VFD won't display anything

[MikeCamp]

Hello all,

Bought a S2000 Double Diamond Deluxe over the weekend, it does not work.  The S2000 Enhanced mpu lights are all on 2 green at top, 4 yellow below, 1 more green and red flashing.  VFD does not display anything.  Normally troubleshooting would start with the error messages on the front but when that does not work then I'm not skilled enough (yet) to know where to go next.  All florescents in the box come on.  Back lite reels flash when power is turned on.  Fan in top box fires up.  Any ideas folks or point me in the direction to start looking/replacing.

Mike

Yes I know I appear to be a glutton for punishment, when I get done I'm gonna own some cool slot machines which should work well because I'll be broke and I can sit around and play them.

[Yoeddy1]

Hopefully you bought it on the cheap if it was represented as not working.  I would start by powering off the machine.  I would start by taking out the MPU and either take a closeup photo of the chips on your board, or let us know what the versions are. 

Check around inside and on the inside of the door to see if anything appears to be loose or unplugged.  Photos are worth a fortune around here when it comes to troubleshooting.

Great game by the way!

Jason

[crgadyk]

I had the same issue with an MPU with all lights on and a flashing red. It ended up being a bad MPU

From my experience, there are a lot of dead enhanced MPUs out in the wild. I've had several dead ones in the past few months.

Pictures definitely help though, these guys see things that an untrained eye would never pick up on.

[MikeCamp]

Ok, so on the Double Diamond Deluxe its a S2000 Enhanced board:  SB100183 SG000523, VS011GX1, DSV00042.  Enclosed is a picture of the MB, I did check the two batteries, green on is at about 3.6volt the silver is 3.0 volts.  No burn marks on the MPU that I could see.

[Yoeddy1]

For what it's worth, did you happen to get a key and clear chip with your game?  I'm assuming that you don't have another MPU handy to test with?

Jason

[MikeCamp]

I do have my triple diamond haywire and Double Red White and Blue but those machines are in really good shape, almost afraid to swap parts in those for fear of screwing up one of those.  I'm gonna head down to lone star slots tomorrow to pick up a coin mech for my s-plus, I make take those along to see if they can test them for me.  I have a 97 clear chip and a 31 key chip.

Mike

[cowboygames]

Mike, I've seen this go both ways with the bad board being either the mother board or the MPU, but with the same overall symptoms. If you have a spare 500 series board and mother board just swap them out

[MikeCamp]

Ok, so here is what I bought on the weekend, kinda  long story but this is the short of it.  Super Spin Sizzling 7s (working), Double Diamond Deluxe (no vfd and board with lights as described above) and a triple 7's that had a coin-in Jam error that would not clear and buttons that did not seem to work.  I did try to do a clear on the triple 7 tonight but as you guessed it, after getting to the point of putting in the key chip at the end, buttons don't work so stuck.  Paid 500 for the three machines and three stands.  The jury is out as to if this was a good deal or they saw me coming from a mile away.

[CVslots]

Mike - Don't hesitate to swap parts on your machines....machines don't really fry parts all that's much. Or, maybe it's a math problem...2 half-ass working machines or 1 solid working machine? Parts are cheap, so just swap parts to eliminate the root cause.

[lindam1]

Mike,
Start by thinking the old owner Might have tinkered. Are all chips in the right way?

[PLUNGER BOY]

THE stepper bace chip is in backwards  .

[MikeCamp]

I did check to make sure the chips are headed in the correct directions, no legs sticking out anywhere.  I removed a ton of old player tracking crap and cables from the inside.  The old owner advertised them as back-lite reels, and yes they all had back-lite reels in them, unfortunately the triple 7s had no controller or wiring harness, see how much I have learned just since Saturday  I've got some parts headed here for the Super Spin Sizzling 7s that should get the sound going and chips up to the right level, I already made a trip to Radio Shack for the customary 47Ohm resisters which I promptly installed on the speakers.  Now I just need to track down a nice set of back-lite reel strips and that machine should be ready to move into the house.  My Texas Longhorns s-plus just needs a couple more parts and its ready to move in.  That will leave my two problem children which I have a feeling are gonna be in the garage for a while

I know I try to thank you all but you are some amazingly helpful people and such a pleasure to work and converse with.  Finding this site is one of the best things I've stumbled on in some time.

Mike

[cowboygames]

Damn, good catch Plunger, I gotta give you a  for that

[PLUNGER BOY]

Damn, good catch Plunger, I gotta give you a  for that

As watching and learning from all of the NLG  gang a little of the magic rubbed off on me . Glad to help as others had walked me down the same path   and a K+ back at you cowboy for always jumping in to help P.B.

[PLUNGER BOY]

Mike in the pic you posted the bace stepper chip is in backwards pull the chip an turn the notch in the chip towards the word base .

[cowboygames]

LOL, even after you pointed it out I had to download the pic and blow it up to see which end the notch was on. The label being upside down shoulda been a dead give away, but not a guarantee. Gettin' slow in my old age...

[MikeCamp]

Now I just feel kinda stupid for not catching that    I turned the chip around and now the nice little lights have a new pattern.  Two green, one yellow steady, one yellow flashing, two more yellow, two green and one red flashing at the bottom.  And still no display.  Guess I need to go on a photo trip inside my cabinet and see what else you guys find.  I'm really tempted to call the guy I bought these from and have a nice long talk with him.  I guess y'all found your new sucker, send me prices on your junk, tell me it was working yesterday and I'll probably buy it. 

Thanks for finding that backwards chip Plunger, I mean that will the highest of sincerity,
Mike

[cowboygames]

Don't feel bad, five bills for those three machines and one works is still a good deal

[PWRSTROKE]

It should be a easy fix.  500.00 for three if I read correctly is a good buy. You need to clear and set the machine up again with the backwards chip that had been installed.  No vfd can mean many things.  Cover all basics then all here will get tech.  Netplex devices-printer,bv etc. can cause issues with display as well as a possible bad display.  B.

[PLUNGER BOY]

 Its still a great price for 3 machines . You will just have to roll up your sleeves and jump into it . Fixing them in the beginning is hard when you don't know were to start  but as most everyone on this site can say it will get easier . P.B.

[CVslots]

 I guess y'all found your new sucker, send me prices on your junk, tell me it was working yesterday and I'll probably buy it.  

PM sent!!!!!    Only kidding, only kidding!

Glad you got it going!  

[MikeCamp]

Well, got the new MPU board today, put it in and the Double Diamond Deluxe is working like a champ.  Many thanks to all for the assistance in troubleshooting and isolating this issue.  One more to go and the three machines I bought will all be working

Mike

[coorslight115]

Well, got the new MPU board today, put it in and the Double Diamond Deluxe is working like a champ.  Many thanks to all for the assistance in troubleshooting and isolating this issue.  One more to go and the three machines I bought will all be working

Mike

not sure I caught this all, but when chips are installed backwards it usually fries them... Did you get those working? or are you in need of replacements to rule that out? 

[MikeCamp]

The chip was in backwards but either the broken MPU protected it or I got real lucky.  Finally decided to take apart my perfect working DRWB machine and do some testing.  I took the daughter board w/chips off the broken 1270 board and put it on the good one out of my DRWB machine and it worked.  So I was able to isolate it down to the actual MPU board.  Ordered a new (used) one from Blue Ridge Slots, installed the daughter board and cleared a few errors and up she came.  I only have a 31 Key chip and was not able to figure out how to set the Accounting denomination so the machine thinks quarters in every way except for that poor counter on the side that has to do every credit X25 because the accounting denomination is set to .01.  But a least its up and running, back lite reals are working, sound is great, glass is good, after I cleaned off a few years of dirt and nicotine it looks and smells better so out of my purchase of three machines two are up and working.  The third one I'm afraid is gonna be the one that kills me, may just have to part it out and use it for a parts machine but we will see.

Thanks again for everyones help.
Mike

[PLUNGER BOY]

Glad your up and running . GOOD JOB