(Topic ID: 297227)

WPC switch matrix board repair using siegecraft switch matrix tester

By Spybryon

2 years ago



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  • 5 posts
  • 3 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 2 years ago by Roamin
  • Topic is favorited by 3 Pinsiders

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    switch matrix (resized).JPG
    #1 2 years ago

    Troubleshooting a non functional switch matrix in WPC game.

    Before doing anything, I hooked up a siegecraft switch matrix tester, put the game into switch edges test, and determined that only row 4 column 4 switch worked.

    Then pulled the MPU, and tested for good continuity between the switch input plugs J206/J208, and various chips and found nothing amiss with continuity. Note that all the direct switches are working fine.

    Next, swapped U18 and U20 with new socketed chips. Now, only row 4 is completely working. With the switch matrix tester, every switch in row 4 will register in switch edges. So every column in row 4 is registering. No other row, besides row4, does anything in switch test with switch matrix tester.

    Using a logic probe, tried to probe on the inputs and outputs of U14, U20, U13, U21 while setting off various switches with the switch matrix tester. Expected to see state changes on the input pins, or output pins of these chips, but nothing was observed to be changing. Now I have limited experience with logic probe but couldn't understand why nothing seems to change state from high to low or vice versa.

    Given the above, what is the next step on the board repair? I'm thinking of replacing U13, a 74ls240 IC, with a new socketed chip. The thinking is that since all the columns work in row 4, then the columns section of the board is OK. However since only one row is working (row 4), it's got to be a problem in the rows section of the board?
    Since U13 is upstream of the newly replaced U18, then U13 is likely the root cause?

    switch matrix (resized).JPGswitch matrix (resized).JPG
    #2 2 years ago

    If you have the switch matrix tester, schematics, and a logic probe, you can track the failure across the board.
    I wouldn't shotgun (or guess).
    --
    Chris Hibler - CARGPB #31
    http://www.ChrisHiblerPinball.com/Contact
    http://www.PinWiki.com - The Place to go for Pinball Repair Info

    #3 2 years ago
    Quoted from ChrisHibler:

    If you have the switch matrix tester, schematics, and a logic probe, you can track the failure across the board.

    OK, can you please explain that process in a little more detail? Getting lost with the correct process to follow while tracking down a failure using a logic probe.

    I'm using the Elenco LP-560. Powered up the game and put it into switch edges test.

    Think I hook the red probe of the logic probe to either +12vdc or +5vdc test points on the MPU, and the black probe on the gnd? Then, set either TTL or CMOS (TTL for 5vdc and CMOS for 12vdc)? Not really sure about the pulse/mem switch or if it matters but instructions that came with the probe say to start with pulse.

    Then I guess I push buttons on the switch tester, say row 1 and column 1? Where do I probe on the board and see state changes from low to high when the buttons are pushed to narrow down the problem? I tried probing various places on the board such as
    U20 pin 1,18
    U14 pin 8,9
    U18 pin 10,11,13
    U13 pin 11,9
    while closing/opening column 1 and row 1 buttons on the switch matrix tester

    but didn't ever see a state transition from low to high or from high to low on the logic probe. Is that the right approach or should I be doing something different?

    #4 2 years ago

    question:
    In the attached picture, I thought I should have the logic probe red wire hooked to +12vdc at points 1 and 4?
    Then at points 2,3,5,6 I thought I should have the logic probe red wire hooked to +5vdc?

    Based on seeing the +12V and VCC coming in near the center of the picture.

    switch matrix - Copy (resized).pngswitch matrix - Copy (resized).png
    #5 2 years ago

    First , you are correct in the way you understand your probe. +5 / +12 , TTL , CMOS , you have it all correct. Stay on pulse as this would show you if the pin is going up and down really fast, both LEDs would light up at once. You are also correct that if all switches on row 4 work (all 8 ) it means that the entire column has to be working. Which narrows it down to the rows now.

    Before we go on , you did verify you do have a stable +5v and +12v , yes ? (We'll assume it's good).

    If we look at the schematic , we can see that the columns are outputs from the MPU and that the rows are actually inputs. If you mean to probe the columns , you would start in TTL , hooked to 5v , and probe pin 8 of U14. The columns are constantly driven one after the other over and over , so on this pin you should see a pulse on your logic probe. This pulse should be found again at the output, pin 9. This chip will buffer the signal from the MPU and also provide more current so that it can drive U20 that is right after it. U20 simply contains transistors and an inverter (the circle at the tip of the triangle means the outpout is inverted). Those transistors can provide even more current and they feed all the switches in the playfield. The input and the output of each line would also pulse , the output being reversed from the input. (You can't notice that on your logic probe , you don't really need to , but you want to see a pulse there too). So in this case we started by probing closest to the MPU going towards the switches.

    To test the rows , the process starts at the other side. If you are testing Row 1 , column 1 and that switch is closed on your tester, you should :
    Connect your logic probe to 12v, CMOS , Pulse. Now probe the banded side of D3 , which is the connection to the switch directly. This should be LOW , since the switch is connecting that pin to ground. Now probe pin 11 of U18. It should be low when switch #11 is closed. Releasing the switch should drive the signal back to high. (If this state doesn't change , something is wrong). Just to make sure you are using the probe correctly , you can try a known working switch like Row 4 column 1 , probe the banded side of D6 with #41 closed and it should fall low.Then probe U18 pin 5 and switch on and off , the state should change. When you've verified that the + side of the opamps has its state changing , probe the output (pin 13 of U18 for switch #11 and pin 2 for switch #41). You can leave your probe plugged to +12v and CMOS as the output (5v) should be enough to drive the CMOS circuit and give you a HIGH output, a low output will always work whether it's set to TTL or CMOS. If you can't measure the output , move your probe to 5v TTL , but it should still work anyways. Now , unless U13 is pulling down the output of the opamps to a point where your new U18 isn't working at all (doesn't seem the case since row 4 works), the outputs of U18 should be toggling high/low when you close switches. Go ahead and measure pin 11 of U13 after you've tested pin 13 of U18 , they should be identical since they are directly connected together and to nothing else. If you verify that pin 11 of U13 changes state (5v , TTL) then next is to check the output of U13 at pin 9. Again there is a circle at the output ,meaning the output will be reversed to what you read on the input. The state of this pin should change when you press the switch.

    Beyond that , pin 11 of U13 is connected to the data bus , and the data bus is not affected otherwise the game wouldn't even boot properly since all data is on that bus and components are disabled when another uses the bus. having all columns work on row 4 is another indicator that the data bus is correct.

    Of course all this trouble shooting assumes that all connections have continuity across the different chips and that there isn't any corrosion damage on the board. (a problem that's very frequent and affects the switch matrix). Can you post close up pictures of that board ? Some might see things you have missed.

    To quickly summarize , if you probe 5v TTL pin 11 of u13 and the state changes when you close the switch (#11) , but pin 9 of u13 doesn't when you are closing the switch , then U13 isn't doing its job correctly. Otherwise , you have to start from one side and follow the signal through the chips and to the next one, on and on..

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