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Tech difficulty with my 1997 Sega X Files


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Hey guys, I have recently purchased a 1997 Sega X Files and I am in the process of restoring it. I have a question to anyone who may be able to help, there is an issue I can't work out at the moment. It's some kind of malfunction/glitch with the CPU that affects the digital scoring function, i.e. every time I get a bonus after losing a ball, or when scoring a jackpot during gameplay it is something crazy like 999 999 920 989 (or similar), so its impossible to know what true score I'm getting. Its been doing this since I bought it a few weeks ago. This glitch even effects the service menu function as when I try to choose the various functions it malfunctions (regardless of whether or not I use the flipper buttons/start button or the actual buttons inside the coin box). I did manage to eventually do a Factory Reset and Audits reset etc but it didn't help. The numbers of most of the settings come up as 999 999 989 (or similar).

I was hoping (to the point of praying) that by replacing the Game ROM A3.O3 and Display ROM0 A3.00 that this would fix it, but to my dismay it didn't make any difference.

The original battery area looks clean and it had previously been relocated to a better position and I have changed to new batteries. The CPU boards look like they are in quite good condition.

I am really hoping that someone can help me sort out this problem as its really disheartening.

With appreciation,

~ Michael

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Hi Michi, much appreciation for your help. I am wondering how do I identify which RAM chip is faulty and where I can purchase the replacement RAM chip?

Thank you

~ Mick

 

- - - Updated - - -

 

Hi femto, thankyou for the welcome. I also posted on the Introduction section.

I am grateful for discovering an Aussie based forum

Best regards,

~ Mick

 

- - - Updated - - -

 

I am only new to this but am keen to learn and do my best to get my first pinball up and running properly. With the RAM chips how do I find out which one may be at fault and where about would it most likely be situated on the boards? Do I test them with a digital multimeter or is it just a matter of replacing the faulty chip with a new one? Maybe I can buy a complete set?

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Figuring out which chip is bad will require some reasonably advanced hardware skills and measuring equipment, unless you are prepared to swap out chips one by one until you stumble across the bad one (if indeed it is a bad RAM chip).

 

People here recommend Ken @Skybeaux a lot. I've never dealt with Ken myself but, going by the absolutely glowing reports around here, I'd say he da man! ;)

 

Michi.

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Hi again guys. Sorry for my lack of experience with all of this, as this is my very first pinball machine I appreciate your patience and understanding. I am definitely willing to learn. I ended up sending away for the Anypin DMD RAM device and received it as few days ago, I snipped the battery wires off and then replaced the previous RAM chip with the Anypin DMD and then turned it on and found that the whitestar board didn't boot up? I tried replugging the RAm a couple of times to no avail so I thought I must have accidentally put the chip in upside down or something so I turned the machine off and reversed the chip but it still didn't boot. I then took the AnyPin out and replaced it with the original RAM and now it still won't boot up at all?

 

My electrician friend came over tonight and helped me check all of the fuses and we discovered that the F23 fuse has been blown which he said was actually a good thing because it is designed to do that to safeguard against more serious damage. Due to my inexperience I am learning the hard way from my mistakes. I think I must have damaged something on my machine because when I put the replacement fuse in of the exact same amps and then turned the machine on the same fuse blew again.

It is a 4 Amp fuse on the Power Driver Board (5 Volt DC Logic).

If possible can you give me some guidance as to what potentially could be the problem as I am very keen to find a solution and get my machine booting up again.

 

With gratitude for any help you can give

 

Kind regards,

 

~ Mick

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And your new RAM that you bought must be bad now,because you tried it on two possition.

ICs have one right possition where get +5v and if you reverse it you directly short it and that's it.

Buy again new one and put i as it must be.

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Hey guys thanks for your input. I was very worried about having potentially damaged something by accidentally plugging the AnyPin NV RAM chip around the wrong way. The machine wouldn't boot up and I put the original RAM back in and it still wouldn't boot. I then found a 4 amp fuse was blown so I replaced it with another 4 amp fuse and it blew again so I immediately thought the worst :) But now I have some good news which I am thankful for, the next day I also found a loose Earth strap near the DMD so I re-earthed it and then drove to my local electronics outlet and picked up a couple of 4 Amp fuses, put another one in, took a deep breath, turned on the toggle switch and to my astonishment it booted up !! (Maybe the 1st replacement fuse I used for the blown one also had a problem, although we did test it with a multimeter and it was reading as ok??... strange but I am just still feeling such a deep feeling of relief that the board wasn't damaged).

Now I am very much looking forward to receiving the new NV RAM chip and will make 100% certain that I install it correctly this time ! I am quietly hoping that it may fix up the problem my X Files pin has with some kind of corrupt input that affects the digital scoring and settings etc. Another weird thing is when I go into the Service Menu it seems to malfunction and jump to the wrong function and all the numbers are scrambled. I have tried doing the Factory Reset & Audits reset etc but when the machine boots up the glitch is still in the system. I'm wondering if it due to a corruption in the RAM chip or if there is some kind of wiring problem/short in the Portals assembly or something else. I noticed the data ribbon cable and plugs that goes from the CPU board to the DMD boards are quite twisted and old looking, I wonder if this could cause these kinds of problems?

If I can sort out the glitch I will be extremly happy as its the only thing really spoiling the game at the moment. I am enjoying adding all the new mods and will eventually clean all the playfield and ramps and install the entire LED light kit and new rubbers throughout.

Any ideas about the remaining glitch would be much appreciated.

 

Best regards,

 

~ Mick

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I wouldn't worry about the ribbon cables unless they are actually damaged (insulation missing and shorting out to adjacent conductors/components).

I wish I had seen this post earlier today so I could look at the manual inside my machine at the other end of the state! Can't remember if it has normal static RAM or not. I'll have a look at some other Sega pin manuals tomorrow.

For the moment I would suggest working on the playfield. :)

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Hey guys just an update on the tech problem. After realising I had made the silly mistake of putting the anypin NV RAM chip in the wrong way which damaged the NV RAM chip I put the original RAM chip back in and I also found a loose earth strap that was connected above the DMD onto the speaker surround. I went and picked up a new 4 Amp fuse from my local electronics outlet and put it in, took a deep breath, turned in the toggle switch and fortunately it booted up again !!

Rob was kind enough to offer to send me a replacement anypin NV RAM which I just received today and made sure I installed it properly this time :) It's a great device and I was glad to get rid of the battery pack. I was quietly hoping that the new anypin NV RAM chip may fix up the problem my X Files pin is having with the corrupt input which affects the digital scoring and settings etc but the prob is obviously something else.

One thing that may give a clue to anyone who may be able to help is when I go into the Service Menu it seems to malfunction and jump to the wrong function and all the factory settings are scrambled (this is regardless of whether i use the flipper buttons and start button instead of the portals switches). If I persevere enough in the service menu I can eventually do a Factory Reset & Audits reset etc but when the machine boots up the glitch is still in the system. I'm wondering if it due to a corruption in one of the other RAM chip's or if there is some kind of wiring problem/short in the Portals assembly or something else. I noticed the data ribbon cable and plugs that goes from the CPU board to the DMD boards was quite twisted and old looking, I wonder if this could cause these kinds of problems?

The game still pays well (apart from the glitch and some of the flashers not working even though I put new bulbs in them).

I have enjoyed adding all the new mods and have also cleaned all the playfield and ramps and install the entire LED light kit and new rubbers throughout.

I just need to sort out to the weird data glitch problem. Can anyone give me some ideas of how to potentially fix it?

With appreciation,

~ Mick

 

- - - Updated - - -

 

I wouldn't worry about the ribbon cables unless they are actually damaged (insulation missing and shorting out to adjacent conductors/components).

I wish I had seen this post earlier today so I could look at the manual inside my machine at the other end of the state! Can't remember if it has normal static RAM or not. I'll have a look at some other Sega pin manuals tomorrow.

For the moment I would suggest working on the playfield. :)

Thankyou, any help would be much appreciated

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Just came back from entering into the Diagnostics section of the Service Menu function and did a thorough testing procedure including lamp test, coil test and switch test. I will write the results here in the hope that someone with tech experience can see what's going on and point me in the right direction. Thank you in advance for any assistance.

 

SINGLE LAMP TEST:

* when initiating some of the single lamps, one of the pop bumper lights comes on at half power?

e.g.

#13 'Bonus Times 2' (Yel-Grn : Red-Blk) also lights the Bottom Pop Bumper

#14 'Bonus Times 4' (Yel-Blu : Red-Blk) also light the Right Pop Bumper

#29 'Double Jackpot' (Yel-Grn : Red-Yel) also lights the Bottom Pop Bumper

#30 'Extra Ball' (Yel-Blu : Red-Yel) also light the Right Pop Bumper

* in total I've identified 12 cases of this and it is always a pattern of a consecutive two

* another thing to note is that the #52 Top Pop Bumper light (Yel-Blk : Red-Vio) has never worked since I purchased the machine (even after I installed the new bulb)

 

SINGLE COIL TEST:

* the Right Ramp Top Flasher Light does not work (even after bulb replacement)

* when the #F6 Flash Rt Ramp Top is tested, the Rt Ramp Bottom Flasher goes on instead

* when the #F7 Flash Rt Ramp Bottom is tested, nothing lights

* another thing to note is that even though both of the Left Ramp Flasher Lights do not work during gameplay, but they actually do work in test mode.

 

SWITCH TEST:

* when going into this testing mode it is nearly impossible to see whats going on as it goes crazy with the options cycling through fast (maybe due to one of the switches being stuck on or some other kind of glitch or cross-wiring situation?)

* After a while of watching the various switch matrix diagrams cycling across the display there is one that keeps showing up as the culprit but it says #95 (Grn-Gry : Wht-Vio) NOT USED

 

* I was also able to enter into another diagnostics section of the service menu titled Dr Pinball TECHNICIAN ALERTS:

An alert comes up as 'CHECK SWITCHES'

#46 Magnet Opto

#34 NOT USED

#36 NOT USED

And the other alert comes up as 'SWITCH STUCK OPEN'

#34 NOT USED

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* Update at this stage is that I have fixed the Right Ramp Top Flasher Light (discovered a wire had been dislodged from the plastic plug)

* And I may have discovered a possible clue relating to the 'CHECK SWITCHES' alert for #34 and #35. I cross-referenced with the Switch Matrix Grid Chart in the game manual and it has those two 'Not Used' switches associated with the Grn-Blk wires (on the Drive column).

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I then searched through the wiring under the playfield and discovered some of that associated wiring may have been tampered with by the previous owner.

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i.e. as can be seen in the attached pic, there are three Grn-Blk wires soldered together (with no insulation) plus also another single Grn-Blk wire looks like it has previously been slotted into a plug but now isn't (some tape had been put over the area where it had previously been attached).

Here is a pic from further away so any X Files owners can see the location of the wiring in question, and can maybe have a look under their playfields for me to double-check how it should be?

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Many thanks for anyone who can assist

Best regards,

~ Mick

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