S2000 Hopper optics question

[poppo]

Just snip them off, or pry it out. You can always glue it back on.   And a non-blurry picture would help.

Or at least see if you can trace out the wires and draw a schematic of it.

[BCD]

I put the meter to the optics collector wires and ground.  With the Neg meter probe to the optics Gnd and the Pos probe to the collector line there was a meter reading.  When I reversed and touched the collector line with the Neg probe and the Gnd with the Pos probe there was no reading.

Sorry 'bout the blurry picture.  I needed one more hand as one was holding the camera with the other hand holding a magnifying glass.  Add low light setting and you get blurry pic.

[poppo]

Hmmm... Then it seems like it would work. But I don't know what those cathode lines are for. Can you tell where they go on the board?

Also 

[BCD]

I can't tell where the cathode lines go on the board.   I also can't get the blasted board out of the optics enclosure !

[poppo]

I can't tell where the cathode lines go on the board.   I also can't get the blasted board out of the optics enclosure !

I just sent you some more info that may help.

For anyone else following this, apparently this is a 'secure hopper' optic assembly and the photo-transistor side uses 3 wires similar to this which is like what is on the SAS RS232 board. Pin 6 is the output and pin 4 is pulled up to +5V with a resistor. So perhaps the collector needs to be pulled up with a resistor and the cathode is the output.  

[BCD]

One last thing you can try, is connect a 10K resistor between the collector output and 5v . It might need a pull-up resistor. Any value over 5K will suffice. Just a shot in the dark.

poppo, this is in the paper you sent me from the slot tech forum:

The phototransistor is a three-terminal type. One side is ground, the opposite side goes to +5 V, and the center terminal is the output. When the light from the LED shines on the phototransistor, the output goes low. Just for a note: I could not determine if the phototransistor assembly was just a resistor pull-up design or actually the output of a logic circuit. I attempted to disassemble the phototransistor to no result. Not finding anything big enough to be a logic chip, I assumed it was a resistor. An ohmmeter measures about 1,800,000 Ohms from output to the +5V side. That seems rather large for a pull-up resistor. There is a 10K pull-up resistor on the Hopper Control board, so whatever is between the Collector and the +5V side is mute.

Notice the mention of a pull-up resistor in that paper.  I don't know if it has anything to do with the optics but I thought it interesting that you suggested the pull-up resistor.

[poppo]

See my ninja edit above.

[BCD]

poppo, Sounds to me like your idea of a pull-up resistor between the power supply and a collector line is worth trying !  I'll try wiring a cathode line to the counter.

[poppo]

After some more thinking and research, I'm going back to what I suggested earlier. Seperate pull-up resistors on collectors. Outputs from collectors to meter, and cathodes grounded. I am really thinking that the lack of a pull-up resistor is the problem.

Also, do not be connecting the collectors together. They need to be kept seperate.

[BCD]

After some more thinking and research, I'm going back to what I suggested earlier. Separate pull-up resistors on collectors. Outputs from collectors to meter, and cathodes grounded. I am really thinking that the lack of a pull-up resistor is the problem.

GOT IT!  I'm off to the Shack tomorrow to get some 10k resistors.  I'll wire the rascal up tomorrow evening and post the results.

poppo, thanks again for all of the effort you've put into this project

[BCD]

 

VICTORY!

The three wire optics arrived and work GREAT with the counter!

I bought another S2000 hopper and it has the infamous "Secure Optics"...or at least six optics wires.  Not wanting to admit defeat, I am going to fool around with it to see if I can get it to work with the counter.  That's after I set up multiple comparitors to sort each coin twice in one run instead of feeding the high % coppers through the hopper twice.

I also want to fool around with an oscilloscope I borrowed to see how finely I can tune a CMI comparitor.  So many ideas...

Once again, THANK YOU to all who shared their time and expertise, especially poppo and bunker, on this optics go-round.  Without your help it would have taken a lot longer to accomplish what we did.

Forgot to mention that I'm counting 300+/- coins per minute! 

[poppo]

Good deal. 

Maybe the original optics were bad and the new 6 wire one will work.

[stayouttadabunker]

I remember when you posted the Rube Goldberg question last month.
It was fun to see this progress into something you can use! Great stuff!
I'm glad it's all working and doing the job! 

[BCD]

thanks again!

[CaptainHappy]

Good Job!!! It has been fun to watch along the way! 

CaptainHappy

[BCD]

HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!

Thanks again to all that helped with my Rube Goldberg coin sorting contraption.  "Our" sorter works great.

I'm now learning about DC circuits with the hope of one being able to power this beast using ONE 24V wall wart instead of three separate voltage warts.  I'm laying in a big supply of resistors!

Again, thanks to all of you that contributed to the success of this project.
Bart