob had on his website and after a few discussions, I think its possible to connect the dongle/smartcard reader to a custom circuit board to either rechange a card or dispense balls at the push of a button.

    After watching the mechanics of the dispenser I worked out what part needs to be activated by the solenoid, I stripped out the parts not needed, like the coin anti tamper,etc. I used super glue to fix the solenoid to the gear cover plate, so I can move and test it. Then drill and screw it into the correct place when done.
    The solenoid pushes the horizontal bar down that releases the small gear on the right. The gear needs too turn for 2.5 rotations for 25 balls to be released. This is 1 rotation of the large gear. The solenoid needs to hold down the bar for over 2 turns but no more than 2.5 turns.

    Now I'm not good at electronics but know a little. I brought a monostable timer kit from Maplins (Sort of a UK version of Radio Shack) Soldered it together and had a little play. The basic kit has a relay switch that changes status for 1 sec to 15min on an impulse. This is well out of the spec I need. I changed the 1k ohm resistor for a 100 ohm one, And changed the varible resistor from 1M ohm to 2.5K. This gives me an impulse time of between 0.1 sec to 2 sec (approx)

    The relay controls a solenoid taken from an Adams Rite electric door release. This has approx 1/4" of travel.

    After adjusting the varible resistor I got the timing just right. After constantly filling up and pressing the release button and counting.

    Next step is to fit a low ball switch to stop the unit paying out if there isn't enough balls in it.


    Too be continued...
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    Ian #UKPachinko

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  3. #2
    Pachi Puro Moparformances's Avatar
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    Default Re: Modifying Daito Ball dispenser for electric release

    cool project
    Never Doubt that a small group of thoughtful, .......... /........ If your not going to stand behind our troops
    ...committed people can change the world. ............. /.................Please, Please stand in front of them
    .....Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has............./
    .........................................Margaret Mead

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    Eye Shooter Icemanabq's Avatar
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    Default Re: Modifying Daito Ball dispenser for electric release

    Yeah, keep us updated!

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  7. #4
    I was thrown out of Top Gear Drunkenclam's Avatar
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    Default Re: Modifying Daito Ball dispenser for electric release

    I haven't forgotten about this, its just time, time, time.

    Not safe to plan or solder with a manic 2 year old running around.

    The plan is to connect a custom circuit board to a daverob dongle. Giving a credit display, push to release 25 balls from the dispenser, deduct a credit from the card system. and also add connections to recharge the card credit.

    Almost finished circuit design, With some varibles still to sort out. But that will be sorted by trail and error



    Circuit board coming together, I have now real appreciation for those who can build circuit boards.

    Rubbish iphone pic




    huge thanks to Daverob for assisting me so far and checking some of the specs.

    24vac input

    24vac output for dongle
    12vdc output for solenoid coil
    5vdc output to run the board and relay.
    Ian #UKPachinko

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    Pachi Puro Card Shark's Avatar
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    Default Re: Modifying Daito Ball dispenser for electric release

    Very cool. Looking forward to seeing it up and running.
    "Life consists not in holding good cards but in playing those you hold well."
    Pachiholic and Proud!!! サメ

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    I was thrown out of Top Gear Drunkenclam's Avatar
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    Default Re: Modifying Daito Ball dispenser for electric release

    I managed to get a bit more done on this project. Things move slowly in the clam household.

    Sourced the correct type of triple 7 seg LED display, and some ribbon cable. Brought 3 sets of V2 dongles and card reads from Daverob and moved my v1 dongle to this board.
    Powered it up to get some strange results on the screen and no payout After some basic fault finding. Like checking how the 12 pins are configured. Found I'd wired the whole top row backwards so had to swap 6 wires around.
    Also for some reason. I had connected the 5v supply for the IC's to the ground pin of the voltage regulator.

    After that was corrected. The display works. and the request button also works. Triggering the solinoid to release 25 balls. But after payout is completed the counter stays at "10"
    Did some probing around my Quad Nand gate IC and got some strange readings. Looks like the chip is toast. As gettting voltage on pins when shouldn't be and vise -versa, so the latching circuit isn't working. Which signals the dongle that payout is complete.
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    Ian #UKPachinko

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    Master Inventor daverob's Avatar
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    Default Re: Modifying Daito Ball dispenser for electric release

    Getting closer...

    Trying to remember our chats about the OR gate in the diagram and the use of a NAND chip instead. I can remember it was because you can't get a schmitt trigger OR, but can't remember how (or if!) I told you how to wire the NAND chip to act as an OR gate. I can't see quite how you've wired it from the photo, so it might be an idea to sketch it out and draw out a truth-table for the way you've got it wired, just to make sure it's connected the right way.

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  14. #8
    I was thrown out of Top Gear Drunkenclam's Avatar
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    Default Re: Modifying Daito Ball dispenser for electric release

    Its wired as per diagram

    The signal from the 555 timer goes to pin 1A and 1B
    1Y is connected to 3A

    The switched side of the latch circuit goes to 2A and 2B
    2Y is connected to 3B

    3Y goes to the opto coupler and back to the latch switch (although in this picture its listed as Q)

    a ground is connected to 4A and 4B as every site I have read. advises grounding the unused pins.

    I'm sure theres a fault with the chip as with nothing connected to pins 1A I'm getting a reading of 3.12vdc. But all the other input pins are 0V
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    Ian #UKPachinko

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  16. #9
    Master Inventor daverob's Avatar
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    Default Re: Modifying Daito Ball dispenser for electric release

    Your logic is good, and the strange voltage on the input does sound like the chip has expired.

    Once the chip has been replaced, I guess it's all down to whether the dongle is happy with the timing of your signals.

    For the benefit of the other readers here, who haven't been party to our discussions about this. What Drunkenclam's circuit does is to take the payout signal (BRQ) from the dongle to trigger his ball dispenser. This signal is activated by the dongle at the beginning of the payout cycle, so should be a perfect match for this application. The 555 timer chip converts this signal into a pulse of the correct duration to fire the solenoid in the ball dispenser.

    The tricky part of the circuit is the bit that sends the EXS signal back to the dongle. This is essentially a 'busy' signal from the pachinko that needs to be activated after the payout has been requested, and then deactivated once the payout is complete. If the dongle doesn't see this signal, it assumes the payout has failed and doesn't deduct any credit. When connected to a real pachinko there are more signals involved in the communication between the dongle and pachinko, but this is the minimum needed to fool the dongle into thinking that it's connected to a real machine.

    When I looked at the source code for the dongle to check that this approach should work, the only real unknown was the timing between the dongle requesting a payout (with the BRQ signal) and getting the 'busy' (EXS) signal back from the ball dispenser. The dongle doesn't explicitly check for the timing of the payout signals (unlike the pachinko machine itself where the dongle has to get the timings exactly right or the pachinko doesn't pay out), but the dongle is expecting to see the EXS signal change after it has set the BRQ signal. If these are too close together, then the dongle may ignore them completely. This is the reason for the Resistor-Capacitor circuit on the input of the OR gate in the circuit, it should delay the signal just long enough for it to be correctly interpreted by the dongle, but it may require a bit of experimentation to get the right component values for the needed delay.

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  18. #10
    I was thrown out of Top Gear Drunkenclam's Avatar
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    Default Re: Modifying Daito Ball dispenser for electric release

    I had a thought. I don't need to use the logic circuit, I just have to change the switch in the ball dispenser from a normally closed to a normally open switch, Connect in place of the logic circuit. tested and it works
    Now to tidy it up, Fit a low ball switch to prevent payouts if no balls present, and may a nice case for it
    Ian #UKPachinko

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  20. #11
    Master Inventor daverob's Avatar
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    Default Re: Modifying Daito Ball dispenser for electric release

    Oh that's just great! Just after I tell everyone that that part of the circuit is 'The tricky part', you go and replace it all with a simple switch.

    Nicely done though. If the switch is electrically isolated from the rest of the circuit, you can probably just wire it direct between EXS and LG on the dongle and do away with the second opto-isolator (might need to change it back to normally closed, not sure when it's supposed to be open or closed now!).

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