Very weird DE Star Wars issue - help me Obi Wan

[Sgt GrizZ]

OK

DE Star Wars with a Pinsound board. Has been fine, although sporadically the DMD would blank out now and again.

Tonight - when I switch on the initial ROM info screen displays garbage. The game then appears to be ok, get the Free Play screen etc ....then oddly it goes into the R2D2 Victory Lap mode , as if a game is running !?!

If I press start the game begins - however it is automatically in a 3 player game, on ball 3 , with different scores as if its in the middle of a game. Some of the graphics are glitching, garbage characters displaying in wrong places, screen occasionally blanking.

??????? Like its gone mental

Have reseated all cables to DMD. All ribbons. Reseated game and display ROMs. No change.

What next ? Could it just be a flaky ribbon cable ?

 

[strobey]

The DMD and controller are completely self contained, the main CPU just sends score values or instructions to it to run a certain sequence/animation.

The ribbon between CPU and display board id say is prime culprit.

Tim

 

[Sgt GrizZ]

The DMD and controller are completely self contained, the main CPU just sends score values or instructions to it to run a certain sequence/animation.

The ribbon between CPU and display board id say is prime culprit.

Tim

I will swap diff ones from Tommy and see what happens.

 

[Sgt GrizZ]

Yay. As thought ...was the ribbon cable after all.

Swapped working one from Tommy in and it was better but still some garbage. Reseated it again and seems fine. Maybe crud on the header pins too. Will give them all a good clean.

 

[Spandangler]

The ribbon cables are revolting. They must not win. They played Mary hell with my WH20 last week the rascals.

 

[RudeDogg1]

I don't think ribbon cables are really suitable in a pinball environment. Not very good in most environment really