[SOLVED] [Moved] Troubleshooting a Dart Machine Bug

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Hi!


First of all, I apologize if this is not the right place to post this kind of subject. But from all the sections it appears to me the most adequate.


I've got a darts machine that was working well until one day that it stop doing one simple rule - finish the actual game by rounds.

It is supposed to finish the game after the round "X" but it stoped doing that and the game went in infinity mode!

Everything else is working normally.

The electronic board have some ICs that I belive the problem is. I've done this roundup of them:



IC 01 = Z8018010VSC (Processor)

IC 02 = IC 09 = IC 10 = IC 11 = SN74LS273N (OCTAL D-TYPE FLIP-FLOP WITH CLEAR)

IC 03 = I didn't removed the sticker yet, but I belive it's a programmable Chip

IC 04 = IC 05 = PALCE16V8H-25 (EE CMOS Zero-Power 20-Pin Universal Programmable Array Logic)

IC 06 = TDA2003 (monolithic audio power amplifier integrated circuit)

IC 07 = DS1225Y - 150 (64k Nonvolatile SRAM)

IC 08 = H606014 (Watchdog_timer)

IC 12 = TD62083AP (8CH DARLINGTON SINK DRIVER)

IC 13 = IC 14 = IC 15 = IC 16 = SN74HC244N (OCTAL BUFFERS AND LINE DRIVERS WITH 3-STATE OUTPUTS)

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I wonder if any of you, with much more electronic experience than me, have some ideia here this problem can possibly be.

On the top of my ignorance, I have already ordered two SN74LS273N to see if the problem is on that flip flop IC.

I belive that the problem can also be in the programable chips and if that is the case I have to find some machine equal to mine to get those ROMs.


Once again sorry if this is not the right place and thank you so much for any kind of help on this!


Strutch
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Depending on the actual age of the device, my first guess would be the Dallas/Maxim NV SRAM DS1225Y. The DS1225Y has a small lithium cell which if I remember correctly has a life span of only about 10 or 12 years. The DS1225Y was discontinued some years back and is now being replaced with the DS1225AD.

If the DS1225Y lithium cell has died, all sorts of weird and NOT so wonderful things can happen.

A distant second and third suspect on the list would be the UV EPROM (Sticker Covered Chip) or the PALs, both of which can fail or loose their configuration over time.

However, if everything except the score keeping and end of play tallying seem to work, my first suspect would be the DS1225Y as the culprit.


BigDog

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Thank you so much for your answer bigdogguru!

Yes, the machine is old. It have between 15 and 20 years old.

In my ignorance I didn't suspect of the DS1225Y because everything else is working very well.

The machine keeps all the memory even after 2 weeks with unplugged.

By all the memory I mean the credits, the scores, the round numbers, etc..

I also suspected about the loss of the configurations on the programmable chips (losing the code that ends the games on "X" rounds) but for me it is the worst scenario, because now I have to find a similar machine in order to copy those ROMS.

I will order and replace the DS1225Y and I will post here the results.

Thank you so much for your opinion!

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15 to 20 years is certainly pushing it for a DS1225Y.

I seriously doubt the issue is with the EPROM or PALs, if they were I suspect the side effects would be quite a bit more drastic.


BigDog

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Hi BigDog,

I was preparing to order a new DS1225Y but I started to thinking in what you told me..

If DS1225Y have about 10 years lifetime and they have stoped manufacture it, maybe I will buy something that will not work for too long.

Should I buy the DS1225AD instead?


Thank you for your help. :thumbsup:
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Hi again!

While I am waiting for the DS1225AD I have read this article:

REPOWERING_THE_DS1225

And I decided to repower my DS1225Y.

According to that manual the battery’s negative terminal connects to the DS1225Y pin 14.

And the battery's positive also connects to pin 7 of the DS1218 (at the resin in the bottom of the DS1225 module).

I have removed a small amount of resin to reach that pin.

And I used the multimeter to measure the battery and I found that it is apparently good - 3,3 Volts!

Do you still suspecting on the DS1225 after this measure ?


* - By the way, I bought the machine in second hand. So I don't know if the DS1225 has been replaced.. That chance is real..



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Hi again

I was looking to my problem again and I wonder if the IC 08 ( H606014 - Watchdog_timer ) is ok ?!

I really don't know nothing about watchdog timers but I went to wikipedia and by that definition I wonder if it is doing his job - detect and recover from computer malfunctions.

Does someone know a little bit about this can tell me if I am saying something stupid ?


Thank you! :thumbsup:

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Hi,

Does someone know a little bit about this can tell me if I am saying something stupid ?

Click to expand...

If I should give you some information about H606014, I´d need to read the datasheet.
So it´s faster if you read the datasheet.


Klaus

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Hi KlausST,

The link for the datasheet is in the first post:

IC 08 = H606014 (Watchdog_timer)

I've read it, but I did not have enought knowledge to understand it.


The machine stopped ending the games by rounds (at "x" round it should stop and it doesn't).

Should that watchdog timer end the game? That's my doubt..


Thank you very much!

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Finally the DS1225 arrived.

And BigDogGuru... You were 100% right!!!

Machine is working again.

Thank you so much for your help.

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strutch said:

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Machine is working again.

Click to expand...

I'm glad to hear your good news.

NVRAM devices such as the DS1225 account for the major of issues with legacy equipment which employ them in their designs.

I've repaired many a test equipment simply by replacing the NVRAM device.


BigDog