Wcs94 what is this for?

[Asiapinball]

Can anyone with wcs94 tell me what this connector is used for. It's in the opto wiring loom but seems not to be needed.

 

[Asiapinball]

Ps it's a 12v supply and ground but there doesn't appear to be anything close that requires the supply.

 

[Dinsdale]

You know how I'm useless at this, but I think it goes to J3 in the Opto board? Only connector I can see with those colours.

(Sorry if I'm missing something obvious)

 

[Asiapinball]

You know how I'm useless at this, but I think it goes to J3 in the Opto board? Only connector I can see with those colours.

(Sorry if I'm missing something obvious)

Cheers mate. That's where the wires come from; the 7 opto board. It's an additional tap in the same sub-loom for 12v coming from j116 pins 2 and 3 . I suspect that they used the same sub-loom in various games and it just isn't needed.

I have a few parts in the post arriving in the next few days to finish this off so you should get to play at the weekend

 

[drhex]

Interesting, looks like they did a Z connector to splice this off specifically - three plugs, Z and the work involved. Given the constant penny pinching which was going on at Williams I am surprised they left that in.

 

[Asiapinball]

It is quite a strange set up. It is part of the main loom, but from the Z connector there is then a foot long extender loom to get to J3 of the 7 opto board. The main loom isn't long enough to get to the 7 opto board without the extender. The manual page which @Dinsdale posted above has no mention of the tap or the extender loom, but it must have been designed that way as the tap is part of the main loom. As you say it is unusual of Williams not to penny pinch - maybe it was a left over loom from prototype design?

Anyway I should get to find out in the next few days as the chips/capacitors I need to finish off will be delivered so I will then be able to get into diagnostics and play a few games and see if everything is working. It's a project I bought 10 years ago and was missing all its pcb boards (including all the ones in the cabinet and under playfield, so its been a bit of a puzzle to get back together and I am now down to the last 17 items on the snag list (most of which are just waiting on minor parts to arrive.

 

[drhex]

Maybe they had to relocate the opto board - still doesn't explain the extra connector, especially as it is on a separate loom, could have easily been removed. Motor boards seem to use 20V?

 

[Asiapinball]

Actually I was mistaken in my post yesterday evening. The tap is actually in the main loom not the extender sub-loom, so maybe they originally planned on another 12v supply being needed in that vicinity, so more involved work to remove it and the extender.

 

[drhex]

The motor boards both have their 20V supply? Any chance the opto board connectors are swapped?

 

[Asiapinball]

Yes they have their 20v and they are located well up the playfield and have .156 connectors. The tap is a .100 connector. Only thing located anywhere near the tap is the magnasave magnet. Maybe I am missing something there?

 

[drhex]

Magnets have different connectors. Mysterious. Would be nice to hear from other owners if they have this connector, too. Prototype loom maybe?

 

[David_Vi]

Are you sure it's used? Theatre of magic has a connector unused and i think another of our wpc games has one hanging about

 

[Asiapinball]

That's why I was asking other wcs owners, David. Hopefully everything will be working when I get this fully fired up in the next few days and this connector is unused but I am just being impatient asking others so that I don't have to wait for another missing part to arrive.

 

[Asiapinball]

Maybe williams did leave exrras in their looms generally or it was a prototype.

 

[paul h]

That's why I was asking other wcs owners, David. Hopefully everything will be working when I get this fully fired up in the next few days and this connector is unused but I am just being impatient asking others so that I don't have to wait for another missing part to arrive.

Mine's the same as yours - a connector that goes nowhere.

 

[Asiapinball]

Thanks for checking for me @paul h

Problem solved - confirmed not a problem. Thanks all.

 

[drhex]

There is a test connector in WPC which is close to the backbox. They did try to avoid extra expenditure otherwise, sometimes stuff got removed close to first deliveries when looms were already manufactured - TZ is a great example of that with magnets and flasher boards and associated connectors. So might be an early game - seems to me that they intended to have the seven opto board in a different location, maybe close to the motor boards. So had an extra connector as well as a extension pigtail.

 

[Asiapinball]

Manufacturing date on mine is 26 May 94, so 3 months after launch. Probably same across all machines.

 

[Jay Walker]

Re. unused connectors, works' Judge Dredds had an unused connector in the backbox wiring, with Red-trace and Yellow-trace lamp matrix wires. I wondered if there'd been plans for feature lamps on the display panel or backbox insert board, like Addams Family or Bride of Pinbot.

Speaking of Pinbot, there were 12v and ground wires laid into the playfield harness, ending behind the drop target bank. Opto drop targets actually came out on the following game, Millionaire.

 

[Pick Holder]

They more than likely removed something last minute......