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strange issue on adams family

AlanJ

AlanJ

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Alan
my adams is playing up. start a game and all is ok until the ball drains. when it drains it gives the first tilt warning (careful) and clocks up an extra player. this continues until i have a 4 players up. if the settings are set for an instant or a slow restart then when player 1 loses ball 2 the machine resets to ball 1 on a new single player game.

so it’s like ball drain is also triggering a tilt and then a press of the game start button. i’ve reseated all ribbon cables and checked for any loose wires etc. all ok and problem still there.

switch test shoes that the ball trough switch is triggering all the other switches on the same part of the matrix? is thus a dud diode? i can’t test as adams is at clares house and i’ve no tools here at all grrrrrr.

any ideas much appreciated


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AlanJ said:
switch test shoes that the ball trough switch is triggering all the other switches on the same part of the matrix? is thus a dud diode?
Click to expand...

Or broken connection with the diode. Might not be the first diode but the next one in the chain which is not necessarily in the order shown in the manual...

Good luck with sorting it. :)
 
It’s helpful if you can post pictures of the switch test display with and without the fault apparent.

Start by examining all the switches that show closed and ensure they are correct. A miswired diode or short will often show as a closed switch.
 
The outhole is on column 1 row 8 of the switch matrix, when the outhole switch is made, all of the switches in column 1 light up - there are 6 of them Start Button, Plumb bob tilt, the 3 ball trough switches and the outhole itself. I have tested each of the other switches individually and they all work properly, so I figure it must be the diode on the outhole switch itself that has gone full short circuit. I'll replace that next time I'm over at the machine.
 
My experience of switch matrix problems is that it's never the diode you think it is .... :oops:

If it isn't that one, if you remove the plugs from the cpu and use a piece of wire to mimic the switch press (ie link column 1 pin to row 8 pin) you can at least decide if the problem is on the board or definitely in the wiring.
 
Thanks for the advice guys. Ive been studying the switch matrix circuits and it cant possibly be a faulty diode when I really think about it. The diodes are on the "row" side of the circuit, so a shorted diode would most likely cause issues to a whole row, not a whole column, and my issue is it switching on a whole column. So, could be the main board has an issue. I'll take all the advice above and do some testing when I next get to be at the machine - really frustrating that I've lent this machine out so not as easy to sort this out
 
Durzel said:
Batteries still on the board?
Click to expand...
Yes they are - I have got a plan to remove them, BUT haven't done as yet. They batteries were changed not so long ago, but I'm starting to suspect them to be honest. I'll find out tomorrow when I go over and take a good close look.
 
So went over today, the fault is still there, I took a good look at the Cpu board, all fine, so are the batteries. No leaks or anything. I took the batteries out and checked behind them etc. Problem was still there at this stage. I start to perform the switch tests and the problems is still there but suddenly at some point the problem just went away.........

Did a lot of testing and playing, the problem has resolved itself.

No idea what caused it or what has cured it. Really frustrating, but on the positive side, we now have a fully functional adams again!

Scratching my head over this one..
 
I’m guessing as it went away after everything was reseated in the cpu board it was related to that. It’s all witchcraft I tell you
 
AlanJ said:
So went over today, the fault is still there, I took a good look at the Cpu board, all fine, so are the batteries. No leaks or anything. I took the batteries out and checked behind them etc. Problem was still there at this stage. I start to perform the switch tests and the problems is still there but suddenly at some point the problem just went away.........

Did a lot of testing and playing, the problem has resolved itself.

No idea what caused it or what has cured it. Really frustrating, but on the positive side, we now have a fully functional adams again!

Scratching my head over this one..
Click to expand...

I’ve been following this as a way of learning - what an anti-climax! Glad it’s ok now but frustrating when you don’t know what the cause was.
 
Spandangler said:
I’m guessing as it went away after everything was reseated in the cpu board it was related to that. It’s all witchcraft I tell you
Click to expand...
The thing is I reseated the board connectors first and the problem was still there, it just vanished as I was doing switch tests, I was working on the playfield and manually triggering the outhole and 3 ball trough switches It really is a touch of voodoo magic. :)
 
AlanJ said:
The thing is I reseated the board connectors first and the problem was still there, it just vanished as I was doing switch tests, I was working on the playfield and manually triggering the outhole and 3 ball trough switches It really is a touch of voodoo magic. :)
Click to expand...
Get one of these: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fibreglass-Abrasive-Cleaning-Pencil-Refills/dp/B003YSWJDG

Give each pin a little bit of a scribble with that thing, from each of the four directions, or as much of them as you can manage with positioning. Don't breathe any vapor or get it too near your hands, glass dust/shards are miserable.
Wipe clean with a kitchen towel, ideally with IPA 99% (isopropyl alcohol) but even dry is fine.

Even if you reckon the pins look somewhat OK to your eyes. You'll realise what 'clean' actually means when your pins come up gleaming.

No more problems. The only thing this kind of abrasive cleaner won't fix for you, are burnt connectors or pins so rusted/pitted that they no longer make good contact with the female plug. And of course you can't scrub the inside of the plug with one of these, but one side is better than nothing. It can't put back lost electroplating. BUT it will clean metal surfaces, rapidly, thoroughly and decisively. It cleans plastic even faster, to the point where it's too harsh to actually use for anything plastic.

I've solved so many issues with one of those that it's paid for itself a hundred times over. And it is also an ideal tool to have around if you're repairing a circuit board for acid damage. It's just all-round an ideal tool. All the cartridge-based games consoles in my house work first time every time as well, thanks to the tag-team of this + IPA. No blowing spit onto NES carts here.

But I repeat, don't breathe closely to it when in use and for heaven's sake, don't scrub your fingers with it. One of the only things worse than glass to have embedded in your skin as shards, is carbon-fibre.
 
Last edited:
PBrookfield said:
Get one of these: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fibreglass-Abrasive-Cleaning-Pencil-Refills/dp/B003YSWJDG

Give each pin a little bit of a scribble with that thing, from each of the four directions, or as much of them as you can manage with positioning. Don't breathe any vapor or get it too near your hands, glass dust/shards are miserable.
Wipe clean with a kitchen towel, ideally with IPA 99% (isopropyl alcohol) but even dry is fine.

Even if you reckon the pins look somewhat OK to your eyes. You'll realise what 'clean' actually means when your pins come up gleaming.

No more problems. The only thing this kind of abrasive cleaner won't fix for you, are burnt connectors or pins so rusted/pitted that they no longer make good contact with the female plug. And of course you can't scrub the inside of the plug with one of these, but one side is better than nothing. It can't put back lost electroplating. BUT it will clean metal surfaces, rapidly, thoroughly and decisively. It cleans plastic even faster, to the point where it's too harsh to actually use for anything plastic.

I've solved so many issues with one of those that it's paid for itself a hundred times over. And it is also an ideal tool to have around if you're repairing a circuit board for acid damage. It's just all-round an ideal tool. All the cartridge-based games consoles in my house work first time every time as well, thanks to the tag-team of this + IPA. No blowing spit onto NES carts here.

But I repeat, don't breathe closely to it when in use and for heaven's sake, don't scrub your fingers with it. One of the only things worse than glass to have embedded in your skin as shards, is carbon-fibre.
Click to expand...


Yup, agreed I use these pencils too.And yes, the fibreglass shards are a PITA
 
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