CEI "Hot Slot" Error codes or manual

[mschuyler]

I was recently given an CEI Hot Slot 3 reel that hadn't been running in a few years and was knocked over in the recent Ridgecrest earthquake. Luckily it suffered only minor cosmetic damage and I have it mostly working. I checked the battery seemed in good condition (2.75v on the multi meter). Now when I turn it on sometimes it will work on sometimes it will give me various error codes. Other times I can play and then out of nowhere get an error code. I'm looking for a list of error codes or a manual that can help me know what to look for.


I saw a few post about manuals in the archives but it says I don't have access to them. I was able to get some good info from other posts about this slot machine that helped me get it to where it is now and hope that I can a little more here. Thanks!

[shortrackskater]

Welcome to NLG!
Post a photo of your machine so we can see it. I hope the cosmetic repairs needed weren't too extensive. Here's a list of error codes to get you started. I think you need to really check out every connector/plug you can find in the machine. A "tip over" can loosen things a lot. When people buy slot machines they will frequently lay them flat in a truck or van, not realizing coins WILL fall out of the hopper and land in various areas, making unwanted "connections." I'd pull the plug on your game, remove the hopper and start looking around. Check all the connections on the inside of the door and on top where the MPU board is. That board pulls straight out. Just be careful and make sure that board is firmly seated, when you put it back in.

[mschuyler]

Thank you for getting back to me! I wasn't sure if anyone was going to. I have attached a few pictures of the machine and errors. I get the E48 error a fair amount with either a d or upside down F after it. The manual talks about it but I'm not sure how to fix it or where to start. The other I see is E73F. I get this error directly after spinning. The manual suggest the reels moved while idle. The last one is a E81U, 2U, or 3U. This seems to be RPM out of tolerance. The motors seem fine so could it be the belts? I do I know what order the reels go in. Mine are hand labeled  1, 2, and 3 but are in the unit 321 left to right. So I don't know if that is right. Thanks for all your help. I hope to hear back from you soon.

[shortrackskater]

Hang on. I may need to get some intervention here. Reply coming soon.

[shortrackskater]

Can you shoot a photo of the reel assembly? Have you checked all the connections behind it? I've never had a CEI reel-type machine so I'm not sure of the connections. Still if it fell over during an earthquake - I'd check and double check each and every connector in the machine.

[mschuyler]

Iv'e got some photos that I need to get off my phone. There are three motors one for each wheel. Each wheel sets on Three rollers on the left side. One of the rollers is run by a motor via rubber belt. The connections for power to the motors are two pins on a motherboard. I tried to clean the wheels and belts to the motors to see if maybe they were slipping. Also how do I know what order the wheels go in?

[shortrackskater]

I'm not sure if there is one assembly for all three reels, or if each reel pulls out on its own. It should be easy to determine that by just looking closely at the whole thing. What I'm having you check is just to make sure each reel is firmly seated in the plug, or the entire assembly is. When machines get moved around (or fall!), it's likely the jarring can disconnect things.
Check that first... I don't really need a photo. Just make sure, if they are independent reels, that you get keep them in order.

[mschuyler]

Hi, thanks for your reply. It pushed me to take a look at things again. I have uploaded some pictures to show the whole reel assembly. The way the motors are connected to the assembly is pretty simple. I disconnected and reconnected all the motors to the main board. The main board attaches to the back of the machine via a giant PCI looking slot. It seems to seat into the slot firmly and without issues. I have checked all the connectors I can see in the machine as well and they all seem to be secure. When playing I will get RPM errors an reesl out of order errors. I have to clear the errors, using the key on the side, and usually takes several tries before it's happy again. Then you can spin just fine for another 5-10 times before it freaks out again. Not sure what to do next.


Thanks for your help.

[mschuyler]

Hi Shortrackskater,


Have you had a chance to take a look at my last post? I was just playing this weekend and keeping getting errors every 5-10 spins or so. Most errors have to do with the reel RPMs. Is there a way to calibrate them? I wouldn't think all are bad as the motors seem smooth and spin easily with my fingers. Hoping to hear from you with some new recommendations. Thank you for your effort and time.

[shortrackskater]

Shoot sorry I never saw the reply! Let me check out some things.
I'll also ask Alan (member badbaud) - he's more experienced with the reel version of a CEI than I am.

[shortrackskater]

Ok, from Alan:

See if he can set the game to auto reel cal. upon power up.
(click on photo)

[mschuyler]

OK, I have put some time in and here is where we are. I was able to get the system to run the reel calibration. It gives me a R42 (Reel RPM error) error when done. During the test I noticed that reel #1 gets going up to speed fast, reel #3 takes a little longer and reel #2 takes forever to get up to full speed. I have also noticed that one of the reels (#2) barley spins now during regular play. In fact I can't play anymore. So I did some trial an error troubleshooting and found that any 2 reels seems fine (normal reel speed) but not all three. As a double check I not only made sure that all connections were firm I disconnected and reconnected all connections to be sure they were all seated well with the same result.


Not sure where this puts us. Hope to hear from you soon. Thanks for all your help.

[Badbaud]

The power supply that provides the DC voltage for the reel motors is probably weak.
As you add more loads (reels) the power supply fails to provide the correct voltage or current.

[SolidSilver]

 Badbaud is entirely correct, as usual: you have a weak power supply. That’s common, and not a bad thing, compared to problems with corrupted software or broken mechanical parts or cracked PCB traces: no problem with unavailable software or parts. Power supplies of that era are usually pretty simple, with no ICs; and parts (diodes, transistors, capacitors) usually easy to find & replace. Transformers rarely go bad; and even if the whole thing is nuked, one can readily buy modern power supplies in each of the needed voltages.
So the question seems to be, do you want to hand it to someone else to repair/rebuild, or tackle it yourself?  You seem like a technically cognizant poke-into-it kinda guy; and I, always interested in welcoming a bright new enthusiast to our gang, would encourage you to jump on it.
Even without a meter, or the knowledge to use it, the first step is typically to replace every capacitor: older caps always eventually go bad. Read the specs on the original, don’t be afraid to buy a modern-technology equivalent of the same rating, and brush up on your soldering skills as need be.  And welcome to this bunch of folks who all started out just like you!
 

[mschuyler]

So a little more info... I let is sit on for a while and then it played, only giving an error after a handful of spins. Warming up seems to help. A few days later I just powered it on and I couldn't clear the errors.

I'm a DIY kind of guy with some skills I will need some help on the know how. Soldering I'm not so keen on especially on something with very limited parts. I do have a multimeter but don't know much about how to use it outside of some very basic uses.  So where do I start, how do I test the power supply? What should the output be? etc. etc.

Thanks again for your time and efforts!

[Badbaud]

The output voltage level should be stamped on the power supply, find GND (ground) and put your black lead there.
The red lead goes to the voltage terminal to be read.

[SolidSilver]

 1. I have never seen one of these rare machines! A manual with schematics would be of great help, but it sounds like you do not have one. I have seen them for the Hot Slot at about $25; but absence thereof is not critical at this point.
 2. IF it actually has a recognizeable power supply! Most machines have one, a heavy metal chassis carrying a hefty transformer, several big capacitors, and multiple metal-can transistors on finned heat sinks. But the CEI engineers were clever at reducing complexity, which is why your machine has simple DC motors rather than steppers. On CEI video poker machines, there is no power supply: just a transformer bolted to the floor, and a few components on the backplane board. Yours may be the same, as it probably only puts out two voltages: 5 for the logic, and 24 for the motors and lights and solenoids.  Can you see a separate metal-chassis power supply, or just one or two large PCBs? Attached is a pic of a CEI video-poker backplane; the lower components are power supply, and note the transformer sitting on the machine’s floor.
 3. Here’s an extract from a 2014 NLG thread response involving 24vdc issue on a HotSlot:
 I tested the 24 volt circuit and found BR2 bridge rectifier and the LM350 that regulates the 24 volts to be dead.   I replaced them and the LM350 would get hot enough to fry an egg.   With the new VR and BR I was getting no ripple but 39 volts input to the LM350 which is way to high.   I shot gunned the little caps in that area of the board and nothing changed.  Output voltage was only 3 volts.  If I measured across c85 which is a large filter cap I would get the same 39 volts.  Here is what I don't understand.  I checked the ac into the BR and got 28 volts.  Oddly if I disconnected one leg of the filter cap the input voltage would drop to something close to 24 volts.  I decided maybe something was over loading the 24 volt line.  It is used for the reels, Coin comparitor and solenoids so I disconnected all.   Then I noticed that U52 was running very hot.  I removed U52 and my input voltage dropped and my output voltage came up to exactly 24 volts.   What is interesting about that is before the machine quit I only had around 21 volts on the 24 volt line so I think the amplifier chip has been dying.  this is also likely a common failure as it is not only heat sinked but my later version board has it socketed and my earlier spare parts boards it is unsocketed. 
 
 So the moral of the story is check the voltage on the LM350 and if it is off remove U52 and see what happens.   Hopefully this helps save another hot slot some day.
Irritatingly, it does not specify what component he replaced to fix the problem, but it illustrates the path one can take with no manual or schematic or board-level circuit-tracing experience on a power-supply problem: replace every part in the circuit. Parts are cheap (the LM350 voltage regulator is about 2 bucks) Hopefully, someone with more detailed knowledge of this machine (perhaps the two guys on the quoted NLG thread: jbshocks & Op-Bell) will be able to direct you more efficiently; but if not, don’t give up!  I have repaired three power supplies in the last 5 years via this simplistic brute-force approach, and none cost me more than 10 bucks.