(Topic ID: 227831)

In simple words, usage of the zero crossing

By jimy_speedt

5 years ago


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    #2 5 years ago

    The zero crossing watches the AC waveform coming from the wall and when it 'crosses' (equals) zero it sends a signal to the CPU. It's basically just a little repeater/delay circuit to get the signal going out the right side in a nice format for the CPU to sense. The output signal should be low and pulse high (5v) 120 times a second (or 100 in European countries?)

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    #6 5 years ago
    Quoted from jimy_speedt:

    On the schematics, when I see an AND gate with the zero crossing as input, what does this zero crossing "line" represent exactly

    Where do you see that?

    The signal coming out of the detector I screenshotted will be high for a small amount of time, meaning that the voltage has just crossed zero. Ballys use this for timing to control their lamps and solenoids (both are turned off at zero crossing) as well as to trigger switch matrix scans (just as a convenient timer).

    At bootup the CPU just checks that it's getting pulses from the detector periodically. If it wasn't, then the game isn't going to be able to work, so it stops booting before it potentially damages stuff.

    Quoted from jimy_speedt:

    knowing that on the boards, the current is generally Vdc at that stage.

    Technically it's DC, but it's not filtered, it's just rectified. All a bridge rectifier does is flip the negative half of the AC sine wave positive, so it still hits zero just like AC would. Cheaper to do after it's DC due to most digital chips only working with DC.

    If you want way too much detail, I touched on this in a recent blog post: http://zacaj.com/p.php?id=18&title=Custom+Bally+OS%2C+Pt+3%3A+Lamp+Control

    #10 5 years ago

    The blanking circuit I don't quite understand either :/ I think it's some sort of one-shot timer. When the MPU starts the display update process it enables all the display output chips using that common vertical line on the left, and part of that triggers the blanking circuit at the bottom to send out a timed blanking pulse to the displays, turning them off momentarily, and during that time the MPU sends new data?

    Quoted from slochar:

    it does NOT measure the frequency nor correct for it in any way

    It'd be cool if it compared the zero crossing and display interrupt signal timings and stopped if it detected a mismatch...

    Quoted from slochar:

    Blanking is just a periodic signal used for many of the same things. Usually referred to in classic Williams solid state as it's kind of a 'fail safe' in case the cpu locks up, the lamp matrix and solenoids won't lock on (in practice, they do.....)

    On williams yes. On Bally it's specifically referring to the display blanking signal

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    #13 5 years ago
    Quoted from Coyote:

    Yeah - the MPU is telling the displays to latch on to the data they were given. Then, in the next cycle, the displays have to be reset, so the blanking line pulses, dropping the latches on the displays, for the MPU to re-send them data.

    The blanking line isn't attached to the latches though, it goes to the blanking input of the BCD decoders. The latches are controlled individually by the MPU?

    Quoted from rufessor:

    Is it not the case that the zero crossing is twice the frequency of line voltage? The sine crosses zero on the way down and up for every cycle... I have always assumed and think I read that its not equal to line frequency- its double...
    Please correct me if I am wrong as this is somewhat fundamental to understanding.

    I think so? US outlets are 60Hz, European is 50Hz?

    #16 5 years ago
    Quoted from Quench:

    The blanking signal on early Bally/Stern does as it says. It blanks the displays. At this moment, data is updated at the displays for the next digit and after they're updated, blanking is removed so the digit can be displayed.
    If the displays were not blanked during the update, then numbers will get ghosted/shadowed to the neighboring digit.

    Do you know what's up with the little circuit that generates the blanking? Am I right that it's a oneshot, or does it service some other timing purpose? I would have expected the MPU signal to just go straight out.

    Quoted from Cheddar:

    Blanking is also used on williams as the second half of an AND. The lamps and solenoids need to see the blanking signal AND the drive signal to turn on the transistor. 7408s are used as the AND gates

    Yeah. On williams blanking basically disables every output of the driver board, as well as the displays themselves

    #20 5 years ago
    Quoted from Quench:

    If the CPU locks up, there is potential for the displays to suffer from digit burn due to a single digit at each display being stuck bright on. The oneshot delay prevents this from occurring by making sure the displays stay blanked when no active blanking signal is being generated.

    Ah, so it's actually the inverse. It's a one shot that makes it so the blanking can only ever be off for so long.

    Quoted from jimy_speedt:

    Why is the blanking necessary to turn on the transistor ? In that case, how does this blanking signal work, thanks again

    To be clear, this is only in reference to williams machines, which don't have a zero crossing, and I assume isn't relevant to your original questioning as it's completely unrelated to the way a bally board works.

    In a williams, the goal of their 'blanking' is that, if the CPU isn't running, then all outputs should be disabled (solenoids, lamps, displays), so that nothing locks on and burns up. Their blanking signal is generated from a periodic keep-alive the MPU sends while it's operating. If that keep-alive is ever missing, the blanking signal activates via a timer and disables evreything.

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