Help on SAS connectivity using DCS connector, homebrew/hobby system ...

[julioviegas]

Hello guys,

   First post here, great forum & info on slot machines btw...

   So I'm trying to communicate with a IGT 3902(S+) machine using the DCS connector, I follow the schematics bellow and so far I only managed to receive the SAS machine address(which btw I had set to 1). No progress on sending bytes/chars back to the machine. I'm using the comm diagnostics software inside the diagnostics menu. The led near the DCS connector blinks every time I send something using a serial term program(Realterm in my case), but the machine seems to be ignoring the bytes I'm sending... I even tried a SAS host simulator program and no success... 

   http://newlifegames.net/nlg/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=11893.0;attach=32414;image

   Can any of you help me, I'm in a hurry to make it work. I'm willing to pay for consultancy hours or even buy a cable that is proven to be working. 

Thanks

[TZtech]

Hi and Welcome to NLG

Is there a specific reason why You want to use the DCS port ?. Your machine should also be able to communicate via the RS232 port on the comms box which is generally easier to interface to using standard off the shelf parts. Although the DCS port pinouts are the same for the S+/PE+ vs I Game platform the interface circuitry is not.

[julioviegas]

Hello TZtech and thanks for your time!

I'm using the DCS port because it seems to be the default port for SAS comm.

I even tried the RS232 port identified by J82 and connect a FTDI USB to RS232 conversor direct to it, using another pinout pointed in this same forum, but no luck. I set the port to 19200 8M1, SAS channel to 3, and the ring/error indicators keeps on(looks like unsynchronized data transfer is taking place) but I do receive trash, like 0 127 0 127 and so on...

I'm really feeling lost and willing to pay for support to any of you guys that have time to help me out on this.

[TZtech]

Hi Julio

What exactly do you need your SAS connection to do ? There are quite a few options available here depending on exactly what You need.
Sounds like You are currently trying to communicate via a serial terminal program ? i think whats happening is that the machine is chirping its address because it has not recieved a valid poll
When a gaming machine does not receive any address byte (a byte with the wakeup bit set, regardless
of the polling address) for five seconds, it “chirps” by transmitting its own address byte with the
wakeup bit set every 200 ms. For gaming machines in a SMIB configuration, this indicates a failure in
the gaming machine receive line. For gaming machines in a daisy chain configuration, this indicates
that the communication loop is broken at a location just before the gaming machine that is chirping.
Gaming machines located after the chirping machine will see the chirp as an address byte, and
therefore will not chirp.
You are recieving strange responses because You have not configured Your serial terminal to look at the 9th bit (Parity bit) which will be at Mark Parity on machine chirps.

Run Your host Simulator program with Your current setup and Your machine and it will most likely start working. Use the comms channel analyser to get an idea of what the comms between host and EGM look like - Its a very usefull tool and will give You insight as to excatly how you need to structure Your comms.

Including pics of RS232 to FTDI wiring for You to confirm Your setup.

[julioviegas]

Hey guys, update on my case! I got it working, the issue was with windows 7, im using windows xp now and everything seems fine.   

Now I'm investigating about SAS basic flow of commands, can you guys point me to some starting info about it?

Thanks!

[julioviegas]

So, all general poll communications(0x80) and sync(0x81) are working.

But now the machine seems to be ignoring the long poll commands... Any tip?

[TZtech]

Hi Julio

I got it working fairly easy using both Pic and Arduino microcontrollers. Now trying with the rasperry Pi running on linux and also having issues with long polls. I suspect having an OS in between complicates things a bit. See the last post on this thread for some tidbits on timing from Zarobhr - http://newlifegames.net/nlg/index.php?topic=22224.0

Regards
Ian

[julioviegas]

I'm using the PI too, but not the /dev/ttyAMA0 port, I'm using the /dev/ttyUSB0(with a FTDI TTL to RS232 cable).

I think we are running into the same very issue. 

Any help on this will be really appreciated. Please keep me updated if you have any progress, I will do the same!

Back to hacking!   

[TZtech]

Julio

What method are you sing to do the 9th serial bit ? i am using the CMSPAR described here its not quite working like I think it should http://www.lothosoft.ch/thomas/libmip/markspaceparity.php.
What made You decide on the FTDI via USB route ?
Something You may want to look into instead of using the FTDI as a virtual Comm Port use the D2XX drivers (pi is supported) - http://www.ftdichip.com/Support/Documents/ProgramGuides/D2XX_Programmer's_Guide(FT_000071).pdf

[julioviegas]

Hello TZtech,

    I have tried several methods, like 8N2 and the odd parity trick specified in the lothosoft.ch link, no success.

   Maybe I gonna give a try to the D2XX drivers tip you suggested... I'm not even able to do long pools in the host simulator inside windows xp(again, using the same FTDI interface I told before)... I think my issue is in this very part.

Thanks

[Foster]

I am surprised a FTDI chip usb to EIA232 adapter is not working
I have it working with the Test program and my own program until I switched to an Arduino.
The trick you have to do is force the USB RS232 to be configured to COM1, COM2, COM3 or COM4
the host program will not find the port for you you have to edit its ini file the line that is Port = 1 change the 1 to match the com number assigned to the usb EIA232 adapter.

Also if you are connecting to a Game King or S2000 SAS channel should be 3 if using the RS232 port on the Comm board.