Lord of the Rings
Stern, 2003I've got 6 switches (#'s 21, 25, 39, 45, 53, 61) that are not registering when closed. There is no common row or column that they are on. I have tested the actual switches involved and they are good. I'm at a loss as to what I should be looking for. Any help/suggestions are appreciated.
reseat connectors on the boards (make sure one hasn't come off a fallen down into the game)...and visually inspect connectors under the playfield.
So are those switch numbers or row/column numbers. Stern displays show both which can be confusing. 45,53,61 are exactly 8 apart and 21 is 16 apart which means those 4 could be in the same row (or is it column). That could indicate a single loose wire from say switch 37, 29, 13, 5. That would explain 4 of the 6 non working switches. Switches 25 and 39 you could then diagnose separately.
I would not check fuses here. Blown fuses would not show as only these switches as bad unless they're optos. Also, a single opto power board could account for 2 dead opto switches if two are optos. I don't have my manual in front of me.
Thanks, Mark. I played around with #39 and found that it worked intermittently. Went ahead and replaced it and the new switch works 100%. Going to try and do that with #25 as well but it's a bear to get at. It's the sword ramp entrance switch and if I remember correctly I've got to take that ramp off to even get to that one.
Quoted from markmon:... 4 could be in the same row (or is it column).
I recognized the "row" correlation on those 4 switches as well. Digging a little deeper, I've now found that switch #13 is not working either. It's on that same row as well so now there are 5 switches on that row that are not functioning. Again, I jumped power to that switch from a working switch and it worked so I know it's not a bad switch. None of the "bad" switches are optos.
Typically I would think there's a board component (transistor?) that's bad. However, the other two switches on that row, #29 & #37 are working. There should be another on that row, #5, center coin slot. However, my machine only has two coin slots which are switches #4 & #6. There is no #5 on my machine. Does anyone know if a transistor can be partially bad, letting some switches work but not others?
Is this a machine that was acquired recently or did all 6 switches die at the same time? I just don't see any single device causing all the problems unless I'm overlooking something. I did look up the switch numbers and they are not all in the same row or columns which makes it hard to believe they are related to a single device. http://www.pinitech.com/switch_database.php?name=Stern_The_Lord_of_the_Rings This is where having a switch matrix tester would come in really handy http://www.pinitech.com/products/64switch_tester.php.
Having 5 bad switches in a single row is going to be a broken wire or bad connection which may actually be on a working switch since they are all daisy chained and are wired by means of the shortest route which is usually not (maybe never) in the same sequence as the matrix list.
Quoted from Pin_Guy:I just don't see any single device causing all the problems unless I'm overlooking something.
That was my thought too so I tore the sword ramp apart to test #25. It was wired backwards. Now fixed and working as it should. There's a reason I call myself Pindufus.......
That leaves me with #'s 13, 21, 45, 53 & 61 not working. All are in the same row.
Quoted from Pin_Guy:they are all daisy chained and are wired by means of the shortest route which is usually not (maybe never) in the same sequence as the matrix list.
That certainly would explain why 29 & 37 are still working. Tomorrow I'll start looking at the wires more closely and maybe even add some solder to make sure the connections are good.
Thanks Pin Guy and everyone else providing assistance.
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