Draft FAQ for comments - Battle Counter Output Terminals.

[daverob]

I was planning to dedicate today to some software development for my Enhanced Card Reader Emulator Dongle, but I managed to blow up my chip programmer with this morning's first download of code into the microprocessor. So faced with a day waiting for the components needed to repair it to arrive in the mail, I thought I'd better find something useful to spend the time on...

This was originally intended to be a post to the 'Japanese Translation Thread' in the Pachinko links forum, but it seems to have evolved into more of a FAQ style thing than just a simple list of Japanese -> English translations, so I've decided to give it a thread of it's own.

I've only got access to a modest collection of machines and I don't actually own a battle counter, so I can't be sure that what has been written here is 100% accurate or if it is applicable to all machines. If you know something that's not mentioned here, then please post about it in this thread so it can be included.

I'd also appreciate it if you could all take a look at your own machines and see if there is any labels around the battle counter outputs that don't seem to fit in with what's described in this draft FAQ. If you find something out of the ordinary, post a photo, and I'll see if I can work it out and add it in. I know that Fuji Gearshock games (Thunderbirds,Pink Panther etc) are one of these exceptions, and I'm working on adding these to the next revision. Also if the machine stickers match the FAQ descriptions, then please post a confirmation so that they can be added to the machines checked list at the end of the FAQ.


Pachinko Battle Counter Output Terminal FAQ by daverob (1st Draft 29-01-2007)

Questions often come up as to what are these small connectors on the back of my pachinko, or what is the meaning of the Japanese writing on the small labels beside these connectors. This FAQ will hopefully allow you to discover their uses and work out the correct connections for yourself by reading the terminal descriptions from the labels.

Introduction.

Most modern pachinko parlours have a system of Battle Counters connected to their machines (this is true for both pachinko and pachislo but this document has only been written with pachinko machines in mind), these Battle Counters are full of flashing lights and also display statistics about the operation of the machine they are connected to. This includes information such as recent prize ball payout statistics and details about the last bonus round (fever). These statistics can helpful to a player in allowing then to select a machine that they believe will be more favourable to play, and the information they provide has been very popular with the Japanese players in the parlours.

A number of terminals are provided on a pachinko machine to output information from the machine which is collected by either a Battle Counter for displaying to the player, or to the hall computer for collection and later analysis by the parlour operators.


Terminal markings

The outputs are usually split into two groups, the 'frame' outputs and the 'cell' outputs. The frame outputs are the ones that signal whether the frame doors are open or closed, and provide information about ball payouts (as the payout system is integrated into the frame). The cell outputs provide information about the state of the game in progress, this will often include things like a signal when the start pocket is hit, whether there is a bonus round in progress, and sometimes other information such as signals indicating reaches or time-saving/high probability modes.

These are usually marked with the following text on labels near the output terminals.

枠用外部端子 - Frame external (output) terminals
枠用外部端子板 - Frame external (output) terminal board
枠用外部端子外部情報 - Frame external information terminals

盤用外部端子 - Cell external (output) terminals
盤用外部端子板 - Cell external (output) terminal board
盤用外部端子外部情報 - Cell external information terminals
盤用外部端子板外部情報 - Cell external information terminal board

Sometimes both the frame and cell terminals are combined into one set of outputs (an example of this is on the Mizuho 20" LCD frame ie Cutie Honey).

外部端子 - External terminals

Signal markings and description.

賞球 - Prize ball (usually one pulse for every 10 balls paid out)
球貸し - Loan ball (usually one pulse for every 25 loan balls dispensed)
球切れ - Out of balls (ie top payout tray is empty)
扉開放 / ドア開放 - Door open
ガラス枠開放 - Front glass open (on some machines this is a cell output)

On the Sankyo Lumina Frame there are two door open outputs, the one marked '正' (which means correct) is active when the door is open and the other marked '負' (incorrect/negative) is active when the door is closed.

始動口 - Start Pocket

Some machines may have more than one start pocket output, eg on the Sankyo Lumina frame start pocket 1 is the regular start pocket, start pocket 2 is the secondary start pocket under the regular one that you can only hit when the claws are open.

大当り - Bonus (Will often have a number after it ie Bonus 1, Bonus 2 etc)
This signal is active during fever rounds, some machines have multiple outputs which are used to indicate whether it's a regular bonus or big bonus round.

時短中 - In Time Saving mode (ie 100 spin chance round after a fever)
時間短縮 - Time saving
確率変動 - Probability fluctuation
確変 - 'Kakuhen' Definite Change (ie high probability)
図柄確定 - Design decision
図柄確定回数 - Design decision signal
特別図柄確定 - Special design decision
These are notifications that occur at various point during a game, these can be different depending on manufacturer but could be during high probability time saving mode after a fever, or during a reach, or maybe even when 'yokoku' (high reach probability) notifications are happening. These are usually connected to the input on a battle counter that sets off extra lighting effects.

For example the 図柄確定回数1 output on a Neo Powerful pulses at the end of every spin, the 図柄確定回数2 output pulses several times during a reach.

役物回数 - Playfield Accessory output
This output pulses when the claws protecting the secondary start pocket open.

Some of these outputs can be combined and marked with two descriptions, eg. New Sea Story has an output terminal marked 大当り及び時間短縮 (Bonus and time saving)

Sometimes signal descriptions are followed by the kanji characters 信号, this is just the word 'signal'. eg 賞球信号 = Prize ball signal

Output Signals.

There are two types of output signal, they are not interchangable, though most battle counters will be able to accept both types of signal, either through different cable harnesses for the connectors, or through polarity switches.

出力は全て無電圧 - Zero voltage output
無電圧接点 - Non voltage contacts
接点出力 - Contact output
信号はすベて無極性 - Non-polarised output signals

These are relay or opto-isolator outputs, and can be thought of as a set of switch contacts. On most machines these are non-polarised and can be connected either way round. On some machines the polarity is important, and they should be marked which signal is '+' and which is '-'. It's also important to check the maximum rating (最大定格) of the outputs, to ensure they are not over-driven. If they are not marked, then this type of output should be limited to switching a maximum of a 12v signal with a load that draws a current of less than 50mA.

電圧出力 - Voltage output

Other machines have voltage outputs, these are recognised by the labeling near the output and will often have markings that indicate the voltage level (usually DC32V) and which pin is positive/negative.

The positive pin will usually be marked with the voltage, or the words 'power supply' or 'common'.
コモン - Common
電源 - Power Supply

The other pin will be marked with either the signal name (see above) or have a description that includes the word 'output'. This pin is switched to ground when the output is enabled.

出力 - Output
情報出力 - Information Output
出力信号 - Output Signal

Voltage outputs are not isolated from the pachinko machine power, and should be isolated with either a relay or opto-isolator before connecting it to a circuit. The outputs are usually low current, and shouldn't be connected to anything that draws a significant amount of current.

The following example marking of a voltage output is taken from a Takao Hornet frame (Bruce Lee).

１番ピン：（＋）コモン（DC32V) 1st pin : (+) common (DC32V)
２番ピン：（－）出力信号 2nd pin : (-) output signal

Be aware that some frames have isolated contact outputs, but the cell outputs can be of the voltage output type. Make sure that these are connected correctly as voltage outputs can damage a circuit that is designed for contact outputs.

Decoding Descriptions.

Sometimes the description looks quite complicated such as the following pair of output pins taken from a Monaco Robocop frame. Even though there are some characters we have not encountered before, we should have enough information from this FAQ to work this out for ourselves.

外端用球切れスイッチ
外端用球切れスイッチコモン

If we look at them the only difference between the two is that the second pin has the word コモン (common) after it, So it is likely that the other one is the signal pin.

The first three characters 外端用 are also found on the frame/cell external (output) terminal stickers so it is quite likely that they mean something like 'terminal' or 'connection'. The next three 球切れ are the words for 'out of balls', so we now know that this is the out of balls connector, and we know which pin is the common pin.

For completeness the other characters スイッチ are ス 'su' イ 'i' and チ 'chi' (the ッ makes the following character into a hard consonant sound), these are katakana characters so are meant to represent a word in a foreign language (for Japanese speakers at least!), if you say suichi out loud, it sounds like a Japanese speaker saying the word 'switch', so the full sentences are 'Connection to out of balls switch' and 'Connection to out of balls switch common'.

Colours

Where the colours of the connectors indicate the function of the connector, the kanji character for the colour is usually written next to the signal description on the label. A few of the more common kanji for colours are shown below to help you match the connector with the translation.

色 Colour
黒 Black
白 White
赤 Red
緑 Green
青 Blue
黄 Yellow
茶 Brown
橙 Orange
灰 Grey
水 Light Blue
桃 Pink
紫 Purple


Machines checked in the compilation of this Faq...

Heiwa Hotaru and Kabuto Frames (2002 to 2006)
Mizuho 20" LCD Frame (Fireworks/Cutie Honey to Present)
Monako Robocop/Back to the Future Frame (mid 2003-end 2004)
Sammy Fire Illusion Frame (2003-2006)
Sankyo Victory and Lumina Frames (2003 to present date)
Sanyo S2004 Frame (New Sea Story 2004 model)
Takao Hornet Frame (2004) (Old style before Spiderman Neo)