(Topic ID: 157102)

WMS Sys 3-4 single 2764 ROM Mod for FirePower

By barakandl

8 years ago


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  • 22 posts
  • 6 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 8 years ago by barakandl
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#1 8 years ago

The late great Leon Borre posted a mod that can be found on PinWiki to use a single 2764 EPROM. It gets lost in translation a bit so i thought I would try and simplify the instructions.

This mod lets you use a single 2764 ROM in sys 3-4 MPUs. This includes FirePower on a single ROM.

To assemble the 8KB binary file for the 2764 EPROM you need the game ROM to be in the first 4KB half of the binary and the two flipper ROMs in the last half(flipper 1 then flipper 2) of the binary. For 2KB games(everything but firepower) double up the GAMEROM. For FirePower, use the FPCOMBO 4KB image found on planetary pinball.

So command prompt for combining the ROM binaries is going to look like this.

FirePower
copy /b fpcombo.732 + green1.716 + green2.716 fpcombo.764

All other games (timewarp example)
copy /b timewarp.716 + timewarp.716 + green1.716 + green2.716 timewarpcombo.764

To prep the board start with desoldering IC15.

Remove all ROMs.

Stack a 24 pin leaf socket on top of IC17(you may skip this step depending on socket styles). Stack another 28 pin leaf socket on top of IC17 again so pins 1,2, 27 and 28 are the extra ones hanging out of the 24 pin socket below. Also bend out pin 22 and pin 23 of the 28 pin socket so can have a lead soldered to them.

On the new IC17 28 pin socket, solder pins 1, 27, and 28 to +5v. I used the nearby bypass cap.
IC17(28pin) Pin 2 goes to IC15 Pin 13
IC17(28pin) Pin 22 goes to IC15 Pin 12
IC17(28pin) Pin 23 goes to IC15 Pin 14

I used a prototyping board and some socket headers to plug into a socket at IC15. That way the mod would be easily reversible. The leads could also be hard soldered in at IC15

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All credit goes to Leon. Here is the link to his info.

http://www.pinwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=Leon_Borre_Converting_Williams_System_3_%26_4_to_System_6

#2 8 years ago

http://www.siegecraft.us/pinball/firepoweradapter.htm, if they're ever back in stock, sells a really nice and easy premade version of this

#3 8 years ago
Quoted from zacaj:

http://www.siegecraft.us/pinball/firepoweradapter.htm, if they're ever back in stock, sells a really nice and easy premade version of this

Han's adapter serves a slightly different purpose. It attaches at the CPU socket and only works on sys 6 MPU boards.

This mod is for 3-4 MPU boards. It replaces IC15 and attaches to IC17. I could make adapter PCB(s), but you don't really need them. I figure this mod isnt needed too often. Most cases it may make more sens to use 2716 at IC14, 17, & 20. This is nice for FirePower tho.

Both save you replacing a few sockets.

#4 8 years ago

Mine does work for sys3-4 as well, just covers up one of the diagnostic buttons a bit. Can still reach it, just not as convenient.

Only waiting to get licensing sorted out again... I have 100 PCB's, including 40 already built. Can sell them any time with blank EPROMs if you guys are able to sort out doing the code combinations.

#5 8 years ago
Quoted from HHaase:

Mine does work for sys3-4 as well, just covers up one of the diagnostic buttons a bit. Can still reach it, just not as convenient.
Only waiting to get licensing sorted out again... I have 100 PCB's, including 40 already built. Can sell them any time with blank EPROMs if you guys are able to sort out doing the code combinations.

It can be a nice conienence for those who need that service, but I think many of us burn our own EPROMs, so that's not a big hurdle.

#6 8 years ago

Sorry for the short and choppy posts, on the road for MGC right now.

One thing to keep in mind with any version of this solution, it's not a 100% solution. Similar to the different versions of the 2732 modifications that have been floating around for a few years. Something odd went on with Williams interchanging parts with different specs or from different suppliers, and it affects the addressing of the ROM. There are times this mod won't work with some CPU boards. (Which is why there are two versions of the 2732 mod floating around.).

I haven't been able to nail down what the source of this is, wish I knew, but I haven't found it yet.

#7 8 years ago
Quoted from HHaase:

Sorry for the short and choppy posts, on the road for MGC right now.
One thing to keep in mind with any version of this solution, it's not a 100% solution. Similar to the different versions of the 2732 modifications that have been floating around for a few years. Something odd went on with Williams interchanging parts with different specs or from different suppliers, and it affects the addressing of the ROM. There are times this mod won't work with some CPU boards. (Which is why there are two versions of the 2732 mod floating around.).
I haven't been able to nail down what the source of this is, wish I knew, but I haven't found it yet.

74LS chips driving to many standard 74 gates? Some boards have nearly all standard 74 logic, some have 74LS at places that are standard 74 on others (in the upper address line range for CEs).

I do the FP combo mod with two 1n4148 diodes at the 74139 jumpers and have never had an issue.

#9 8 years ago

Very possible the LS's could be part of the issue. Particularly if they suddenly have open circuits on the outputs where There used to be rom chips.

I just haven't revisited the issue in quite a while. Since I don't do repair work anymore, I don't have a variety of boards coming through anymore to test out theories.

#10 8 years ago
Quoted from HHaase:

Very possible the LS's could be part of the issue. Particularly if they suddenly have open circuits on the outputs where There used to be rom chips.
I just haven't revisited the issue in quite a while. Since I don't do repair work anymore, I don't have a variety of boards coming through anymore to test out theories.

I will draw the schematic out and see if anything stands out.

74LS chips behave OK with floating inputs as they seem to pull themselves high, not sure about 7400

#11 8 years ago

I had some time today to reverse engineer Leon's guide to do this at the CPU socket, i believe this would be the circuit for system 3-4(maybe 6 too). I see Han's used a quad input nand, may be a good reason to do so and im overlooking something.

EPROM_at_CPU_socket_System_4_(resized).pngEPROM_at_CPU_socket_System_4_(resized).png

I went off of the system 4 schematic and I see no compatibility issues. I will refrence sys 6 schematic soon. There may be issues with Jumpers on system 6. Some of the jumper pads may re-route A12-14 and cause a conflict somewhere.

Blank PCBs are cheap. I may whip these up for my use as it will save from replacing 3 sockets and using 2 more eproms. Assembly time of the adapter should be less than the time of installing new sockets.

#12 8 years ago

On system 6, something else gets gated along with the VMA, I just don't remember off the top of my head. Still not home yet. Almost exactly the same as my schematic other than that one additional line, and I feed it into a 74ls20. (Or is it an 02? the quad input gate).

The jumpering shouldn't matter, as it only affects addressing for the ROM chips, which would be removed already anyway. I don't recall it altering the addressing for any other ic's.

#13 8 years ago

I've done a buttload of Firepower ROM mods with 2732s and on Sys 6 and 6A boards, as I'm sure everyone else has done, too.

I do the mod in the readme with the binaries, which is called the 'Duncan Brown' method in Clay's site. It's just the simpler 'Zig' method, with a couple signal diodes and a pull up added.

I just do it that way, it takes 2 minutes longer, and uses an extra resistor and 2 diodes. 10 cents worth of parts. And it's never failed me.

#14 8 years ago

Yep, those are the two methods. I just never found any explanation why the Zig only works sometimes, while the Duncan is so reliable. What changed in the CPU boards that causes the difference?

#15 8 years ago

system 6 it looks like it combines the VMA with the cpu's external clock (BUS CLK 2)

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I can use the two extra NAND gates in the 74*10 in my schematic to form an AND gate, but that could be where timing issues start to come up. The clock signal timing appears to be fussy on these boards from messing with NVRAMs. I could not get 120ns NVRAM ICs to work reliably in system 3-4 boards after combining chip selects, but 70ns and 100ns varieties worked.

#16 8 years ago
Quoted from HHaase:

Yep, those are the two methods. I just never found any explanation why the Zig only works sometimes, while the Duncan is so reliable. What changed in the CPU boards that causes the difference?

From what I'm reading, it looks like one difference is what chip is used at IC15. If a 74LS139 chip is used, the zig method will work. If the chip is a 74139, the zig method won't work and the "Duncan Brown" method will have to be used instead.

[edit]: Hmm..nope, sounds like even if IC15 has a 74LS139, the zig method might still fail to work.

#17 8 years ago

Combined VMA and E signal using gate B and C of the 74LS10 like an "AND" gate.

Added not connected pins 35 and 38 to the MC6800 component library so it will remind me to route tracks for them between the header and adapter cpu socket (i think the 6802 might use one of those in internal RAM mode) .

I wonder how a system 3 and 4 MPUs will behave with the VMA and E combined together like done in system 6 for the eprom p22 OE signal.

EPROM_at_CPU_socket_3-6_(resized).pngEPROM_at_CPU_socket_3-6_(resized).png

#18 8 years ago

They don't seem to mind at all, to be honest.

#19 8 years ago
Quoted from HHaase:

They don't seem to mind at all, to be honest.

I figured as much.

I recently modded some atari 7800 carts to take EPROMs. On those atari cart PCBs i am using 1Mbit 27c301 EPROMs and I have the /OE pin grounded and it works fine. The EPROM @ CPU socket adapters may work with that pin just held low and not fussed with.... i need to do some reading and real life testing i suppose.

#20 8 years ago
Quoted from barakandl:

I recently modded some atari 7800 carts to take EPROMs.

Geek alert big time there I tell ya.

#21 8 years ago
Quoted from Patofnaud:

Geek alert big time there I tell ya.

Most of the home brew a7800 games are better than the official releases, but im not the kind of guy to buy the homebrews for $60 a pop from that atari age store =D.

#22 8 years ago
Quoted from barakandl:

I figured as much.
I recently modded some atari 7800 carts to take EPROMs. On those atari cart PCBs i am using 1Mbit 27c301 EPROMs and I have the /OE pin grounded and it works fine. The EPROM @ CPU socket adapters may work with that pin just held low and not fussed with.... i need to do some reading and real life testing i suppose.

/OE has to be used since /CE-P18 of ic14, 17 & 20 are held low (p20 of 2764)

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