Dear Folks,

I'm working on a complete diagnostic tool for Zaccaria driver boards.
The project is already ongoing and could be available in a very short delay.

I know that Zaccaria market is very limited compared to other brands like Bally or Williams but my interest is to keep Zaccaria alive and provide you as much as I can in order to easily troubleshoot problems and repair boards.

Little resume of the current situation:
As some of you already know I have developed LED displays for all the existing models of Zaccaria electronic pinball machines, NVRAM for G1 and G2 generations are also available.
In partnership with HOMEPIN the new CPU clone for G2 machines will soon be available again.
You can find some items here: http://www.pinballsolutions.eu

Now coming back to the driver boards, it exists a documentation made by Leon Borré which gives you the possibility to troubleshoot several Zaccaria boards as well as convert plasma dispays into led displays. (I have already implemented the led conversion into DIY kits for Zaccaria already 2 years ago)
The same procedures have also been developed for other brands and are currently exploited by other vendors which sell DIY conversion kits for other brands as well.
Nothing new from this side then.

The reason for this post is to understand what could be the interest in having a semi-automatic diagnostic tool for Zaccaria boards.

I'm therefore talking about a microcontroller which will drive the board and will give you a clear and precise condition of all the outputs in few seconds without playing around with dip switches or home made led harnesses.
The final analysis will remain into your hands, you'll be provided with diagnostic tables which will drive you in order to find the right components to check or replace.

What would be included within the Zaccaria driver boards diagnostic tool?

a microcontroller
all the cabling and harnesses for G1 and G2 driver boards
output led modules for lamps and solenoid outputs
diagnostic tables with mappings for the 3 different Zaccaria driver boards existing on the market

I forecast two possible options:
- standard diagnostic tool (includes one led module for lamp and one for solenoids)
- ultimate diagnostic tool (includes all led modules for all possible outputs)

What do I need?
Your comments on this project, your possible interest and anything else could help finding the right balance between efforts and benefits.

Future developments???
I haven't really analyzed the entire pinball market but the same tool could be developed for Bally and other brands if a need exists.

I hope I will receive some replies in order not to think that I'm just wasting my time developing useless tool

Happy to see that I'm not alone

Fully agree, difficult to imagine big profits, even Wayne has realized how complicated and time consuming is this little market within the pinball market but as you said, it's nice to propose it just for the love of keeping those brands and models alive.

Regarding the category of customers, I would see this more for multiple pinball machines owners than for single machine owners.

Hans, Neo, thanks for your interest, we can discuss about it but first I'll try to publish a video of this tool in order to understand how it works and if my premises correspond to what you would expect.

Gianfri

Dear firends,

a promise is a promise, here you find the Christmas sneaky video of my diagnostic tool.

As announced it is a semi-automatic test which cycles all the possible combinations and enables the outputs in order to check them.
You will see that few outputs are not activating the LEDs, those outputs are defect and need to be repaired.

A reference document is provided in order to quickly find the components responsible for that output.

This test works for both 1st and 2nd generation and it is provided with the special LED output modules for lamps and solenoids.
Cabling for connection between the controller, the LED modules and the board are provided as well as the specific G1 and G2 power connectors.
You need to provide the 5V power to the board and controller.

Looking forward to your comments, questions and remarks and let me know if this is what you were expecting to see (just to know if I need to spend more energies on it or not )
Gianfri

_________________________________________
Pinball Solutions
www.pinballsolutions.eu
LED displays for Zaccaria, Bally/Stern, Williams/Data East and much more... visit our website.

Dear Hans,

thanks for your remarks, I see that you observed the kit with a lot of attention

If I understand your question you are talking about the LED modules and the driver board, if it's like that, considering the complexity and the fact that the 2 generation boards use different headers it's complicated to have one single solution without conversion connectors or wiring.
To be clear, I have one single 20 LED board which connects to the driver board using a converter, this way you can use the same LED board with different driver boards, even with other brands if you want.
I could use straight pins on the LED board and remove the IDC20 header at least for G2 boards but then I have problems with the size of the board because G1 driver board has 18pin female header and G2 has 20pin male header and the G1 headers distance doesn't permit to use a 20pin large PCB without overlap of the PCBs.

The solenoids 26 LED board is plugged directly because I had to invent a solution for G1 and G2 boards and as you said, I wanted to eliminate the wiring but this is only valid for G2 boards, when testing a G1 board you need additional wiring again. (no miracles on this)
Creating specific boards for each model would be too expensive for the market interest I can encounter.

Going to the LED vs bars solution, yes, again you're right but I was considering that using real 5mm LEDs you can much more easily recognize the correct output without using a magnifier (meaning that the bar indicator is really small)

Three details:
- the tool is sold in DIY kit to solder.
- you solder the same number of pins no matter you use single LED or LED bars
- this solution is ready to provide, the bar graph solution needs to be produced

But you are the ones who should express an interest therefore you should tell me what's your preference, round LEDs easy to count and identify or LED bars smaller and easier to solder?

If I have to develop the boards with LED bars and no wiring (only for lamp outputs) it will take few months before I have the solution available on the other hand the current one is almost ready to deliver.

Unfortunately this would not solve the problem of having a standard solutition for all Zaccaria boards due to the different header dimensions.
As I said before, the G1 has 18pins outputs and the G2 20pin outputs.
The distance between the headers doesn't permit to have a pcb size for G2 (5cm) fitting the G1 therefore the option I found was to use this additional converter, that's why I do not use the direct connection without wires.
But I'm still thinking about a compromise.

Yep, I have just discovered Wayne has more testing boards than I thought, but again I'm not against the led bars, it's just that it seems to me that they are very small, it's 2mm per led and when blinking all together you have 20 output leds within 5 cm, a bit squeezy but if there is a preference in having bars instead of single leds I could go into it.

That's right, it's quicker, I admit that it has an advantage.

Hhmmm

this looks like a challenge

I have been thinkng of the option but I finally drop it, it's not going to work, so I'll remain on the current situation where you need wiring at least for the 1st generation Zaccaria driver boards. There are no solutions if I want to provide a diagnostic tool which can work with 1st and 2nd generation.

It's not even a problem of time and money, it's just that it cannot work like that.

I'll publish a picture to better understant.

Regarding the current situation, is there anyone who would be interested in buying the diagnostic tool?

I remind just few practical things:
- the tool doesn't need to have a working CPU or working pinball machine;
- this tool runs autonomously on a test bench, you just need a 5V source;
- you get together with the tool the reference documents for the different board models with the mapping between output and components;
- it will exist in two bundles
1. controller, 1 LED board for lamp outputs, 1 LED board for solenoid outputs, it will include wiring for G1 and G2
2. controller, 5 LED boards for all the lamp outputs, 1 LED board for solenoid outputs, it will include wiring for G1 and G2

I was thinking of a selling price of 89$ for the bundle 1 and 129$ for the ultimate bundle 2.

Considering the fact that this is a pre-release sale I would give 20% discount on the selling price.

If anyone interested just send me an email or PM
Thanks

Hi Neo,

connecting to the G1 board is not a problem and I already have the connectors printed and working.
The diagnostic unit is the same as the G2 unit, the only difference is about harnesses which change.
The difference for Locomotion is only on the CPU board, no difference between driver boards for Locomotion and the earlier models (except the very first ones "shooting the rapids", "winter sports", ...).

Those very first G1 pinball machines have a slightly different driver board (not compatible with 1B1111/0 boards) which is also supported by the diagnostic tool.

hope this helps

_________________________________________
Pinball Solutions
www.pinballsolutions.eu
LED displays for Zaccaria, Bally/Stern, Williams/Data East and much more... visit our website.

Dear Force

here you find the picture which explains the problem between G1 and G2

20161229_235608 (resized).jpg

the black header is the minimum dimension for the G2 which it is too big for G1 board which you can see on the picture with white headers.

No matter what you do, if you prepare a PCB for G2 it goes on overlap when you place two of those next to each other

Let's start with drivers, then we see

_________________________________________
Pinball Solutions
www.pinballsolutions.eu
LED displays for Zaccaria, Bally/Stern, Williams/Data East and much more... visit our website.

Happy New zaccarYear!!!

G1 driver testing is ready, probably tomorrow I'll publish the final video with both boards testing and full kit overwiev.

I have the last kit available for this pre-release phase, don't miss the opportunity.

_________________________________________
Pinball Solutions
www.pinballsolutions.eu
LED displays for Zaccaria, Bally/Stern, Williams/Data East and much more... visit our website.

Got it!

Thanks all for you interest and for supporting me.

The pre-sale lot of the "Zaccaria driver diagnostic tool" has been sold out.

I will now prepare them to be shipped out and wait for your feedback and comments.

Gianfri

_________________________________________
Pinball Solutions
www.pinballsolutions.eu
LED displays for Zaccaria, Bally/Stern, Williams/Data East and much more... visit our website.

Dear Zaccaria lovers, here you find the second video with the G1 driver board testing.

You'll see that I have optimized the cabling compared to the first video where I was still on a prototype setup.

Solenoid outputs are tested with the same board but with different harnesses, silkscreen on the board will give you the information about connector and pin number.

In the following video the driver board has 3 defect components which give no output signal on 3 different LEDs.

Don't hesitate to write comments, opinions or remarks.
Gianfri

20170103_004140(0) (resized).jpg

20170103_004640 (resized).jpg

Dear folks,

- assembly instructions are ready
- packaging for the controller has been finalized
- documentation is being finalized
- shipping package is ready

Before shipping the first kits I would like to check with you the behaviour of the controller and the different phases of the test to see if it looks useful to you.

Phase 1:
After powering on, the controller selects the different address combinations, one by one, and keeps them ON for 5 seconds then OFF.
Phase 2:
The outputs switch ON, one by one, but stay ON and add each other until all outputs remain ON.
Phase 3:
All outputs flicker all together for a certain time.

This is done for an infinite cycle.

_________________________________________
Pinball Solutions
www.pinballsolutions.eu
LED displays for Zaccaria, Bally/Stern, Williams/Data East and much more... visit our website.

I have made a new video for G2 boards, here you find it with the different testing phases visible:

Let's now have a closer view of the solenoid output test board, as discussed before and as ForceFlow and HHaase asked, this board is a plug & play board, no harnessess for g2, but the way I imagined it, you can also use it for Zac G1 boards and why not, with other brands as well because it's easy do create a harness for your board header and connect it to this 26 LEDs board.

close1 (resized).jpg

The board also has two connection points for 5v, you can easily bridge several boards together.

Now, if you watch the silkscreen of the board you'll see that it is two sided oriented, that's the way it helps you with the different zaccaria boards.

close2 (resized).jpg

When plugged directly, you will have numbering from 1 to 26, but if you use it on Zaccaria G1 driver boards you'll use the other silkscreens which will help you recognize the different solenoid outputs which on G1 are 3 separate ones, CN13, CN14 and CN15

2 x 7 pins female headers
1 x 12 pins male header

That's why I needed to have harnesses and avoid having 5 different LED testing boards for testing 2 different driver boards.

Another idea I didn't disclose until now is to annex to the diagnostic tool a document to print with the different mapping information on the SCRs and Darlington which will be used as mask for the LEDs test boards.
Why this?
Two reasons:
1. having several headers for the same board didn't let me have all printed on the PCB (it's 5 headers per board only for lamps)
2. I give much more info than just a SCR or Darlington number
3. (bonus one) you can see it bigger (I know you're all young but... I feel like I'm getting old and will soon need glasses )

Any comment or additional idea will help, so don't be shy

Hi Neo,

I'll try to be a bit more detailed in the explainations.

Zaccaria uses a single board for driving lamps and solenoids in all its pinball machines.
G1 and G2 are similar boards and have the same logic behind so I'll just talk about G2 as example.

G2 driver board has 5x20 lamp outputs, 24 solenoid outputs and 1 additional one for flipper relays.
The lamps are driven from 5 headers which are from the same type, solenoids have molex 1.56" header.
So to answer your question, I use 5 x 20 LEDs boards which are all the same + a 26 LEDs board for solenoids.

The diagnostic test activates the different SCRs and Darlingtons which correspond to a single led. In total 125 LEDs for 125 outputs.
Depending on the header number, CNxx is the naming convention used by Zaccaria, and the output led of that specific CNxx, you know which component is involved in the workflow.
If a LED remains on and never switches off, or if a LED doesn't goes on, or if during blinking you have output LEDs with weird behaviour, you'll take the technical documents I provide with the tool and check the corresponding components for repair.

I have programmed 3 different cycle of tests, one switches on some outputs one by one and you can compare them with my tables to verify if they correspond, the other one just starts for a blank situation up to activating all outputs, the last one which is the quickest test just starts blinking and gives you a quick overview on the general condition of the board.

doghouse : let's try to keep them running for longer

_________________________________________
Pinball Solutions
www.pinballsolutions.eu
LED displays for Zaccaria, Bally/Stern, Williams/Data East and much more... visit our website.

I have created the final video so I'll soon remove the previous ones.

_________________________________________
Pinball Solutions
www.pinballsolutions.eu
LED displays for Zaccaria, Bally/Stern, Williams/Data East and much more... visit our website.

very good question!

the board works with 8 different combinations which come from 3 bits, the tool uses those 8 combinations one by one in order to address the right outputs.
In order to control all those outputs zaccaria have a certain numbers of ICs in paraller which receive the bits combinations, my diagnostic tool enables all the ICs at the same time and that's why you can have more than an output switched on during a specific sequence.
Sometimes it's one, sometimes it's three, you can have up to 5 outputs switched on.

All those combinations and the associated outputs are mapped in the documentation tables I provide.

A guide will try to explain all I can but your feedback only will help me adding usefull information on those documents because, as often happens, the one who creates things has a different perspective of the things and considers that things are clear enough even if they aren't

_________________________________________
Pinball Solutions
www.pinballsolutions.eu
LED displays for Zaccaria, Bally/Stern, Williams/Data East and much more... visit our website.

Dear friends,

I'm currently thinking about what HHaase and ForceFlow wrote before and therefore I'm a bit hesitating

I have some ideas on how to reduce cabling but I would like to avoid investing too much time and money on something is not going to attire interest

Is there anyone here who would be stopped from buying this tool like it is right now?
I mean, the fact of having single LEDs and some cabling to connect the LEDs boards to the driver board is that annoying?

Looking forward to your comments.

_________________________________________
Pinball Solutions
http://www.pinballsolutions.eu
LED displays for Zaccaria, Bally/Stern, Williams/Data East and much more... visit our website.

Dear Gibo,

I confirm that you can do it.
I'm currently restoring a Pinball Champ '82 therefore I took the time to take a video of the test board:

The things are two:
- you need to have a working machine
- you don't decide the way you activate the outputs

but of course in some cases can be faster to detect the problem even if at the end you'll need to remove the card and repare it.

I hope you'll enjoy the tool!!!

_________________________________________
Pinball Solutions
www.pinballsolutions.eu
LED displays for Zaccaria, Bally/Stern, Williams/Data East and much more... visit our website.

Dear folks, I have just finished producing my latest home made limoncello therefore I can concentrate on LED boards again

IMG-20170208-WA0012 (resized).jpeg

Having sold most of the lamp test LEDs boards, I have decided to produce another set of boards taking in account your previous comments and remarks.
I'll have them directly pluggable on Zaccaria G2 driver boards, no wires, no converters.
They will be also compatible for inside pinball machine use, so you will be able to plug them and run the internal lamp test if you have a working CPU.
Can be used alone or in bundle with the Diagnostic tool.
I'll use LEDs bar instead of single LEDs.
You'll have the choice to buy the G1 harness in case you'll need to test a G1 driver board.

Did I forget something? If so, please let me know and I'll try to get your remarks onboard.

On the other hand I'll keep the previous revision available in case some old style users (like me ) would prefer the big fat led to the led bars

_________________________________________
Pinball Solutions
www.pinballsolutions.eu
LED displays for Zaccaria, Bally/Stern, Williams/Data East and much more... visit our website.

Dear folks,

more diagnostic tools available, I have published it on the market.

_________________________________________
Pinball Solutions
http://www.pinballsolutions.eu
LED displays for Zaccaria, Bally/Stern, Williams/Data East and much more... visit our website.

I got the message
Our interest when developing tools is to get users feedback, I think I have got enough remarks on the diode to be convinced myself about it

If anything missing or that could be useful do not hesitate coming back to me, I'll update the guides.

Regards
Gianfri

_________________________________________
Pinball Solutions
www.pinballsolutions.eu
LED displays for Zaccaria, Bally/Stern, Williams/Data East and much more... visit our website.

Dear pinsiders,

a promise is a promise, here you find the freshly arrived LED module for lamp outputs which plugs directly to the Zaccaria G2 driver boards.

It can also be used on G1 board using the dedicated conversion harness for G1 boards.

This module can be used on a running machines and will indicate which output is defect (missing or always ON)
I would like to thank those who motivated me.

20LEDbar_1 (resized).jpg

20LEDbar_2 (resized).jpg

I'm back with some comments I've got from a customer who bought the bargraph modules and it's exactly what I was scared of...
...commenting the fact that segments are small and therefore giving him hard time for reading them.

Why did I write this?
Just for sharing with you the fact that there will always be different colors and flavours because of different ways of seeing things and tastes.

Btw, I'll keep both versions of the 20 LED boards in order to give the option to have the fancy bargraph or the big fat red LEDs.

I'll try to post some new pictures of the diagnistic tool later next week.
Gianfri

_________________________________________
Pinball Solutions
www.pinballsolutions.eu
LED displays for Zaccaria, Bally/Stern, Williams/Data East and much more... visit our website.

Finally took a picture of the bargraph modules directly installed on the board.

Nice and clean

20170625_012403 (resized).jpg

thanks to ForceFlow , HHaase and the others who pushed me to develop those too

I repaired 5 driver boards in less than 1h

Here a new video:

_________________________________________
Pinball Solutions
www.pinballsolutions.eu
LED displays for Zaccaria, Bally/Stern, Williams/Data East and much more... visit our website.