Why do LEDs stay dimly lit

[biglouieuk]

Let us know how you get on.

From what you say it doesn't seem to be ghosting if everything else in the matrix is off other than the 4 dim rows.
Although the program doesn't allow the delay to be extended it's definitely possible if required.

From reversing the Hurricane code I see an additional access to the lamp row driver which isn't part of the lamp mux update function. This bit of code hasn't had the CLR opcode replaced so if it gets called it'll certainly cause a glitch on the lamp row driver. Whether or not that's the problem I don't know.
If other investigations fail to reveal anything it could be patched and tried to see if it helps the issue.

You would've thought others with this game would've mentioned this problem.

Thanks Paul. It seems there are not too many Hurricane owners about, not a great deal of love for the game! I think I've learned to love it. Ha

I'll see if I can find someone else to have a check, with LEDs...

It seems strange that it's 4 specific rows that are dim..

Can voltage "leak" into a row on the matrix.and light the lot?

 

[paul1962]

Are the 4 rows ever off or are they always dimly lit ?
What happens in test when the matrix is off ? Are they dimly lit then ?
if It’s easy to replicate you could unplug the matrix from the driver board and connect just a couple of leds for those rows to the board and see what happens. That would prove if it’s a wiring fault or not.

 

[biglouieuk]

Are the 4 rows ever off or are they always dimly lit ?

Always off. EXCEPT when the game switches to the Hurricane Wheel (wheel spins in the back box & DMD displays).
The playfield is dark, but it runs through all the flashers while you focus on the DMD and Hurricane Wheel in the back box.
The rogue rows are dimly lit.

At the end of a ball, the field goes dark, with no flashers and the DMD displays the score (no Hurricane wheel spin), the rogue rows do not light then.

I mention this as they are two scenarios when the field is dark. One with flashers and the wheel spinning, one without. In both scenarios, the rogue rows should be out. Scenario 1, they are not, in sceanrio 2, they are.

Writing this made me test flashers and lamps in menu. At no point in any test are the rogue rows triggered. I was half expecting to test flashers and find rogue rows lit.

What happens in test when the matrix is off ? Are they dimly lit then ?

In single lamp test, with new code, ONLY the bulb selected is lit. Rogue rows are not.
With old code, a single lamp would show the dimly lit LED of the lamp in the column before, in the same row.
That has been fixed in the updated code.

In lamp test, the rogue rows are not lit.

if It’s easy to replicate you could unplug the matrix from the driver board and connect just a couple of leds for those rows to the board and see what happens. That would prove if it’s a wiring fault or not.

I'll give this a go, see what we get.

In writing this, it seems to suggest there is a single "scene" that triggers the 4 rogue rows... I wonder what else is happening at that time, that could be triggering it.. I'll see if I can replicate anything in test, to date, I haven't been able to. Could be that it needs a couple things in parallel to trigger the rows to light I guess..Or maybe its just the way it is

 

[Fubar]

Is there a test menu to spin the wheel? If so, does that trigger the problem?

 

[biglouieuk]

Is there a test menu to spin the wheel? If so, does that trigger the problem?

There is @Fubar . Back box Motor test, in the solenoid test section... I had same thought, when it runs, its doesn't trigger the rogue 4 rows.

 

[paul1962]

Just wondered if you’d made any progress with this problem?

 

[biglouieuk]

Just wondered if you’d made any progress with this problem?

Hi Paul, thanks for checking!

I've been on another machine, but wanted to triple check something with you....

:...unplug the matrix from the driver board and connect just a couple of LEDs for those rows to the board and see what happens. That would prove if it’s a wiring fault or not."

I have a post LED that I can use, it has two easy to get to wires, so I'll get a jumper wire on it and a diode and give it a whirl..

I have played the game a great deal now, the only time these 4 rows dimly light, is when the Mystery wheel is spinning and the playfield is meant to be all dark. Loads of other times the playfield goes dark for DMD, but they dont light then, ONLY when the Mystery wheel is spinning. Is there a point in the code that we can ID that occurring do you think?

 

[paul1962]

I ran Hurricane on Pinmame in debug mode to the point it runs the motor. It’s turns the play field off and the only lamp lit in the matrix is the start button lamp. The dmd shows an animation of the wheel and scrolls a prize underneath it.
Is that the correct place in the game ?
Checking all access to the row/column driver addresses shows nothing strange, zero gets written every time apart from the start lamp.
Not sure what to suggest now

 

[biglouieuk]

I ran Hurricane on Pinmame in debug mode to the point it runs the motor. It’s turns the play field off and the only lamp lit in the matrix is the start button lamp. The dmd shows an animation of the wheel and scrolls a prize underneath it.
Is that the correct place in the game ?
Checking all access to the row/column driver addresses shows nothing strange, zero gets written every time apart from the start lamp.
Not sure what to suggest now

Yup, the exact spot Paul.

So if the software shows zero, then there has to be some juice getting into those 4 rows. It moves me on a bit further!

I added lamps back into the pop bumpers (early machines had them, later ones did not, but the software has them in the matrix) - I'll go back over what I did there again.
I had a flasher lamp holder that was dead and had to replace (not on any of these rows), - I'll go back and look at that again.

I don't get why these dimly glow in this specific part of the game and not on others where the PF is meant to be dark The DMD is on, the wheel solenoid is on and now I know the start lamp. Nothing else is happening, or meant to be, by the sound of it.