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I have an IGT S+ with a WBA-11-SS.  There's a sticker on it that says ID 022/023 USA V3 00-03 (DR) USA.  I went through the steps to turn the bill validator on and set the machine up for $0.25

When I power on the machine, the bill validator whirs,so I'm guessing it is getting power.  If I use the self test menu, it shows 9--1 so it appears that it is turned on.  However, the light doesn't come on and I can't put any bills into it.

I did have a battery error and I just replaced the battery.  I don't know if that somehow messed it up.  Any thoughts on things I need to check?

:238- tbrauch :88-

First, was the DBV was working prior to the battery change?
Since you had to replace the battery my next question would be: Does the machine work? In other words, is is free of error codes? Can you insert coins and play it? Does credit mode work?


If the answer is yes, then it's possible that one of your settings is incorrect or that that reseating the DBV harness connections on both ends might help. It sounds like you know how to navigate the test/setup menu. Depending on which SP chip you have, I'd start by checking your credit, hopper, and DBV limits. For giggles, I'd also check setup sub-menu option <8> (DBV behavior) and double check the denomination to be sure it took.


StatFreak :31-
:nlg-  Global Moderator

Thanks for the quick reply.

Before the battery died, there was an error code.  I don't remember what the code was (I realize that is about the opposite of helpful).  It happened just before I moved so I unplugged the machine and put it in storage with my other stuff for about a year.  This past weekend I got it out of storage.  When I started it up, I got the 12 error so I replaced the battery.  After I replaced the battery I did a ram clear, loaded the game, activated the DBV, then reloaded the game again.

Right now there are no error codes.  I can play by using tokens or by using credits after a win.

All of the limits are set at 9999.  It is a Double Diamonds set at $0.25 with a max payout of 1600 credits so I think 9999 should be enough credits.  I should probably change these limits since I only have about 1000 tokens, but I thought those settings should make the DBV work.

The setup submenu <8> shows 25 in the credits display, so I think it is set up correctly.

Was the bill validator working before you got the unknown error and put it in storage?

If so, are you able to recognize the pacing and sounds of a normal healthy startup of your WBA?
Is it starting up normally?

Is the cash can inserted well and have you tried pulling it out and reinserting it?

For the purpose of discussion, what SP chip do you have?

The DBV was working.  I don't know what a normal DBV start-up should sound like.  I made a video of me turning it on and playing it. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpkLapQrV7Q (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpkLapQrV7Q).

My chips are SP731 and SS3817

No It doesn't sound right. Should cycle more times.  My bet is the cash can isn't completely latched.

I don't have a lock on the cash box.  I took it out and put new tape on the bottom, making sure it was tight.  Then I unplugged all the wires and reconnected them.  Sounds the same when I start it up.

When I started it up, I put my hand on the DBV and I found that the whirring sound is the head (that's the very front part, right?).

First thing to be clear on, you don't have a DBV you have a WBA.  They each do the same job but are different critters. In my opinion the WBA is the better of the two.

When I said the cash can latch, I was referring to the can latch and not the cash can door.  Try this, two wires that go to the cash can door micro switch, remove them from the micro switch and connect them together bypassing the micro switch. ( this is a common fix, not something I came up with )  Make sure the cash can is completely seated in the chassis. Once you have the can in, pull on the Handel and if it comes out, it wasn't latched.

The two green wires going to the latch had been cut and patched together with wire nuts.  I was able to take the nuts off and connect the wires to bypass the latch.  There's no change when I start up.  I guess that rules out the door latch.

What should I check next?

The WBA should Cycle with a final click of the cashcan at the end, also make sure all the dips are off on the WBA (right side front).

Make sure the cashcan is fully seated as well

I have to dig into my memory banks as we no longer have S+ units in our shop.

I checked the DIPs and they were all off.  After that, I unscrewed two screws in the back of the cash box area and took the whole assembly out.  As I did that, I noticed a rattling sound.  I shook it for a while and a small, brass flat head bolt fell out.  I'm not sure where it came from, but I'm guessing there shouldn't be loose screws inside the thing. I can't figure out how to make the black plastic transporter part come out of the metal thing surrounding it so I can't check to find out where this screw might have come from.

After removing that screw, I put the whole thing back together and it sounds the same when I start it up.

On the BV head you will see a flat bar toward the front bottom.  Pull down and out and the whole thing will be in your hands.  If you want to remove the head from the transport, right above the flat bar is a round bar pull down and out on it and the head will come off.  Some times the head will be kind of stuck.


I just had a thought, you said you had a error just before you stored the machine and don't remember what it was.   OPEN the top of the BV head and see if a Dollar bill is stuck there.

It looks like the screw came from behind the head to hold down the metal "convertible roof" above the transporter.  I replaced it there and cleared out an old, dried up rubber band(?) from it.

I noticed there is a small button battery near the prom chip on the bottom.  What would happen if that battery died?  Since I had to replace the battery on the MPU, it makes me wonder if perhaps that battery also died.

I've never heard of a battery in a WBA, I know I have never replaced one.

The rubber band, was it Black and maybe a drive belt ??

Would you PLEASE respond if the cash can is fully installed !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes, the cash can is fully installed.

The rubber band was a small red rubber band, not a drive belt.

I've attached a photo with the battery circled.

Well if it will make you feel better go ahead and replace it.

I don't know what kind of battery it is... and I can't find anything online that mentions anything about a battery.

My biggest question now is whether the problem is in my bill validator, a messed up prom or MPU, or a bad connection somewhere.  I only have one slot machine so I can't try to swap it out into another to see if it works there.  I ordered a new MPU and a new bill validator.  The new BV should be here on Saturday.  Maybe that will fix the problem.  If not, then at least we'll be pretty sure the problem isn't with the BV but somewhere else in the machine.

There is no batt on a WBA, that is a 5.5V 22Uf CAP I think (Have to grab one and take a look) and if you replace it with a batt it will explode.

Funny story there, had a cust replace the IGT I+ MML2 CAP with a batt and it exploded everywhere and nearly burnt down his house.

So never replace a cap with a battery...

Slotmaster, I thought it was the top of an electrolytic cap when I first looked but if so, why does it have that long, bent flat strip that looks like a spot welded battery lead on the top of it? (Or maybe I'm just seeing things. The picture isn't very sharp or detailed.)

Just curious. I don't own a WBA, so I can't check one myself.

Stat :31-

It does have a thin strip of metal soldered to it like a battery.  That's why I thought it was a battery.  Sorry about the quality of the photo; I used my cellphone.  I will try to get a better picture and post it.

But, regardless, nothing in the WBA manual that I found on the JCM website says anything about a battery.  It did say something about a corrupt chip causing errors like what I'm experiencing, so I'm wondering if that's the problem.  I should have a new bill validator in today's mail so I'll pop it in and see if it works.

By the way, can I just pop in a new validator?  Assuming it works, I don't need to use any sort of chip or anything?  The machine already says the validator is turned on 9__1 and it is set for quarters.

The new bv needs to have the correct ERPOM installed and there are two types of bill validators (12 / 13) for example, the 12 is flash based and requires a special programmer to flash the unit, the 13 is EPROM based and needs the 22/23 version of software.  I am also sure you would want the latest version that supprots the new $5's

I am guessing you orderd another 11, you should be able to move the chip from the one you have now over to the new unit if it did not come with the correct version.

If you ordered a 12 / 13 you would have to change the pig tail that connects the BV to the S+ harness. 

The new one is a 12 I told the person I bought it from (who is a member here, but I bought it on eBay and I don't remember his name on here) that I currently had an 11.  He told me he would make sure it would fix and hook-up to my machine.

What I meant by the chip comment is that I don't need to use a set chip or anything, right?  Swapping the equipment should be all it takes, if the problem is with my old equipment?

The mail just arrived so I guess I'll find out in about 5 minutes.

Believe me, you got the right stuff now

There's a slight problem.  With my WBA 11 the pigtail had 3 connectors coming out of it

From BV --> slot machine
Brown/Red/Orange/Yellow/Green --> [blank]/Brown/Red/Orange/Yellow
Red/Black --> Green/Blue
Blue/Purple/Gray/White --> RedBlue/Green/[blank]/[blank]

The new pigtail for my WBA 12 has 4 connectors coming out of it.  Based on connector size, this seems to be what works, but I want to ask before I short out anything.

Brown/Red/Orange/Yellow/Green --> [blank]/Brown/Red/Orange/Yellow (same as WBA11)
Red/Black --> Blue/Green (same as WBA11)
Blue/Purple/Gray --> NOTHING
White/Black/[blank]/[blank] --> RedBlue/Green/[blank]/[blank]

The connectors will only fit one way, they is one left open, there are the 2 to the power supply and the one to the bezel lights

Got it hooked up, powered it on, and it works!  I tried it with a couple of different bills in different orientations and it worked.

Can anybody try to flash my old eprom to see if that will get the WBA11 working again?  Like I said earlier, the JCM manual said that a corrupt rom would make it behave the way it is behaving.

Someone can send you an eprom to try in your 11, no flash needed.

I have not see a eprom go bad in a WBA before but that does not mean anything.

I don't know how it could have gone bad, but on pg A-1 of the JCM manual http://www.jcmglobal.com/Libraries/Product_Manuals/WBA_Manual.sflb.ashx (http://www.jcmglobal.com/Libraries/Product_Manuals/WBA_Manual.sflb.ashx) [PDF] it says the most common causes of a unit not working are:

• No Power - it was getting power since the head cycled during power-up
• Wrong Connections - it worked before putting it into storage and there is only one way to hook the thing up
• Corrupted Software - I'm guessing this would be what is stored on the eprom
• CPU Board Failure - not sure how I could check that but it seems easier to check the eprom first
• Eprom Installed Incorrectly - I never took it out and upon inspection, it looks like it is inserted correctly

So if the only problem is a bad eprom, that'd be easy enough to fix, I think, and I'd have a back-up in case anything happens to my new, good one.  And if a new eprom doesn't fix it, I'd guess the problem is somewhere on the CPU board.

This isn't closely related, but should have a quick answer.

Now that my bill validator is working, I want to change the options for what makes a handpay.  This is where I get a little confused.  Recall I have SP731.

I hit the self test button until [7] shows up in the coins played window.
 - At that point 9999 shows up in the winner paid window.
 - Hitting the self test button again and 9999 shows up in the credits window.
 - Hitting it one more time and an [8] shows up in the coins played window and a 9999 shows up in the winner paid window.

I'm a little unclear on what each of these limits controls.  I think one sets the handpay limit, one sets the maximum number of credits, and one sets the maximum that the hopper will pay.  Which is which?

Let's imagine I have the maximum hopper pay set for 400.  If I put in $100 (it's set for 25c) that will give me 400 credits.  If I then hit a 4 credit win, I will have 402 credits (minus the 2 I used to spin the reels).  It will still cash out all 402 credits, right?  The maximum hopper is only when you hit a jackpot, then it will pay that many out of the hopper and the rest handpay, right?

Here is the PSR However, it seems to be missing part even though the pages are in order. :103-  But the following should apply to the 731

Max Hopper Pay <7>   Programmable only if the DIP switches 1 and 2 are set for self test selection (on position), otherwise this page is for display purposes only.  Determines the maximum number of coins that may be paid out of the hopper.

Bill Acceptor
Credit Limit <7>   Determines the maximum amount of credits that can be accumulated before the bill acceptor is disabled.  The limit must be less than the max hopper size or $2,500, which ever is less.

Partial Pay
Selection <8>   Determines the amount of coins to be paid from the hopper when a jackpot is hit, before a hand–pay lockup condition occurs.  The partial pay limit cannot be set for an amount that is greater than the maximum hopper pay setting.

Poppo if you look at the dates on the pages you will see
that some dates are '03 and some are '05.

It looks like there is a page missing from that file.  The page numbers say every page is there, but the bottom of page 6 ends with a completed paragraph.  The top of page 7 starts in the middle of a sentence. And of course, that is right at the spot where I have my confusion.

[Edit to add]
I see you caught it as I was typing my reply.

Huh. Well that's interesting. :79-   We've all been using that file for years and none of us ever noticed. :96- :127-  :279-

Here's a complete file. :71-


StatFreak :31-

I had noticed it quite a while back, but figured it was the only version out there. Thanks for suppying a complete one.  :89-

I think I missed it because other PSRs have the same information and I already knew that part, so I never looked for it in that file.