TECH: Tommy Video Mode
Tom
used to work just fine, then one day they stopped working. I replaced
the flipper board with a new one from Bay Area Amusements, but still
no flippers during video mode. Where do I look next? Thanks in
advance for the help.
Tom
TheKorn
@w7g2000hsa.googlegroups.com:
They're not SUPPOSED to!
--
Have a home video that's trapped on your camera? Want to share it on the
web or on DVD?
dcerny
> Tom <lutesaw...@aol.com> wrote in news:dd98e33c-502b-443f-b404-efc3f4fc8046
> @w7g2000hsa.googlegroups.com:
>
> > When my Tommy goes into the video mode the flippers don't work. They
> > used to work just fine, then one day they stopped working. I replaced
> > the flipper board with a new one from Bay Area Amusements, but still
> > no flippers during video mode. Where do I look next? Thanks in
> > advance for the help.
>
> They're not SUPPOSED to!
>
Well, the flippers themselves are not supposed to flip during video
mode, but do you mean you cannot control the plane in the mode with
your flipper buttons?
In the video mode- you use your flipper buttons to control the plane
flying on the DMD display- you pilot a plane and shoot down enemy
planes in your crosshairs. Left flipper moves your plane up, right
flipper moves your plane down. Korn is right though- the actual
flipper bats while you do all this should not be flipping. Once the
mode is over, your flippers should go back to normal operation.
One tip actually- it is pretty well known- if you actually do nothing
in the video mode. You don't even have to touch your flippers once-
you will score an automatic 13 million every time. Considering the
most I've seen achieved is maybe 18 or 19 million from really trying,
I personally just let it go a lot of the time.
Hope this helps.
dan c
cal50
The Tommy video mode is the best "beer break" in pinball........
Tom
couldn't control the airplane in the video mode. I understand you get
more points by not doing anything. I just would like to know that
they work - they used to. Any ideas on where to start to look?
Thanks,
Tom
dcerny
ah. that's what I was afraid you meant. just figured I'd start with
the obvious just in case. oftentimes the most obvious solution is also
most overlooked.
unfortunately- i am not sure where to help you from here, but
hopefully someone else on this forum will chime in. you may also want
to- i'm sure you already have- consult clay's guide for data east
games at pinrepair.com
(just a shot in the dark- could it be your ROMs? are you running the
latest version?)
best of luck.
dan c
Tom
Thanks for the suggestion. I haven't opened up the head recently so I
don't recall if the roms were marked with a version. I'll check
tonight when I get home.
I'm open to any other suggestions as well. It's a great machine and
functioned flawlessly until a couple of weeks ago.
Tom
Tom
I changed the roms to version 4 (CPU and display). I was playing it
anyway and beat one of the high scores. When I went to enter my
initials the left flipper would not move the cursor (or whatever you
call it) ascending up the alphabet; the right flipper moved it,
descending - but if you pass up the letter you are looking for you
can't go back. I ran the switch test - no flipper problems; I
inspected the left flipper switch - nothing broken or out of alignment
- properly gapped. I cleaned the contact points with a business card
- still not able to fly the airplane in the Captain Walker video mode
either. This has to be related - any ideas? Anyone, Bueller, anyone?
Tom
Jerry
Tom,
I've been following this thread, haven't had anything to add but it
sounds like you're getting pretty stuck. It's a wierd problem, that's
for sure. Just to cover the basics:
Did you change anything or do any work / open the game before they
stopped working?
Do you have any other errors / credit dot / switch errors / anything
odd?
Look for shorts near all the switches on those rows / columns of the
switch matrix - Drive 8, return 7 & 8 I think.
I can't remember but I can check on my Tommy tonight, during the Video
mode don't the playfield lights go out? Do the lights also go out
while putting in the high score initials? Can you think of what else
is unique during that, other than the flippers being disabled? I'm
wondering if there is a problem with a lamp driver shorting to the
switch matrix, or a bad diode, etc.
Do you have an o-scope or meter? I'd try to see if the flipper
switches are getting a ground during the problem modes - the ground is
switched from a relay on the CPU board. If they are then try following
the signal back from the flipper board to the CPU.
All I can think of now.
Jerry
Jerry
Tom,
I talked to another pinhead here and he had a couple of good thoughts
(thanks Goose)
When you're in the video mode is the plane at the top, middle, or
bottom of the screen? Does it move at all when the mode starts? Do
both flippers have no effect? I can't remember where the plane starts,
if it starts at the bottom you may not be able to move back up with
the left flipper, just like the problem entering the initials.
Looking at the schematics the flipper buttons control the flippers
through the flipper board directly, the signal back to the CPU is only
used for the video mode, initials, and test. Have you gone into the
test menu to see if the flipper buttons register during switch tests?
Jerry
Tom
Thanks for the post and e-mail. It started while I was playing it.
Subsequently I replaced the ROMs, new batteries, made an adjustment to
the lane switch (ball trough 13?) that activates the Skill Shot (the
Skill Shot was not registering when made on initial ball launch),
changed the flipper board, and replaced a burned connector on the PPB
board (Backbox GI).
While I was testing the ball trough switch, swapping out some burned
bulbs, and general cleaning I had the machine on for about 45
minutes. The video mode then started working. When I was working on
it I pulled it out from a little nook so I could access both sides of
the machine. After it started working properly I pushed it back in,
put in the backglass and playfield glass, and shut it down. The next
day I turned it on and the video mode did not work again - I'm
thinking that I have a loose connection somewhere in the back box. I
haven't opened up the back box again to check on loose connectors
yet.
By the way, the airplane stays on the bottom and I get 13 million
points - admittedly more than I can get by manually flying the
airplane - but that isn't the point.
As for the switch matrix - that may be a suspect. The ball trough
switch that I adjusted is on the same column as the flippers. I'll
check it out and let you know.
Again, a tip-of-the-hat to you and Goose.
Tom
Jerry
Tom,
I checked mine last night and like you say the plane starts on the
bottom. Between this and what happens when you try to put in your
initials I think you only have a problem with the left flipper. In the
video mode the plane starts at the bottom, controlled by the right
flipper button, you wouldn't be able to tell if that works or not. I'd
bet if you check the switch tests you'll see an error with the left
flipper switch. I checked the schematics and verified how it should
work. The flipper buttons / switches go to the flipper control board
and control the flippers. From there there is a signal that goes to
the cpu used for the video mode, etc. Based on that you can have
flippers that work but not be able to control the plane. Since you had
intermittant behavior when you moved the playfield, I'd suspect a poor
connection on the daisey chain wire connection from the flipper board
to the switch matrix return row # 7. There is a ball trough switch on
that row, you mentioned you had worked in that area, could be there.
I'd follow the wire (wht / vio) from the flipper control board to
where it connects under the playfield, give it a tug to check the
connection there. I've had a few wires and diodes break at connection
points under the playfield on Tommy because of the vibration so I
usually check those first.
Good luck, I'll check for updates to see what you find,
Jerry
Tom
I popped the playfield last night, reseated the connectors on the new
flipper board - nothing changed. Followed the connectors out of the
board to the first harness connection, unplugged it, replugged it
together and that did it. I'll take a closer look at it this weekend
and recrimp the connectors as necessary.
Thanks for your help. In hindsight it was pretty logical, but my
vision is usually obscured when my head is up my butt! I was thinking
bad ROMs, PPB problems, CPU acid damage, and other catastrophic
problems when I know better - particularly with the vibration of game
play, moving the cabinet around, and reseating of backbox
connections. Well, once again, thanks for the clear thinking and
prompt responses.
Once again, RGP comes through!
Tom