I’ve decided to start a project to create a plug and play upgrade to allow us to easily upgrade a bally ss machine with 6 digit score displays to a 7 digit version.
I know there is already a number of solutions but none are really satisfactory to me.
Here are the two i’ve come across:
1. this involves a rom upgrade to a 7 digit version of the game code.
It then also requires hardware modifications - on some machines this is stringing a new cable to the score displays and changing the header wiring on j1 to the mpu. On certain games it’s even more complex requiring additional components. In a nutshell it’s a whole load of hassle and hard to reverse. on the plus side: it’s cheap! it works with existing 7 digit score displays.
2. xpin in usa do their 7volution product. this is a simple plug and play upgrade. you plug in the 5 new supplied led score displays and also plug in a controller board to the mpu. it’s easy to install and reversible. no wiring changes. it only works with the supplied displays. downside: expensive. starts at $299. by the time you add shipping and import duty vat then it’s a £350 spend. but you do get a set of brand new led displays as well.
3.EDIT: Thanks to @Neil McRae for this one. There is a divide by 10 rom hack for some games. (There are also some hardware based divide by 10 ideas too. ). Might suit some folk but again for me i want a solution i can just plug into any 6 digit machine
So my aim is to create something that:
1. follows the xpin model of simple plug n play
2. no hardware changes needed (apart from new score displays)
3. no rom or software modifications needed
4. a lot cheaper than £350
I’m going to be venturing into areas of technical challenges that i have not, as yet, come across. So there is a big chance of failure!
I know there is already a number of solutions but none are really satisfactory to me.
Here are the two i’ve come across:
1. this involves a rom upgrade to a 7 digit version of the game code.
It then also requires hardware modifications - on some machines this is stringing a new cable to the score displays and changing the header wiring on j1 to the mpu. On certain games it’s even more complex requiring additional components. In a nutshell it’s a whole load of hassle and hard to reverse. on the plus side: it’s cheap! it works with existing 7 digit score displays.
2. xpin in usa do their 7volution product. this is a simple plug and play upgrade. you plug in the 5 new supplied led score displays and also plug in a controller board to the mpu. it’s easy to install and reversible. no wiring changes. it only works with the supplied displays. downside: expensive. starts at $299. by the time you add shipping and import duty vat then it’s a £350 spend. but you do get a set of brand new led displays as well.
3.EDIT: Thanks to @Neil McRae for this one. There is a divide by 10 rom hack for some games. (There are also some hardware based divide by 10 ideas too. ). Might suit some folk but again for me i want a solution i can just plug into any 6 digit machine
So my aim is to create something that:
1. follows the xpin model of simple plug n play
2. no hardware changes needed (apart from new score displays)
3. no rom or software modifications needed
4. a lot cheaper than £350
I’m going to be venturing into areas of technical challenges that i have not, as yet, come across. So there is a big chance of failure!
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