9 each, red blue. I ended up going nine. Couldn't stand that back corner not being proper. Damn mental problems. But hell, it's the OCD that got the job done in the first place. You'd HAVE to be crazy to try something like this!

Nice! When you're choosing characters with the flippers is there an insert indicating your choice? With ACDC the jukebox indicates the choice so I can read it, but in Metallica song choice is not reflected anywhere so I can't read it.

And remember it doesn't even have to be easy. It just needs some unique behaviour somewhere. You should see some of the combined switch/lamp logic that goes into locking onto some modes. I have filmed sequences and watched them frame by frame to get the tiniest indication from a lamp or combination of lamps. Met doesn't have any discrete mode inserts but I think I've got em all, just from behaviour.

Yes. All power outputs have software pwm control, and I have built a switch count engine so it fades as you collect shots. See this example on ACDC..

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/ramp-lighting-in-your-face-st-pro-brought-to-lifevideo/page/5#post-2409409

This wasn't using the pwm, which was still jittery at the time, but does use the switch count engine. I used the switch counts to progressively turn off each of the factory GI strings, then my red string then my white string. The flashing jukebox insert resets it all.

Yes. Just look at the early videos when I first launched the LED strip ramp idea. This thing will drive anything. The only limiting factor with RGB GI is physically mounting the bulbs. If we can get four wires to a big ass RGB that sits there like a normal GI lamp then we are good to go. Maybe a board with a light pipe like WOZ, but that doesn't throw enough light. I'm looking for the answer. If you find it let me know, 'cause this is next up. Free kit if you find the right bulb.

Grave MB done. I left it running after the MB finished 'cause I noticed mystery was lit with extra ball. It shows that the mystery fade is properly delayed if extra ball is flashing at the same time.
What looks like a reject bug out of the left orbit early on is actually my board not reading the switch hit on the way up, therefore it didn't know it had gone over it, and therefore it didn't do the momentary turn-off-the-switch-to-prevent-the-reject-hit thingy that it normally does. It does it successfully you can see next time it rejects soon after.

These will be shipping plug and play, but in the future there will be lots to download over the USB. Updates, or if you want to move it to another machine you will be able to download code for another machine. I am using the factory bootloader rather than installing another mass storage bootloader over the top. So downloading will be a simple 2 step process, not quite a perfect drag and drop. You can get ready by following this link http://www.atmel.com/images/JRE%20-%20Flip%20Installer%20-%203.4.7.112.exe and installing the free Atmel Flip software. It only needs to be installed. You won't have to run it. The USB download will then just require double-clicking a batch file I will include for each code file.

I have started on them. FTB works quite well overall but is still buggy. A few more days of debug before I can get a video up I would say.

Question.. Technically, FTB fades based on a switch count. That's cool. I have a switch count engine built and it works. But, I need to balance out the hits and can choose which hits to accept. I was thinking of leaving two of the pops out, but if people wanted it loaded for all the pops to actually make you want to shoot for the pops I can do that. OR..I can fade it based on a timer. I might open it to a casual vote..
FTB fade on all switches including all pops?
FTB fade on a more balanced switch count with one or two pops ignored?
FTB fade based on a timer?

Here's the ACDC version of FTB that I put in BIB if you haven't seen it. It's clunkier than the final version will be though as my pwm was jittery at the time so I used a gradual turn-off of all the GI strings rather than a pwm fade. It shows the switch counter working though. Met will be getting the pwm fade.

Perfect logic. Yes, timer is out.

Here you go, Fade to Black. 80 switch hits to take it down to just blue running at 40%. The first 40 hits turn off the factory GI strings in this order.. backboard off first, then PF rear (top lanes and around there), then the left and right PF off together about midway through. The second half of the show is gradual pwm fade down of my three strings, stopping the blue fade at 40% and letting the red and white strings go to zero. There is a tiny bug at the end where the ball going into the scoop brings my strings out of the mode because FTB has actually been completed. If you go into the scoop before the mode is completed, it currently works correctly in that you don't exit the black/blue GI unless you choose to end and collect. This will of course be fixed.

--Edit..turning off the factory GI gradually is optional and not the best replication. I will do another video with the factory strings off for the entirety and only the kit strings used.

Some blue/red cross fade testing. Gets a bit jumpy midway through. It got a bit confused by some mixed signals from the inserts. Just testing for Blackened.

haha. You guys. I'm a one man band. lucky I don't have any preorder money..i'd be in big trouble for no updates.

Here's an update anyway. For the GI crew..cable manufacturer is locked in (went out to his factory on Friday and he helped me tweak a few things to get manufacturing cost down. Yes! There are still manufacturers for this in Australia..just barely). Met code is still the no1 priority and I am up to doing Blackened. My test board has developed an issue reading row1 of the lamp matrix, and for Blackened this is an issue. This is my highest priority and should be fixed this week, then I can test Blackened. I have an issue reading some switches on this board, but I suspect it's the board. I have a second test board being made up now which will let me test this also next week.

For the strip crew..I am currently working to port my software away from my strips (which are always going to be too expensive) across to commercially available strips. They're not as nice, but they are getting better all the time, and the only realistic cost model. I dont have a date on this, but it will be done. The good thing with ST is that the game code is pretty much done, so once a strip solution is locked in it should be good to go.

For both.. I have a small issue with my reset button sharing a pinout on the MCU (too geeky to go into, but with the sheer number of I/O requirements, you run out of pins even on a 100pin MCU.) which just needs a bit of tweaking. I also have an annoying issue when I program the chip on Release instead of Debug (see, Geeky), so I am ploughing through that as well. Seriously, have a heart for anyone who is trying to manufacture anything (legitimately). So many things can throw up a delay, which put something else on hold, and compund the delay. All good fun though.
Cheers
Mike

Glad you asked. Always happy to give updates when someone else bumps the thread.

Here is a list of what I believe the sequences are that exist on the Prem/LE that I am attempting to replicate, with a comment on each one's status..

Orbit/reject handling
Orbit hit from rear excluded -done
Rejects from diverter post excluded -done
Fuel lane back bounce excluded -done
Orbit from plunge excluded -done

Playfield hits
Coffin hit (red) -done
Sparky hit (white) -done

Standard ramp patterns
Ramp flash (red) -done
Combo flash (red) -done

Lady Justice
Start sequence (red/white) -done
Shot hit (red/white/blue) -done

Fuel
Each Fuel bank completion -done
Fuel is lit (red/white) -done
Fuel standup hit pattern (red/white) -done
Fuel jackpot hit (red/white) -done

Mystery scoop
Fade to blue flash (red/white/blue) -done
Delayed for extra ball -done
Adjusted for each mystery level achieved -done

Blackened
Cross fade (red/white/blue) -WIP
Band collect (red) -WIP
Super jackpot (red/white) -WIP

Seek and destroy
Seek (white/blue) -WIP
Destroy (white/blue) -WIP

Multiballs
Grave
Pre-start dim (white/blue) -done
Start sequence (blue/white) -done
Jackpot (blue/white) -done
Super jackpot (blue) -done
Chair
Start sequence (white) -done
Coffin
Start sequence (red) -done
Shot activate (white/blue) -WIP
Shot hit (red) -WIP
Jackpot (red) -WIP
Snake
There is none! -done

CIU modes
Suspend normal effects -done
FWTBT
Dim to 40% (red/white/blue) -done
FTB
Switch count fade (red/white/blue) -done
Battery
Dim to 40% (red/white/blue) -done
ES
Dim to 40% (red/white/blue) -done

Drain
Grave (blue) -done
Chair (white) -done
Coffin (red) -done
Snake (white) -done

General
All modes stack where they should -WIP
All modes exit when they should -WIP
Ball save accounted for -done
Grace periods included -done

If I have missed anything please let me know.

Stacking is not that hard to do per se. What I'm finding the hardest thing about stacking is the exit cues for modes. When there is a lot of stuff going on simultaneously, there is a lot of activity in the inserts and signals that trigger things may/do coincidentally occur, falsely throwing the board out of a mode when it should stay in. So a whole lot of exclusion conditions have to be built in to prevent this happening. I've got plenty of these exclusion conditions in there already and it works, but play testing always throws up an unforeseen combination of events that throw things out. And of course, that just means time.

And Stern doesn't infinitely stack all it's effects in the Prem. If SaD and Blackened and CMB are running for example, the Blackened effect is suspended.

I keep saying "soon", but hard to actually tell. All manufacturing is lined up. I have a basement full of components. There are a few technical issues on the main board to address, and the code as noted above is almost there.

No preorder. I am taking all the manufacturing risk. I am doing a run and they will simply be available to click and buy. If they run out, I'll just do some more. Although, to set the first batch size I may do a call for commitments, but with no money down.

Order went out today for the first production run of main boards. Pricing is hopefully going to be around US$255. Kit will include Matrix Interceptor main board, GI interceptor daughter board, three strings of nine GI sockets, all connector cables and mounting hardware. Code is direct Prem/LE GI replication with the following differences..
Additions.. Blue/Red cross fade in attract mode and game end sequence, Sparky hit gets added flash pattern for a direct SU target hit, Blue string flashes in sync with CIU light when CIU is lit.
Omissions.. Grave MB setup dimming (causing too many lockups later in the game), Blackened crossfade is slightly different.

General point on replication. The white is a combination of Pro factory GI plus 9 bulbs of my white replication. It is therefore different in some ways to the Premium and I can't completely get rid of that unless I replace EVERY socket, and that is not a realistic or desirable approach.
I also may have inadvertently missed something, so please don't call me out for false advertising if you find something missing. In fact, please let me know, as I can update the code and send it out.
There will be minor timing differences. A premium flash rate might be 100ms, and mine might be 110ms or something like that.

I don't want to cause video fatigue by throwing up more gameplay videos, but if anyone wants to see something specific I will put it up.

Yes. I will have different codes available for download. Code updates will require a couple of steps, but nothing technical or complicated, just a couple of clicks in a couple of places. I made sure it was able to be done before I went into production.

I have yet to give ACDC a final polish. When the boards come back I will be able to devote a board to ACDC and finish it off.

Lol, I know you bang on about these games and I will get to some code. There are some hardware updates on the horizon to make games like Tron more "approachable" to this type of mod. In the meantime, all joking aside, anyone can buy the board and program it. I am going to start another thread devoted just to the board and how to program it.