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Scope.
This document is a repair guide for DataEast and Sega pinball games made from 1987 (Laser War) to 1995 (Batman Forever). Sega games are included from 1994 to 1995 as Sega bought DataEast in 1994.

Internet Availability of this Document.
Updates of this document are available for no cost at http://marvin3m.com/fix.htm if Internet access is available. This document is three parts (part one is here, and part two is here, and part three is here). When printing this document, it is recommended to use Netscape (version 3 or higher). Unfortunately Internet Explorer (any version) can page-break in the middle of an inline picture (leaving a picture split on two pages), where Netscape does not.

IMPORTANT: Before you Start!
IF YOU HAVE NO EXPERIENCE IN CIRCUIT BOARD REPAIR, YOU SHOULD NOT TRY TO FIX YOUR OWN PINBALL GAME! Before you start any pinball circuit board repair, review the document at http://marvin3m.com/begin, which goes over the basics of circuit board repair. Since these pinball repair documents have been available, repair facilities are reporting a dramatic increase in the number of ruined ("hacked") circuit boards sent in for repair. Most repair facilities will NOT repair your circuit board after it has been unsuccessfully repaired ("hacked").

If you aren't up to repairing pinball circuit boards yourself or need pinball parts or just want to buy a restored game, I recommend seeing the suggested parts & repair sources web page.

Table of Contents

1. Getting Started:
1. Introduction to DataEast/Sega Pinball
2. Experience, Schematics
3. Necessary Tools
4. Parts to Have On-Hand
5. Different Board Generations
6. Game List
7. The Circuit Boards and How They Work
8. Using the Internal Adjustments, Audits & Diagnostics

2. Before Turning the Game On:

1. Check the Coil Resistance
2. Check the Fuses, Fuse Clips
3. General Illumination/Input Power Burnt Connectors
4. Quick and Easy Transistor Testing
5. Relays and Playfield Device Driver Board Problems (Cold/Fatiqued Solder Joints)
6. Power Supply Problems (no or low +5 volts)
7. Should the Game be Left Powered On?

3. When Things Don't Work:

1. Replacing Components
2. Coil & Flashlamp Problems (Checking/Fixing Transistors and Coils)
3. Game Resets (Diodes, Filter Caps, Bridge Rectifiers, Power Supply) and Strange Game Behavior
4. Power-On CPU LEDs and Sound Beeps
5. DataEast's CPU Diagnostic Test EPROM
6. CPU and Display EPROM versions
7. Fixing a Dead Game (CPU)
8. Fixing a Dead CPU Using Leon's Test EPROM
9. Problems with Flippers
10. The Lamp Matrix
11. The Switch Matrix
12. Ball Trough Problems & Optic Switches
13. Score Display Problems
14. Memory Error (Open Coin Door)
15. Sound Problems
16. Miscellaneous Oddities

4. Finishing Up:

1. Rebuilding Flippers
2. Converting a Foreign Game to U.S. Specs

Thanks to...
Special thanks to the many who provided feedback on this document. This includes Joe Blackwell at Stern Pinball's service department. A big thanks to Jerry Clause and Rob Hayes. Special thanks to Prestige Industries (pinball4u.com) for letting me borrow some DE/Sega games for research on this guide. Finally thanks to Phil Palmer at the Pinball Heaven for providing game manuals for this project.