New Life Games Tech Forums

Ok guys,

As I mentioned in another thread and in my GK 5.3 video, my machine came with a ticket printer, but it is currently disabled.  The hopper and coin in is working fine.  Ultimately, I want my machine to do partial pays with jackpots for x amount to empty from the hopper, and the rest to go to a ticket...if this can be done.  Can both the hopper and the ticket printer be running at the same time?

Anyway, for now, I just want to get the printer going.  I have attached some photos.  The printer pigtail has two connectors on the end which I have labeled in orange and green.  I have also labled the connection points where I believe they should connect to, but I wanted to run it by you guys first before I blindly start making connections.  I think I understand where in the menus to configure it, but I just need your advice regarding the hardware connections.  I have a keychip to configure the menus once everything is connected.

I would appreciate your .02 on this and any advice regarding software configuration would be appreciated as I might be making assumptions.

Thanks!
Jason

More photos:

Well, I just pulled out the monitor and looked at the underside of the Connector 1 photo in the previous post...and there's nothing to plug it into...just an empty hole I guess.  Any ideas?  See photo:

In your first picture the 2 orange ones connect.  The yellow ones connect to nothing...ignore them.  Once connection made do a Key 22 and work your way through the menus to get to Device Options...or something like that....and then "Enable printer".

Jim, should ticket printer and the hopper be able to work simultaneously, or once I key chip, do I need to disable the hopper?

They can be used together.  Once both are enabled you need to set the hopper limit to the most amount of coins that you want to hit the tray during the cash out.  A good amount might be $20 on the hopper limit...or whatever you want.  You then need to enable "Split Pay".  I have seen some anomaly's (inconsistencies) in various software setups as to how it actually functions.  Ideally it should function where, when you cash out under $20 then it comes out in coins.  If you cash out over $20, then $20 comes out in coins and the balance is printed on the ticket.  This is how it always works on a S2000 Reel Slot.  In some cases however I have seen where Split Pay is set up and cash outs over the $20 print fully on the ticket with no coins hitting the tray.  In those cases there may have been a setting I missed or it's possibly something to do with the difference between US and International software versions.  In either case, give it a try...you can't break anything.

I have mine set so you have the option of cashing out coin or printing a ticket. If you hit the "Change" button with credits on the machine it will say in the VFD "Press CASH for ticket" "Press CHANGE for coins only" "Press MAX BET to cancel. If you need the settings either Jim or I can give them to you. The reason why you may want to have it set this way is so that if a person playing wants a souvienir you can "cash out" and give them the ticket(fun for kids). It can't be used to add credits to the machine however unless you have access to SAS, in which case IGT would hunt you down.......

Hmmm...still working at it.  Jim, I followed your directions and enabled the printer.  When booting up after the 22 it states in small print DSA Check (like it always does) and next to it I see Printer 2.  It hangs and then states there is a "Printer Communication failure."  Any ideas?

So I noticed in my second post that the wiring cluster that connects to the printer is plugged into "Nextplex 1."  Per the photo, there are 3 plugs on that board "Netplex 1 Netplex 2 and Netplex 3."  Is it possible that the "Printer 2/Error in communication" is because the cluster needs to be plugged into "Netplex 2" on the board?  Does it hurt to interchange these?

 :3- :3- :3- :3- :3- :3- :3-  Well guys, I think I may have found the problem.  I disassembled some of the parts in the top cabinet assembly and when I removed the metal shroud over the ticket printer, I found an EIDE cable lurking behind that was mysteriously disconnected from the printer, but still attached to the PCB.  I reattached the cable performed a 22 keychip and now the hopper AND ticket printer enabled.  The error has gone away and I have a blinking arrow on the faceplate of the printer due to paper out.  For the time being, I configured soft tilt for the ticket printer so that I can still play the machine. 

Reho33, yes if you or Jim could PM me the settings that you mentioned, that would be great! 

Now, where do I get paper and tickets for this thing so that I can actually see if it works?   :208-

Thanks again for the help so far! 

Tickets can be had on Flea bay. You can order from Happ but shipping may be expensive. I recommend asking in the WTB classifieds thermal tickets. I bought like 2 packs so I have enough for a while. If Jim doesn't give you the settings I will go down and check my machine and give them to you.

Thanks reho33, I appreciate it.  I haven't heard from Jim yet, so if you wouldn't mind, I'd appreciate it.  Thanks!

OK I checked mine and this is what you need to do;

Open door and hit white button on MPU, this will place you into setup
Navigate to 3.1.4 (might be different on yours) Limits
Then set "Hopper Limit" to $1000.00
go to next item which will be Credit limit $1000.00
Jackpot limit $1000.00
Then backup and go to 3.1.7.1 "Player Cashout Menu" and choose "Enable"
Backout and go to 3.1.1.1.1 "Split Pay" and enable that
Use the Max Bet button to save and back all the way out
It should now give you the option of cash in coins or tickets. Remember that you have a Game king and the places in the menus may be slightly different so just check around to see if you are in the right option or not.

I'm a little late to the party, but for the record, that Netplex distribution board is basically a big splitter -- it really doesn't matter what port you have the wire harness connected to, as the signal will get to the processor no matter where it's plugged in.  The printer doesn't "have" to be in plug 1, 2, or 3 specifically.

Yep, after reading the manual, that was my understand as well knagl.  It's just an active splitter.  My problem was that the EIDE cable between pcb and printer hardware was not connected.  I did cut some LaserJet paper to scale to see what would happen.  It feeds it through, but then rejects it, probably because the paper is out of spec and/or is missing the black ID tags.  I'll report the results once I receive the tix from Buzz.

You have to understand something: thermal paper is what the tickets are made of. Regular paper will not work. here is a link to tickets from Samron
one of our vendors here http://samronslots.com/catalog3.html

Jason  I sent you a email with a Pic. of a ticket and where the black bars were and thier size. I can see no reason why the black bars can't be added with a Sharpie. I don't know if Lasar Jet Paper is thermal paper.

It's all good guys.  I understand regular paper won't work.  I just wanted to feed something in to see if the printer would make a noise and pull it through.  So far so good.  The actual tickets that Buzz sent will be the 'real' test.  ;)

In the menus, there is as test for the ticket printer. If you choose it, it will print out a ticket with "VOID" on it. There is a way to also have the name of your gameroom print out, I can get those details for you if you want them.

That would be awesome, and as always, thanks for the help!

Tickets arrived!  Installed them, and a test ticket printed out just fine!  Thanks again Buzz!  In addition to the EIDE cable that was disconnected from the printer, I also looked at the motherboard and the Netplex Printer plug was disconnected.  Total of 3 cables disconnected that I found.  Somebody wanted to make sure that printer was deactivated.  At any rate it's running great.  Even found the areas in the software to configure the printer to print my own custom title, etc.

Thanks again guys!

Jason

Reho33 or someone else can you advise on how to program your casino name and address, etc. into the ticket printer?? It is an IGT I-Game Plus machine...

Don't know if this would help but this is how it is done on a S-2000.

To change ticket name:

1. Go to Options
2. 3.1 Machine
3. 3.1.10 Printer
4. 3.1.10.1 Data Entry
5. Can only change one letter, number or symbol at a time by scrolling side to side.

Ron (r273)

IGames are totally different than the S2000.  Changes are made on the touchscreen.  If all you want to do is program your ticket printer you can follow these steps. If your trying to set your machine up for multi-denom then follow the steps I outlined for you on your other thread.

anyway programming the ticket printer can be done with credits on the machine or not. Open your main door and press the white button on the board tray
press setup
press machine options
press peripheral devices setup
press site ID setup located in the ticket printer window
press site name, address or city/state and enter your info.  Be sure to press clear before you start entering you info

when your done with all three lines close the main door and your back in business
 

Got it!!! :) I was a dummy... found the setup screen for this!!!!

Thanks  cruisepl for setting us straight. I knew they were different but thought my post would
get the right answer.

Ron (r273)