(Topic ID: 280957)

Dr. Dude is sick

By Ridgeman58

3 years ago


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  • 35 posts
  • 10 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 3 years ago by pincoin
  • No one calls this topic a favorite

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20201212_204009[1] (resized).jpg
20201117_182313[1] (resized).jpg
EPSON094.PDF (PDF preview)
HofRR (resized).png

#1 3 years ago

Hi All,

My Dr. Dude sat unused for about a month. When I started playing again some peculiar things began to happen.

When activating the jumper bumpers the Gift of Gab sometimes scores and the ball kicker activates.

It also sometimes starts the mixer and ray when no where near them.

Occasionally it just tilts and goes into attract mode.

I changed the batteries, but that did nothing.

Any ideas?

Any info is appreciated.

Scott

#2 3 years ago

Does Dr Dude have an ACIIC chip? I recently ran into a problem with my Gofers that unusual behaviors occurred. Took out the chip and re-seated it and everything seemed back to normal.

#3 3 years ago

I will take a look at that. I was thinking it was a logic or controller problem rather than power.

I'll let you know what happens

Thanks for the input.

#4 3 years ago
Quoted from Ridgeman58:

I will take a look at that. I was thinking it was a logic or controller problem rather than power.
I'll let you know what happens
Thanks for the input.

The ASIC chip is the cpu, so logic yes.

#5 3 years ago

is it possible the vibration from the bumpers is triggering the GOG switch?

#6 3 years ago

I checked the switch first and it checked out ok. I'll take another look under the playfield after I reseat the asic and it persists.

Thanks

#7 3 years ago
Quoted from tilt-master:Does Dr Dude have an ACIIC chip? I recently ran into a problem with my Gofers that unusual behaviors occurred. Took out the chip and re-seated it and everything seemed back to normal.

How hard do you have to pull to get the chip out? I don't have the tool so I'm using a couple of paper clips bent to fit under the corners of the chip. I'm pulling so hard the board is flexing a bit. I wiped it down with alcohol and tapped on it with no luck. I'm thinking maybe instead of pulling, I might do better prying out with a couple of small screwdrivers, but I don't know how delicate the chip is.

Any suggestions are appreciated.

Thanks again,
Scott

#8 3 years ago

It is difficult to pull, I highly recommend using the correct tool for it.

#9 3 years ago

I got the tool and reseated the PLCC but the problem still exists. Not sure what else to do.

#10 3 years ago
Quoted from Ridgeman58:

I checked the switch first and it checked out ok. I'll take another look under the playfield after I reseat the asic and it persists.
Thanks

i was going to tell you that a logic problem diagnosis is an absolute last resort for a erroneous switch activation, only after you've exhausted all other possibilities. which it sounds like you haven't come close to doing. and even then, it's really unlikely. that's kinda like performing brain surgery on a person who can't draw a perfect circle.

anyway, what do you mean you checked the switch and it checked ok? i assume you mean you manually activated it and it came up closed in test? even if so, that doesn't mean other factors aren't also causing it to close, too. *i.e. vibration from the pop bumpers (or possibly something else). so if that switch is being closed by anything other than the ball actually triggering it, the game thinks the ball is in the Gift of Gab, and the VUK will attempt to release it, as well as spin the mixmaster if you completed the rule as a result.

go into diagnostics and go to switch test. then cause vibration on the machine. nudge it, hit the playfield with your palm, etc.. see if the gift of gab saucer switch activates.

#11 3 years ago
Quoted from bigehrl:

go into diagnostics and go to switch test. then cause vibration on the machine. nudge it, hit the playfield with your palm, etc.. see if the gift of gab saucer switch activates.

I did the switch diagnostics first and was not able to activate the switch with vibration. Plus there is more than the switch activating. last time the machine did a hard tilt and reset to attract mode. It also starts the mixer automatically. That's why I suspected the logic.

The machine was fine before it sat for a month

thanks for your input!

Scott

#12 3 years ago

I am not an expert but I saw something on how a blown diode can cause some weird effects on your switch matrix.

I miss wired some of my switches when I was reassembling my playfield recently and got some weird things happening. I tracked it down by activating switches in the test menu and seeing if other switches also activated.

#13 3 years ago

Thanks killerrobots. I will look at that. I'm thinking of tracing the circuit on the schematic from the GoG switch.

#14 3 years ago

After looking again at the switch diagnostics I found that it is not the Gift of Gab switch at all. It turns out it's the 3 switches at the Heart of Rock and Roll (see attached pic) When I actuate any of them, I get other switch numbers indicated. And the close proximity to the jumper bumpers made it look like they were causing GoG to activate. So now that I isolated the problem I can take a closer look at that area. I'll keep you posted on what I find. If there is anything else you can suggest, please do.

Thanks again for your input.

Scott

HofRR (resized).pngHofRR (resized).png
#15 3 years ago

Upon further investigation I have found that all the malfunctioning switches are on the same circuit.
EPSON094.PDFEPSON094.PDF

The problem I have is the documentation for the CPU board does not match what I have (the game chip indicates it's a prototype)
20201117_182313[1] (resized).jpg20201117_182313[1] (resized).jpg

I'm thinking of replacing the chips that are common to those switches, but without proper documentation, I can't be certain which ones they are.

I could replace the entire CPU board, but I don't know if it would be a compatible swap with my proto board.

Any suggestions?

Scott

#16 3 years ago

your repair is past me but we do have a thread dedicated to the dr dude. may want to start posting there or cross post it.

#17 3 years ago
Quoted from thc666:

your repair is past me but we do have a thread dedicated to the dr dude. may want to start posting there or cross post it.

I didn't know that. Thanks!

#18 3 years ago

BTW, How do I cross post?

#20 3 years ago
Quoted from Ridgeman58:

Upon further investigation I have found that all the malfunctioning switches are on the same circuit.
[quoted image]
The problem I have is the documentation for the CPU board does not match what I have (the game chip indicates it's a prototype)
[quoted image]
I'm thinking of replacing the chips that are common to those switches, but without proper documentation, I can't be certain which ones they are.
I could replace the entire CPU board, but I don't know if it would be a compatible swap with my proto board.
Any suggestions?
Scott

Your CPU has a lot of battery corrosion below the battery holder. You are better off with a new one.

#21 3 years ago

Wow! thank you very much!

#22 3 years ago

Yes, I saw that and tried to clean it up. Any idea where I can get a new board? Keep in mind it is a prototype

Thanks for your input.

#23 3 years ago

Sort of off-topic question, Dr Dude is a System 11C game, isn't it? Why does this one have a WPC MPU? Were there WPC prototypes built at the end of the manufacturing run?

#24 3 years ago
Quoted from Ridgeman58:

Yes, I saw that and tried to clean it up. Any idea where I can get a new board? Keep in mind it is a prototype
Thanks for your input.

The ROM might be a proto type, but the CPU looks just like any other WPC-89 CPU (A-12742).

#25 3 years ago
Quoted from Ridgeman58:

Yes, I saw that and tried to clean it up. Any idea where I can get a new board? Keep in mind it is a prototype
Thanks for your input.

Looks like Action Pinball can burn your a new ROM if you ever needed one:
http://www.actionpinball.com/parts.php?item=ROMS087

Pinball Basement has WPC-89 CPUs:
https://pinballbasement.com/collections/wpc89-boards/products/a-12742-wpc-89-mpu-board

#26 3 years ago
Quoted from jibmums:

Sort of off-topic question, Dr Dude is a System 11C game, isn't it? Why does this one have a WPC MPU? Were there WPC prototypes built at the end of the manufacturing run?

There were 100ish wpc dudes, the rest are system 11c. The ROM is prototype code, the mpu board isn't a prototype.

#27 3 years ago

Thank you everyone for all this valuable information!

2 weeks later
#28 3 years ago

I got the new CPU board today. Unfortunately, the ASIC chip got damaged when I removed it from the old board. I think I was able to fix all the bent contacts, but now I can't get the machine to go into settings or diagnostics using the switches on the coin door. However, the original switch problem is fixed. The 3 LEDs on the CPU board as bottom = on ; middle flashes and top off. I can't find anything in the manual that explains what they mean. I will be ordering a new asic chip. Hopefully that will fix everything.

1 week later
#29 3 years ago

Well the good news is I got the new chip and it appears that I was able to repair the old chip because, the bad news is I still cannot access the settings and diagnostics menus using the switches on the coin door.

Am I missing something?

Any help you can give me with this is much appreciated.

Thanks in advance

Scott

#30 3 years ago

Sounds like a missing connector or bad pins in a connector.

#31 3 years ago
Quoted from pincoin:

Sounds like a missing connector or bad pins in a connector.

Hmmm. I'll look at that. Thanks!

#32 3 years ago

That was it. There was a connector that was not plugged in. I didn't notice it until I moved the harness.

Thanks to everyone for the help on this.

It's great to have Dude back.

Scott

#33 3 years ago

Good guess on my part!! Glad you found it! Brian

#34 3 years ago

ok. Now it is having a new problem. The displays are showing hieroglyphics.

Is there a hard reset for the system? I seem to remember a combination of on/off power that reset the system. Am I mistaken?

20201212_204009[1] (resized).jpg20201212_204009[1] (resized).jpg
#35 3 years ago

I never heard of a hard reset for pins. Try reseating any ribbon connectors, or just wiggle a connector 1 at a time to see if anything improves

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