Special secret sauce...kidding.. There are two playfield insert sweeps a specific time apart. Sense the first, wait the right amount of time, sense the second.

Progress with the code. Grave MB start added. Scoop added. Many, many, many bugs removed..lot's of conflicting turn on/turn off commands in the first pass. All the nuances of orbit handling ironed out, including rejects. And second video has proper LJ start (a bit buggy at the end).
There is a problem with one switch row being read properly at the MCU, so the captive ball doesn't read. I moved it's effect to the pick target closest.
And the PWM is still too jittery, so the scoop is a gradual string turn off rather than fade. Final version will be fade though. Moving on to CIU modes now.

Some gameplay

Proper LJ start

I'm shooting for the $250 mark, but still variable as I haven't locked in cabling prices yet, and there is a lot of that.

I'm also going to put up some details of installation in the next day or so, so people can get their head around the process. It IS plug and play, but there is a lot of "plug". But, hey. Half the fun is in the installation isn't it?

You bet. I want to cover a lot of ground. Even if someone buys this kit with just GI, the board still comes with all the ability to drive the led strips and other mods. And can be moved to another machine and reprogrammed.

I got your back there. By reprogrammed I mean dropping a new code file in, I will build up a library of code files for different machines and you just have to download them. Of course, these will also be open source with preloaded low level drivers and a library of user commands already built so anyone who really wants to can do anything at all with it.

Well, if this is really going to happen and people are going to put this mod in their machines, then it's about time we started thinking about installation and hookup. I am going to run through some photos here with a description of how it all goes together. Hopefully it doesn't turn anyone off.

First thing is, don't worry. This is a vastly less taxing installation than the Tron ramp light kit or the complete AC/DC Premium Cliffy set, and it is completely reversible. There looks like a lot of stuff going on, but it is really very simple. You WILL snip off some factory cable ties, and you WILL screw some lamp sockets into the underside of your playfield. Those two things are the extent of the work that may make you squirm..the rest is just plugs. You don't have to remove any ramps or plastics.

Let's start with the backbox. This is how your backbox looks before you start. And this is actually my Met Pro LED AFTER I have removed my kit. You will only notice it's been there if you zoom in and count the cable ties or see some of the signal wires untwisted.

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So, what are we targeting? We are intercepting the entire lamp and switch matrices, plus the GI circuit, so those plugs are coming out..

GI..
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Lamp rows and columns..
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Switch returns, upper and lower..
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And switch drive..(the green one on the right)
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This is where you need to snip some cable ties, and undo some factory twisting. It is patently obvious what is required once you get in there, and VERY easy. And this is what your backbox will look like when it's ready to receive the main board..
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So, onto the boards. There are two. The Matrix Interceptor (The Matrix and Mad Max referenced in one title..haha), and the GI interceptor..
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And they have their own connector cable..
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If you have a wooden backbox, you will be screwing these into the back wall of it. If you have the new metal backbox, the mounting holes line up with the factory mounting screws. You put these included standoffs on first..
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Then mount the board..
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Then connect the GI plug to the GI interceptor..
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The plug it all in..
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Easy so far, right? Now take all my cables..
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And plug them in. These are my TEST cables which are a much heavier gauge than they need to be. The final version will not be obvious compared to the factory cabling. I will color match them and they will blend in.
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Now you're ready to install the lights. We are very lucky with Metallica in that Stern has used identical play fields for Premium and Pro (unlike AC/DC), so every required lamp spot is available. We are installing three strings of eight sockets (there are actually nine each red and blue in the Prem, but I have made an executive decision to go with eight, unless of course there is general uproar and you want nine). One red, one blue and one white. You will be dropping out some factory sockets and taping them or cable tying them out of the way. Here are some of my test sockets held in with Gorilla tape (so I can move them quickly)..
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and below, just resting comfortably in their spaces. Notice the drill hole. That is factory. You will be adding a few of them, but the Premium has the same holes so don't worry. Note that my sockets will match Stern sockets exactly. I have ordered them specially. The ones in the photos are TEST only. You will screw most of the sockets back into existing holes (with included screws, or the originals you take out, you will have plenty), and drill small pilot holes for the extras we are adding (you can get away without drilling pilots but I strongly recommend you take the ten minutes to drill).
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And here are the strings all in. Again, with over-gauge wire in the test version.
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The strings run back to the backbox alongside all the factory cables. And go into this terminal block.
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And you are done! The power cable is visible in an earlier photo (and there above at the bottom corner of the board near my finger). That runs back to the coin door 12V. Plug that in, drop the hood and play.

You end up with a GI system consisting of most of the original white, which is controlled on and off by the GI Interceptor, and the new colour plus white strings that match the Premium/LE positioning.

And obviously, in the final instructions, I will map out exactly where all the sockets go, and which ones to drop out.

All in the final stages. I won't put a date on it, as something will inevitably pop up to delay it, but I will keep updates coming. You can see I am almost there. The only major component I have yet to fully settle on is a contractor for the socket strings. I even bought a pneumatic IDC punch for making the connector cables. It was too expensive to have them made, but was taking me too long to build them myself. Solution? Tool-up! It hasn't arrived yet, but I think I will be able to assemble a 10 way connector in under a minute.

yes Xmen will be done. The machines that run with the seperate strings are the first to attack as you have a specific scheme to repilcate and install in the pro. Once they are done, you get into designing your own schemes and effects for machines that have never had colour GI before.

The GI inteceptor needs to be triggered by the main board to turn off the factory GI when the game code doesnt turn it off long enough for the color effects to play out. It needs to link in with all the other control. You wouldnt use it on its own. I will also be creating more effects for the factory GI, based on on/off and cycling. I also use the backboard row of GI in place of spots. See the grave MB start.

Yes, sorry Ryan, that's what I meant. Xmen will be done BECAUSE the LE has the three strings. If anyone wants to help they could check their xmen pro PF to see if the holes for the GI lamps are all drilled the same as the LE. I haven't seen one up close yet.

Great stuff! Good videos are the way to go. I can't buy every machine I want to emulate.

Plus, people can make requests. We can go beyond what the premiums/LEs are doing. See my fade to black version of Back in black in ACDC.

Getting closer. Here are the detailed socket maps. First is the drop outs. Second is the three new strings going in. Is it clear enough?

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Pretty much. Met is a much bigger code/debug job than ACDC. So ACDC will just sorta drop in there along the way.

Let's talk about bulbs. It seems a terrible tax on the planet for me to buy bulk bulbs from CT or Comet, have them shipped over here, then ship them all the way back to the US. You will have enough white from the sockets you drop out, so only blue and red to get. I think I will be shipping without bulbs, and when you place an order for this, just give Art or CT an order for the Stern-matching twin SMD bulbs. All happy with that?