I need a thorough understanding please.....

[jdkmunch]

I have three platforms:

S2000

Alpaha

WMS BB


What does DCS stand for?  Is it on all three platforms?  From my pc stuff  I know that all three have rs232 serial connections which I can use.

[poppo]

From what I have read, the DCS port is TTL level serial vice true RS232 levels. Maybe it stands for digital connect serial?

[Foster]

DCS
Poppo is correct!
serial just means that each bit in serial fashion
you can have TTL, CMOS, RS232, or ??? serial (??? - example S2000 uses 0V (logic 0) and 13V (logic 1 which is outside the specs for TTL or CMOS logic, between the mpu and Communications board)
TTL and CMOS is very close in voltage logic levels (interchangeable) TTL can have higher voltages for logic 1 than one would expect. 
those that are familiar with the S+ can verify this without question.
I have personally seen over +5V for logic levels in the S+ (progressive - mini photon) which also matches the player display in the S+, remember the S+ is a updated version of the S Slot.
the S+ progresisive uses a microcontroller which is not needed if you only 1 or 2 levels of progressive configured in the S+.
I know this because I used a schematic based on the S progressive or player display schematic in a S+
the differnece between the S and the S+ progressive controller is the the S just uses a BCD to 7  segment converter and a  digit position  controller (4511 and 4528) where the S+ has an additional micro-controller to handle the the output from a S+.