(Topic ID: 299472)

Fish Tales Stopped working - Won't start & no DMD display

By ltngbolt

2 years ago


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Screenshot 2021-08-30 190556 (resized).png
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There are 67 posts in this topic. You are on page 2 of 2.
#51 2 years ago
Quoted from ltngbolt:

I measured at both J604 and on the connector on the DMD and voltages were about the same
Orange (-125V) me 118.7
Blue (-113V) me 100.3
Gray (+5V) me 4.95
Gray/Yell (+12V) me 12.25
Brown (+62V) me 4.33

Test fuse F601 for continuity ?

#52 2 years ago

Also measure AC volts at J605 between pins 1 and 2.

#53 2 years ago

Fuse 601 is ok. I put a new ones in just to be sure.

I'm not sure which pins are 1 and 2. It's not on the board, but I think it's the right side.
Anyway both are reading 48.1V

#54 2 years ago
Quoted from ltngbolt:

Fuse 601 is ok. I put a new ones in just to be sure.
I'm not sure which pins are 1 and 2. It's not on the board, but I think it's the right side.
Anyway both are reading 48.1V

Pin 1 and 2 are the right most pins. 48.1v is too low and something is wrong. Disconnect J605 and measure the pins again to see if they are closer to 80v when not connected to the board.
j605.pngj605.png

#55 2 years ago

Sorry, I'm having a heck of a time getting a reading with the connector off. The DMM just keeps autoranging and won't settle on any voltage. The pins on the board are starting at like real low at like 1.45V and just keep climbing and never stop jumping all around. Same with measuring in the connector itself when disconnected.

When I plug it in to the board, it's a solid 48-49V

#56 2 years ago

Your ribbon cable for the display looks like it is wrong,unless it is backwards on both ends. Red stripe should be on pin 1.

Screenshot 2021-08-30 190556 (resized).pngScreenshot 2021-08-30 190556 (resized).png
#57 2 years ago
Quoted from ltngbolt:

Sorry, I'm having a heck of a time getting a reading with the connector off. The DMM just keeps autoranging and won't settle on any voltage. The pins on the board are starting at like real low at like 1.45V and just keep climbing and never stop jumping all around. Same with measuring in the connector itself when disconnected.
When I plug it in to the board, it's a solid 48-49V

This is weird because the voltage should be stable even though the connector isn't plugged. It shouldn't be hard to read the voltage at the connector. It is crucial that this voltage measures near 80v or the plasma display won't work. (A color DMD would work as it doesn't use that voltage). Long ago I helped someone in another thread testing / measuring the outputs of their transformer. Locate the transformer at the bottom of the cabinet, and while the machine is turned off , disconnect the big 15 pig connector. Set your meter to AC and turn on the machine. Follow the color code from the following post and locate the 2 white wires. They should measure around 86v. If you can't read around 86v from the 2 pins colored in white then the transformer (or the connector itself) is having issues.

If you measure 86v there , you're supposed to be able to measure it again at pins 1 and 2 of J605 as those 2 white wires go directly to the other connector and that's it. If the voltage isn't stable at J605 but it is at the connector of the transformer, then maybe the wire is damaged or pinched somewhere.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/t2-dmd-issues-and-game-resetting-as-well/page/3#post-5878087

#58 2 years ago

I’ll give that a try in the morning. I will check the transformer and see what I get. Just to clarify, I should be putting red lead on pin 1 and black on pin 2, correct? It just starts in mV and keeps climbing, sometimes even starting in negative. Maybe my dmm is screwing up.

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#59 2 years ago

When you are measuring AC then the order of the probes doesn't matter if you reverse the probes you will read the same value. The symbol for AC volts is a wavy line.

#60 2 years ago

Hey Roamin,

I measured the white wires at the transformer and got 87.5V

I measured again at the j105 connector this time on the side of the connector where I could probe the pins better and got 85.5.
I measured again at the DMD display and same as before

Brown -pin8 is 4.27V should be 62V

So is the DMD Controller Board bad?
Would this add-on board work? Cheaper than a new board or repairing the old one

Here's what's advertised -- New High Voltage circuit replacement satellite module for the Williams part A-14039 Dot Matrix controller board
This piggyback power supply board replaces the commonly burnt high voltage power supply section of any WPC A-14039 dot matrix controller board by mounting on top of the existing board.

Thanks

#61 2 years ago

Bummer. So now it seems you have 3 issues.

Need to see whether the 2 top ribbon cables fix the boot issues at least.

#62 2 years ago

Hey Maniac,

I should get the new ribbons today or tomorrow. Hope that helps some.
I don't know about the ColorDMD, 4 bills is a lot to drop especially since my machine doesn't work yet!

#63 2 years ago
Quoted from ltngbolt:

Hey Roamin,
I measured the white wires at the transformer and got 87.5V
I measured again at the j105 connector this time on the side of the connector where I could probe the pins better and got 85.5.
I measured again at the DMD display and same as before
Brown -pin8 is 4.27V should be 62V
So is the DMD Controller Board bad?
Would this add-on board work? Cheaper than a new board or repairing the old one
Here's what's advertised -- New High Voltage circuit replacement satellite module for the Williams part A-14039 Dot Matrix controller board
This piggyback power supply board replaces the commonly burnt high voltage power supply section of any WPC A-14039 dot matrix controller board by mounting on top of the existing board.
Thanks

I believe you mean J605 ? Because connectors starting with a "1" belong to the power driver board, in this case J105 powers the fliptronic board.

Ok , if you have 80+ at J605 pins 1 and 2 while disconnected and it drops to 40 while connected , this means there is indeed an issue with the high voltage circuit. This part of the circuit is very simple for anyone who can do repair. It is only a few resistors , few capacitors , few transistors and a zener diode. I would send it in with the Power driver board to get fixed as well.

Can you post a close up picture of the area with the 2 fuses on the dot matrix controller ? Maybe we can spot a burned component.

If you pull J605 and disconnect the ribbon cable going to the dot matrix controller, does the machine boot with no DMD and obviously no flashers working ?

Here is the circuit for the 62v you are missing , 80VAC coming in on the left before going to rectifier and then regulated to 62v. There is but a few components and that's it, shouldn't cost much to get that back on track.

If , your issues are just the BR4 / Cap from the power driver board and a few components on the dot matrix controller , then the repair should not cost so much.

62v.png62v.png
#64 2 years ago

Something funny. Now I measured J105 with the connector on and got 84.6V.
Maybe all that taking the connector on and off and poking into the connectors did something?
Yesterday was a long day. I also replaced my DMM batteries. It seems to work better today.

Here's the board pic

IMG_2631 (resized).jpgIMG_2631 (resized).jpg
#65 2 years ago

It's very possible that simply disconnecting / reconnecting these old connectors is enough to "clean" the dirty pins , make a better contact and allow current to flow properly once again.

Now that you have 86v at J605 , do you have 62 volts at J604 ? (Gnd pin 5 , 62v at pin? All voltages at J604 are good ?

Does the machine boot any further now ?

#66 2 years ago

No, I'm still getting about 4.25V on brown wire pin 5 on J604

With all ribbon cables connected, it's dead in the water, no blinking led 20

Taking off the cpu ribbon cable gets the lamps to come on (kinda like attraction mode without sound) and a blinking led20

Everything is dark when taking off the DMD ribbon and disconnecting J605 with all other things connected

5 months later
#67 2 years ago

Curious what was the outcome?

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