(Topic ID: 269532)

Stern Star Trek Premium/LE lamp issue

By CadillacMusic

3 years ago



Topic Stats

  • 7 posts
  • 5 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 3 years ago by Schwaggs
  • No one calls this topic a favorite

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#1 3 years ago

Dusting off this old account for an old friend of mine. He let someone borrow his Star Trek LE, and they’ve just returned it - broken. The lamps are acting strangely. The rest of the game plays fine, but it is lighting up the wrong lamps. Good old stern never put a lamp matrix in the manual, but I managed to at least establish that the light that should be the start button is lightning all the mission lamps and the captains’ chair. It does not light the start button. I would guess it to be a column or row stuck on, but it gets weirder. Space Jump lights the second yellow arrow from the bottom. Fire lamp instead lights save the enterprise.(T)rek lights the captain’s chair. T(R)ek lights the shoot again. I’m confused because it’s not lighting the lamp it’s supposed to, but lighting others. Like it’s plugged in a row off. I had him unplug and replug J12, no change. It’s been over a year since I’ve been inside a pin. What obvious thing is going on that I’m missing?

#2 3 years ago

Did you try to reload the latest code update?
Also I would check all connections on cpu and nodes.

#3 3 years ago

Not enough information to respond.

The lamp matrix in Star Trek LEs is a weird pre-node board type of arrangement. The CPU sends a signal to the "node boards" which then are turned on/off by the microcontroller on the board.

Based upon this; I'd look at the power supplies in the game. Namely the powersupply on the main node board controlling the center misson inserts.

The other thing to do is if he has any non-stock mods in the game. They need to be disconnected before continuing the troubleshooting.
The controlled Insert power supply basically comes from the main node board. Any GI and/or RGB inserts are driven from that PSU. It's super sensitive to any non-stock loads. There is actually a current sensing circuit in this PSU; if the load is sensed to high; it will "turn off" the LED powersupply temporarily which leads to "flickering" of all inserts and other weird behavior.

#4 3 years ago

I had a really weird issue with my Star Trek Prem where at random all the optos would just start activating. The game would start giving points by shots from the optos actually not being hit. To fix it I reseated the connectors on the back box and it fixed the issue. Don't know if this is something that would fix your issue but its worth a shot. I saw you tried J112.

#5 3 years ago

Next step is definitely to replug all connectors involved. And I bet he does have mods, because he loves mods, but they haven't changed with the loaning it to a friend. Zitt, aren't node boards a spike thing? This is still SAM. It's got at least something that looks like a lamp matrix, with yellow striped out and red striped returns. It would probably be clearer if I could be there in person, but we're on opposite sides of the country.

#6 3 years ago

No. STLE is the being of early start of node boards. I think the success of RGB inserts caused stern to make it POR for all future pinball machines on Spike.

I'm guessing the mods are causing excessive power draw due to age. The design of that LED power supply is quite simply horrific ... bad on so many levels from design to implementation.

#7 3 years ago

As you unplug the boards and connectors, look for oxidation on the molex pins. These connectors can't seem to handle the power and/or vibrations over time and oxidize. A little cleaning with a fiberglass sanding pen and a very light coat of dielectric grease could solve it.

As Zitt said, the signal travels from board to board. Once the signal gets corrupted at a questionable connector, all down stream lights can be messed up.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/star-trek-stern-le-major-ghosting-misfire-on-status-lights#post-5375561

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