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Machine won’t operate in this country error. (Stern)

Spadge

Spadge

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5Years
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Nov 8, 2016
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Location
Wakefield
7839A27D-F0A9-4327-9A01-AE233727044B.jpeg keep getting this error message on my IM VE, updated the Rom and now tried different ones.

Help!
 
Been there done that.
You will have to send the CPU board back to Stern to get the regional code re-programmed.
I had the exact same thing happen with my Transformers. It didn’t have a boot chip. I put one in, updated the code and blam ! Same fault as yours.
Phone Stern support up. They re-programmed mine and posted it back for free.
 
The bootrom didn’t work, then I got one but it was a 128m one that worked but accessed more memory than IM had.

It’s now got the original bootrom version (version 1.0, 64m) it should have had, but looks like the boards region code was reset.

I’ll sort with electrocoin/stern.
 
Thanks, I’d read that thread, was hoping there was some switch or something akin to “region 0” on dmds with regards region control.

A case of shipnit back it seems, not a tragedy more a pita.

At least I got the proper bootrom in there and updated code..
 
I’ve been there @Spadge

There is nothing that can be done in this country, it will have to go back to Stern for region coding. I think if you go through Electrocoin you will just add possible confusion and delays.
I phoned Stern support. They asked me to send them a photo of the game serial number from inside the cab. They then told me to ship it to them. I did it through work. Stern reprogrammed it and sent it back FOC. The whole process took about 1week.
 
Ok, the guy at electrocoin has been really good (mike dando) and sent the bootrom via Patrick power @ stern.

Am sure it’s a relatively straight forward fix.

History:
- send boards back to electrocoin as recommended by stern
- sent both power and cpu as wasn’t sure what the problem was
- got the boards back after 10 days after repair and soak testing and all fine
- last week I fancied updating the Rom to one that had modded music (akin to twd and GOTG) and found that the update wasn’t working and that I needed another bootrom
- got hold of v1.0 bootrom (uses different code to other SAM sterns) and Jim burnt it for me, worked and booted fine
- update was failing to update and eventually I noticed that it was quitting half way through erasing the flash Rom, and after some thinking it was down to the v1.0 I had being for a 128m system, later stern sams had 128m whereas Iron Man has 64m
- eventually got a proper 64m v1.0 bootflash From electrocoin/stern and Jim burnt it for me
- the new boot Rom worked fine and updated the game without problem
- running the game, it boots fine but after a short period it locks with the region error
- assumption is that the region setting was reset or deleted during this (it’s not something you can do)
- has to be returned for resetting
 
You could get a step down transformer with frequency convertor.
 
To satisfy my curiosity i had a look at the Iron Man Rom in a hex editor, it would seem there is the option to change the Frequency.

How you get to this screen not quite sure on that. Maybe pressing S1 reset with a combination of dip switches on/off.

upload_2018-4-23_10-32-17.png
 
I'm curious as to why this restriction even exists, especially since Stern seem willing to reprogram it FOC?

Is it like the days of old where Williams would put UV serial numbers on the playfield to detect pins sold outside region?
 
Arv said:
To satisfy my curiosity i had a look at the Iron Man Rom in a hex editor, it would seem there is the option to change the Frequency.

How you get to this screen not quite sure on that. Maybe pressing S1 reset with a combination of dip switches on/off.

View attachment 63772
Click to expand...

In one of the stern factory videos you can see them selecting that option. Can’t remember which video but it’s definitely possible to change it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 
Neil McRae said:
In one of the stern factory videos you can see them selecting that option. Can’t remember which video but it’s definitely possible to change it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
Click to expand...

I was trying to find said video myself, but can't find the thing now.
 
Durzel said:
I'm curious as to why this restriction even exists, especially since Stern seem willing to reprogram it FOC?

Is it like the days of old where Williams would put UV serial numbers on the playfield to detect pins sold outside region?
Click to expand...

I suspect when the pound / euro was stronger it was to encourage people not to import. Seeing that in the ROM makes me think it wouldn't take long to work out how to disable it with the right tools.

Cheers,
Neil.
 
Yeah, been in the games industry years, this sort of stuff was very popular in games catridges to protect from grey imports. Eventually region locking was frowned upon and it ended. I can't believe theres no easy way to trigger an ignore or such, but then it would have been easy to do the thing it protects against. Am assuming it was triggered by the Bootflash being replaced, even if it's the proper one!
 
It would be nice to know the Bootrom shortcuts so I could access the menu and try that, it has to be a simple setting. I wonder if that could be done also with Pin Browser?

Dunno if these are DIP switches or buttons on the unit perhaps.
 
The suggestion in this thread is that the menu is only accessible on "virginal" machines, which would make sense. I would be very surprised if you could access this menu as an end user without additional hardware or some kind of proprietary engineer board wired up, otherwise it would be trivial to defeat.
 
Durzel said:
The suggestion in this thread is that the menu is only accessible on "virginal" machines, which would make sense. I would be very surprised if you could access this menu as an end user without additional hardware or some kind of proprietary engineer board wired up, otherwise it would be trivial to defeat.
Click to expand...

I agree and that makes sense. I am likely to need a verification/identity key to set that anyway. I'm sure mine has somehow ended up with a factory setting of 60Hz whereas it needs to be 50hz.
 
Just a quick thought - dont you have to set the dip switches on the board to say what country you ARE in? - e.g. if you have it set to USA and its running 50hz then you would probably get the error message as well.
 
No it has circuitry to measure 50hz and 60hz at the supply, the dips do nothing other than set the country. Tried that too :-)
 
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