Re: EM Tech: More Target Alpha

It's like Chris is trying to speak to me... If only I had an EM god,
to bonehead guy translator! ;-)

I'm reading and absorbing what I can Chris... thanks so much.

Chuck E.


On Nov 5, 8:22 pm, Chris Hibler <ch...@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Hi Chuck,

Keep at it...you will be victorious.
Yes, motor 1A refers to motor position 1 (match the motor diagram on
the schematics to the actual motor if you motor has the yellow
numbered labels removed) level A, which is the lowest level and pulses
5 times per 1/3 revolution.

When working on EM games, it's a best practice to simplify the problem
as much as possible. To that end, let's focus on a single player game
and getting that working correctly first.

I'm working from Royal Flush schematics, but the "advance player unit"
logic works the same.

Here's how the circuit works.
1. The ball is served from the outhole to the shooter lane.
2. As the ball travels to the shooter lane, it crosses the trough
switch and closes it.
3. Closing the trough switch completes the circuit to the P relay
which energizes. P is sealed in by a switch on P itself. It will
continue to be sealed in for nearly the entire 1/3 rotation of the
score motor. It is eventually unsealed via a normally closed (NC)
switch at motor 2B. It would be instructional to review the motor
sequence chart on the schematics.
4. A switch on the P relay starts the score motor.
5. Turn your attention to the circuitry on the schematic that is in
series with the "Add Player Unit" coil (APU).
6. Ignore the 4th player reset switches, 3rd player reset switches,
etc for now.
7. You can see that there are switches on Z2 and Z1 that are in series
with the APU coil.
8. As the score motor turns, the switch at motor 1A will close. Follow
the circuit on the schematics from that switch through the switch on
BX, through the (now closed) switch on P, through a switch at motor 2C
which closes early in the motor rotation (again, see the motor
sequence chart), through a closed switch on U (assuming a few points
where scored on the first ball), then back to the red/white power
rail. It is via this circuit that the first pulse of the APU occurs.
9. Now...since we are playing a 1 player game, the coin unit hasn't
advanced and the schematic is representative of it's position.
10. The next pulse of the APU comes shortly after the pulse caused by
motor 2C but this one comes via...motor 1A, BX, P, and this time, P2G
on the player unit and the snowshoes on the coin unit, then thru U and
back to the red/white rail. Again referencing the motor sequence unit,
the closure of motor 1A that causes this happens between 60 and 75
degrees.
11. The next pulse of the APU comes similarly, but via the circuit
that includes P3G and the coin unit. The motor 1A switch closure
occurs at 90 degrees rotation.
12. The final pulse of the APU comes via P4G, the coin unit, and the
motor 1A closure between 105 and 120 degrees. For a single player
game, the player unit will have advanced 4 times to player 1, ball 2.
13. Now that all 4 pulses have occurred, P is unsealed via a switch at
motor 2B as noted in (3) above.

Pretty simple, eh?

Now, if you had set up a 2 player game, the coin unit will have
advanced once so that even though the switch at P2G closes, the coin
unit snowshoes are not positioned to complete the circuit and the
player unit will advance only 1 step. After player 2 completes his
ball and the ball crosses the trough switch again, the process will
continue but this time sequential closures at P3G, P4G and the
corresponding coin unit snowshoes will cause the player unit to
advance 3 times, back to player 1.

Now that you know how the circuit works, examine each of the switches
in the circuit and the mechanical operation of the player unit and the
coin unit. The player unit should advance smoothly when you push it's
coil plunger in and release it quickly. Same for the coin unit. Ensure
that the snowshoes are positioned directly over the rivets on the coin
unit.

OK...I bet while I was typing this out that you probably got a few
other responses....
Let us know.
--
Chris Hibler - CARGPB #31www.Team-EM.comhttp://webpages.charter.net/chibler/Pinball/index.htm

On Nov 4, 9:38 pm, djcharlie17 <djcharli...@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:



First, when playing a single player game, does the player unit step 4
times between balls?

Sometimes a 1 player game works correctly, others not... mostly not.

If not, how many times does it step, and what player does the game
seem to think is up?

It's random... might go from player 1 ball 1, to player 3 ball 1, or
player 3 ball 2. No rhyme or reason.

Does this incorrect operation happen consistently?

On more than one player, it messes up every time.

1. There is a switch at motor 1A which may be dirty/maladjusted. Check
it.

Define motor 1A... score motor I'm assuming?

2. There are 3 switches at the top of the player unit switch stacks,
probably designated P2G, P3G, and P4G. Each of them "makes" in turn as
the player unit advances. If they do not make properly, then the
player unit won't advance the correct number of times.

Gently cleaned and checked them all... will double check again.

Let us know the answers to the questions above.

Absolutely will do Lauren... er, Chris. ;-)

Thanks so much for the help!

Chuck E.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

.

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