q: Whats the best way to add tabs on hopper to simulate coins?

[TZtech]

Used the same approach for my circuit - If you are only going to be doing coin out simulation you can do it with a 555 timer ic and you dont really need the complexity of a microcontroller.
Assume your arduino is also triggering a spin every few seconds ?

I am actually a PIC fan but got an Arduino a few weeks back and would recommend it for anyone wanting to learn microcontrollers - Tons of resources and pretty easy to use.

Ian

[solareon]

Yeah the arduino is putting in coins and hitting the max bet. It also has control of the door optic so i can clear errors via remote. Gonna work on it tonight to try and get the software for controlling it via the web working.

[poppo]

Used the same approach for my circuit - If you are only going to be doing coin out simulation you can do it with a 555 timer ic and you dont really need the complexity of a microcontroller.
Assume your arduino is also triggering a spin every few seconds ?

I am actually a PIC fan but got an Arduino a few weeks back and would recommend it for anyone wanting to learn microcontrollers - Tons of resources and pretty easy to use.

Ian

The 555 timer approach is what I would have done if I had decided to do it with electronics. Just turn it on with the hopper voltage. Use an adjustable pot to crank it up as fast as will reliably work.

I like to use a Basic Atom for my controllers. It uses almost the same commands as a Basic Stamp and can do all sorts of I/O. Best part is it can be programmed via RS232 'on the fly'.

[TZtech]

If you are a Basic fan have a look at www.picbasic.org. The advantage of this over controllers like Basic Atom, Stamp, Picaxe are that you are not limited to the suppliers pre programmed micro with basic interpreter which in most cases is much more expensive than the chip its programmed on. They have also recently released a PIC Micro arduino like clone with a fully enabled basic compiler but locked to a specific PIC. Unfortunately not available locally in South Africa so settled for the Arduino to play around with.

[stayouttadabunker]

Cool ideas guys!  
Instead of programming the PIC or micro-controller chip to do this -
why not reprogram the SP or SB chip to do the same function?  

[TZtech]

Possible but very complicated.You will have to de compile the SW and then reverse engineer it in such a way that any built in security features on EPROM check CRC etc are disabled. The guys working on MAME should be able to achieve this. I know there is KEy On and Key off sw available for the PE+. Pretty sure there should be a SP chip that also has this functionality.

[solareon]

I certainly don't speak assembly or whatever the SP/SB chips are programmed in. Some of the guys in my local hacker club may have an idea but we need to dump a chip first.

[stayouttadabunker]

Apparently the companies use these modifications to their chips
at the slot shows for ease of adding credits to the machines.
They're never in the machines on live casino floors however...

[solareon]

IGT may have done up a custom chip for them.

[poppo]

If you are a Basic fan have a look at www.picbasic.org. The advantage of this over controllers like Basic Atom, Stamp, Picaxe are that you are not limited to the suppliers pre programmed micro with basic interpreter which in most cases is much more expensive than the chip its programmed on.

Cost can be an issue when going in quantity, but for small projects, I like to use one of these. I/O pins all right there and RS232 programming jack. I think I paid about $20 a piece for these a while back (with Atom). Of course you don't need the carrier board once the prototyping is done (chip alone is about $9), but I usually just build it up with it. It makes making modifications easy. I use one of these on my home-brew progressive to drive a BetaBrite.

For me, since I already knew Basic Stamp programming it was easy to pick up the Basic Atom. I don't do enough of this stuff to learn something new. And I already have a library of routines for just about everything.

[knagl]

Gonna work on it tonight to try and get the software for controlling it via the web working.

If you get that working, it would be fantastic if you had a streaming webcam set up where visitors to your site could launch the live video feed, and then press a button on the webpage to spin your slot machine!

(Just don't walk near the machine naked!  )

[solareon]

Knagl www.rocktheslot.com. it is a live web feed. I am down at the machine now

[poppo]

If you get that working, it would be fantastic if you had a streaming webcam set up where visitors to your site could launch the live video feed, and then press a button on the webpage to spin your slot machine!

I've used this module that would let you do just that. Actually it could handle the hopper thing too since it has I/Os.

http://netmedia.com/siteplayer/webserver/spk1.html

[knagl]

Knagl www.rocktheslot.com. it is a live web feed. I am down at the machine now

Nice!  I like your sign on the top of the machine! 

If you get that working, it would be fantastic if you had a streaming webcam set up where visitors to your site could launch the live video feed, and then press a button on the webpage to spin your slot machine!

I've used this module that would let you do just that. Actually it could handle the hopper thing too since it has I/Os.

http://netmedia.com/siteplayer/webserver/spk1.html

Neat stuff!

[Foster]

Can some one design one for S2000
Note it uses a coin good signal from the Comparator
I cant tell if it logic 1 pulse or what it happens too quick for my DMM.