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Randy Fromm's

Slot Tech Magazine

EditorRandy Fromm

Technical WritersJason Czito, VicFortenbach, Henry Kollar,Chuck Lentine, KevinNoble, Pat Porath

Slot Tech Magazine is publishedmonthly bySlot Tech Magazine401 W. Lexington #777El Cajon, CA 92022tel.619.838.7111 fax.619.315.0410e-mail [email protected] the website at slot-techs.com

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Copyright 2015 under the UniversalCopyright Convention. All rights re-served.

Slot Tech Magazine Editorial

-EditorialPage 4-IGT S2000 Display’s NETPLEX Link isDownPage 11-Slot Tech Training at Ft. Hall CasinoPage 12-TechFest 30 ReviewPage 18-Subscriptions and Back Issues

Randy Fromm

Publisher-Slot Tech Magazine

For schematic diagrams, manuals, servicenotes and more, visit the 100% free SlotTechnical Department at slot-tech.com

Dear Friends of Slot Tech Magazine,

This month’s Slot Tech Magazine is more of a trav-elog than technology report. May was a busy monthfor me. I took a couple of weeks to explore Nevada,Utah and Idaho on my trip from San Diego, Califor-nia (my home base) to Ft. Hall Casino up nearPocatello, Idaho.

The next thing I knew, I was off to Mystic LakeCasino for TechFest 30. I sort of apologize (but notreally) for not putting a snazzy slot machine on thecover but I wanted to convey how interesting andfun it was to have so much “hands-on” at this year’sevent. Ceronix’s head technician, Jillian Haynes,did a wonderful job providing everyone at TechFest30 with something to work on during the morningsession of day three.

So, thanks to everyone who presented at TechFest30 (we had 12 presenters in all) and thanks toeveryone who attended. The class picture is on page12. See you at thecasino!

June 2015Slot Tech Magazine

Slot Tech Feature Article

This article is going todive a little deeperinto this symptom

which shows up at leastonce a week in our casino.If you are fortunate to havethe IGT S2000 in yours, goget your favorite beveragenow and come right backfor some fun.This symptom shows upjust after the machine hasbeen powered down for afew seconds. That’s all ittakes. Especially true afteryou move the game or haveto reboot it for any reasonand your game is a fewyears old, this is a rite ofpassage. We will look atsome easy common fixesand a few that will makeyou say a few choice wordsto the machine.

On the main door of anS2000, there is a smalldisplay known as a VFD(Vacuum Florescent Dis-play). It shows the machinestatus, coins in, coins won,credits, denom, doors open,

IGT S2000 Display’sNETPLEX Link is Down

By Chuck Lentine

and all of the informationfor test and setup modes-ifit works correctly.

On a correctly operatingmachine, when the poweris turned on, the VFD dis-play reads “Display’sNETPLEX link is down” forabout five seconds and thenchanges to “Testingmemory, please wait” onthe older machines and“Testing FLASH, pleasewait” on the newer conver-sions. After about a minute,the reels spin and themachine goes into gameover mode (in a perfectworld).

While there are many ar-ticles on the IGT Netplex,I’m going to dive into somereally oddball issues thatonly seem to find me. This

is to help all of the slottechs on what to look forand not waste hours takingapart a machine. Netplex issimply a two-way communi-cations protocol the CPUuses to talk to devices in-stalled in a machine suchas a printer, BV, and VFD.If there is a break in theline, half of the devices maywork and the others playdead like the way Christ-mas lights work. One lampgoes out and everything“downstream” goes out.Netplex is happy in its ownlittle world and does notplay nice when thingsbreak or get grounded out.Fortunately, IGT has wiredNetplex in “branches”throughout the machine. Itstarts with four connectorson the backplane that go tovarious sections such as

Slot Tech MagazineJune 2015

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main cabinet and top box.We will get into this furtherin the article.

Before we get onto trouble-shooting “Netplex Down”,observe the machine for afew minutes. When youturn it on, let two minutesgo by and see what elsehappens. Does the machinejust sit there or do the reelsspin and BV resets but stillsays “Netplex down?”

When you turn on themachine and you have“Netplex down” for morethan a five minutes, thefirst thing is to replace orrepair the main powersupply behind the reels.This is very common. Thepower supply has no, low,or noisy voltage going to theCPU and it is locked up.Electrolytic capacitor failureis usually the cause of this.Replace all of the caps inthe power supply.

Editor’s Note: Mr. Lentine’snot kidding here when hesays ALL of the electrolyticcapacitors are bad andshould be replaced. Asfeatured WAY BACK in theMarch ’09 issue of SlotTech Magazine (availableonline at http://slot-techs.com/magazine/backissues.htm ) thisspecific power supplyfailure has less to do withbad output filter capacitorsand/or “dirty DC” than itdoes failure of the “zero-crossing” output of thepower supply. This outputhas nothing at all to dowith either the +13 VDC or

the +25 VDC outputs of thepower supply. This is thepin 7 output that, undernormal circumstances, is a60 Hz square wave. Knownas the “zero-crossingdetector,” Its purpose in lifeis to tell the slot machine’sCPU that the AC power isup and running. As thename implies, the zero-crossing detector looks atthe AC Line and, if thepower drops out for somereason, tells the slotmachine that the power isgone and it should do somequick bookkeeping andquickly shut down in anorderly fashion, writingimportant data to EEPROM(“e-square”) memory. TheREAL fix is to replacecapacitor C50. It’s a 100uffilter capacitor for theinternal +5VDC powersupply that powers thezero-crossing circuitryitself.-rf

The second most commoncause is a dead battery atBT1 on the CPU. Thissymptom will flash “Netplexdown” on the VFD andsometimes it will be on

steady. I have also had nodisplay on the VFD. Thetelltale sign is the LEDs onthe CPU are flashing. Evenif this battery reads 3.6VDCwhile soldered in, I changeit anyway if it is a few yearsold. When it has a load onit, the readings will befouled with a weak battery.

If your machine has“Netplex down” and thereels spin, BV resets andsounds like it is trying tocome to life after a fewminutes, your issue isprobably with a device or abreak/short in the wiring.The VFD is on one of theNetplex lines so if thatparticular line is shorted,the display will remain“Netplex down.” Your ma-chine is essentially playingblind.

If your machine is doingthis, it’s easy to narrowdown the lines or a particu-lar device. I would recom-mend powering off themachine before you recon-nect any device. Start look-ing for the obvious. Pull outthe BV and printer. Check


the ribbon cable or coiled cord for theprinter. These love to short out and createhavoc. Disconnect the power cables goingto these devices. Once you start zeroing inon the problem, you can disconnect thecables one at a time from the Netplexdistribution boards located on the backwall of each section. If you need to isolatea larger section, disconnect the four plugsfrom the backplane. Do the reels and BVreset after being powered on for a fewminutes? No: Problem is in the CPU orbackplane. Yes: The problem is out on theNetplex line. Connect one plug at a timeand observe what functions properly soyou can rule out that particular section.

Here are some of the not-so-obvious issuesthat will drag down a Netplex line:Transact Epic 950 Printer: Ribbon cableshorts out on frame and numerous linesget sliced into. The +24VDC gets groundedthrough the Netplex lines. Fortunately,the interface board in the very back of theprinter rails (where the ribbon plugs into)acts like a fuse and one or two very thintraces vaporize themselves or come awayfrom the board stopping the short fromgoing back into the machine. At the sametime, the Netplex circuit is open or shorted

depending where the tiny traces landed.Just add thin wire jumpers on the back ofthe board between the pins of the friedcircuit to repair the damage and you aregood to go. I also have had a few pins comeloose on the power connector under this


board and short on themetal frame.

JCM UBA10 Bill Validatorwith Sentry Bezel: this oneis my favorite. For those ofyou who are unfamiliarwith a Sentry bezel, it is asmall PCB mounted on themain door at the BV inlet. Ithas a flashing blue ambu-lance symbol when there isa problem with the BV, andscrolls LEDs like an airportrunway when it is ready toaccept money or tickets.The Netplex line ap-proaches from behind thecashbox housing and splitsoff to the Sentry bezel firstand then back to the BV.Now the fun begins. On aS2000 door, there is usu-ally one or more extra but-ton harness connectorsthat are not used. They aretucked away and normallydo not cause any problems.However, if one of thesecomes loose and “dangles”down behind the Sentrybezel, it can interfere withclosing the door. It getsjammed between the BVand the main door. I havehad numerous ones hang-

ing down and have to movethem out of the way withwire ties. If these fall justright, the connector endwill get pinched when thedoor is closed and smashagainst the back of theSentry bezel causing it toshort out and take downthe Netplex line. It canactually split the PCB inhalf! A quick way to elimi-nate the bezel PCB is todisconnect the Netplex linefrom the bezel “loop” be-hind the cashbox and con-nect the Netplex line di-rectly into the BV.


If you suspect the VFDdisplay is defective, it’s easyto swap it into the machinenext to it for testing. Here

are some common issuesI’ve encountered with thesedisplays:BAD PGMBAD PGMBAD PGMBAD PGMBAD PGM - Eprom at U5

is bad or needs to bereseated. This eprom canbe a stinker. It usuallyerases itself when it gets


spiked/zapped and can be restored if youhave saved the image beforehand

No ImageNo ImageNo ImageNo ImageNo Image - Driver chip at U3 is bad orneeds to be reseated.

Also, check these test points:VSS, GND - GroundVCC, VDD - +5VDC13V1, 13V2 - +13VDCVDISP - +50VDCFIL1, FIL2 - 6.2VACCheck fuses F1 and F2, and Caps C17 andC24 if no high voltage.

And if that is not enough, there are fourdipswitches on the back of the VFD fortesting:Dip 1 ONDip 1 ONDip 1 ONDip 1 ONDip 1 ON-Normal Operation / OFF-TestModeDip 2 and 3 ONDip 2 and 3 ONDip 2 and 3 ONDip 2 and 3 ONDip 2 and 3 ON- Normal Operation /OFF- Turns on anode 1 and 2 respectivelyDip 4Dip 4Dip 4Dip 4Dip 4 Changes clock speed for variousglass displays

VFD Connector J1 Pin #VFD Connector J1 Pin #VFD Connector J1 Pin #VFD Connector J1 Pin #VFD Connector J1 Pin #1 – Reset1 – Reset1 – Reset1 – Reset1 – Reset2- TxD2- TxD2- TxD2- TxD2- TxD3-Netplex +VDC3-Netplex +VDC3-Netplex +VDC3-Netplex +VDC3-Netplex +VDC4- RxD4- RxD4- RxD4- RxD4- RxD5- Netplex GND5- Netplex GND5- Netplex GND5- Netplex GND5- Netplex GND

Stay safe, have fun, and agreat summer!

- Chuck Lentine - Chuck Lentine - Chuck Lentine - Chuck Lentine - Chuck Lentineclentine@slot-clentine@slot-clentine@slot-clentine@slot-clentine@slot-

techs.comtechs.comtechs.comtechs.comtechs.com


Slot Tech Event

Slot Tech Training atFt. Hall Casino

It was a beautiful Springweek near Pocatello,Idaho and the drive up

from San Diego, Californiaincluded a short tripthrough Zion National Park(right).

I am always especiallypleased when a casinoinvites me to return foranother round of trainingwith new employees. Myprevious visit was in June2012. Not much haschanged since then as faras the class is concernedbut they have finished theirbeautiful new hotel andevent center, pictured withthe class, below. A newcasino building is alsoplanned but ground hasnot yet been broken forthat project.

Attending the four-dayclass were Scott Trahant,Wendy Hall, KamerynFarmer, Joe Rodriguez,Brent Anderson, RobinJuarez, Dulcey Evening,Ricky Byington, JuanRodriguez, Rickie Edmo,Kelly Yabeney, CoriannaHonena and Wagner Gallo-way.

If you are interested in afour-day class at your ca-sino, contact Randy Frommat 619.838.7111 to discussyour needs.-STMSTMSTMSTMSTM


Slot Tech Event

TechFest 30 ReviewWow! That Was Fun

I have found a way tomake TechFest even

better with the help ofsome new friends. TechFest30 was held May 27-29 atMystic Lake Casino Hotelnear Minneapolis,Minnesota. This year, inaddition to the usual,highly informative

presentations from thefolks that make the ticketprinters, touch screens andbill validators, Ceronixreturned with theirawesome hands-on monitorrepair lab and my newfriends that representHAKKO brought a full-onsoldering lab with every

kind of rework equipmentyou would ever want inyour shop. At the end ofthe class, we opened up aprivate beer bar and had ablast practicing componentremoval from some junkboards, generouslyprovided by our hosts atMystic Lake Casino.-STMSTMSTMSTMSTM


JCM’s Dan Petersen 3M Touch System’s Paul Hatin


CPI’s Sean Gray on the MEI unit

Above: Mystic Lake’s NormHohenstein led a back-of-housetour of the shop facilities each day.This is the world’s best slot shopand a real highlight of the Tech-Fest experience.

Below: Scott Saltzman (ESP/Surgex) was at the event to givelive demonstrations of Suzo-Happ’s “Power Pro” unit.Shoshone Rose Casino’s VernonHill Jr. was discussing the unit withhim. I asked him to point to theunit to make the picture moreinteresting. It didn’t help.


Slot Tech Suppliers (Stuff We Need)!


Above: This was our exciting,hands-on soldering lab using allHAKKO equipment. We had theworks!

Above (and on the cover) are just a handful of the photographs ofthe crazy-fun during the hands-on LCD monitor lab, sponsored byCeronix. Head technician Jillian Haynes led the group.

Left: Pacific Illumination’s HarryIverson was at TechFest 30 todiscuss CCFL replacement but,most importantly, replacementwith LED strips instead. He showedus how to replace the backlight ina 6 inch LCD monitor in oneminute, as compared to the 10-15minutes normally required toreplace a fragile CCFL in this typeof device.

Right: Russ Wige representedTransact Technologies as he has atalmost every TechFest we’ve everheld. Thanks, Russ.

Subscriptions & Back IssuesWhy back issues of Slot Tech Magazine areWhy back issues of Slot Tech Magazine areWhy back issues of Slot Tech Magazine areWhy back issues of Slot Tech Magazine areWhy back issues of Slot Tech Magazine areimportant to own . . .important to own . . .important to own . . .important to own . . .important to own . . .

Slot Tech Magazine is strictly technical. As such, the magazine's contents are not timecritical. The repair information and technical data contained in past issues is just as valid

today as it was the day it was published.

Additionally, current and future articles more-or-less assume that readers are already familiarwith what has been covered in past issues. This editorial policy assures that Slot TechMagazine's contributing writers are not limited to "writing down" to the level of a novicetechnician but are free to continue to produce the most comprehensive technical articles inthe gaming industry.

Randy Fromm'sSlot Tech Magazine ispublished monthly by:Slot Tech Magazine401 W. Lexington #777El Cajon, CA 92022tel.619.838.7111fax.619.315.0410e-mail [email protected]

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Complete archive (2001 to present) avail-able online. Visit slot-techs.com for details.

“OK. You asked and I listened. My new tech class eliminates obsolete CRTmonitor repair and the associated monitor repair lab. In just four or five days,your slot techs can learn to repair Power Supplies, LCD Monitors, TicketPrinters, Bill Validators and more. It’s easy and it’s fun.“- Randy Fromm

“I can help you bring down thecost of casino electronics repairs”

tel.619.838.7111 fax.619.315.0410

Randy Fromm

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