New Life Games Tech Forums

i don't suppose any one knows what voltage the hopper optic is supplied with? is it 3.3v or 5v?


does any one know how the signal is handled? has it got a pull up/down resistor?



thanks :)

Hi There

Assuming you are referring to S+
With no coin blocking the optic the phototransistor is "on" and takes the input on the processor board to 0v (Gnd). Supply voltage is 8 to 10v DC (+Vb) and pull up resistors take the input high when the sensor is blocked.

Refer to attached.

Ian

thats exactly what i needed thanks :)

im writing a FPGA control module for this hopper and was getting some crazy output from the optic, but was driving it from 3.3v with no pull up resistor. ill amend my circuit.

thanks again :)

Cool

Field Programmable Gate Array's are something I have never played around with. Please post some more details on how you are implementing this and how these things are programmed. I have done something similar with a microchip PIC. Have a look at this thread. If you need just the hopper simulation cheapest option is probably 555  timer. Built one years ago for Bally 5500.
http://newlifegames.net/nlg/index.php?action=printpage;topic=7238.0 (http://newlifegames.net/nlg/index.php?action=printpage;topic=7238.0)

Ian

ah yes i came across this thread while reading the forums very interesting. I never really got into PICs (my dad loves them!) i tend to use the arm7 LPC2106 micro controllers.

im building my own slot machine, iv basically gutted my old IGT s slot and am currently rebuilding the electronics from scratch. Iv kept the hopper, coin comparator, buttons and LED credit panal and rewrote all the control code/hardware in Verilog to run on a Cyclone II EP2C5.

The basic design is the arm7 microcontroller runs the game code and handles the switch inputs and talks to the FPGA (memory map) which intern controls all the hardware

also have a nice 192x64 DMD display like they use on the Williams dotmation machines :)



im using the pluto3 kit from here http://www.knjn.com/FPGA-RS232.html
code is written in verilog (quite easy to pick up) programming the device can be done using usb with a simple ftdi usb chip


if any ones interested i can upload more information on the project :)

Hi

Was actually doing some googling on ARM chips over the weekend. - Specifically this one -http://mbed.org/.
Currently using a basic compiler for the PICS - Am interested in learning more about C for micros so if you have any pointers let me know.

Would be very interested to see some more info on your DIY slot.

Ian

Im very new to C my self so cant help much their hehe (come from a adobe flash action script background), i do prefer to work with the higher level languages then the lower, cant stand playing with registers hehe, but they do have there used especially when it comes to hardware drivers

iv stripped out my old igt slot and replaced the HUGE processor board with my own custom slot controller board (10cm x 10cm lol)
(http://russdx.frankster200.com/slot/pcb.png)

simple diagram of the board features (each reel connector includes the 3 reel lamps and optic sensor)
(http://russdx.frankster200.com/slot/diagram.png)

the actual pcb design (few little mistakes but they will me mended!) (was my first pcb iv designed hehe)
the board it self is VERY simple, the FPGA does all the work, the arm runs the game code and makes all the decisions and the rest of the board is just ULN2803s to drive the physical hardware (great octal chips to convert FPGA 3.3v volt signals to control high current 12v lines)
(http://russdx.frankster200.com/slot/pcbDesign.PNG)


the board and hardware all works, currently finishing off coding the reels FPGA module + arm driver code and hopper FPGA module. every thing else is done.

still need to design the DMD control board (bread boarded at the moment) but does work! (looks dam cool as well haha)
got fonts and boarders coded, still need to add images + animations (bit more tricky lol)

audio board is next as well but leaving this last as its not essential


hopefully have the hopper working correctly this weekend (using the new optic info :)), ill post a video up this weekend of the machine accepting coins displaying them on the 7seg panel and then paying them out :)

once im finished your welcome to all my source code (new to C and Verilog so will be messy) :)

Holy Craps That's crazy simple Russ!
You've made a fantastic board! :3-
I can't wait to see it all hooked up and running! :184-
All you need is a dipswitchable game prom.
You'd be able to run any game just by flipping a dip instead of swapping proms all the time!
Hooked up to an LCD screen in the top box, you'd never have to swap award glasses either.
The only thing you have to change are the reel strips!  :131-

hehe, i did want to have a lcd belly glass for that very reason!, but decided i love the original back lit standard glasses to much (reason i decided to build a proper mechanical reel machine with lamps and 7segments and dmd displays) not just 2 LCD screens, i love all that hardware stuff much more fun!

ill take some pictures this weekend of it all setup (minus the reels hehe, still working on them)

:)

heres the schematic if any ones interested, im quite new to electronics so it may not be 100% correct, but iv built it and nothings blown up yet lol

see attached

Hello Russ

That a pretty complicated setup for your first try at electronics circuits. Vey well done.
what schematic/PCB software did you use and what was your experience with it.
Did you have the PCB;s made or did you DIY.

Ian

used Altium Designer(borrowed off friend) to create the pcb schematic/design, and had the board made by BatchPCB

http://russdx.frankster200.com/slot/DSC_0037.jpg (http://russdx.frankster200.com/slot/DSC_0037.jpg)

had 2 made, incase i made mistakes (which i did, but minor so could get around them hehe)


just making my 12v regulation circuit at the moment off the main transformer (seams to be a 26v coil with a 13v centre tap which is useful hehe)

once thats done ill get my hopper finished, then post some pics and videos of it running simple tasks hehe

ah crap, trashed my ftdi chip i use to program the arm microcontroller dodgy earth or somin.

no hopper code today :( lol  ordered a new ftdi chip be here monday sweeet

it is fun to watch this progress along though!  :96-
You'll figure it out!
I only know about half of the terms you're saying but it's a learning process for me too... :131-

hehe thanks, ill make a new thread when more is working and ill explain it all :)