Go Ghostbusters!!

[Stayouttadabunker]

One of our members sscarlso figured ot how to get this game running for all of us.
I just got mine on this morning.
It's an awessome set-up!
Made a short video...>>>

9

[RobinAK]

One of our members sscarlso figured ot how to get this game running for all of us.

But I don't have two AVP machines 

[Stayouttadabunker]

For a server, I'd get another 3.0/625 brainbox, and it's own power supply.
I want to try a 2.5 brainbox for kicks...they're cheaper, but I don't know if the 2.0 has USB support or not.
All you need is a brainbox to run the Bonus Server USB and a touchscreen.
After you complete the setup, you can ditch the touchscreen LCD and plug in the topbox LCD for the progressive display.

For a progressive connection to the topbox display, you need a VGA cable, but with an DVI-I adapter.
Also, a standard CAT5 internet cable between the two brainboxes.

For the audio, because when you hit a bonus round, the audio sounds are generated from the Server brainbox.
You have to run a separate set of speakers, until we figure out how to splice the Bose sound system together.

My question to everyone would be, what is that other input jack for on a brainbox...headphones?

I'm thinking of plugging in an 3.5mm audio Y-Splitter between the Server and GB game?
Hoping there's not a damaging overload of audio signal running to the amp, should both the brainboxes put out sounds at the same time?
I wonder how they get the Bonus sounds to the machines from the house server at casinos?
An audio line all the way from the backroom to the machines?

[sccarlso]

I'm all over this one with the bonus server ever since it worked for me the first time. 

I've been working to see what's needed to run the bonus server without needing to run it on a full machine.  The underlying OS of the bonus server is basically the same which is why it would likely be fine on any AVP 3.0 machine.  But on a normal AVP, the OS still has to see the backplane, button deck, and I suspect touchscreen on boot or it would halt before it could load/run the bonus server.  I was trying to see how I could run it with just what the bonus server needs, nothing more.  It really only needs the brainbox and a simple 270w internal PSU.  Once configured, it just boots as a bonus server for that game with no cabinet components to initialize first.  The "actual" original IGT bonus server, called an ABSC which was used for a "real" bonus server is naturally simple compared to a full cabinet  and is just as suspected.  An AVP 3.0 brainbox, a 625 with the add on vid card (plus spots for typical AVP progressive cards which aren't needed in this case), and a 660 would work just the same, that's what I used in my G23.

Only real difference of this ABSC box is...

1.  Different IGT PCI card.  It doesn't need to control a cabinet, so pretty sure it's just a cut down version with no ribbon cable connector and thus, less components on the PCI card.  But apparently the usual IGT PCI board for AVP's has the same capability, but also includes the ones you don't need, like the ribbon cable and it's related component chips for cabinet control functions.

2.  Different boot chip code, same chips though!  It lists the ones for this ABSC box as AVPSB01410F05 - Boot 1  and  AVPSB01410F05 - Boot 2    Question is, will those boot chips function with a normal AVP IGT PCI card? 

Since the OS required by the ABSC is a regular AVP OS.  Pretty sure (I'm hoping at least) that the different bios code just ignores or bypasses the AVP OS checks/drivers/etc for a normal cabinet, as the ABSC has a PCI card with no ribbon cable, as there's no backplane or anything else used by it.  It's just a bonus server "game" and all it needs is to talk on the network to game (client machines) and display the main screen for bonuses and progressive numbers) which was originally a 40" display on top of 2-4 machines running the actual game (which is also "client software").  And there's your casino setup.   

I have AVPSB01410F07 - boot 1 and AVPSB01410F07 - boot 2 code.  Just not programmed.  I have a programmer, but sheesh, getting a boot1 to program a show boot1 on a blank chip has been a nightmare, I always get pin errors with the adapter, and when it finally reports no pin errors, it says it programs and verified ok.  But didn't work right in the machine.  Programming the boot2 has been easy since no adapter is needed.   If anyone has any tips or "you need to do this too" in order to get a good write to a boot1 chip, please tell me!  lol

Usually the last digits in a bios ID are just point fixes, so those "should" just be slightly newer bios for an ABSC box.

So...my next test is to get those ABSC boots into a 625 brainbox with the addon vid card or a 660 box, and just plug in a monitor and power supply.  I got the exact PSU the ABSC uses on eBay for $22!  Fire it up with fingers crossed and see if it boots to the "no games enabled" screen!  If it does, well hey, the door is wide open!  As for programming this "frankenstein ABSC" box with the bonus server.  It's just a computer...  But I'm betting that just having a monitor on the top DVI port and a USB keyboard attached to navigate the menus will work the same as that special ABSC touchscreen monitor shown in the PDF, which you just connect to load/program the bonus server options, then it's not plugged in otherwise. 

If my "assumptions" are correct.  Should be able to program the bonus server box, and just place it behind the top monitor of an SMLD G23 and connect it's lower DVI port to the top monitor, connect the ethernet cable between it and the main brainbox on the bottom.  Since it does have it's own audio for bonuses, would also be easy to just plug in some USB powered speakers to it's audio output to take care of that seperately from the audio of the cabinet brainbox.  Many ways you could arrange this.  But the bottom line would be that you have a bonus server without the cabinet needed, all standalone and inside one brainbox, and if you wanted to have 4 machines running the game, only need one bonus server for all to function.  If I had two SMLD machines I would just have a 40" screen spanning the top of the cabinets and it would look pretty much like the original casino setup.

If I (or anyone else trying things out) can get the bonus server running with nothing but a brainbox or tries and has failures, do comment with what you find.  Then it's test the other titles that also don't require anything but the bonus server, no UC/IPC or WAP in the game.  And you could have them all on there, and to switch, just plug in a USB keyboard and ekey it to clear NVRAM & enable a different bonus server.

If my assumptions are wrong on anything, will just continue to look for how to get around it.  The main deal is to just need one brainbox without a cabinet that will run the bonus server when powered up.  So if anyone tweaking with this setup discovers something new or interesting, good or bad, please do post your findings! 

[sccarlso]

For a server, I'd get another 3.0/625 brainbox, and it's own power supply.
I want to try a 2.5 brainbox for kicks...they're cheaper, but I don't know if the 2.0 has USB support or not.
All you need is a brainbox to run the Bonus Server USB and a touchscreen.
After you complete the setup, you can ditch the touchscreen LCD and plug in the topbox LCD for the progressive display.

For a progressive connection to the topbox display, you need a VGA cable, but with an DVI-I adapter.
Also, a standard CAT5 internet cable between the two brainboxes.

For the audio, because when you hit a bonus round, the audio sounds are generated from the Server brainbox.
You have to run a separate set of speakers, until we figure out how to splice the Bose sound system together.

My question to everyone would be, what is that other input jack for on a brainbox...headphones?

I'm thinking of plugging in an 3.5mm audio Y-Splitter between the Server and GB game?
Hoping there's not a damaging overload of audio signal running to the amp, should both the brainboxes put out sounds at the same time?
I wonder how they get the Bonus sounds to the machines from the house server at casinos?
An audio line all the way from the backroom to the machines?

My question for ya is....   Were you able to boot the bonus server without having the ribbon cable connected???  If so, that's huge!   

[sccarlso]

One of our members sscarlso figured ot how to get this game running for all of us.
I just got mine on this morning.
It's an awessome set-up!
Made a short video...>>>

<iframe width="851" height="504" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lFMcAr4au0s" title="Go Ghostbusters !!" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>9

How did you get the bonus server video on the top screen of your "client machine"?  Did you just cable the top monitor on the "client machine" to the brainbox of the other AVP running the bonus server???  On mine, I just had it displaying on the bonus server machine's lower screen.   

Looks great!  I'm going to cable my arm mounted tall box monitor mod to the bonus server and rotate it.  So the top bonus screen will be large! 

[Stayouttadabunker]

It was not easy I must say....I messed around it for a few hours!
What you're seeing in the GB machines topbox is the touchscreen display from the server, but without the touchscreen panel.

What was happening was I needed the touchscreen on first - to set up the Bonus Server & IP addresses right?
Once done, I figured I could just pull the DVI plug out of the brainbox, and shove in an extended VGA cable w/DVI adapter into that DVI port right? haha nope.
I think it was because of the cheap adapter?
I don't know...that topbox screen from the GB client machine just wouldn't light up.
It would just stay dark although I could hear the Michelin man walking around the buildings from the Server cabinet...lol

How I got the signal to work was power up the server with both that bottom and GB machine top monitor plugs in....to fool the Server that it had both in one machine.
I would lose the IP settings every time tho because the machine didn't have the touchscreen connected anymore after I powered down and shut it off.
I didn't want to risk surging my PCI video card in the server box by hot plugging in a DVI cable.
The only way I could get the brainboxes to communicate to each other was to change the GB machine's client ID number from 2 to 3.
(That only seems to work if you check the box for the machines to search for a server IP continuously).

Monday I will be jumping various door cabinet sensors on the backplane, disabling printers and bill acceptors to eliminate errors in attempt to scale down a server to just a brainbox and temporary touchscreen - instead of a whole cabinet machine.
I could just stick in an extra touchscreen panel I have laying around in up there, so essentially, the GB machine will have two touchscreens.
I don't know if the server needs to see COMM with the USB board either...we'll find out if it errs out.
Easy to test...just pull off the ribbon cable...lol
As far as showboots, I get mine from member RB.
It's the only way I know how to run these without USB keys.
i like the idea of plugging in an USB keyboard...that should work.

[sccarlso]

Ah ha!  I had it a little easier and had no such problems.  But I think you just exposed one issue in trying to run it on std AVP vs that special ABSC box.  Once the bonus server is installed, on boot if it doesn't detect the touchscreen connected it halts just as any AVP would, I believe it doesn't cause a halt with that ABSC bios.  Could be wrong...

But it is noted in the PDF on the actual ABSC box that you must have their touchscreen (and it's USB plug) connected to the TOP DVI port and USB on the brainbox in order to be able to change settings.  Once settings are changed, that display can be disconnected without powering off and it runs.  If no settings need to be changed, it "should" just boot and go, but the AVP still needs to see the touchscreen connected to avoid a halt.  But the way it's stated in the PDF, it kind of seems like anytime you boot you have to have a touchscreen connected, but can remove it after it boots.  Which doesn't seem right or anytime the power was lost on an ABSC you would have to reconnect the service touchscreen monitor!  Seems a bit much if that's the case! 

I started focused on the bonus server.  Both displays were connected on the std screen machine as they would on any AVP.  Touchscreen to bottom DVI, top "non touchscreen" to the top DVI port as I just wanted to verify the bonus server would actually come up without error before even loading the actual game on the other machine.

With both monitors connected on the bonus server, I didn't have any issues loading, configuring IP or such, it all just worked.  When done and the ekey was pulled, the top display on the bonus server remained dark.  Makes sense because usually it's only displaying the attract video and bonus rounds when hit on a client machine.  The ABSC says the top DVI is for 103" or 70" displays (or the service touchscreen), and the bottom is for satellite screens.  I suspect the actual ABSC bios affects that, with regular AVP bios only the bottom display shows the bonus server stuff for me.  But I believe once configured, just having the bottom DVI on the bonus server to a large display will boot up with just show boots in the brainbox, and work as long as the USB for the unplugged DVI touchscreen is still seen by the OS on boot.  Will have to see!

But once the bonus server came up, then I just loaded the SMLD machine with the game and set IP/bonus server IP/client ID, and it came up.  But also, the Game (client machine) has a blank screen on the top screen even though it has SMLD connected to the lower DVI and the std screen top display connected to the top DVI port as a normal G23 would.  Which I'm thinking that this game didn't have a top display being driven from the brainbox, just the big bonus server display.  Or the top display on client machines might have even been a "satellite display" from the server brainbox DVI that's just been split and cabled to all client machines and displays the same on all of them.   

In the end, the bonus server/progressive display would always be on the lower monitor of the bonus server, and only the lower monitor on the game machine has the actual game displayed.   Haven't yet, but I'm going to plug in a large top display into the server's lower DVI port, boot, and see if it goes right to the attract screen.  The server machine will still "see" a touchscreen as the USB that goes to the touchscreen is still connected, while the DVI isn't connected to the built in touchscreen, the bonus servers DVI will actually be connected to the large external display.

The "experimenting" is a huge plus to figure out what it can/can't do when running the bonus server this way.  But everything anyone discovers and/or solves gets closer to not needing a full AVP cabinet running for the bonus server to run! 

Nice work getting it going! 

[Stayouttadabunker]

I'm, of course, presently running both brainboxes with showboots.
Can I ask, would you still need to have a USB key for the ABSC bios, or no? 
I better read that sheet you've uploaded...( "Real men don't read instructions"! haha)

I agree the ABSC bios doesn't need to "see" a button deck either....only needs an temporary connected USB keyboard for programming.
Too bad we couldn't just run the ABSC bios with an old desktop computer? haha

[sccarlso]

Well, it's an assumption... 

But it really wouldn't make sense to dongle license bonus servers.  You must have the matching game AND license dongle to even do anything at all.  Otherwise it's just sitting there playing attract video.  And since the bonus server is an IGT hardware product, not by game developers and such, business wise, it costs money to put a license dongle on a game.  So my thought is that since you need the matching games which are dongle licensed, that it would only add even more cost and hassle to also dongle license the bonus servers.  So not guaranteed, but it is logical to not dongle license the bonus server software for a game.

Again, an assumption.  lol   I plan to try those actual ABSC bonus server boots which aren't show boots, and if that boots up with a standard AVP PCI card (fingers crossed), then I could tell you for sure.

But getting a boot1 chip to program is insane, boot2 is no problem at all.  I have a DIP adapter, and even a much better clamping adapter to DIP adapter.  But it seems to take forever with either one to get the programmer to not report a pin error.  And when I finally did get it so it would read with no pin errors.  When I did a write, it completed/verified.  But then it wouldn't boot when put in the board.   Ugh.

I have a local slot guy that can do them for me.  So going to have him program a boot1 & 2 for me when he's available.  Then I'll know if numerous things will work or not. 

[Tilt]

It's not your programmer or adapter, it's the cheap ass counterfeit chips that's the problem.  You might get 1 or 2 out of 10 that are good.  The rest are trash.  Better off getting a used one from a computer motherboard from a US seller.

[sccarlso]

That's a better explaination!   Just not as easy to source. 

Might have to look closer at Digikey or Mauser.  Their products are pretty solid.

[Stayouttadabunker]

I want one of these...lol

Clcik on photo below to enlarge if needed...>>>

[sccarlso]

 

With the snazzy easy plug in monitor. 

[Tilt]

That's a better explaination!   Just not as easy to source. 

Might have to look closer at Digikey or Mauser.  Their products are pretty solid.

If it were only that easy.  Like many other electronic components in these machines, they're obsolete and no longer available from the major parts houses 

[Stayouttadabunker]

Do you mean the flat ribbon cable being "detached" or disconnected from the I/O board with that yellow handle and battery pack?
What if we installed an ABSC boot instead?
Would the "server" look for a button deck?

[RodneyK]

Couple of notes.

There are license dongles for server programs just like games. Using any other boot besides show boot will require them. Even if you get the server "game/program" loaded you will not be able to enable it without an LD.

I do not know how to get around not having a ribbon cable plugged into a 3.0 625, 660 CPU, etc with a standard PCI card. Detach it from the CPU, power on and the machine does not make it very far. I am not sure how much you can disable in set up with a keyboard, entering password, etc. when it is first booting. That to me is the biggest challenge.

[Stayouttadabunker]

Thanks Rodney...all good notes for sure. 

[sccarlso]

If it does indeed need a DL.  Then all isn't lost, but the show boots will have to do.

So then it's just finding what you can offload and still have it boot so you have minimal size.  Anything is better than an entire cabinet!  The OS has on boot diags/self tests on components, and of course halts on completely absent things that it thinks are needed to function.  But for some, perhaps just detecting it, whether it actually works or not, might be enough to avoid a halt.  Could you use inop "required" components that are still "detected" and not have a boot fault.  Like only a touchscreen controller to pass the check for a touchscreen being present?  I'm not privvy to how deep it self tests various components.  But if anything can be cut down to a small size and still "pass", perhaps faulty components that are junk otherwise may still pass a self test on boot.

Just need a reduced footprint!     

[Stayouttadabunker]

Pulling off the ribbon cable causes this....lol
Oh well...I shut it down, plugged back ribbon cable , and rebooted back up to re-establish server connection with GB.