Microcontroller SAS Project

[Foster]

Now hwre is my complted Arduino Leonardo setup
Total investment besides my time about $35.

[TZtech]

Good Job

Much bettor than paying $100 for a product with dubious origins

[stayouttadabunker]

Excellent work guys! 
I really really like what you were able to accomplish here!
Great stuff and....originality!
Karmas + to you guys!

[jdkmunch]

Good Job

Much bettor than paying $100 for a product with dubious origins

I would like to respond to this post as I take offense to it.

I am the manufacturer of the k-series tito devices .  The origins of this project can be traced back over two years with AndyP’s SAS DLL.  
In fact if you look back I wrote an NLG TITO program using the pc back then.    

TZ – several months ago you did not have a working TITO.   It took hours testing and writing code to get it to work.    The device that I made was not mentioned publicly and was tested, coded and developed solely by myself.  In addition the code is completely different and incompatible from what we worked on.    

It wasn't until I released the picture of the Atmel processor that programmers jumped on to Ardunio.     What are you looking for? recognition? You have it, along with AndyP, Foster and Bunker (for helping me with cables) and EVERYONE on NLG!   This product would not be possible without NLG.  

Simply put that’s why a donation is made with every sale.  

I truly believe that $100 is more than fair for a turnkey TITO solution.  
                Here’s why:
                                First – even before a sale is made the customer must make sure their machine is compatible.   In most cases this requires the customer to take and send pictures to make sure their BV, printer and comm ribbon are installed and compatible.    This takes time – on average so far about ½ hour.
                                Second -  most customers need over an hour of phone support to walk them through installing the device keying the machine and setting up the proper settings.    Some don’t even have the proper key chips to setup their machine.  
                    
                                Third – to build and construct the device takes over ½ hour per unit.  The unit must be built, programmed and cables must be soldered.    Then the unit gets tested to make sure all of the components are working properly.  
People have options - if they want a pre-made plug and play device that they can have up and running in an hour they can buy it.  If they wish to experiment they can build their own.

TZ – neither you nor I can take full credit for a TITO solution.  What I have done is bring a turnkey solution to many users who want it.    The fact is without tech support from Bettor Slots – users wouldn't be able to benefit from this.   And it all takes time, effort and money.

[FORDSBS]

   

[TZtech]

Lets leave it to NLG'rs to consider the evidence and decide if this is something they want to support.

It is good to see You admit that You are behind the K Kompany - K+ for that and good luck with Your product.
 
I think this thread should give everyone a pretty good idea of how this product evolved - http://newlifegames.net/nlg/index.php?topic=19583.25

This is the PM I sent Bettor Slots shortly after the launch of the product with my concerns -

Jim

* I believe that the K- Kompany is JDKMunch.
* I worked with JDK Munch to implement a hardware sollution using the Amicus IDE and a PIC based board for about a week in August
( I emailed him numerous code revisions and he tested on his machine as I dont have any TITO enabled hardware)
* I have no reason to believe that he had a working sollution of any type prior to this
* On 20/08/2012 a working stand alone TITO setup was posted on this thread (Post 65) using the code I wrote- http://newlifegames.net/nlg/index.php?topic=19583.50
* On the same day I released the code publically on the same forum (Post 81) by Me

* On 20/09/2012 somebody with the username of JDKMunch posts on the arduino forum asking for help in converting Amicus code to arduino - http://arduino.cc/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=146158;sa=showPosts

Quote
Hi - I'm moving off of the amicus18 board to the ardunio uno platform.

I need some help converting some code

1. Based on the above I think that You have falsely been led to believe that the product You are representing was developed JDKMunch when this is not the case but was made possible by a number of users on the NLG forum who have been developing both hardware and software sollutions (Granted there was some work done by JDKMunch or a third party to convert the code from basic to C)

2. I did post my code publically and NLG'rs can do with it as they please. In fact I have stated a number of times that I would like to see a USA member take up production as many NLG user want a plug and play sollution (As can be seen on the amount of interest generated)

3. Based on the current pricing Your supplier has a huge markup and is going to make money on a idea that was not his

4. I think NLG users are beieng ripped off - This product can be sold for $50 and both supplier and distributer can make a profit ( My target for a DIY device has always been >$20
 

[Foster]

I would error on the side of caution
that is all we need is some corporate lawyers breathing down Joey's and our necks.
 

[Ron (r273)]

"Lets leave it to NLG'rs to consider the evidence and decide if this is something they want to support.
 Quote TZtech"

I for one, am very satisfied with my TITOs from K-Kompany and technical support provided by Bettorslots. I agree it was collaborative effort with NLG members to design it. But it looks like jdkmunch took his knowlege and finished the project into a product that works.

As far as the money, I feel I have to pay for the long months of programing, design work and support. I gladly do because all of it is way over my head.     I have been waiting for several years as other members have and did not expect it to be cheap. And the best part is some of it goes back to NLG!

Ron (r273)

[Foster]

It took me one weekto develop my version
which was some easy I just had to figure the 9 bit setup on the arduino, do to TZ Tech helping me.

My only issue with is with some one actually selling a product they developed with a protocol they may not be authorized to sell.
Even though I have not met 99.99999% of you I do not want any of us in a legal tangles from this.
They may not have a leg to stand on but they have more money than we do for the most part.
There is a difference between fair use and commercial use.
Selling something that does anything related to S A S or T I T O would be commercial use.

[jdkmunch]

Foster - I'm not going to get into it with you as we obviously have competing interests  -

However I will say that for my product  - the k-series - it is 100% legal with no issues at all.


As TZ said and I agree - the NLG community will decide this has been years in the making and I'm sorry feathers have been ruffled .  
 I do not want a flame war or anything similar - on this thread or board



All I can provide is top notch service so NLG users and others can enjoy a service the desire.  

[staz]

i for one luv the tito system and if it wasnt for jdkmunch and his help i wouldnt be able to play my $500 denom machine as much as i do..... even though i dont have the k serious tito im perfectly happy with my titto systems on my machines......i didnt pay 100.00 for my titto but come on we piss away 100 bucks in seconds at the casino...... i think thats a fair price.....thats just my opinion.....

[Yoeddy1]

I would error on the side of caution
that is all we need is some corporate lawyers breathing down Joey's and our necks.
 

I have my concerns about this very topic.  The Internet has eyes that cannot be seen and one never knows who's reading and what the interpretations are.  I have my opinions on how things went down as well, but blowing this gadgetry up into the bright lights has me a bit concerned.  Just sayin.  Just don't want to see anyone go down in flames.

Jason

[Foster]

I did not do this to make any money
I did it for the:
1 the challenge
2 I actually just wanted it to be a bridge but that was not working, so I had to make the Arduino do it all.
3 when I come up with a commercial product for home slot owners it will be worth it. I got ideas for 1 or 2.

[suncatalyst]

my concerns are:

take any regular attorney the regular company can afford against the 800 pd gorilla (i.e. IGT) with the best attorneys money can buy... whos gonna win?

IGT gonna either bankrupt your company and you personally and possibly your distributor...

could be very ugly since google DOES index NLG.

hopefully none of it happens...

[Neonkiss]

Good Job

Much bettor than paying $100 for a product with dubious origins

 

It wasn't until I released the picture of the Atmel processor that programmers jumped on to Ardunio.     What are you looking for? recognition? You have it, along with AndyP, Foster and Bunker (for helping me with cables) and EVERYONE on NLG!   This product would not be possible without NLG. 

Let's not forget Tom4100
Without System Validation, we would still be spinning our wheels.

Quick Update

We are 95% there to standalone TITO.
In Bhinkley's thread Tom4100 suggested the following

by using 'system' generated validation, in other words, the microcontroller will interogate the machine for the credit amount then encode that number in the 'system' generated validation number printed on the ticket, this eliminates the need for a "back-end" database management system

This approach makes perfect sense for a standole in machine controller and has been added to the SAS @ Home project.

Thanks to JDKMunch who patiently tried many code revisions over the weekend we can now print a ticket with the ticket value as the validation number and also accept that ticket. Only problem now is accept routine only works once but hoping to sort that out soon.

Credit to Zarobhr for his CRC routine - Foster for posting TITO transaction sequences and of course JDKMunch.

[TZtech]

 

His thoughts on this could be interesting

[zarobhr]

I have my Microcontoller now working along with my program, it actually is more reliable it seems, than just using program via serial ports.

my program does alot more than just TITO, it has SAS progressive, AFT, EFT, Basic manually initiated player tracking, automatic match play based on what the player played, meter reading, drop deaction (when cash cans pulled) for calculating the drop on that game. anda few other goodies all using serial ports from PC (currently using 22 of them). in implement true player tracking it became neccessary to redesign. Using an arduino UNO and the W5100 ethernet and a max 232 i now send the polls from pc to UNO via Ethernet, then the UNO sends the polls to the gaming machine. I can also control the VFD\LED display, card reader, and keypad with the UNO and i will soon have full player tracking.

[FORDSBS]

    Sounds like one great setup

[staz]

will it work without a pc? im confused a little.....

[zarobhr]

will it work without a pc? im confused a little.....

Sorry No this will require a PC

[TZtech]

Hi All

As those of You that have tried the DIY route know the Amicus board is a bit hard to find and rather expensive. Saw this project recently on Kickstarter which is a Amicus and Arduino developement board rolled into one. If You are interested in the DIY Route please support it.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1411349329/picnduino-dual-microcontroller-development-platfor?ref=category

[stayouttadabunker]

Good stuff TZ!
K+ to ya! 

[TZtech]

100 minutes to go on the Kickstarter campaign - last chance to pledge for a dual arduino/amicus dev platform at $17

[Neonkiss]

Sorry I missed this at the first posting.
It looks like a great project. 

K+ for posting here again

[4 Deuces]

Hats off to everyone involved for making home TITO a reality!!!

 

Regardless of how you get it (DIY or Bettor K-TITO or ???), it adds a lot more enjoyment at home.  I'm able to play higher denominations for longer periods of time with the reuse of tickets.  It's completely reinvigorated my joy of the machines, so I humbly thank every single one of you that contributed to making TITO work.

 

I'm pretty excited now about going the next step with home entertainment player tracking system.  Can't wait to see what you all come up with next!  I'm already saving up for it!