At one point I thought having blank with the bottom routed would be great, however, for a couple of very different reasons, I no longer think that.

As Scott pointed out, I think it is very hard to have a one size fits all for this. Even an "italian bottom" is about the basic layout of inlanes, etc., not about the exact positioning. Lots of variations, type of lane guides, insert sizes, shooter lane style/length, does the game have a kickback (affects location of switch slot), then what type of a shooter is, it autofire, which style (both mech style and whether if being used with a manual plunger or not), Which style trough, etc.

But I think more important, is you learn a lot from that very first white wood, even just doing the lower portion. You really learn a lot and it makes you think about stuff that will pay dividends layer when you get to the non-common parts of your game. For your first game, you have to recognize that the very first playfield is likely to have a short life span and be totally wrong. In fact on my first whitewood, I did not worry about routing the shooter lane, no reason to, it was all about learning, and the wood sides would get the job done. That first was a cheap ass piece of MDF (although I would recommend not using MDF, I would use an inexpensive plywood). I will say that on Casino, my first whitewood was done with a nice piece of plywood, since I knew it would be a whitewood that would likely go much further into development, since at that point I had quite a bit of experience and had done far more planning of the layout.

For it to be viable, you then have to package all of the matching hardware/mechs, meaning slings, auto-fire, lane guides, etc. I know it my case, I had both my preferences (e.g. williams flippers, but stern slings, since easier to mount), I've used three different troughs along the way, but at this point one game has a williams, because I had a 6 ball trough spare, and a stern style, since that was the easiest to get at the time.

So, would some folks like this, absolutely, but in some ways it is a shortcut, that then short changes some of the key learnings of doing your first whitewood (and calling it a whitewood is probably being kind, we need a better term for that very first experiment).

Exactly

Neither of my customs would be possible if I didn't make the bottom layout myself.

Hey guys, I want to join you and become a designer of my own custom pinball machine! I pretty familiar with pinball repair, I'm very familiar with electronics design and writing software, and I just bought a super cheap Shaq Attack parts machine. I bought it for the cabinet but the playfield ended up having more than I expected (100% of under, 75% of above playfield still there).

My question for you guys:
I've never played Shaq Attack but in looking at it the shot map for the bottom half of the playfield seems pretty solid. It seems like most people's complaints about the game have to do with the software and theme. I'm thinking about reusing this playfield as much as possible rather than starting from scratch. I don't however like the top half (nor do I have all the parts). So I'm wondering it is is reasonable to rework the playfield or should I start from a blank whitewood? (for example I would remove the jump ramp and the left upper flipper and perhaps put some other mech in their place.). Is reworking an existing playfield like this a good idea or should I just start from scratch? (I don't have the MPU and I want to learn about pinball software so no matter what the software will be custom).

I see nothing wrong with cutting your teeth on an existing playfield that you retheme.

I've spent a lot of time working out what lane guides work well with specific slingshot geometry and where the flippers have to go, etc.... You get the benefit of not having to worry about a lot of that stuff. You also get the benefit of having a ton of mechs already mounted and ready to go.

When I was starting Spaceballs, I had the opportunity to buy a Striker Xtreme for $1000 and use that as a basis for the machine, getting a cab, mechs, etc... out of it. I chose not to, and I wish I had. I may not have ended up using that stuff in the end, but it would have bootstrapped me to the "fun" parts, layout and software. I put fun in quotes because I actually enjoy the entire process from doing the CAD work to doing the wiring. It just takes a lot of time to sit down and figure it all out.

At the request of a customer; I had a handfull of rollover switch LED assemblies made with natural white LEDs.
rollover 4led
These LED boards have 4 natural white leds; can be PWMed; and have a brightness control resistor. More information on the product page:
http://pinball-mods.com/oscom/modifications-do-it-yourself-star-rollover-led-p-17.html

I've finished putting up a preliminary guide to using the Open Pinball Project boards on the Pinball Makers site.

http://pinballmakers.com/wiki/index.php/OPP

OPP is by far the cheapest way to get a custom game going - often you can do a game for less than $100 in parts.

Any questions, let me know!

DUDE!! nice writeup!!! This is what this project has needed more than anything, a very simple and clean explanation how it works, how it's wired up, and how to program.

Excellent work! Very clearly written and exactly what I needed to get started with my OPP boards from the kickstarter!

Agree! The boards are a clever DIY solution but until now it was very loosely presented. Finally thanks to Fantasy Goat I have something a bit more at my level I can start working from.

Cost for me was a driver, I can fry and make mistakes now almost entirely without fear! That does a lot for experimentation.

EXACTLY! cost of entry is already cheap for the package. Let's say you cross a wire on a coil, replace a FET. Blow up the driver IC? As long as you socketed it, easily replaced.

I really hope as more people use OPP, people can see what a great system it is. And not to bash any competitors (they all have their positives), he did a nice writeup of real cost comparison (and limitations) of each system:
https://openpinballproject.wordpress.com/2016/08/14/8142016-cost-smackdown-opp-vs-fast-vs-p-roc/

Good write-up and double thanks for the Jokerz info as that's one of my machines on the chopping block.

I think I am going to order parts for OPP this weekend. I'm excited!

What IC are you talking about here? From fantasygoat's write up I thought the writing was 48V directly to coil lug, diode between lugs, other lug to solenoid wing which connects to processor board. So isn't the only IC in this circuit the processor?

Ok, color me impressed. That looks like a pretty inexpensive and easy way to get started.

Nice job on the write-up

The only problem might be space on the underside of the playfiled if you start adding a lot of these boards. However, at least one later Gottlieb 80B game started mounting the auxiliary playfield PCBs vertically, so that technique might be an option:

http://www.ipdb.org/showpic.pl?id=1043&picno=34087&zoom=1

If you aren't using the USB section of the processor board, can you just cut it off for any processor boards used in the middle or end of the serial chain? That might save some space when mounting under the playfield. Or, is that section of the board necessary for serial communication in some way?

Gah, nevermind.. I forgot it changed on the new revision. I had one of the early boards where you programmed an IC chip to determine PWM hold power and how quickly it switched to PWM (typically for flippers).

Thanks for the comments on the wiki, I'm really glad people like it, and hopefully it'll make OPP more accessible and understandable!

You don't have to wire up your game to place processors close to the devices, you can easily run the wires all the way to the head and have them in a single spot. I'm doing that on my game somewhat - I've put most of the boards at the back of the playfield where there was a lot of room for mounting.

For a first game I'd recommend wiring it together in one spot to make troubleshooting easier.

If you aren't using the USB section of the processor board, can you just cut it off for any processor boards used in the middle or end of the serial chain? That might save some space when mounting under the playfield.

Yes, that's an option, since once wired up it's not needed anywhere except the first processor. However, having the USB-to-Serial part there means you can still plug that processor in directly for upgrading the firmware or changing the config manually.

While I troubleshooted various things it was handy to do it one board at a time.

Oh, I see. So firmware updates can't be pushed down the serial chain.

[edit]: Ok, I read through the software section again. Makes sense now.

So each processor board holds the wing configuration and ID name/number?

Actually, only the wing configuration is saved between power cycles - the ID is generated at power-up based on the physical position of the board in the chain.

Say you have three boards (board IDs in brackets):

1 (0x20) -> 2 (0x21) -> 3 (0x22)

if you add another in the middle, the IDs move:

1-(0x20) > 2-(0x21) > 4 (0x22) -> 3 (0x23)

That'll screw up your hard-wired config. It's not a big issue once the game is finished, though.

Perhaps I should pump-up that section to explain it more?

Yeah, it might be better to first go into the general theory of operation of the devices before jumping into explaining the code needed for configuration. So by the time you reach that section, it would make more sense. And, what do to to make changes, if someone wants to add or remove a processor board, like you said, or swap a wing board to something else. Swapping stuff around is probably going to happen frequently when someone is building up a playfield.

One possible option is you could snap off the USB-to-Serial interface, and attach a connector to the four pins, and a connector on the processor board, so that you could plug in the interface when you need it.

That's actually a good idea, since then you're not leaving an open connector with 5V just sitting there exposed...

Or you could just wrap the end in some electrical tape. But it's a good point about having those contacts exposed.

I updated that section and moved the interface wing description up under it. Hopefully that will help make it more clear - thanks for the suggestion!

One other thing--in the introduction under the "Programming Firmware" section, I think you should make it more clear about what the firmware for the processor board does/doesn't do, and a very brief list of steps on how to prepare the board for use. Maybe something like:

1) download firmware
2) create config file for wing configuration using gen2test
3) Insert into computer
4) use cyflash to upload the firmware & config into the processor board
5) Dismount from computer
6) install into the pinball machine.

Or whatever the proper order is supposed to be. That section is a little confusing since it seems like it jumps around with "before doing x, do y first"

Okay, I did a huge re-write on that section, hopefully it's more clear now.

Let me tell you, figuring out all that stuff was NOT easy - the documentation does have all the info, but it's not easy to read. I spent a week chasing my tail because I mistook one photo wrong and made my ribbon cables wrong! I hope this wiki article allows people to learn from my mistakes!

I've encountered my fair share of documentation that was jumbled, missing critical details, or was just plain unclear. Heck, I wrote the pinwiki page on Allied Leisure games from scratch since that's how little info there was on those games and how much key info was missing from the official documentation.

Thanks for putting some more time into it--it's much clearer now.

Does anyone have any examples of power distribution for work in progress games? Pictures/links would be great. I need a better way to send out 48v and 5v and ground it than what I'm using. Can't do harnesses yet because things are always changing. Bus bars?

Terminal strips could work.

I used power bus strips. Buy them at Adafruit: https://www.adafruit.com/products/737

I put the power supplies on a board so I could move the "power unit" to and from the workbench easily. It came in handy a bunch.

mpx8FAE_(resized).jpg

I have thanked Fantasy Goat personally, but should probably do it in a more public forum. He did an excellent job on the documentation, and his skills on writing clear information far exceeds what I can do. I am amazed that somebody would take so much of their personal time to create the pages, but I'm glad that he did.

Toyota boy has told me multiple times that my writing is too technical, but I always try to explain why things are a certain way. Many times that makes the information less comprehensible. Fantasy Goat simply presenting easy to understand pictures of how things fit together is very helpful. When I read it, I was blown away with how simply it was presented and how easy it was to understand.

For connecting power supplies to the playfield, I like using the 24 pin molex connectors like in a computer. When I did my power supply max power design, I bought a bunch from ebay really cheaply, and it makes connecting/disconnecting the playfield a snap. One connector does all the voltages at once.

I'm working on writing a post for vertical mounting, but it boils down to the fact that cutting a plastic electrical box in half makes a really nice way to mount the cards. I believe that electrical boxes are available in the US and Europe, so it should be easy to find the materials locally. The plastic is soft enough with a pilot hole you can easily mount one board, or even two boards on each side. I then drill two holes in the base so it can be mounted to the playfield. It saves a lot of space on the bottom of playfield.

There was some other thread on pinside where they were talking about needing a bunch of inputs for an Ice Cold Beer machine. Just using the Cypress PSoC 4200 Prototyping board and throwing on a couple of inputs headers means you can easily get 32 inputs for $4 + $1 in headers. If you throw on the OPP firmware, it is already completed. (Cheaper than the Arduino they are talking about).

Be nice if the blocks were smaller, meaning the diameter of the openings, they are way, way too big for the size wiring we use, heck, they are way to big for any wiring I have every used, for anything.

Any instructions on how to drive 7-segment digit displays, alphanumeric displays, DMD displays, or LCD displays?

From the details, "Each bus has 7 holes bored out of a chunk of brass. There are screws that can cinch down any number of wires. Since its meant for power distribution, the wires should be 20 AWG or larger (thinner wires will slip out)."

What gauge wire are you using for your high voltage and dirty ground? I sure hope it isn't anything smaller than 18 AWG.

Aaron
FAST Pinball

oh, I like 22 gauge for everything

Since it is a bus connector, the idea is to have just one per "lug", which is why I say they are way too big (I do have some of these).

any yes, for those who may not realize it, I am joking about using 22 gauge for high power -- or am I?

Too big for the wiring *you* use. Works great for my design.

I have large connectors after the terminal blocks as well.

It goes Power Supply -> terminal blocks -> umbilical with connectors -> playfield/cabinet/etc....

Every single mech in the machine has its own molex connector.

If you mean OPP, since MPF supports OPP you could use that framework, which has built-in support for a variety of displays. I believe they're working on 6/7 digit support now.

It also has support for the FadeCandy, so you could drive LED displays that way.

Thanks for pointing that out. I was thinking at the hardware level, and not the software level.

https://missionpinball.com/docs/mpf-core-architecture/displays-dmd/displays/segmented-displays/

There are so many options for displays, giving advice on hardware interfaces for them is almost impossible unless you know which one you specifically want to use.

The easiest options, in my opinion, are either a RGB DMD that connects via USB, or a LCD that uses HDMI/VGA out from the computer.

In any of those cases, I would recommend giving MPF a shot. As fantasygoat mentioned, it works with OPP and is a really solid framework. The work that has gone into it even in the past 6 months is just astounding.

I found that my local ACE had some 21-point grounding busses. I picked up 2 and cut one down on the bandsaw to match my needs somewhere. I found that 18 and 22 were both a little loose. What I ended up doing is taking the bare wires and folding them back over so it looks almost like the hook on a walking stick, but a little tighter. That made all the difference and now the wires are very secure.

Don't be afraid to put more than 1 wire in each hole as well.

Heck, daisy chain the busses

I will sometime load the stranded wire ends with some solder to give it a little more mass to clamp onto.

Aaron
FAST Pinball

I have just been educated on why this is a bad idea...
--Scott

If you want a reliable connection, do *not* tin your wire ends going into a screw terminal. The internet is full of reasons why stripped/bare wire is better than tinned for screw terminals.

- Gerry
http://www.pinballcontrollers.com
http://www.multimorphic.com

Why are you quoting me when it was Scott who said it is best practice?

Aaron
FAST Pinball

I updated my post. I misspoke. I guess you learn something every day.
--Scott

Look guys, my comment on putting solder onto some wire sometimes when I am putting them in screw terminals is when I am prototyping and moving wire around, making routing decisions. Sometimes changing it a bunch frays/break off the strands of wire, so some selective tinning helps my process. I certainly wouldn't tin everything I put into a screw terminal. In fact, I usually only use a screw terminal until I decide on final wire layouts. Then I make a proper wire harness, plugs, etc.

Thanks Gerry for clearing this up. I'll give my comments much more context in the future so we don't have any confusion for new pinball folks.

Aaron
FAST Pinball

PS: Zitt, we all you know you don't like me. But feel free to down vote posts I make if it helps ya get through the day.

LOL. It's just pinside banter. It hasn't killed anyone yet.

Aaron
FAST Pinball

PS: Or has it? And it has been kept real hush-hush...