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Down button not working on WPC-95 game

PeterPumpkin

PeterPumpkin

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Joined
Sep 7, 2021
Messages
9
Location
Southampton
The volume down button has stopped working on my WPC-95 game (CV). I've tried shorting out the control panel pins on J205, and they all work except for the down button.

At this point I thought it looks like a cpu board problem. However, I then discovered that the down button works perfectly in the switch edge test, so I am now very confused. How on earth can it not work when traversing the settings menus but can work in the switch edge test?

I've googled this to death but can't find anybody else with the same problem. All the pages I've found are either a problem with the wiring between the cpu board and the door, or they are clearly a cpu board problem. Any ideas?

I thought that there was no battery acid damage on the cpu board but looking very closely I found a single trace of corrosion. It's on a single leg of the U5? chip just below the battery holder. Having said that, there is also some damage to the negative terminal of the central negative terminal battery holder, but I discounted that as it set off the board a fair way.

Does this look like a board problem? Is it repairable, or am I better off just getting a new board?

CV-cpu-board.jpeg

-- Background /detail --
  • I recently moved the game (with backbox removed), but it was all working afterwards.
  • The button down button was working, and I was using to adjust the volume and move around the settings menus, when it started to get a bit intermittent. Within a few minutes the down button was only occaisionaly working and then within another minute or two it stopped working altogether.
  • I've also tried removed a bunch of other connnectors to the cpu board (J205, J212, J206 & J208) but there is no difference. To traverse the menus I can short out Enter, Up & Escape just fine, but not Down.
  • If it does help I've got a NGG, which has the same generation of cpu, so I can swap parts over.

Thanks,
Pete
 
Hi Pete,

I'm no expert, (i've only had pins a year and a bit and learnt as things have happened). If you don't get any ideas from other, more experienced members soon or you have spare time on your hands I'd swap a board from your other wpc 95 game to eliminate that being the issue.

Regarding the chip damage, it doesn't look that bad at all and it's odd there's only that one bit, (unless there's more and the photo quality is hiding it).
You'll definitely want to get a remote battery holder as part of your fix.

Are you any good at board work? I think if you can replace that chip it's worth cutting the old one off, I say cut off because in my inexperience of board soldering it's not worth possible risk to the board traces or pads to try remove a probably already damaged component. So cut it off and you'll be able to assess any further damage that might be hiding.

It should clean up and you can pop a new chip in.

That's my novice(ish) advice before someone more experienced comes along... like @MajesticPinball hopefully as he just helped me with something 😉
Mainly I'm replying to bump your thread a subscribe because I'm really interested in what your problem is!

Good luck!
 
Does the game have a minimum volume setting that is limiting you here?
 
Re DRD and minimum volume.

The volume is the crux of my problem, as the game is unplayable loud.
I'm in no hurry to get the down button working except to change the volume. Is there any workaround to change it?
 
It may be the corrosion doing strange things or it may be the wiring that you have moved when you took the head off.

I would remove and reseat the connectors in the head in and out of the mpu board.

Gently press down on the big square asic chip to ensure it is seated

If that does not hit lucky. Do a board swap with your ngg

You may need to swap roms. Be very careful

Installing Eproms in a WPC Pinball Machine

Installing Eproms in a WPC Pinball Machine To install your eproms, you will need: Updated eprom chip(s) A small, flat blade screwdriver Patience Please note: installing updated eprom chips in your game WILL wipe out any high scores or game customizations. Be prepared to change any settings...
www.pinballinfo.com www.pinballinfo.com

If no joy, send your mpu away to one of the experts @philpalmer @pinballmania @myPinballs
 
Thanks for the suggestions.
I've unplugged all cpu connectors, gently pushed down on the asic chip and then reinstalled. Game won't boot now. Power and blinking leds are on and the diagnostic led is off.

So looks like the board has a fault. Please let me know if that's not the most likely fault.
I'll swap it the cpu board with the one in my NGG tomorrow.

Not looking forward to removing the game and security rom, but thanks for the link to the page on how to do it. I've recently bought a tweezers style ROM puller, so it's very ironic to discover that people prefer to use a screwdriver.
 
CV working again with the board from NGG .
Thanks for the helpful comments and pointers to the board repair experts.

Will try the CV board in NGG just to confirm that it's faulty. Then I expect to be asking the board repair experts if it is repairable or not.
I'll update this thread if I ever get to the root cause of the failure.
 
From the photo I don't think the board damage is bad. If that's it it's easily repaired 👍
Get it sent off to one of the folks recommended if you're not confident having a go. Can't imagine it'll be expensive
 
Battery corrosion can cause batsh1t crazy problems
 
An update for people that stumble across this thread in the future....

Looks like DRD was on the right track with his suggestion to unplug and replug the connectors to the cpu board, as the apparently dead CV board is working fine in NGG.
I'll swap them back in a week or two, and see how CV gets on with it's original board.
 
NO NO NO. You have 2 working games out of two.

First rule of pinball. If it works, leave well alone.

The tarnish on your connectors on NGG is in a different place to the tarnish on your connectors for CV. Hence why swapping has done the trick.

This is a gift from God.
 
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