July 2014 - Slot Tech

Slot Tech Magazine Editorial
Page 3-Editorial
Page 4-IGT S2000 Display’s NETPLEX Link is
Down
Page 11-Slot Tech Training at Ft. Hall Casino
Page 12-TechFest 30 Review
Page 18-Subscriptions and Back Issues
D
ear Friends of Slot Tech Magazine,
This month’s Slot Tech Magazine is more of a travelog than technology report. May was a busy month
for me. I took a couple of weeks to explore Nevada,
Utah and Idaho on my trip from San Diego, California (my home base) to Ft. Hall Casino up near
Pocatello, Idaho.
The next thing I knew, I was off to Mystic Lake
Casino for TechFest 30. I sort of apologize (but not
really) for not putting a snazzy slot machine on the
cover but I wanted to convey how interesting and
fun it was to have so much “hands-on” at this year’s
event. Ceronix’s head technician, Jillian Haynes,
did a wonderful job providing everyone at TechFest
30 with something to work on during the morning
session of day three.
So, thanks to everyone who presented at TechFest
30 (we had 12 presenters in all) and thanks to
everyone who attended. The class picture is on page
12. See you at the
casino!
Randy Fromm
Randy Fromm's
Slot Tech Magazine
Editor
Randy Fromm
Technical Writers
Jason Czito, Vic
Fortenbach, Henry Kollar,
Chuck Lentine, Kevin
Noble, Pat Porath
Slot Tech Magazine is published
monthly by
Slot Tech Magazine
401 W. Lexington #777
El Cajon, CA 92022
tel.619.838.7111 fax.619.315.0410
e-mail editor@slot-techs.com
Visit the website at slot-techs.com
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Copyright 2015 under the Universal
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Technical Department at slot-tech.com
Slot Tech Feature Article
IGT S2000 Display’s
NETPLEX Link is Down
By Chuck Lentine
and all of the information
for test and setup modes-if
it works correctly.
T
his article is going to
dive a little deeper
into this symptom
which shows up at least
once a week in our casino.
If you are fortunate to have
the IGT S2000 in yours, go
get your favorite beverage
now and come right back
for some fun.
This symptom shows up
just after the machine has
been powered down for a
few seconds. That’s all it
takes. Especially true after
you move the game or have
to reboot it for any reason
and your game is a few
years old, this is a rite of
passage. We will look at
some easy common fixes
and a few that will make
you say a few choice words
to the machine.
On a correctly operating
machine, when the power
is turned on, the VFD display reads “Display’s
NETPLEX link is down” for
about five seconds and then
changes to “Testing
memory, please wait” on
the older machines and
“Testing FLASH, please
wait” on the newer conversions. After about a minute,
the reels spin and the
machine goes into game
over mode (in a perfect
world).
While there are many articles on the IGT Netplex,
I’m going to dive into some
really oddball issues that
only seem to find me. This
is to help all of the slot
techs on what to look for
and not waste hours taking
apart a machine. Netplex is
simply a two-way communications protocol the CPU
uses to talk to devices installed in a machine such
as a printer, BV, and VFD.
If there is a break in the
line, half of the devices may
work and the others play
dead like the way Christmas lights work. One lamp
goes out and everything
“downstream” goes out.
Netplex is happy in its own
little world and does not
play nice when things
break or get grounded out.
Fortunately, IGT has wired
Netplex in “branches”
throughout the machine. It
starts with four connectors
on the backplane that go to
various sections such as
On the main door of an
S2000, there is a small
display known as a VFD
(Vacuum Florescent Display). It shows the machine
status, coins in, coins won,
credits, denom, doors open,
Page 4
Slot Tech Magazine
June 2015
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June 2015
Slot Tech Magazine
Page 5
main cabinet and top box.
We will get into this further
in the article.
Before we get onto troubleshooting “Netplex Down”,
observe the machine for a
few minutes. When you
turn it on, let two minutes
go by and see what else
happens. Does the machine
just sit there or do the reels
spin and BV resets but still
says “Netplex down?”
When you turn on the
machine and you have
“Netplex down” for more
than a five minutes, the
first thing is to replace or
repair the main power
supply behind the reels.
This is very common. The
power supply has no, low,
or noisy voltage going to the
CPU and it is locked up.
Electrolytic capacitor failure
is usually the cause of this.
Replace all of the caps in
the power supply.
Editor’s Note: Mr. Lentine’s
not kidding here when he
says ALL of the electrolytic
capacitors are bad and
should be replaced. As
featured WAY BACK in the
March ’09 issue of Slot
Tech Magazine (available
online at http://slottechs.com/magazine/
backissues.htm ) this
specific power supply
failure has less to do with
bad output filter capacitors
and/or “dirty DC” than it
does failure of the “zerocrossing” output of the
power supply. This output
has nothing at all to do
with either the +13 VDC or
Page 6
the +25 VDC outputs of the
power supply. This is the
pin 7 output that, under
normal circumstances, is a
60 Hz square wave. Known
as the “zero-crossing
detector,” Its purpose in life
is to tell the slot machine’s
CPU that the AC power is
up and running. As the
name implies, the zerocrossing detector looks at
the AC Line and, if the
power drops out for some
reason, tells the slot
machine that the power is
gone and it should do some
quick bookkeeping and
quickly shut down in an
orderly fashion, writing
important data to EEPROM
(“e-square”) memory. The
REAL fix is to replace
capacitor C50. It’s a 100uf
filter capacitor for the
internal +5VDC power
supply that powers the
zero-crossing circuitry
itself.-rf
The second most common
cause is a dead battery at
BT1 on the CPU. This
symptom will flash “Netplex
down” on the VFD and
sometimes it will be on
Slot Tech Magazine
steady. I have also had no
display on the VFD. The
telltale sign is the LEDs on
the CPU are flashing. Even
if this battery reads 3.6VDC
while soldered in, I change
it anyway if it is a few years
old. When it has a load on
it, the readings will be
fouled with a weak battery.
If your machine has
“Netplex down” and the
reels spin, BV resets and
sounds like it is trying to
come to life after a few
minutes, your issue is
probably with a device or a
break/short in the wiring.
The VFD is on one of the
Netplex lines so if that
particular line is shorted,
the display will remain
“Netplex down.” Your machine is essentially playing
blind.
If your machine is doing
this, it’s easy to narrow
down the lines or a particular device. I would recommend powering off the
machine before you reconnect any device. Start looking for the obvious. Pull out
the BV and printer. Check
June 2015
the ribbon cable or coiled cord for the
printer. These love to short out and create
havoc. Disconnect the power cables going
to these devices. Once you start zeroing in
on the problem, you can disconnect the
cables one at a time from the Netplex
distribution boards located on the back
wall of each section. If you need to isolate
a larger section, disconnect the four plugs
from the backplane. Do the reels and BV
reset after being powered on for a few
minutes? No: Problem is in the CPU or
backplane. Yes: The problem is out on the
Netplex line. Connect one plug at a time
and observe what functions properly so
you can rule out that particular section.
depending where the tiny traces landed.
Just add thin wire jumpers on the back of
the board between the pins of the fried
circuit to repair the damage and you are
good to go. I also have had a few pins come
loose on the power connector under this
Here are some of the not-so-obvious issues
that will drag down a Netplex line:
Transact Epic 950 Printer: Ribbon cable
shorts out on frame and numerous lines
get sliced into. The +24VDC gets grounded
through the Netplex lines. Fortunately,
the interface board in the very back of the
printer rails (where the ribbon plugs into)
acts like a fuse and one or two very thin
traces vaporize themselves or come away
from the board stopping the short from
going back into the machine. At the same
time, the Netplex circuit is open or shorted
June 2015
Slot Tech Magazine
Page 7
board and short on the
metal frame.
ing down and have to move
them out of the way with
wire ties. If these fall just
right, the connector end
will get pinched when the
door is closed and smash
against the back of the
Sentry bezel causing it to
short out and take down
the Netplex line. It can
actually split the PCB in
half! A quick way to eliminate the bezel PCB is to
disconnect the Netplex line
from the bezel “loop” behind the cashbox and connect the Netplex line directly into the BV.
JCM UBA10 Bill Validator
with Sentry Bezel: this one
is my favorite. For those of
you who are unfamiliar
with a Sentry bezel, it is a
small PCB mounted on the
main door at the BV inlet. It
has a flashing blue ambulance symbol when there is
a problem with the BV, and
scrolls LEDs like an airport
runway when it is ready to
accept money or tickets.
The Netplex line approaches from behind the
cashbox housing and splits
off to the Sentry bezel first
and then back to the BV.
Now the fun begins. On a
S2000 door, there is usually one or more extra button harness connectors
that are not used. They are
tucked away and normally
do not cause any problems.
However, if one of these
comes loose and “dangles”
down behind the Sentry
bezel, it can interfere with
closing the door. It gets
jammed between the BV
and the main door. I have
had numerous ones hangPage 8
Slot Tech Magazine
June 2015
If you suspect the VFD
display is defective, it’s easy
to swap it into the machine
next to it for testing. Here
June 2015
are some common issues
I’ve encountered with these
displays:
BAD PGM - Eprom at U5
Slot Tech Magazine
is bad or needs to be
reseated. This eprom can
be a stinker. It usually
erases itself when it gets
Page 9
spiked/zapped and can be restored if you
have saved the image beforehand
No Image - Driver chip at U3 is bad or
needs to be reseated.
Also, check these test points:
VSS, GND - Ground
VCC, VDD - +5VDC
13V1, 13V2 - +13VDC
VDISP - +50VDC
FIL1, FIL2 - 6.2VAC
Check fuses F1 and F2, and Caps C17 and
C24 if no high voltage.
And if that is not enough, there are four
dipswitches on the back of the VFD for
testing:
Dip 1 ON-Normal
ON
Operation / OFF-Test
Mode
Dip 2 and 3 ONON Normal Operation /
OFF- Turns on anode 1 and 2 respectively
Dip 4 Changes clock speed for various
glass displays
VFD Connector J1 Pin #
1 – Reset
2- TxD
3-Netplex +VDC
4- RxD
5- Netplex GND
Stay safe, have fun, and a
great summer!
- Chuck Lentine
clentine@slottechs.com
Page 10
Slot Tech Magazine
June 2015
Slot Tech Event
I
Slot Tech Training at
Ft. Hall Casino
t was a beautiful Spring
week near Pocatello,
Idaho and the drive up
from San Diego, California
included a short trip
through Zion National Park
(right).
I am always especially
pleased when a casino
invites me to return for
another round of training
with new employees. My
previous visit was in June
2012. Not much has
changed since then as far
as the class is concerned
but they have finished their
beautiful new hotel and
event center, pictured with
the class, below. A new
casino building is also
planned but ground has
not yet been broken for
that project.
Attending the four-day
class were Scott Trahant,
Wendy Hall, Kameryn
Farmer, Joe Rodriguez,
Brent Anderson, Robin
Juarez, Dulcey Evening,
Ricky Byington, Juan
Rodriguez, Rickie Edmo,
Kelly Yabeney, Corianna
Honena and Wagner Galloway.
If you are interested in a
four-day class at your casino, contact Randy Fromm
at 619.838.7111 to discuss
STM
your needs.-STM
June 2015
Slot Tech Magazine
Page 11
Slot Tech Event
I
TechFest 30 Review
Wow! That Was Fun
have found a way to
make TechFest even
better with the help of
some new friends. TechFest
30 was held May 27-29 at
Mystic Lake Casino Hotel
near Minneapolis,
Minnesota. This year, in
addition to the usual,
highly informative
Page 12
presentations from the
folks that make the ticket
printers, touch screens and
bill validators, Ceronix
returned with their
awesome hands-on monitor
repair lab and my new
friends that represent
HAKKO brought a full-on
soldering lab with every
Slot Tech Magazine
kind of rework equipment
you would ever want in
your shop. At the end of
the class, we opened up a
private beer bar and had a
blast practicing component
removal from some junk
boards, generously
provided by our hosts at
STM
Mystic Lake Casino.-STM
June 2015
JCM’s Dan Petersen
June 2015
3M Touch System’s Paul Hatin
Slot Tech Magazine
Page 13
CPI’s Sean Gray on the MEI unit
Below: Scott Saltzman (ESP/
Surgex) was at the event to give
live demonstrations of SuzoHapp’s “Power Pro” unit.
Shoshone Rose Casino’s Vernon
Hill Jr. was discussing the unit with
him. I asked him to point to the
unit to make the picture more
interesting. It didn’t help.
Page 14
Above: Mystic Lake’s Norm
Hohenstein led a back-of-house
tour of the shop facilities each day.
This is the world’s best slot shop
and a real highlight of the TechFest experience.
Slot Tech Magazine
June 2015
Slot Tech Suppliers (Stuff We Need)!
June 2015
Slot Tech Magazine
Page 15
Above: This was our exciting,
hands-on soldering lab using all
HAKKO equipment. We had the
works!
Above (and on the cover) are just a handful of the photographs of
the crazy-fun during the hands-on LCD monitor lab, sponsored by
Ceronix. Head technician Jillian Haynes led the group.
Left: Pacific Illumination’s Harry
Iverson was at TechFest 30 to
discuss CCFL replacement but,
most importantly, replacement
with LED strips instead. He showed
us how to replace the backlight in
a 6 inch LCD monitor in one
minute, as compared to the 10-15
minutes normally required to
replace a fragile CCFL in this type
of device.
Right: Russ Wige represented
Transact Technologies as he has at
almost every TechFest we’ve ever
held. Thanks, Russ.
Page 16
Slot Tech Magazine
June 2015
June 2015
Slot Tech Magazine
Page 17
Subscriptions & Back Issues
Why back issues of Slot Tech Magazine are
important to own . . .
S
lot Tech Magazine is strictly technical. As such, the magazine's contents are not time
critical. The repair information and technical data contained in past issues is just as valid
today as it was the day it was published.
Additionally, current and future articles more-or-less assume that readers are already familiar
with what has been covered in past issues. This editorial policy assures that Slot Tech
Magazine's contributing writers are not limited to "writing down" to the level of a novice
technician but are free to continue to produce the most comprehensive technical articles in
the gaming industry.
Randy Fromm's
Slot Tech Magazine is
published monthly by:
Slot Tech Magazine
401 W. Lexington #777
El Cajon, CA 92022
tel.619.838.7111
fax.619.315.0410
e-mail editor@slot-techs.com
Back Issues
Printed back issues are available for onlysix months
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“I can help you bring down the
cost of casino electronics repairs”
Randy Fromm
“OK. You asked and I listened. My new tech class eliminates obsolete CRT
monitor repair and the associated monitor repair lab. In just four or five days,
your slot techs can learn to repair Power Supplies, LCD Monitors, Ticket
Printers, Bill Validators and more. It’s easy and it’s fun.“- Randy Fromm
tel.619.838.7111
fax.619.315.0410