What am I seeing in this video? It looks like it should be booted up, but the display never even flickers. When I do the CPU test, I get one flash. When I do the sound test, I get some singing and nothing else.
(Topic ID: 260196)
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Black Knight 2000
Williams, 1989
Topic Gallery
Goodrich, MI
Was the game fully working ?
Start with something simple and reseat all the ribbon cables.
Make sure you do it with the machine off.
Check those fuses .
Quoted from Wariodolby:Was the game fully working ?
No, I got it in a package deal.
There was some battery damage, so I swapped the MPU board with a Jokerz that I also picked up. So, I have reseated every cable.
Maybe check that the game and sound roms are oriented and seated correctly after you swapped them over.
The video is of the original MPU or the Jokerz MPU? Please post a good picture of the board.
It seems that board has a blanking problem out to the displays/sound board.
Quoted from PinballManiac40:The video is of the original MPU or the Jokerz MPU? Please post a good picture of the board.
It seems that board has a blanking problem out to the displays/sound board.
I will get more pics tonight. It's the Jokerz MPU. The original MPU had battery damage.
When it boots, the 5V is lit, the diagnostics blinks and the blanking is lit. I never get an attract mode. Hitting the "Advance" switch powers up the flippers and pop bumpers. The display never turns on.
I wouldn't mind seeing a picture of the original board as well. If it is fairly minor, you can send it off for repair.
Quoted from PinballManiac40:I wouldn't mind seeing a picture of the original board as well. If it is fairly minor, you can send it off for repair.
Sure thing. I'll get those tonight.
Is it likely to be a ROM failure at this point? I'm thinking that I should pull the sockets and add SIPP sockets to it.
Looking at the error codes listed in the manual, not related to a ROM.
Does the game go into attract mode?
The original MPU has a fair amount of damage, but I had repaired one in worse shape. It is nothing I can take on anytime soon since this is not my day job. You can see if ChrisHibler would be even willing to work on it.
Quoted from PinballManiac40:Looking at the error codes listed in the manual, not related to a ROM.
Does the game go into attract mode?
No. Just GI, the tones at the beginning and then nothing.
Is the red stripe on the display ribbon cable facing left looking at the backbox? I see it is plugged in correctly (facing the right) at the MPU at least.
The error code is pointing at RAM or the memory protection circuit. So can you test U25 pin 24 to see if you have 4.5v? If is not 4.5v, then you should have a problem with the battery holder.
You're going to need to address all of that alkaline corrosion on the MPU.
It won't last long unless this is done.
--
Chris Hibler - CARGPB #31
http://www.ChrisHiblerPinball.com/Contact
http://www.PinWiki.com - The Place to go for Pinball Repair Info
Quoted from ChrisHibler:You're going to need to address all of that alkaline corrosion on the MPU.
It won't last long unless this is done.
The last two pictures are from the board I removed. I haven't decided whether to try and save that board or not.
I turned the display ribbon cable around and now I get some characters that flash in time with the boot tones.
Quoted from ThatOneDude:I turned the display ribbon cable around
One end or both ends? The red stripe should be opposite the other when looking at the display and MPU connections.
The 3 bong tone still sounds like an adjustment failure, which likely is the battery holder. If you can solder well, I suggest NVRAM. Chris would be happy to do that for you.
Also, I still suggest replacing C30 as I mentioned early on.
Cannot really tell if you have a voltage issue to your display. Can you test the +100 and -100 voltages?
https://www.pinwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=Williams_System_9_-_11#Check_Voltages
Do you have 3 pinballs loaded?
Sounds weird but i had something similar which sorted out as just the pinballs missing.
No, I didn't. I got sidetracked briefly finishing up a deep cleaning and rubber replacement on a Baywatch. I'll check the voltages and try out the ball suggestion tonight after work.
Which way should the red stripe be on the display board?
I loaded up 3 balls. No change.
HV tests ok. +96.7/-99
Quoted from PinballManiac40:So can you test U25 pin 24 to see if you have 4.5v? If is not 4.5v, then you should have a problem with the battery holder.
Tested this. Has almost 5v.
Quoted from ThatOneDude:Which way should the red stripe be on the display board?
Quoted from PinballManiac40:The red stripe should be opposite the other when looking at the display and MPU connections.
Technically looking at the labels on the board, pin 1 in on the right on the MPU and on the left on the display board. Usually if you think you have an issue with a ribbon cable, flip it over on both ends to see if you have a different result on the display. If the same result, you may have a MPU or display issue.
The display, ribbon cable, and MPU are the same between BK2K and Jokerz. You can try the ribbon cable from it and try the suspect ribbon cable in Jokerz to see if the problem moves. Can do the same with the display or MPU.
Lots of progress tonight. I was still getting memory errors, so I replaced u25. No change. I finally thought to verify that the coin door switch was working, and realized that someone had disconnected it and used an old 2 prong terminal to jump the leads. Removed that and I was able to get it into attract mode. Display is dead. Tried both the original and the cable and display from jokerz. No change. It sounds like it kicks into a ball search routine if I hit the start button. So, making headway.
Good work. Game needs 3 balls installed. If you have 3 in there, then one trough switch may have an issue registering.
You tried swapping the display, or is that next? Can you post a picture of the display? Sometimes can tell the glass displays are burnt. Sometimes there are just shorted/failed ICs that keep the display from lighting.
Quoted from PinballManiac40:If you have 3 in there, then one trough switch may have an issue registering.
I had 3 loaded. Looks like a switch problem.
Quoted from PinballManiac40:You tried swapping the display, or is that next? Can you post a picture of the display? Sometimes can tell the glass displays are burnt. Sometimes there are just shorted/failed ICs that keep the display from lighting.
I'll get some pics. I tried both displays and both cables with no success.
Quoted from ThatOneDude:I tried both displays and both cables with no success.
You tried the BK2K display in Jokerz?
Quoted from ThatOneDude:HV tests ok. +96.7/-99
That is with the display still connected?
Quoted from PinballManiac40:You tried the BK2K display in Jokerz?
Jokerz is currently DOA. I need to fix the mpu board due to the corrosion. I have no working 11b to test displays.
Quoted from PinballManiac40:That is with the display still connected?
Yes.
When I first fired up this machine, the two 160v capacitors cooked. I put in another used power board and it didn't happen again. Is there a chance that a malfunctioning display could kill the data side?
1 week later
Go into switch edge test and test the start button. Actually, this is a good time to test all the switches, including the trough switches to be sure only one switch registers correctly.
Power supply may not be related to that problem. Even it isn't related, replacing the capacitors will be a good step to making the game reliable, just as replacing the C30 on the MPU.
The start button was a red herring. It was a slam tilt causing a periodic reset. Now, I'm debugging the switch matrix. I've got quite a few non responsive switches, the start button being one of them.
Btw, thanks for the help!
Quoted from PinballManiac40:Did you find the slam tilt switch on the coin door?
Yeah, I fixed that and it was able to get all the way through attract mode with no resets. A lot of switches aren't responding in the edge test, so I'll be testing that next.
Can you mark up the switch matrix chart or list the ones that are not responding? If they are all in the same row or column, check the same color wire on the working switches.
Very likely you will find a broken wire where 2 wires come together at the tab of ones of the switches.
Quoted from PinballManiac40:Can you mark up the switch matrix chart or list the ones that are not responding? If they are all in the same row or column, check the same color wire on the working switches.
Very likely you will find a broken wire where 2 wires come together at the tab of ones of the switches.
Yeah, I printed up a matrix chart last night before I hit the sack. I'll be digging into that probably this weekend, since pinball league is tonight and Friday night is date night. 
Random question: when did credit become start in the docs? Anyone happen to know? I was looking for start button on the matrix and it wasn't until I verified the wire coloring that I was sure it was credit.
Do you remember some of the unresponsive switches? I can mark up the switch matrix for ones you know now and should be able to show which wire will be the one to check carefully.
I think even the older solid state games, such as Black Knight are also marked as credit switch. It all depended on the engineers when they design something what they call all the signals, switches, lamps, etc. Gottlieb has some very unique, more so confusing, names to different things in their games.
Something to check----the Molex plug on 1J8 on the MPU. I have had to re-pin quite a few of them due to corrosion. It is located on the bottom of the MPU below the battery holder. All it takes over the years is some alkaline dust to have settled on it and the humidity will do the rest. (A theory that I have formulated) It can most certainly be the cause of PF switches not working. ANY sign of green or white corrosion or anything else is a trigger for me to re-pin it these days on a system 11.
If it happens to be an issue and you go to re-pin it , look for clean, fresh wire under the insulation. Somewhat corroded wire will have your new re-pin fail probably within a year...been there, done that. 
Quoted from PinballManiac40:Do you remember some of the unresponsive switches? I can mark up the switch matrix for ones you know now and should be able to show which wire will be the one to check carefully.
Off the top of my head, the start button, the drop targets, the flipper buttons and the magna save never triggered a response in the edge test.
Quoted from dozer1:Something to check----the Molex plug on 1J8 on the MPU. I have had to re-pin quite a few of them due to corrosion. It is located on the bottom of the MPU below the battery holder.
This is definately a good point because of the original battery damaged MPU that you posted previously does lead to that suspension. Pull and check 1J8 and 1J10 for corrosion like this.
I worked on a Mousin' Around that had corrosion on 4 connectors on the interconnect board (below the MPU) that I had to repin in that game along with 1J8. So you need to pull the connectors on the interconnect board and look for this type of damage as well.
Any white powder, dark, or green looking pins will have battery damage.
Quoted from PinballManiac40:I worked on a Mousin' Around that had corrosion on 4 connectors on the interconnect board (below the MPU) that I had to repin in that game along with 1J8.
Right on. On my Banzai run, I had to make a new jumper from 1J8 to the interconnect board on it. That is the one where the corrosion was headed down the wires and my original repin failed in a year. Hey, at least I knew where to look the 2nd time.
I repinned 1j8 and I think it cleaned up some of the problems. Looks like I have 2 rows out and some random isolated switches. A couple are activating the wrong switch, so there is at least one short in there.
One oddity I found was that the playfield tilt was constantly on, but I couldn't actually find it on the playfield. Eventually I figured out that some wires soldered together in the front was what was left of it. I clipped one wire and now it's off.
Quoted from PinballManiac40:Which rows (horizontal) and columns (vertical) switches are still out?
I know that columns 6 and 8 are out. I am at work now, so I'll post the rest later.
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