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Pinball Games from 1989 to 1996 by cfh@provide.net (Clay Harrell), 11/08/22. Copyright 2006-2018, all rights reserved. All pictures and text are by Clay Harrell, except where noted.
Scope.
Internet Availability of this Document.
IMPORTANT: Before Starting! 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
Bibliography and Credits.
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1a. Getting Started: Experience, Schematics, Manuals.
Little experience in fixing pinballs is assumed. Basic electrical knowledge is helpful, but not necessary. I do assume you can solder and use the basic features of a Digital Multi-Meter (DMM) such as measuring voltage and resistance. Please see http://marvin3m.com/begin for details on the basic electronics skills and tools needed. This document should help repair a first (or second, or third) pinball.
Schematics and Manuals.
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1b. Getting Started: Necessary Tools
Non-Specialized Tools Required:
Specialized Tools Required: Cleaning "Tools" Required:
1c. Getting Started: Parts to Have On-Hand
Parts to have:
Transistors, diodes, bridge rectifiers and other electronic parts are available from many sources. Please check out the parts and repair sources web page for details. 1d. Getting Started: Game List
Alpha-Numeric with two 20-digit (with commas) blue Futaba displays: Dot Matrix, 132x32 standard dot matrix display:
Legs
Other Notes: Frank Thomas, who's likeness was portrayed on "Big Hurt", was listed as a Gottlieb creditor when Gottlieb went out of business. Apparently Frank never got paid. Shaq on the other hand DID get paid for his game, and was not listed as a creditor!
1e. Getting Started: Gottlib System3 Overview video This 12 minute movie explains the Gottlieb System3 solid state pinball system and it's electronic parts, along with what Gottlieb did differently than Williams/Bally and Dataeast.
1f. Getting Started: The Circuit Boards
Board A-numbers.
Wire Color.
Though most System3 CPU boards are compatible from game to game, be aware that System3 CPU boards Cue Ball Wizard (game# 734) and earlier used a 6116 RAM at U3 (24 pins), and later CPU boards used a 6264 at U3 (28 pins). The newer 26285-1 CPU board increased SRAM from 2k to 8k bytes, and changed the timing logic from the earlier 26285 board. Street Fighter 2 (game# 735) was the first game to use the new 26285-1 CPU board with increased RAM space. If a game is expecting a 26285-1 revision CPU board with a 6264 at U3, and an earlier CPU board with a 6116 RAM is installed, strange problems will occur. For example, the game is "stuck" showing the last four high scores and won't progress any further into attract mode. Also the game won't be able to enter test mode and will not coin up. The easiest way to tell which RAM is installed is to just count the number of pins for chip U3 (24 pins=6116, 28 pins=6264). There is also a pair of jumpers that determines which size RAM is used, and a pair which determines which size EPROM is used:
The CPU board uses a 65C02 processor with a 2mHz clock supplied to U18 to pin 39 and pin 37 of the 65C02 at U1 (crystal at 4mHz). VIA (versatile interface adaptors) 6522AP chips at U4 and U5 are used on the CPU board. The only voltage needed to boot the CPU board is +5 volts DC at connector P1. Here are the connectors used on the CPU board:
Some CPU boards do not have a 24 pin ribbon cable receiver connector installed at P7. This connector is used for a communications adaptor A27, so it is not necessary to run the game. Another connector usually not used on the CPU board is P6, which is for an auxiliary driver board A11. Note the CPU board gets the switch matrix returns, and the driver board gets the switch matrix strobes.
A3 Driver Board.
Gottlieb still used relays in the bottom panel of their system 3 games. All relays used in System3 games are powered by 20 volts (not 50 volts like the other coils). All games have at least two relays controlled by MosFETs Q30 and Q31 on the Driver board, and nearly all have three relays. Sol.31 (Q32) controls the Game Over relay, and Sol.30 (Q31) controls the Tilt relay. Nearly all the games also have an "A" relay which toggles the General Illumination in the backbox. This is controlled by Sol.25 (Q26).
Power is supplied from the transformer panel in the lower cabinet. The wall voltage is selected using Gottlieb-supplied jumper plugs. The jumper plug for 120 volts is ORANGE. This is the plug that should be installed in all North American games. If a 110 volt RED jumper plug is installed, replace it with the orange 120 volt plug. There are three bridge rectifiers which supply: In addition the transformer supplies the following AC voltage (higher voltages listed are for dot matrix games): Gottlieb system 3 games came from the factory jumpered for 110 volts. But they also had a transformer plug that allowed for 120 volt operation. This change should always be made to jumper the game for 120 volts. This keeps the unregulated voltage (such as the General Illumination) lower, for increased bulb life. The regulated voltages (such as 5 volts) should be the same in either jumper setting.
A2 Power Supply and A5 Auxiliary Power Supply. Gottlieb system3 +5 volt DC power supplies did not have an "over voltage" protection circuit. Most power supplies have a 6 volt zener diode, which would automatically shut down the 5 volt power supply if the supplying voltage regulator shorted (and sent more than 6 volts down the 5 volt power rail). But Gottlieb did not do this. Hence if the 5 volt regulator on the power supply shorts (or the 500 ohm pot fails), it can ruin LOTS of chips in the process! The auxiliary power supply A5 is a bit more complicated, and takes 12.6 volts AC directly from the transformer and converts it to +12 and -12 volts DC for the sound board using a LM7912. It also produces +5 volts using a LM340T (7805). This goes thru an op-amp MC3403 (or LM324AN or NTE987). The auxiliary power supply also uses two TDA2040 amplifier chips for the sound amplification (note TDA2030 chips can be used, but don't output as much power).
The A6 sound board has two 65C02 processors, a dual DAC (digital to analog converter), and an import port to receive signals from the CPU board. The sound board requires +5, +12 and -12 volts DC and a power-up reset signal from the CPU board (pressing sound board SW2 will give a manual reset). There are two 27256 EPROMs (the D1 and Y1 PROMs as Gottlieb calls them). This board is responsible for all the music and non-voice sounds. The Auxiliary sound board A20 is the smaller of the two sounds board, and has a YM2151 sound generator and a MSM6295 sound/speech generator. This board gets commands from the CPUs on the A6 sound board. This board has two 27020 or 27040 EPROMs (the A1 and A2 PROMs as Gottlieb calls them). This board is responsible for all the voice tracks. The game will work without this board, but of course there will be no speech.
The dot matrix controller board has its own 65C02 processor and its own EPROM to do the dot matrix animations. The controller talks to the CPU board through a ribbon cable. The dot matrix controller board takes in 58 volts AC and 95 volts AC through two bridge rectifiers on the DMD controller board. This goes through two MJE15030 and a MJE15031 and 1N4759, 1N4758 and 1N4742 diodes and 2N5551 and 2N5401 transistors. Also +5 and +20 volts DC comes into the board. This is a very similar circuit design to what Williams uses on their DMD controller. Output voltage are:
Alpha-Numeric Score Displays.
Mounted under the playfield, a small board is used to sense when the flipper buttons are pressed. The voltage stream is seen by this board, and is converted thru an opto isolator and two 2n3906 transistors. This tells the CPU's switch matrix that the left or right flipper buttons have been pressed.
Gottlieb took a different approach to playfield switch diodes than Bally or Williams. Instead of mounting the playfield switch diodes right on the switch, they preferred to mount them on a separate board. This board was mounted under the playfield, usually near the outhole. Having the diodes on this board meant changing a switch was rather mindless; there's not special wiring (or even a diode) needed to install a new switch, and no wires to mix up. Also cracked diodes from vibration are much rarer when the diodes are separated from the switch. The downside of this approach was if there was a switch diode problem, the user would have to figure out which diode on the switch board applied to the switch in question.
Some games needed additional MosFET driving transistors because the 32 available on the driver board for coils and flash lamps just were not enough. This is done through a small Auxiliary Driver board, which has eight additional 12N10L MosFETs. This board connects directly to the CPU board, and is generally used just to power flash lamps. Not all System3 games use this board.
As with Gottlieb System1 and System80, System3 has a coin door mounted Slam switch. But unlike the earlier systems, the Slam switch is now Normally Open. That means the switch must close to register a "slam" (ending the player's game). This is a much better idea than the System1 and System80 normally closed slam switches.
System3 Flippers. 1g. Getting Started: Connnector Backbox List & Usage Gottlieb solidstate games have had a history of problems. System1 and System80 used primarily card-edge style connectors (combined with battery leakage) that causes all sorts of reliability problems. Fortunately with Gottlieb System3, connector problems are largely a thing of the past. Gottlieb used a new style of connector that has excellent reliability. This is called the Molex "Mini-Fit Jr." 4.2mm (.165") series of connectors. Part numbers for Sockets (Female pins), wire size 18-24 Tin plated Berylium Copper #39-00-0060. Wire size 18-24 Tin plated Brass #39-00-0039. Part numbers for pins (male), wire size 18-24 Tin plated Berylium Copper #39-00-0062. Wire size 18-24 Tin plated Brass #39-00-0041. About the worst I can say about the System3 connectors is their lack of individuality (it's easy to mis-connect them, because they are not keyed very well). Pin removal of these square-pinned connectors is different than other pinball style connectors. There is a specialized tool for this job, contact extractor part# 11-03-0044 (about $20). But I ended up using two Molex card edge pin extraction tool part# 11-03-0016 to remove the square female pins from the connector housing. I'm sure this isn't the best method, but it did work without damaging the terminal pin.
One really nasty problem with Gottlieb System3 games are the backbox connectors. If for some reason someone has removed all the connectors from the circuit boards (for moving the game, etc), it can be an absolute hair puller putting the connectors back where they belong! The problem is many of these connectors are the same exact size and have no "key". So one connector can often plug into two adjacent connectors. Because of this, below are the easily confused connectors for each board *including* wire color. Wire color is the only way to tell one connector from another of the same size. Speaking of wire color, each wire has a white base color with *three* colored stripes. Gottlieb was the only pinball manufacturer to color wires in this manner. In fact Gottlieb had their own machine which fed white wire and put the colors stripes on the wire. All the other manufacturers bought their wire pre-colored. The Gottlieb wire coloring does take a bit of getting used to. WARNING: IF THE BACKBOX CONNECTORS ARE ATTACHED INCORRECTLY, DAMAGE WILL OCCUR TO THE CIRCUIT BOARDS. ALSO DO NOT REMOVE ANY CONNECTORS THAT ATTACH TO THE A8 DOT MATRIX DISPLAY BOARD WHILE THE POWER IS ON (INCLUDING THE DOT MATRIX DISPLAY ITSELF). Failure to heed the above advice will do damage to a Gottlieb System3 boardset.
A1 CPU Control Board Connectors.
A2 Power Supply Connectors.
A3 Driver Board Connectors.
A5 Aux Power Supply Connectors.
A6 Sound Board Connectors.
A8 Dot Matrix Controller Board Connectors.
A20 Aux Sound Board Connectors. Note some backbox wiring have a 2 prong connector that connects to raw 12 volts (as fed to the A2 power supply). This just happens to be the same style connector that is used for the speakers. If this is accidently connected to a speaker connector, it will smoke the TDA2040 (or TDA2030) amplifier chips on the A5 Auxiliary Power Supply, the LM340T (or 7805) 5 volt 1 amp voltage regulator, and the MC3403 (or LM324AN) op-amp chip. To make things worse, the wire colors for the speakers and the 12 volts are very similar:
1h. Getting Started: Fuse Values/Usage
First note is if the game powers up, display shows the software revision, then gives a ball missing warning, then shows zeros and 'game over' in the display, then is completely dead. No lamps, no display messages, no switch inputs have any affect (like the test switch). All the LEDs on the boards are flashing as they should be. Excellent chance the entire problem is the CPU controlled light fuse, which also powers the switch matrix too. If this fuse blows, and blows right away once you install new fuse, then the bridge rectifier connected to that fuse is shorted.
Power Box Fuses (has two AC plugs):
A12 Transformer Module Fuses:
The playfield fuses vary from game to game. But here are the values generally used under the playfield.
1i. Getting Started: System3 Ground Issues & Fixes In the tradition of all Gottlieb solidstate games, System3 has ground problems too (not unlike Gottlieb's System1 and System80 pinballs). Gottlieb never seemed to get grounding issues solved with any of their solidstate systems. The big problem with Gottlieb was their refusal to use a metal ground plate to attach all their circuit boards (like Williams and Bally and Stern used). Instead they insisted on using nylon circuit board attachment points and used connectors to carry the ground path. The problem with this is connectors can gain resistance, making ground levels "float" above zero volts. This can cause all sorts of problems. In the case of Gottlieb System3, all the grounds meet at the A18 transformer ground assembly. There is a small circuit board attached to the side of the A12 metal transformer frame which connects all grounds together. The problem is these connectors can crack at the solder point on the A18 ground board. This of course means the ground path is not reliable and can "float". There are two solutions to this problem. The one John Robertson likes is to cut off the factory ground connectors which mate to the A18 ground circuit board. Instead he crimps large connectors to these wires and bolts them directly to the A12 transformer frame. Personally I am not a huge fan of this method. I take a slightly different approach.
1j. Getting Started: LED Flash Codes for the Circuit Boards
Most boards in the backbox of a Gottlieb System3 game have a diagnostic LED. If a system3 game boots correctly, here is what each board's LED does.
A1 CPU Control Board LED.
A8 Dot Matrix Controller Board LED.
A6 Sound Board and A20 Auxiliary Sound Board LEDs.
A3 Driver Board, A1 Power Supply, A5 Auxuliary Power Supply.
Sound Board Dual "Screech" Sound at Boot-Up.
Booting a CPU board "On the Bench". If you would like to get fancy, the next board needed is the dot matrix controller board. With this board connected to the CPU board via a ribbon cable at A1P3 to A8P3, the dot matrix controller board can be booted too with these input power sources:
U8 DMD Controller GAL Chip. The GAL U8 chip fails for one primary reason; If any plug going to the Dot Matrix Controller board is removed or installed while the game is powered on, the U8 GAL chip can fail. This means plugging in the dot matrix score display while the game is on can make the U8 GAL fail. Fortunately the U8 GAL chip is available from a variety of sources such as Pinball Resource and Great Plains Electronics. The chip is not cheap though.
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2a. Power Supply Problems.
Wall Voltage Selection Plug.
Bad Fuse Holders.
All Gottlieb System3 games have a front door interlock switch. This switch gets closed automatically when ever the coin door is closed, allowing the game to turn on. To operate the game with the coin door open requires pulling out the interlock switch lever. Also this switch connects to the power box inside the lower cabinet. If the interlock A12J6 connector is removed from the power box, the game will not turn on because the 120 volts is cut.
The Power Grid. In addition the transformer supplies the following AC voltage: The power supply is a simple design. It takes raw 12 volts DC from the bottom panel bridge rectifier and a 10,000 mfd filter cap, and outputs +5 volts DC regulated. This is adjustable via a 500 ohm trim pot at R3. A voltage regulator LM338 (the large heat sink device) is the 5 volt workhorse. Also unregulated 12 volts DC is "turned around" at the power supply, but there is no circuit control mechanisms for this voltage. The auxiliary power supply is a bit more complicated, and takes 12.6 volts AC directly from the transformer and converts it to +12 and -12 volts DC for the sound board. It also uses +5 volts.
Next to the transformer in the lower cabinet are three bridge rectifiers, which convert AC transformer voltage to DC. This is not unlike Gottlieb System1 and System80 games. One bridge is for the 48 volt solenoid voltage. Another bridge for the CPU controlled lamp matrix power, and another bridge which is for the +5 and +12 volts which powers the logic boards. Again like System1 and System80, there are two filter capacitors next to the bridge. The large 33,000 mfd filter cap is for the 20 volt CPU controlled lamp matrix power. The smaller 10,000 mfd capacitor is for filtering the 12 volt (and ultimately the 5 volt) power.
The biggest problem with Gottlieb system3 power supplies is the 500 ohm trim pot at R3 on the 5 volt power supply. This trim pot is junk, and often shorts or goes open, causing 5 volt problems. It can short sending way more than 5.2 volts down the 5 volt buss, stressing all the logic chips. Or it cannot allow even the minimum of 4.9 volts needed to run the system. I have seen System3 games that worked fine for five minutes, then reset. This was caused by a bad R3 power supply pot which allowed the +5 volts to vary. My suggestion is to REPLACE this trim pot with a new high quality 500 ohm version.
Gottlieb system3 +5 volt DC power supplies did not have an "over voltage" protection circuit. Most power supplies have a 6 volt zener diode, which would automatically shut down the 5 volt power supply if the supplying voltage regulator shorted (and sent more than 6 volts down the 5 volt power rail). But Gottlieb did not do this on their System80b or System3 power supply (interestingly, System80A and prior did have 5 volt overload protection). Hence if the 5 volt regulator on the power supply shorts, it can ruin LOTS of chips in the process! A solution to this is to replace the Gottlieb linear power supply with a standard switching 5 volt power supply. The best source of these is the switching power supplies used for Jamma video games or even computer power supplies. These switching power supplies vary the voltage on frequency. So if there is a power surge, the switching power supply automatically shuts down, preventing any components down-stream from damage. Since the System3 power supply only supplies +5 volts, using a switching power supply is easy to implement. The only thing that must be remembered is that 12 volts comes to the Gottlieb system3 power supply, and "turns around" and goes back out (there is no manipulation of the 12 volt power). So after the 5 volt lines are connected to the new switching power supply, all the 12 volt wires that come into the original system3 power supply must be tied together:
2b. CPU Board Problems (Resets, Game boots with garbage on the display, etc.)
The driver board and sound boards do not need to be connected for the CPU board to boot. However, the dot matrix display board does need to be connected (assuming you're working on a DMD system3 game.) Remember only connect/disconnect any board in a system3 game with the power off. (Doing so with the power on can cause the U8 GAL chip on the display driver board to fail.)
CPU Game EPROM.
Check for Proper +5 volts at the CPU board. Another interesting note is sometimes upon power on, the CPU board won't boot. Instead it will make strange squawking noices. If you've measured the +5 volts at the CPU board and found it to be in the 4.95 to 5.15 volt range, try a small test. While the game is on and squawking, change the +5 volt adjustment pot on the power supply (in either direction.) If the game now stops squawking and boots, measure the +5 volts. If it is in the 4.95 to 5.15 volt DC range, then leave it at that adjustment. If you have to repeat this procedure in the future to get the game to boot, suspect a problem on the CPU board with chip U11 and the two 1 mfd capacitor to the right and left of that chip at C20 and C21. Also check resistors R5 and R6 (originally 330k ohms, but was changed to to 680k in later CPU boards to be less sensitive to the watchdog circuit.) As a bit of history to this for example, on Cue Ball Wizard R5/R6 were 330k resistors and a 6116 RAM was at U3. By Wipeout resistors still R5/R6 were 330k but U3 RAM was a 6264. Then by Stargate R5/R6 changed to 680k ohms (and of course U3 was 6264 RAM.) But the base CPU board is the same with the only difference being these components.
Improper RAM Chip size at U3.
Note having the larger 6264 RAM will work fine with older games too.
Constant "beep beep beep.."
Boot up Garbage on the Display.
First thing to try is to reseat all the ribbon cables that go between the boards in the backbox. These have gold plated pins on the circuit boards, and the connectors themselves are usually not gold plated. The dis-similiar metals require a cleaning by reinsertion. These ribbon connectors are rated at 100 cycles (insertion/removals), so this is an acceptable way to 'clean' the ribbon connectors (note this is not acceptable on .156" and .092" Molex connectors). In regards to ribbon cables, often the problem can be the ribbon cable that goes between the driver board and CPU board. If this cable is bad (this is fairly common), garbage on the display can be the result. Another idea is to boot up, and dial up the +5 volt pot on the power supply to like 5.3 volts. Then dial the voltage back down to about 5.0 volts. Sometimes this will "wake up" a CPU board. Note if this works, often the problem is a failing U11 chip (74HC123an) or bad caps at C20/C21 (1 mfd). Additionally new CPU software (often available for certain system3 games) can fix this problem. Finally check resistors R5 and R6 (originally 330k ohms, but was changed to to 680k in later CPU boards to be less sensitive to the watchdog circuit.) You can also remove all the cables (ribbon and otherwise) going to the DMD controller and the ribbon cables going to the CPU board. Power up and check the CPU board's LED - it should be flashing at a consistent rate. If it does, something going to the CPU board is a problem (often the DMD controller board.)
Video on Gottlieb System3 Boot up Garage (Stargate).
Another video on Gottlieb System3 Boot up Garage (Stargate) and score display issues.
Game Firmware Updates. Another solution to the "garbage" problem is to install a .1 mfd 50 volt non-polarized ceramic capacitor from U1 pin 40 (reset) on the CPU (A1) board to ground. If you are paranoid about soldering on the CPU board, the reset is also connected to connector P7 pin 1 (unused, for serial printer adapter) on the upper right side of the board. P7 pin 23 is a ground. So female .093" Molex connector pins can be soldered directly to the legs of the .1 mfd cap, with heat shrink tubing on the exposed cap leads. Then this cap connector can be plugged directly into P7 pin 1 and pin 23 (top row-first and last pins). Leave the leads long enough to bend the body of the cap over the top of the connector so it would be out of harm's way. The problem with the capacitor solution is this is not really fixing the problem. It is enabling the WDOG (Watch Dog) inhibit circuit (A1P1). A better approach is to find the actual fault. Also sometimes the capacitor will not solve the power-on garbage problem, but sometimes it will. It can work flawlessly, or it can work intermittently with this modification.
U8 Dot Matrix Controller GAL Chip. The GAL U8 chip fails for one primary reason; If any plug going to the Dot Matrix Controller board is removed or installed while the game is powered on, the U8 GAL chip can fail. This means plugging in the dot matrix score display while the game is on can make the U8 GAL fail. Fortunately the U8 GAL chip is available from a variety of sources such as Pinball Resource and Great Plains Electronics. The chip is not cheap though.
There was a bad run of memories on games near Shaq Attack. If the game resets over and over in two second intervals when powered on, replace the memory (6264) at U3 on the CPU board, EVEN IF IT PASSES THE CHECKSUM TEST. Another problem with constant game reboots is the CPU board chip U11 (74HC123), located at the top left corner of the CPU board. And the two 1mfd capacitors on either side of U11. At one time Gottlieb changed something in the software to accommodate reboots from happening, but this chip is another reboot problem. It is important to use a 74HC123 and not a 74LS123. Also sometimes it's a good idea to try updating the EPROM to the newest revision. It's a good idea to replace those two 1mfd caps too. Often this will fix the reboot problem too.
2c. Replacing the CPU Battery (Low Battery/BAD Ux errors).
Constant "beep beep beep.."
If the round flat 3.2 volt battery on the CPU board dies, the game will not boot past a message on the score displays stating, "Control board error, Low battery or Bad U3 or U6". Most often the problem is simply a dead battery.
The key here on the Dallas chip is also proper current. The battery could be at 3.2 volts, but the game can still display the "Low Battery" error message. This is because the Dallas chip has determined that the battery cannot supply enough current to maintain the RAM contents, regardless of the voltage level. This was found to be the case because we had a System3 board booting with a U6 battery low error message, yet the battery measured at 3 volts (which should be plenty of voltage for the RAM). However the current was apparently too low, since replacing the battery with a new one fixed the problem and the game boot properly. Though this battery (a Lithum CR2430, 3.2 volts at 270 mAh, 24mm x 3mm) is easily bought at Radio Shack, the original is soldered to the CPU board. (Lately I've been using CR2032 batteries and sockets instead, as they are far more common and less expensive, sort of the watch battery generic king.) In either case, these coin batteries generally are not a solder-in type. Hence the best approach is to get a solder-in socket for this battery, so in the future the battery can be easily replaced (don't try and solder leads to a CR2430 or CR2032 battery - the battery can explode!)
Note there is a video about battery replacement and bootup garage in this document here. The "+" hole can be used for the socket's positive leg. But the negative socket leg will need to be soldered directly to the ground trace of the CPU board below the battery (see the picture below). The 24mm CR2430 3.2 volt lithium battery is available from Mouser.com part# 639-cr2430. The solder-in 24mm socket for the CR2430 battery is available from Mouser.com part# 614-hu2430-1.
It's not completely obvious, but yes. Once the game is turned on and the low battery message is received, press the reset button on the CPU board. The game should now boot normally and play.
Battery Voltage is 3 Volts but Game Still Reports "Battery Low".
Using a Remote Mounted "AA" Battery Holder.
It should be noted that I have worked on a System3 game where using a AA battery pack would *not* work. That is, the CPU board would not boot with a AA battery pack, but worked fine with a replacement CR2430 watch battery. This particular case was on a Cactus Jack (with the older style RAM). The CPU board just refused to come to life with the AA battery pack. Yet the CR2032 or CR2430 battery worked perfectly. Just something to keep in mind when working on a System3 game.
Battery Corrosion.
After battery replacement, it's a good idea to start memory with a clean slate and reload the factory settings. Otherwise you can get some pretty strange message, as seen in the picture below.
2d. General Illumination Problems. Unfortunately it appears that Gottlieb was using organic flux when they were building the system 3 machines. The problem with this flux is it can be conductive (this info came from an ex-Gottlieb designer). For example when Stargate came out there were reports that 1/3 of all machines that out of the box had some kind of light problem. After locating the socket that was causing the problem it could be easily moved around and cracking type of noise heard, indicating a short of some kind. Fortunately most system3 games were fixed when the games were new by their owners. But some have reported about two or three a year showing up with that ONE faulty lamp socket. Often the easiest way to diagnose which socket is shorting is to unsoldering groups of bulbs, using a system of elimination. That is, start at the end of the GI string, disconnect several bulbs, see if the short still exists. If so, disconnect more bulbs at the GI string's end, until the short no longer occurs. When doing this, best to use a circuit breaker fuse replacement, or you'll potentially spend a lot of money on GI fuses.
No Playfield General Illumination.
No Backbox General Illumination. 2e. Setting Free Play.
Here are the steps to setting a Gottlieb System 3 game to freeplay:
2f. Built-in Diagnostics and Audits. Inside the coin door is a small A26 diagnostic board with the game's sound volume control, a tournament toggle switch, and a yellow push button switch. The push switch is what puts the game into audit/adjustments/diagnostics mode. Pressing this switch three times will put the game into diagnostic self-test mode. Pressing the yellow Test button will advance from each of the nine self-test modes.
2g. Locked-on or Not Working Coils (Driver board) and MosFET Testing/Replacement.
Semi-Working Slingshot Coils. With System3 Gottlieb made the slingshots CPU controlled. This is just like Bally always had, and Williams had from System11b (1987) and newer. But the interesting thing about Gottlieb is this: they programmed the slingshots so more than a few repeative hits within a short time frame, and the CPU would completely disable the slings! This was really strange to me, because often I will have the top glass off and be testing all the game's coils with a pinball in my hand. I'll put the ball in front of the slingshot rubber to make sure it works, hitting it quickly and several times to see the coil fire. It works a couple hits, then stops working. Points still score for the slings, but no coil kick. If I turned the game off and back on, the slingshots would again work fine until they kicked several times in a short time span, at which time they would no longer kick. At first this really confused me. Why would the slingshots work "part time"? But after thinking about it, I realized this was done on purpose by Gottlieb. The software for the game was written this way. Gottlieb figured if a slingshot was firing many times in short time span, the slingshot rubber switch was probably stuck or adjusted too close. So the CPU would disable the coil. This prevents the slingshot from "machine gunning" itself to death. "Machine gunning" is where the slingshot switch is adjusted too close, so after the slingshot kicks, the backward rebound force of the rubber closes the slingshot switch again, re-energizing the coil. This happens over and over causing the coil to give a "machine gun" affect (very common on Williams and Bally games). Eventually this will cook the circuit that drives the coil, and lock the coil, burning it. So Gottlieb wrote into their system code a safety feature that disables the slingshot coil if it thinks the coil is firing too much in a short span of time. Because in real game play, rarely are there repeative slingshot fires in a short time span (pop bumpers yes, slingshots no). Just keep this in mind when working with Gottlieb System3 slingshots. What you might think is a slingshot problem, really is not a problem.
Under Playfield Capacitor board.
Locked On Coils. Remember there is always power at the coils and flash lamps at all times when the game is turned on. This can easily be tested using a multimeter (DMM) set to DC volts. Put the black lead on ground (metal case or side rails of the game), and the red lead on any lug of a suspected coil. For coils 50 to 60 volts DC should be seen at all coil lugs, and 12 to 20 volts DC seen at the flash lamps. If no voltage is seen, suspect a bad fuse. Or possibly a broken "daisy chain" up-stream (power links from coil to coil). If power is seen at only one lug, then the coil or flash lamp itself is bad. The job of the MosFET on the driver board is to momentarily turn on the ground path to any particular coil or flash lamp, when the CPU board dictates. If a coil or flash lamp is stuck-on this often mean its associated MosFET is shorted internally and is leaving the ground path "on". A coil that never turns on (assuming there is power at the coil) often means a MosFET is "open" internally and cannot turn on. The tests below should help identify any MosFETs with these problems.
Standard Testing Protocol.
The above procedure tests the device in question from the driver board to the device. It does not test the MosFET however (how to do that is shown below). Note this testing procedure also applies to the devices driven by the Auxiliary Driver board (the small eight MosFET board used for additional game flash lamps).
Testing Solenoid Driver 12N10L or IRL530 MosFETs. If I have the driver board out of a game, it only takes a moment to test a MosFET with a DMM. If I get any suspect readings, I replace the part. It saves work down the road. Here is the testing procedure for the 12N10L/IRL530 MosFETs used for Solenoid/Flashlamps and Lamp Matrix return lines (Q1-Q32 and Q45-Q52). These are also used on the Auxiliary Driver Board.
The 12N10L (or IRL530) MosFETS were used to drive solenoids/flashers (Q1-Q32) and the Lamp Matrix Return lines (Q45-Q52), and also on the Auxiliary Driver board (if your game has one). They can be easily replaced with the more robust 20N10L or 22NE10L or IRL540 MosFETs. The key to any MosFET replacement is the "L" in the part number. This implies the device can be driven by Logic (TTL) circuits (denotes logic level switching), which is required for the Gottlieb System3 driver board. For example IRF530 MosFETs can *not* be used instead of IRL530. The IRF Mosfet has a higher Vgs threshold voltage, where the IRF's Vgs voltage is higher than the guaranteed output high voltage of a typical logic gate. The IRF needs a higher gate voltage to turn it on, so IRF parts won't work in Gottlieb System3 pinballs. The IRL MosFETs are absolutely required. For Gottlieb System3, the IRL540, 20N10L or 22NE10L are the best replacements, as they have higher drain current capabilities.
The "IR" in the above part numbers means International Rectifier company. The "L" after the "IR" means logic level drive. International Rectifier had their own MOSfet numbering system like the IRL530 and IRL540. The generic part number are 12N10L and 20N10L. The first pair of numbers refers to the current rating. In the case of a 20N10L, it is rated at a maximum drain current of 20 amps. The N indicates an "N channel" FET. Some FETs are of opposite polarity and known as "P channel" FETs (like the 12P06/IRF9530 used for the Lamp Matrix). The final two numbers indicate the voltage rating, where "10" means 100 volts. The "L" suffix indicates that a logic level can be used to turn the FET on. Note you cannot substitute an IRF Mosfet for an IRL Mosfet. The IRF Mosfet has a higher threshold voltage (Vgs.) The IRF's Vgs voltage is higher than the guaranteed output high voltage of a typical logic gate - it is intended to have a higher gate voltage to turn it on. The IRL (L = Logic Level Gate Voltage) is designed to turn on the MOSfet using the output high (5 volts) of a typical logic gate. Note that MosFETs should be handled as a static sensitive part. This is unlike the TIP Darlingtons used on Bally/Williams games which love to roll around in the bottom of your tool box.
12N10L/IRL530 versus BUZ72L MosFETs.
2h. Locked-on or Not Working CPU controlled Lights.
Because the Lamp Matrix and the Switch Matrix share the same twelve strobe lines, a shorted lamp socket can cause havoc with the Switch matrix. Also the organic flux used on Gottlieb lamp sockets can cause lamp shorts, which in turn can cause strange and mysterious switch matrix problems. Someone once told me about a System3 Stargate game that would automatically add credits to the game every few minutes. It turned out to be a shorted lamp socket (due to organic flux) which caused a short in the switch matrix.
Activating all Lamps in a Lamp Return Line (column).
Testing the Lamp Matrix Return Line 12N10L or IRL530 MosFETs.
Testing Lamp/Switch Matrix Strobe Line 12P06 or IRF9530 MosFETs.
Gottlieb fortunately did not go down the evil path that Bally/Williams did by using 555 lamps. The 555 lamps are notorious for bad connectivity. The #44/47 lamps and sockets that Gottlieb used on System3 games were much more reliable.
2i. Switch Problems and the Switch Matrix.
Shared Strobe between Lamp and Switch Matrix. Therefore if you're having strange switch matrix issues, it's always best to remove connector A3J4 from the driver board, and re-check the switch issues. Removing connector A3J4 disconnects the lamp matrix, so on the playfield it can't influence the switch matrix.
Multiple Switch Closures & Strange Switch Behavior. Answer: One thing to double check if there is a problem in the lamp matrix. Go through the individual lamp self-test and make sure you don't have two lights turning on at the same time. Or perhaps a dim light in the lamp matrix (this can sometimes be due to just a bad light socket). But a shorted transistor in the lamp matrix or a bad socket can cause switch matrix problems like this. Unfortunately removing driver board connector A3P4 (lamp matrix return lines) won't help, because the problem is on the shared strobe lines. If A3P3 (strobes) is removed, neither the lamp matrix or the switch matrix will work, so this doesn't help either. Someone once told me about a System3 Stargate game that would automatically add credits to the game every few minutes. It turned out to be a shorted lamp socket (due to organic flux which was semi-conductive) causing a short in the lamp & switch matrix. An easy way to test for random switch closures is to put the game in switch self-test. After the initial report of "inoperative" switches, the game should display an "all switches open" message (it's a good idea to remove the balls from the game to maximize the number of open switches). Now walk away from the game, and come back in 15 minutes. If there were any random switch self-closures, it will display on the dot matrix display (the last closed switch description and number will stay on the display). If this happens, note the switch number, and investigate all the switches and lamps in that strobe and return lines. In particular look for lamp sockets with large amounts of flux on the solder points.
The Gottlieb system3 switch matrix has 12 strobes (rows) and 8 columns, for a total of 96 potential switches. The thing to remember is these 12 switch matrix strobes (rows) are also the same 12 lamp matrix strobes (rows). I know, I said that already. But it's worth repeating. A problem often seen on the system3 switch matrix is a complete row (strobe) of 8 switches not working. The first impulse is to check the driver board A3P3 connector at the upper left hand corner, where the switch strobe wires come to the driver board. These connect to a 12P06 mosFet transistor, which is easily tested with a DMM set to the diode function (.5 and 1.1 volts should be seen with the black lead on the center mosFet leg). But chances are good this is not the problem. A further test of the driver board can be conducted by putting the game into switch matrix test. Then remove the upper left corner A3P3 connector. Using an alligator test lead connected to the strobe pin in question, touch the other end of the alligator lead to any pin of the switch matrix column A3P5 connector at the lower left corner of the driver board. This should show a switch closure in the switch matrix test. This will prove if the driver board is at fault or not. In one game I worked on, the coin switches, start button, front door, and tournament buttons did not work. These are all in strobe0 (row0) of the switch matrix. The driver board Q33 mosFet tested fine too. This was a 400 color (yellow,black,black) wire. Even though it only services switches in the front door area of the game, the y/bk/bk wire went to the playfield. This is because the wire then goes to 8 lamps in the lamp matrix, all using strobe0. Now the wire daisy chains from the lamps to a small 2"x2" circuit board mounted under the playfield. This board contains all the 1N4148 (or 1N914) diodes for the switches. And the strobe0 line goes through a 220 ohm resistor mounted on this board. Finally the wire changes color (to grn/grn/grn for strobe0 in this example), and then goes out of the playfield, and to the coin door area (in this case). The reason why none of the eight Strobe0 switches worked was because the small 1/4 watt 220 ohm switch matrix resistor mounted on the small 2"x2" diode board had burned up. Replacing the resistor fixed the switch matrix problem, and the game worked. This is probably the extent to which you will have switch matrix problems on a Gottlieb system3 game.
Smart Switches (Piezo Film Sensor). There are some Smart Switch differences. The green pcb SS is for stand-up targets and rollovers. The blue pcb SS is for the pop bumpers only. They operate in inverse. The green pcb switch operates on return of the piezo film. The blue operates on initial flex of the piezo film. This was done to get the proper action from the pop bumpers. You can interchange them but it's not a good idea. For example, the pop bumper blue version causes short kicks when used in a kickback lane, as the plunger is extended too soon. Though the Smart Switch is a cute idea, I am not entirely sold on it. To me it is a bit like engineering for engineering sake. Luckily though, Smart Switches are downward compatible to regular switches. So if a Smart Switch fails, it can be replaced with a normal blade or micro-switch (without a diode, as all Gottlieb switch diodes are remotely mounted on an under-playfield mounted diode board). Sometimes there are questions on the Gottlieb Smart Switch as to what is pin 1 (strobe) and pin 2 (return). Hold the switch with the green pcb facing you (the side of the pcb with no components). If you have the switches that use the connector, the lock tab will be on the right. The lock tab side is the return side (pin 2), and there should be two wires in that connector hole. If you have no connector the right side is still the return side (pin 2). There is also a rib on the pin 1 side of the plastic connector and plug with a little "1" on the back of the plug on the tab that extends outward opposite the locking lever, denoting pin 1.
2j. Opto Switches. One issue with System 3 games are the optos, as they can have cold solder joints. Reflowing a little solder on both points of both optos will fix most problems.
2k. Lamp Matrix Problems.
LEDs usage in CPU controlled lights. But there is one thing that should be noted. Most bayonette style LEDs are polarized. It is assumed that the tip is positive, and the base is negative. Unfortunately, during the assembly of system3 CPU controlled light boards, this polarity isn't always followed. Hence you may install a LED light into a system3 light board, and find it does not work. Most less expensive LEDs don't have a mini bridge rectifier installed inside the bulb housing. If it is a more expensive LED, often they do have a tiny bridge rectifier. If there is a bridge, then the LED will work fine, regardless of the polarity.
2L. Score Display Problems.
WARNING: Do not remove the power plug to the Dot Matrix Display
(or any plug on the A8 dot matrix controller board)
while a System3 game is turned on!
Missing 64 Volts.
To rebuild the high voltage DMD voltage circuit on the DMD controller board, replace the following:
On the dot matrix controller board there is a custom programmed GAL chip at U8. This is a common failure point for the DMD controller board. If the game turns on and has garbage on the DMD, often the U8 GAL chip is bad. Also if the DMD controller board LED stays on and does not flash continually, this is another indication the U8 GAL chip is bad. The CPU board "talks" to the Dot Matrix Controller board, and if this U8 GAL switch is bad, the CPU board will not boot-up correctly. The GAL U8 chip fails for one primary reason; If any plug going to the Dot Matrix Controller board is removed or installed while the game is powered on, the U8 GAL chip can fail. This means plugging in the dot matrix score display while the game is on can make the U8 GAL fail. Fortunately the U8 GAL chip is available from a variety of sources such as Pinball Resource or Great Plains Electronics. The chip is not cheap though.
Because Gottlieb system3 runs the High Voltage (HV) DMD power at lower levels than Williams/Bally, an outgassed DMD display will be worse on a System3 game. Often a DMD score display will work fine in a Williams or Bally dot matrix game, but will look terrible (or not work at all) in a Gottlieb System3 pinball game.
Gottlieb Alpha-Numeric Latched Driver Problems. If you try to play the game it most likely will have strange behavior and even reset during play. Display board U9 may be hot to the touch. This is even with F5 blown. The reason for this is U9 is a dual voltage part. With F5 blown the 47vdc is not present, but the +5 volts is. The common failure mode of this device is a short internally between pin 1 (Vbb) and pin 14 (Ground). This creates excessive current draw to the four diode bridge CR1-CR4 on the display board. The reason this problem plays havoc with the game is this. With this chip shorted internally, the +5 vdc can be affected and draw more current. This is why the chip can be very warm to the touch. Since the power supply is not self-adjusting, the +5vdc will drop, depending on the amount of current through U9 to ground, causing CPU resets due to low 5 volts. This happens especially during a power increase from coils operating.
Unstable Animations and Light Gray DMD areas.
2m. Sound Problems. If either both Auxiliary sound power fuses F10 and F11 are blown, no sound will work in the game. If only one Auxiliary sound power fuse is blown, usually the sound will still work (just not as loud). Auxiliary Power Supply holds the sound amplifiers (TDA2040, but can be replaced with the less powerful TDA2030). Also the op-amp MC3403 (or LM324AN or NTE987) can be blown, along with the LM340T (or 7805) +5 voltage regulator. If the game boots with the "dual tone squelch" than the sound boards are working. The CPU board's A1P4 connector must be in place or the CPU board cannot talk to the Sound board. If this conector is removed, the sound board won't boot properly and there will be no sound. If there excess hum or static noise (but otherwise the sound board works fine), check the 7809ct voltage regulator on the Auxiliary sound power board. If these fail, the sound produced can be less than desirable.
System3 Sound Screech.
2n. Flipper Rebuilds Flippers on Gottlieb system3 utilize the thinner white flipper bats (opposed to the "fat boy" flipper bats of the system80 and prior 3" flipper era.) These aren't necessarily a bad thing, it's just a bat that looks more like Williams and Dataeast bats. I guess Gottlieb felt they needed to fall in line with the other makers on the look of the bats. But what did change is the design of the flippers. Where system80 flipper mechs were essentially indestructible, system3 flipper mechs aren't so much that way. Prior to Mario Brothers Mushroom World (MBMW), the silver flipper mech base plate had problems with breakage. With MBMW, Gottlieb changed to a more robust welded black flipper plate. The coil stop screws were changed from #8 to #10 screws too (like Williams), so the old system3 silver coil stop part number a-25958 should only mate with the older silver system3 base plates. The new system3 black coil stops, which was drilled for three #10 screws is part number a-29154, and is the coil stop that should be utilized if given a choice. Note the color matching here, where black flipper parts mate with black flipper plates. This was done to make parts ordering easier for the operator. And the new black coil stop with the larger screw holes helped give the system3 flipper mechs a far more robust lifespan.
Coil Stops.
I've had Steve Young at Pinball Resource make custom system3 coil stops for me (black coil stop frame, system1 coil stop slug). But frankly Steve does not really want to do this. To make everyone's life easier, Steve suggests using a Gottlieb system1 coil stop (part number a-17908), and drill out the mounting holes for #10 screws. This seems to be the compromise needed. Don't forget after installing the new coil stops with the increased slug size/less flipper travel, that the flipper EOS switch will need to be re-adjusted. If you don't do this, chances are the EOS switch won't open to its required 1/8" gap, and the flipper fuse will blow (or worse, the flipper coil will melt.)
Flipper Coils.
2o. Misc. Problems and Fixes
Problem: Strange speaker noise, constant hum.
Gottlieb Rubber Sizes.
Quesion: Why do Gottlieb System3 games use #67 flasher bulbs instead of #89?
Question: Any information on fixing the Helicopter in Rescue 911?
* Go to the Pin Fix-It Index * Go to Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum at http://marvin3m.com |