(Topic ID: 189963)

Touching a switch with soldering iron activates the switch??

By pinlink

6 years ago


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#1 6 years ago

I am having a weird issue with my Mario Bros Gottlieb system 3. There is an entire row of switches not working. However, when I touch a lug on one of the switches with the soldering iron, the entire row works fine for a few minutes. The soldering iron doesn't have to be hot, just plugged in. This is true for both playing a game and in test. How is this possible? Is the soldering iron grounding the switch? Does this mean I have a bad wire? It is switches 30-37.

I have reflowed the solder on all switches in this row. It will fix the issue for half a game or so, then nothing in that row registers until you simply touch the soldering iron to the switch.

#2 6 years ago

Your soldering iron is plugged in. That is why you don't solder in a game with it turned on. You are making an electrical circuit with the soldering iron and the switch.

LTG : )

#3 6 years ago

Thanks Lloyd. But why is that the only way the switches will work? I can't get them to register during the game or test unless I first touch the soldering iron to the switch, then the switch will work for just a few minutes. does this mean I have a bad connection somewhere?

#4 6 years ago

I think because you completed a circuit with the iron instead of your game, llyod is saying.

Sys 3's use that "new age" smart switch

You have the manual?
You should see the switch matrix. Sounds like it could be a barely connected wire or break somewhere causing a column out? You'll have to see in the manual what wire(s) it does, then trace it visually. If it all looks good and at solder points, you can use a DMM to test continuity at each stop to see where a break could be. If that tests fine, you may have a board issue. Also check the connector plug for the switches on the driver board.

#5 6 years ago

Here is a pic of the switch matrix. It's row 30-37. Shouldn't there be at least one common colored wire that connects this row of switches? There isn't. Also there is no connectivity between any of the switches in that row.

IMG_2331 (resized).PNGIMG_2331 (resized).PNG

#6 6 years ago

Ok I see you are saying there is connectivity in the columns not the rows, which is the case in my game. So I should focus on the columns not the entire row that is out, correct?

#7 6 years ago

You are soldering on a machine that is running???

Maybe you have a poorly grounded machine/iron/outlet....and potentially throwing voltage at the board with it running? Not good....

I politely suggest stop doing things like that as a starter...

#8 6 years ago

With the power off...Can you use your meter to get an idea of whether Q4 is even any good (may be able to compair to other Qs near it)?

May have worked for a short period with iron due to sending some odd random power back up to already failing device?

#9 6 years ago

Sorry, extra thought...I dont recall how sys3 does it, but instead of a common color wire on each, is there a different color to each for the column and a common trace/wire braid to each for the row?

To clarify...so each switch has 2 wires that are unique to that switch? Or only 1?

Sorry, just trying to invision how they did theirs off hand.

#10 6 years ago
Quoted from pacmanretro:

With the power off...Can you use your meter to get an idea of whether Q4 is even any good (may be able to compair to other Qs near it)?
May have worked for a short period with iron due to sending some odd random power back up to already failing device?

I'll check and see. Just curious, how do you know to check that specific transistor?

#11 6 years ago

If you are really going to get into it, read this entire repair guide, but I linked to the part for you.

http://www.pinrepair.com/sys3/#smatrix

#12 6 years ago
Quoted from pinlink:

I'll check and see. Just curious, how do you know to check that specific transistor?

You said 30-37 is out and your pic of the matrix says that row is Q4.

2 weeks later
#13 6 years ago

As soon as I saw a switch matrix diagram I knew you were overthinking this.

You're probably using an ESD iron, which grounds the tip.

So you're grounding the switch, just like you'd run a wire lead to it.

The frame ground from the line cord is bonded to the electronics in the backbox. And via your house wiring, bonded to your iron tip.

BTW, if you do this on a lamp, you'll wind up replacing the driver thyristor since there's no current limiting resistor in the iron.

#14 6 years ago

I was stumped on a similar issue on a Silver Slugger which is also system 3. My continuity on the wire for those switches was fine. It ended up being several diodes on the remote diode boards that were bad. Gottlieb located the diodes on two separate boards instead of the actual switches. I replaced any that looked questionable and touched up the joints on both diode boards and everything came to life after that.

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