(Topic ID: 224870)

WPC Driver Boards New Improved Design

By Ballypinball

5 years ago


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  • 46 posts
  • 24 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 2 years ago by harig
  • Topic is favorited by 19 Pinsiders

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    18
    #1 5 years ago

    I have remade the WPC Driver Board adding better Ground Plain and extra tracks on the Capacitors etc
    Available Bare at Present, Looking at populating as well later on

    Enjoy Images

    PS also just finished a design on WPC ball trough Transmit boards with onboard Voltage Regulator, no more heat or burnt resistors

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    -7
    #2 5 years ago

    Rottendog made a replacement for this. Now another.

    19
    #3 5 years ago

    But these are as per Williams Specs and don't have surface mount parts, they use the same parts the original used that are repairable, just improved the track and ground thickness etc to improve and will work any any wpc from 00 revision to 04 revision this is a -05 of the same boards

    #4 5 years ago

    Yeah, but how much?

    #5 5 years ago

    blank $90 US each

    #6 5 years ago

    This would probably be an easier sell if you sold it at least as a complete kit that you have to solder yourself. Or even if you just made a list of parts from mouser that people could just click to buy all parts. Just a thought.

    #7 5 years ago

    Hasn't stopped selling almost 120 boards already, seems some people want them, not for everyone

    #8 5 years ago

    That’s a great start! Always good to have alternatives and improvements

    #9 5 years ago
    Quoted from Ballypinball:

    But these are as per Williams Specs and don't have surface mount parts, they use the same parts the original used that are repairable, just improved the track and ground thickness etc to improve and will work any any wpc from 00 revision to 04 revision this is a -05 of the same boards

    I understand. Kit version would be nice.

    #10 5 years ago
    Quoted from chad:

    I understand. Kit version would be nice.

    Id be willing to make kits, not sure on a price without more research

    #11 5 years ago

    we can work on a kit, as we had 90% genuine nos parts we put the sample together with

    #12 5 years ago

    Thats a lot of soldering, but tempting.

    #13 5 years ago

    Trough emmitter boards are needed badly.

    #14 5 years ago

    I’d be up for a kit, or at least a mouser list. I’d love to put on of these together.

    #15 5 years ago
    Quoted from Ballypinball:

    Hasn't stopped selling almost 120 boards already, seems some people want them, not for everyone

    How do you order a board? Is there a website or via PM?

    1 week later
    #16 5 years ago

    That is really nice. +1 on the kit suggestion. I could track down the parts, but would love to buy a kit or order from a mouser list.

    #17 5 years ago
    Quoted from RTS:

    How do you order a board? Is there a website or via PM?

    You can pm me

    7 months later
    #18 4 years ago

    Did anyone ever make a kit or at least a BOM for this?

    4 months later
    #19 4 years ago

    Bump bump. I’m into a half dozen of these if someone puts together all the parts. Love soldering and assembling, just not chasing down parts!

    #20 4 years ago

    A kit would be a great project.

    #21 4 years ago
    Quoted from ToucanF16:

    Bump bump. I’m into a half dozen of these if someone puts together all the parts. Love soldering and assembling, just not chasing down parts!

    Agreed...maybe see if Ed at G-P-E could do it?

    3 months later
    #22 4 years ago

    Bump

    #23 4 years ago

    I would like to see rare sound cards available as a board.

    #24 4 years ago
    Quoted from pinballinreno:

    I would like to see rare sound cards available as a board.

    I was actually thinking about that too. I wonder if Rick has those board files still

    #25 4 years ago
    Quoted from lordloss:

    I was actually thinking about that too. I wonder if Rick has those board files still

    I hope so.

    I really need a doctor who sound card.

    Populating a bare board is no problem at all.

    Maybe a 90 min job.

    #26 4 years ago

    Are the WPC89 sound boards really that hard to find?

    #27 4 years ago
    Quoted from pinballinreno:

    I hope so.
    I really need a doctor who sound card.
    Populating a bare board is no problem at all.
    Maybe a 90 min job.

    Crap, I still need to send you one! My bad. I will get on that!!

    #28 4 years ago
    Quoted from Rdoyle1978:

    Crap, I still need to send you one! My bad. I will get on that!!

    That would be awesome! I really want to install an original sound card to reference the game.

    Ive never played dw with the actual sound card. Lol

    #29 4 years ago
    Quoted from tonyhoff1:

    Are the WPC89 sound boards really that hard to find?

    Yes, working ones are lol.

    #30 4 years ago

    Bump. Anyone sourcing these board parts? A complete kit would be awesome.

    #31 4 years ago
    Quoted from underlord:

    Bump. Anyone sourcing these board parts? A complete kit would be awesome.

    I can't find the board for sale. He had them in ebay for a bit, but took them all down.

    #32 4 years ago
    Quoted from lordloss:

    I can't find the board for sale. He had them in ebay for a bit, but took them all down.

    Hmmmmm makes me wonder about licensing here. Hope not. We really need this kind of product support. I have spares for this reason.

    #33 4 years ago
    Quoted from pinballinreno:

    I hope so.
    I really need a doctor who sound card.
    Populating a bare board is no problem at all.
    Maybe a 90 min job.

    Do u have an original board, I can repair it.

    #34 4 years ago
    Quoted from whthrs166:

    Hmmmmm makes me wonder about licensing here. Hope not. We really need this kind of product support. I have spares for this reason.

    I was going to buy a bunch when he had them, but $90 a board is hard to justify that.

    #35 4 years ago
    Quoted from whthrs166:

    Hmmmmm makes me wonder about licensing here. Hope not. We really need this kind of product support. I have spares for this reason.

    There's no licensing or copyright issues for reproducing a PCB. There's no IP or artwork on it.

    Quoted from lordloss:

    I was going to buy a bunch when he had them, but $90 a board is hard to justify that.

    Yeah, it's a bit spendy just for a blank PCB. But manufacturing a PCB of that size tends to be somewhat expensive, especially when it's not in bulk. I've been curious about what it actually cost back then to manufacturer them compared to now. A lot of the boards from the 70s through the 90s were huge compared to the PCBs of today.

    #36 4 years ago
    Quoted from ForceFlow:

    There's no licensing or copyright issues for reproducing a PCB. There's no IP or artwork on it.

    Yeah, it's a bit spendy just for a blank PCB. But manufacturing a PCB of that size tends to be somewhat expensive, especially when it's not in bulk. I've been curious about what it actually cost back then to manufacturer them compared to now. A lot of the boards from the 70s through the 90s were huge compared to the PCBs of today.

    I was considering having a run of soundboard made. Might be a good time to have a run.

    #37 4 years ago

    Labor on a WPC driver board would have been the biggest cost factor, there's just a huge amount of parts to hand-stuff. The ironic part is that manufacturing that board today, to the same design and layout, would probably be much more expensive. There's very little automated thru-hole equipment out there anymore in the field, so there would be a lot more hand labor, and lower volume production would mean per-unit component cost would be much higher.

    As to the sound boards..... the board itself is easy. Rick has told me in the past that ALL the board data is available, and bare boards can be made without any issue. It's the impossible to source components that are really holding things up, and as time goes on that's only going to become more pronounced as more thru-hole parts go obsolete.

    I know there is a strong preference toward making functionally identical to the originals but an increasing number of designs can only be reproduced via redesign and modernization.

    #38 4 years ago

    I made myself a replacement WPC89 board, using SMT. Except for the NLA audio chips (Yamaha, etc, the volume stepper, Amp) which I just socketed or hand-soldered. It went with the Getaway when I sold it, and.. would need to find my files. But it CAN be done.

    #39 4 years ago
    Quoted from eyeamred2u:

    Do u have an original board, I can repair it.

    I do not. So, looking for replacement options.

    #40 4 years ago
    Quoted from HHaase:

    Labor on a WPC driver board would have been the biggest cost factor, there's just a huge amount of parts to hand-stuff. The ironic part is that manufacturing that board today, to the same design and layout, would probably be much more expensive. There's very little automated thru-hole equipment out there anymore in the field, so there would be a lot more hand labor, and lower volume production would mean per-unit component cost would be much higher.
    As to the sound boards..... the board itself is easy. Rick has told me in the past that ALL the board data is available, and bare boards can be made without any issue. It's the impossible to source components that are really holding things up, and as time goes on that's only going to become more pronounced as more thru-hole parts go obsolete.
    I know there is a strong preference toward making functionally identical to the originals but an increasing number of designs can only be reproduced via redesign and modernization.

    For this run it wouldn't be a big run, so the would be hand populated.

    #41 4 years ago
    Quoted from lordloss:

    For this run it wouldn't be a big run, so the would be hand populated.

    Yup. The question would be how long your sanity would last with hand soldering that much.

    Lot size has a huge impact on what the most viable method is.

    #42 4 years ago
    Quoted from Coyote:

    I made myself a replacement WPC89 board, using SMT. Except for the NLA audio chips (Yamaha, etc, the volume stepper, Amp) which I just socketed or hand-soldered. It went with the Getaway when I sold it, and.. would need to find my files. But it CAN be done.

    That must’ve been one hell of a radio shack tab!

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    #43 4 years ago
    Quoted from underlord:

    That must’ve been one hell of a radio shack tab![quoted image]

    HAH! I think the total cost came to over $200. Which, AT THE TIME, was more than they were going for. I ordered it from MacroFab, who did all the SMD placement. All I had to do was the sockets for the NLA chips, pin headers, and amplifier. Everything else was SMD and done by them.

    Hell, I KNOW I have my schematics on this laptop - I just don't have the gerber files.

    #44 4 years ago
    Quoted from pinballinreno:

    I hope so.
    I really need a doctor who sound card.
    Populating a bare board is no problem at all.
    Maybe a 90 min job.

    I have a fully working WPC Pre DCS Sound Board A-12738 for sale.

    1 year later
    #45 2 years ago

    wondering if the boards made by the OP are still being made/for sale?

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