New Kensington, PA
Has anyone tried swapping to different transistors that don't require a certain resistive load to stay locked on?
I'm probably missing the reason we can't just swap out the transistor.
(Topic ID: 98819)
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2 months later
Quoted from HHaase:By popular request, I've decided to start selling these as a bare-bones 'builders kits', in addition to fully assembled and packaged sets.
The difference is, with the builders kit all you get is the PCB with resistors installed. No wiring, no connectors, no fancy box, noinstructions. If you're technically minded with a stocked parts box, these could save you a bunch.
$5 for the -42 single aux board, $10 for the two-board -53 set, and $15 for the main lamp driver set.
http://www.siegecraft.us/presta/index.php?id_product=65&controller=product&id_lang=1
Thank you!!!!
I will be ordered multiple sets when the next machine comes through the shop.
2 weeks later
Quoted from HHaase:OK, I think I finally found the source of many issues you guys were having, just helped diagnose a problem with another Stern Meteor (surprise surprise).
Turns out his backbox lamps only had 3.5v going into them. Connected into a playfield lamp with the proper 6v and the adapters kicked in just the way they should.
I wonder how many other customer problems were the result of low voltage to the lamp bus.
-Hans
I had this exact issue, with a STERN Galaxy. Good to know what the fix is, the next I am there to work on it.
I'm still wondering if the transistors can be swapped out for different ones that don't require the load resistor.
I don't know enough about circuit design to know what to swap them out with though.
Quoted from Coyote:Are you meaning the SCRs, when you saw 'swapped out'?
If so, then no.
Reason why is because the MPU sends commands to the Light Board to activate a light - the SCR is sent a 'pulse' to activate from the MPU. The SCR then 'latches on', locking the light on until current drops. The MPU never sends a command to 'turn off a light'. Instead, the SCR stays latched until the 5.4v lamp feed drops to 0v (it's full-wave DC), and then the SCR turns off.
So, if you dropped a real transistor in there, then you would get the strobing - and no way to stop it.
So it sends a "turn on" command for a split second, then continually sends a "keep alive" command?
1 month later
I would like to see it marked more clearly which board goes on which connector.
J1 on the board that plugs into J1, etc...
Also, something I was considering is to put a SMD LED for each output as well, then the boards would double as a test fixture.
I don't think it would add a ton of cost to the boards, but I would pay a small price increase to have this functionality.
Plus a "power" LED to show the power wire was connected properly.
1 week later
Quoted from HHaase:Wasn't able to get an LED figured out in time unfortunately. Just had a good sized wholesale order come in and didn't have enough boards to fill it. So I had to get an order done. I did get the markings much clearer as to connector/orientation. There's also going to be a test point you can clip onto with a probe to check voltages if needed.
Here's the layout image for the newest version, will have to run out the existing boards before I start shipping these direct. About 15 sets left of the current design.
Love it already!
1 month later
Quoted from HHaase:Well, crap. The -21 revision boards got the silkscreens wrong. I mis-marked J1 and J3, which also throws off which side is the 'top'.
Basically, the board marked J1 goes on J3, and the board marked J3 goes on J1.
And that also means the 'top' marking for those to is the bottom.
-Hans
If you're selling at a discount, I'll take a set or 2. Kits I assume? Or fully assembled?
I just upvoted that post!
In for 2! Ordering shortly.
Ah, you discounted the assembled kits.
I'm still going to order 2 assembly-required kits though.
1 year later
Quoted from semicolin:I may have missed it in the thread, but it appears that the SCRs that are affected are primarily 2N5060. This component has a 5mA holding current,and we know that's too high for LEDs. I see that a lot of work has been done to increase current draw with resistors - I'm a happy SiegeCraft customer - but it strikes me that we haven't tried using different SCRs. BT169 is a higher-rated drop-in replacement for the 2N5060, costs half of the original component, and has a holding current of only 1mA.
Has anyone tried using BT169 SCRs? This seems to be an inexpensive solution that will allow the lowest possible current draw.
Would this still work if you switched back to a regular bulb for some reason?
I have a working lamp driver I could experiment with if anyone was interested.
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