Sammy Aristocrat, Rodeo Reels Not Lighting

[heima]

Howdy Folks,

If you read in the other thread, I bought the non-functional Sammy Popeye pachislo. After some troubleshooting, I found that within the power supply, the on-board fuse (15A) had vaporized and a schottky barrier diode had shorted all leads. Because the 24vac power cord looked exactly like a 110 power cord, I am guessing that the previous owner mistakenly plugged the pachislo into house current and fried the power supply.

Well, I replaced the barrier diode with an exact replacement, and replaced the on-board fuse. Initial power on had an E1 error in the Win display. I did a full reset (power supply key switch clockwise, power on, down on spin knob) and this brought the pachislo back to normal. Or so I think.

The problem is this:
I can get bonuses, chances, and all those other things happening, but the LEDs in the reels do not light. The fluorescent bulb in front of the reels does light and dim sometimes, but the LEDs behind the reels do not light at all. I have checked connectors, checked all visible fuses, tried multiple resets, but nothing is making the reel LEDs light.

In the YouTube videos of the Popeye in action, the reel LEDs are consistently on.

So, I am asking for a little help.
1. Could anyone out there who has a Popeye, or a similar Rodeo, or Sammy Pachislo in the Aristocrat cabinet, verify this behavior for me?
2. If your reel LEDS are lighting, do they still light after a full reset? (on some of my pachinkos, some of the cabinet LEDs do not light until after a fever, and then stay that way until a full reset is done)
3. I find it very hard to believe that when the power supply fried, it took the reel LEDs with it, but did not touch anything else. Unless there is a lead off of the power supply that specifically powers the reel LEDs. Does anyone know if this is the case?
4. Alternatively, does someone have a pinout of the connectors for the Sammy Aristocrat power supply? Maybe I can check for anything strange there.
5. I could not find a door switch. Is there one? I have to use the pachislo with the door cracked open slightly, because I do not have a door key.
6. Is there a photosensor that checks for ambient light? If the pachislo was operated outside in daylight (not likely, but anyway) it would not be possible to see any LEDs behind the reels, so it would not be necessary to light them up.
7. I pulled a reel out and noticed that the cable for the reel LED array has about 10 conductors. I know that at a minimum, there would be 4 conductors: 1 common, and an upper, a middle, and a lower supply. So what are these additional conductors doing? If they used many conductors to reduce the total current going through any one conductor, then the malfunction of the LEDs is probably in a multiplexer or signal line further back.

Any help is appreciated. Thank you very much.

[mrlax]

SOOOO Glad you have made progress on this! Best of luck with the next steps! Keys were mailed today! -mrlax

[heima]

Thank you again, Mr. Lax!

[Wayne-Ooo]

I have a Popeye and can check some things out for you. Don't know much about "tech stuff" and how it all works, but I can check connections and see what powers what.

Doesn't matter if the door is open or closed to play. I can play with the door fully open and it plays just is if the door were shut.

There is a large connection in the top of the Power Supply that runs up to the circuit board, mounted above the Reel Glass. Then there is a connection next to it that runs over to the circuit board on top of the Reel Cage, (on the left side). This is the connection that powers the Reel Lights.

I'm guessing your problem Is in the circuit board above the Reel Glass, being it has a direct connection to the Power Supply and the Reel Lights get there power from that circuit board.

When first powering the machine ON. The Reel Lights light in a random pattern, in a rotating motion. Then go off. They come ON when you deposit tokens or push the Bet Button. Then if you let the machine sit idle, after 60 seconds, The Reel Lights do the Rotating/Random lighting then go OFF and stay Off, till you press the Bet Button or deposit tokens.

Hope this helps some.

[Drunkenclam]

As the reel LEDs aren't constantly on. I would assume there is a driver/chip or such like for them to illuminate in sequence. As to where, and how to test. It would be follow the circuit path from the LEDs back. It might have a common negative or positive that might be damaged. Causing none to work, or a faulty IC if you can see a common circuit path to each led. You can can test to see if there is voltage there.

[heima]

Thank you Wayne and DC.
I discovered the cable from the circuit board above the reel glass going to the circuit board above the reels. If this cable is disconnected, there is absolutely no difference in game play, lights going on, etc. So we are a little bit there. If all reel LEDs light for 60 seconds when a coin is inserted, then I can put an oscilloscope up to the pins of the connector, looking for a signal. The circuit board over the reels looks like it has a power IC and subsequent driver chips and switching transistors for each wire of the reel LED connectors. 27 in all. Also, on the circuit board above the reel glass, there is 6 transistors feeding the cable in question.

This is my plan of attack.
0. check the power being supplied to the circuit board above the reel glass. Its there, but how clean is it?
1. check that all pins conductors of the cable in question are good.
2. verify that some sort of power is coming through the cable in question.
3. verify that some signal, whatever that may be, is coming through the cable to the reel board.
4. If the above checks are good, then attempt to force a reel light to light.

I am hoping that I find a bad conductor in the cable, fix that, and everything hunky dory.

Something else, and this might be nothing, when there is a situation where 3 of a kind line up, a relay on the spin-stop board clicks. There are other relays on that board, and they click at other times as well, but what is different is when this relay clicks, I do not see anything happening. No lights flashing, counters incrementing or anything like that. Is that normal?

Thanks again

[Drunkenclam]

I'm 90% sure all those relays are the outputs for connecting to battle counters.

[Wayne-Ooo]

I'm 90% sure all those relays are the outputs for connecting to battle counters.

You can be 100% sure.

If this is what you are referring to.

download (5).jpg

This is a Parlor Interface Board, (for connecting a Battle Counter), and NOT a Stopboard. The stopboard is built into the Motherboard.

[heima]

Yeah, mine looks a little like that. The black ribbon cable is much bigger, and there are 3 tan connectors on the other side. So I won't be messing with that.

[heima]

Well, Popeye has seen the light!
popeyeleds.jpg

After checking with an oscilloscope, and ringing out a cable. I discovered that another diode had shorted in the LED driver board. Finding a replacement diode is next to impossible. So, without the diode, the LEDs light. However, the LM2596S power regulator that supplies the power for the LEDs overheats. If I disconnect the LED cables, the power regulator stays cool. So it seems that somehow, too much current is being drawn through the power regulator. Fortunately, the circuit design for the power regulator is a common one, and nearly identical to very inexpensive power regulator modules. I have ordered some modules through ebay, and when they arrive, I will disassemble them and use the components to fix the Popeye. Fingers crossed that it works.

Let me tell you, this troubleshooting was not easy, but very satisfying nevertheless.

[Drunkenclam]

That's great news. Well beyond my ability. Can we get a link to the eBay ones for picture reference please

[heima]

Sure, Here is a picture as well.

module.jpg

I will be using the SMT Diode (small black rectangular cube) and if that doesn't work, the LM2596S (large black flat cube with 5 leads)
Ebay search results:
LM2596S | eBay

[Drunkenclam]

That's quite a big diode compared to the little cylinder ones we use

[mandoman]

Heima, thanks for posting. I purchased the non-functioning CR Ferrari from MrLAX. I ran into the same issue you ran into. With a 15A fuse the 120VAC had time to do some damage. In my case, the obvious was the 15A fuse and the Bidirectional TVS Diode (ZD1 in pic, Mouser P/N 954-Z2056) blew. I replaced both but there is additional damage. Like no Video and I found a few burnt Resistors. I just purchased a couple of V-Trigger pachinko frames for my Macross cells and just got a GitS:SAC (H2) pachinko so I've stored the CR Ferrari for now. One thing about a new machine is it's easy to find the smoked components. I need to post my purchases over at the YJA section.

Res Board.jpgFuse and Diode.jpgCRF02.jpgCRF01.jpg

IMG_0590.jpg

[heima]

Congrats on the Macrosses and GITS pachinko purchases. I am envious. If you do not mind, how much did they all set you back?

For the resistor to burn, it needed time to do so. So the respective circuit is probably suspect.

For the Ferrari screen, can you see if:
1. The backlight is out, but the LCD is still making images?
2. The backlight is fine, but the LCD is out.
3. Both are out. Is the power supply for the backlight getting good power?
4. Do you get sound? If so, the board that supplies the video might still be ok.

I believe that the zap that killed the diode in the LED board on the Popeye, did so by going through the common/negative/ground line, not through a signal line. This is why I can make the LEDs light in the patterned fashion. So you might check things that are attached to the common/negative/ground line. There is hope.

[mandoman]

Thank you very much for the troubleshooting checklist. I will use your advice.
For my new purchases, I'll do a detailed post over at YJA but here's a quick look:
Both Fever Macross and X Japan/Macross Frontier frames sold for 1500 yen with 3000 yen shipping each. I shipped them separately using FJ on FedEx and cost 170 USD each (I think).
I noticed the GitS pachinkos were becoming scarce and starting to go up so I bought a Ghost Version (H2) for 1690 yen with 2800 yen shipping. FJ FedEx shipping to me was about 190 USD.
I promise to post details tomorrow.

[mandoman]

Thank you very much for the troubleshooting checklist. I will use your advice.
For my new purchases, I'll do a detailed post over at YJA but here's a quick look:
Both Fever Macross and X Japan/Macross Frontier frames sold for 1500 yen with 3000 yen shipping each. I shipped them separately using FJ on FedEx and cost 170 USD each (I think).
I noticed the GitS pachinkos were becoming scarce and starting to go up so I bought a Ghost Version (H2) for 1690 yen with 2800 yen shipping. FJ FedEx shipping to me was about 190 USD.
I promise to post details tomorrow.

Oops, Ghost Version (H2) link:
ＣＲ新世紀��ん�攻殻機動隊　GHOST VERSION�Ｈ２】実機 - ヤフオク!

[heima]

DEAL! Seriously, you got the games, or the frames for that little?

[Drunkenclam]

I've seen frames go for ¥11 before

[mandoman]

DEAL! Seriously, you got the games, or the frames for that little?

Since I bought and shipped the cells separately I'm sure I spent too much. I only recently got into pachinkos with a Macross Frontier cell in a Fever Macross frame from Five Brothers. It was only after my purchase that I started researching. Then Clam posted a Fever Macross cell and I just had to have it. It was downhill after that but now I have exactly what I wanted. This will be it for a while, but I can accessorize, i.e. cabinet, lifter, data counter. Thanks again for your advice on the CR Ferrari. I've printed your post and stored it with the machine to remind me when I get back to working on it.