New Life Games Tech Forums

Has anyone figured out whats failing on the dmd ps board my just failed again took into paid $ 70 to fix @ the gambler2 mpls mn 2 years ago the tech replaced something  ,but they are  out of business now. Ive taken it out and dont see anything and tested some of the transistors diodes resistors etc and nothing checks bad , but i dont have a diagram of the pcb.
just wondering if anybody electronically Savoy out there that knows what part is failing .
it might be a cheap transistor or something!!!
this is for he upper power supply unit

I (and most others) got really tired of fixing these power supplies.
so came up with a better solution to the problem. you can read
about it here:
http://newlifegames.net/nlg/index.php?topic=346.0 (http://newlifegames.net/nlg/index.php?topic=346.0)

I FIND C20, C24, C26 AND R2 AND R3

so check all them above..... :103-

heres my ps board for upper dmd found c 24 and r3 and tested ok
r2 @5.6 ohms /20k scale or 5600 ohms
c24@39ohms 200 scale
cant find  C20, C26 AND R2 

Hi,just found r2 r3 there next to the 2 large blue caps
tested  open both of the res sweet hope thats all it is going unsolder them............................. :137-

Frankly you are wasting your time fixing the original.
It's just gonna break again and again.
You can use a single computer switcher to run BOTH the
upper and lower computers (lower CPU/IO board and
upper dotmation boards). It way better and if there's
an issue, you can change out the P.S. in about 30 seconds.
I buy used 250-300 watt ATX computer power supplies for $5.
Or you can get a new 450 watt ATX supply for $20.

cfh has the plan,  lucky for me I have some -a few nos I throw at them when this happens- often -but not on home use new pwr supplies! And I do not have any for sale as I need them as well!!!.   Thanks B.

We sell a replacement aftermarket  Dotmation Power supply board, Brand New, same style and size, just screw in the same place, same wire connections, $35.00 we recommend adding a fan to the top box for cooling, that is the main reason for the failure rate being so high, and the fan will get the max amperage/wattage out of the power supply

Well,  Once again Jim is rite.  I did put a fan in mine from old posts and just common sense!.  I also had this problem with other games which I added aux. fan(s). Me, Myself  I prefer to use the orginal parts and fix their defects, Such as this post. The More these games stay on the likely-hood of them doing this.  With new pwr supply in this application in home use this is unlikely to occur.  Unless you leave your machine(s) on 24/7 and that would be just stupid unless you are running a casino!!

I personally don't like the fan approach. I mean if you're talking "original",
a fan is hardly original. And a fan does not reduce the amount of current
drawn from the power supply (which is the real reason the power supply
fails, too much current drawn from too small of a power supply).  Yes heat
does cause components to run less efficiently, but a fan is not the answer.

Adding a 12 volt fan just increases potential problems because hey, the upper
dotmation board and display runs on the same 12 volts!  Fans are a big
power suck, and you're just making things worse from a current consumption
point of view. Also fans add dirt to your game, which gets all over the H.V.
and other components, and that adds more heat (since the dirt acts like
an insulator). You see where i'm going with this?? A fan is not the answer.

I prefer to fix things ONCE, and be done with it. Using a computer power
supply with greater 12 volts capacity is the best answer in my opinion.
And if the computer ATX power supply does die, it's an easy 30 second and
$5 to $20 fix to replace it, just run down to the local computer store.
But i do realize there is more than one way to skin a cat. Just personally
i don't think the fan route is a very good answer, and it doesn't really
"fix" anything (a band-aid approach i would say).

i have used clays fix, for upper and lower and i will not go back to the reg, Wm's power supplies, as soon as i get a Wm's in i take the old inner
power supply and throw it away, to many service calls 50 plus miles for free, not anymore saves me big $$$ in fuel alone,
plus karma to cfh  :3- :3-

You are not realizing that not all can do the connections, I have sold literally hundreds of WMS power supplies over the last 10 years, now WMS does not sell them any longer, and do use aftermarket ones now,  many people can replace like for like, but do not care to cut wires, I have seen many hack jobs of "Dealers" adding aftermarket power supplies from any type equipment, and have pics of wire nuts, twisted and taped wires, too small crimps, and when a person has a problem and sees that usually they want the right parts, I like your fix, I have done it many times, I use a separate one for the top, before those I used self contained power supplies with a fan as Eric posted, and I know you have done a clean installation, I don't like the lower amperage to the top, but that is my thought, and if you have not had a problem then I support that, I have sold many WMS reel games, and after a problem with one I bought "reconditioned" from a company no longer in biz, I started putting new factory power supplies in, and gave a good surge protector with game, no I didn't sell the games for 500 bucks, but 10 years ago the WMS were more valueable as 550's were fairly new, since 1999 I remember 1 that came back (lower unit) with bad power supply board and I/O, with a surge protector on it, the guys big screen and furnace control board also got hit with a spike during a storm, I know that if people call me back with pennies in the hoppers from fills from their piggy banks they would call back with a power supply problem, and I have seen very few bad Condor Power supplies (the later WMS supplier) mostly the Int'l Power ones, yes there is more than one way to skin a cat, but not all have the skill to do it, on the fan, I use a 110 fan with a fused power input and bolt to the box, this also keeps the dotmation screen cool, most new games all use fans now, anything on a riverboat always has, most video slots have had for years, yes they bring in dust, but that is easy to fix, I use the ATX power supplies with fans as well so they get dusty as well, if a power supply in a 400/401 goes out after a new one is installed in less than 2 years there is a problem, I have seen so many 400's sitting on the floor on top of the power cord, or with long extension cords, I know of one instance where when the dotmation was triggered, the game froze up, turned out the guy had a 25 foot cord run to a outlet with an air conditioner on it

Well,  Still  in all I am a small time gamer/enthusiast here but mine works perfectly for HOME use.  I have the lesuire to put a NEW pwr supply in if needed.  FANS are in ALL games now-Forget the dust they knew they lacked on cooling.  It'[s a trade off. without the "hack" and it does NOT draw too much amperage.  Just an old home owner talking here. Maybey you guys are running old, fatuiged pwr supplies to begin with.  You cannot expect for something that has sat in casino for years such as this to be reliable.  Well good night to all.

I'm one of the people in that crowd.  I do like Clay's idea/invention of the one ATX supply to repalce both faulty supplies, but I've never made connectors before in my life.

Thankfully, though, only my upper Dotmation supply went bad.  I used AZSlot's directions (found here (http://newlifegames.net/nlg/index.php?topic=90.msg349#msg349)) which require no special connectors, and with my revision of the directions (also in that post), no cutting of any of the factory wires in the Dotmation box.  If I wanted to, I could at any time remove the ATX supply I put in and plug a WMS supply in its place with no change in wiring.  Just one more option to consider.   :71-

upper p/s attempt atx conv/mod
hi. so far (OK last thing here is the square 4 pin Conn to the DMD circuit board controller thingy) .not the DMD display itself.
so far i have taken 
a 20pin atx p/s and snipped green and black jumped together to power atx p/s.
next removed the pins and only reversed the red terminal without cutting wires or 4 pin molex Conn left the yellow terminal out & taped off
as pictured for the DMD disply board. was easy just used a bobby pin and gently pulling on the terminal wire while circling the terminal inside the molex Conn.
but what about the 4 pin squared Conn? that attaches to the DMD controller board??
I'm sure that needs to connected >>>>
really dont want cut wires
just kinda maybe match Conn 2 Conn  i guess   :25- :25- :137-
my finger is just holding it in place, and not pointing anything out lol

Just to note:

ATX Power supply (common Colors)

+12V      = Yellow
- 12V      = Blue
+5          = Red
+3.3       = Orange (not used on a 4xx / 5xx)
Power ON = Green to Ground (Black)
PG          = Grey

yes its done atx converted to slot dmd p/s very easy......my big bang piggy bankin game is alive !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
20 min job next time ...... im going took an i eye for atx p/s lol thanks for the help everyone!!!!!!! pic coming gottoa play first   :88-

Congrats on fixing your machine!   :3-

You mentioned to me that you're in the Twin Cities.  Micro Center sells ATX power supplies for around $20.  If you ever need one in the future, check their website (http://www.microcenter.com/) for prices and part numbers (you'll want their stock number, as they don't keep the cheap ones on the floor -- you have to ask for them to get one from the back room), then head to their store in St. Louis Park (Highway 100 and 36th Street) to pick one up.

instead of re-inventing the wheel i would just look at this post:
http://newlifegames.net/nlg/index.php?topic=350.0 (http://newlifegames.net/nlg/index.php?topic=350.0)
http://newlifegames.net/nlg/index.php?topic=346.0 (http://newlifegames.net/nlg/index.php?topic=346.0)

...or this one: http://newlifegames.net/nlg/index.php?topic=90.msg349#msg349 (http://newlifegames.net/nlg/index.php?topic=90.msg349#msg349) for replacing just the upper with an ATX with no special connectors needed.   :71-

There are plenty of ways to do it.  I think we're mostly in agreement that for home use, the key is to get rid of that crappy original power supply!   :5-