Flashing NetPlex is down after removing Varda

[stlscott]

Hi guys, so that I don't hyjack another post, I'm posting this as a new (but similar) problem.  I hope that's ok and if not, I can delete this and add it to the other post thread.  I'm new here and don't want to break any rules. On with the show...

I have an S2000 Triple Lucky 7's.  It has the 1270 board with the music board/sim on top.  Everything I read says to get rid of the Varda so I went ahead and removed it.  There was no leakage (yet) but I didn't want to take any chances. So no damage at all from the Varda.  Before removing the Varda, everything worked fine and I never got the Flashing Netplex is down message with the flashing red light on the MPU.  Now, when I power it up, it sits there flashing this message with a red light flashing (at the same time it seems) on the MPU.  Nothing else changed except removing the Varda and controller chip.  Sometimes I can turn it off and back on and then it will boot, sometimes I can open-close teh door switch 4 or 6 times and then it will start booting, and sometimes no matter what I do, it won't boot.  Why would removing an unnecessary battery cause NetPlex and boot problems all of a sudden?  This was solid before I removed the battery.  This started as soon as I put the MPU back in the machine after removal.  No bent pins, pushed all the way, checked all other connectors.  I had my wife do the battery removal as she's an engineer and a Picasso with a soldering gun (we have a solder station with temp controlled tip).  She was very careful as she does board level repairs on medical equipment for her day job.  I have another PSU on order just in case but not sure why it would all of a sudden (and coincidentally) cause issues.

[dailey]

With the enhanced 1270 board, when removing the Varta battery you must also remove the voltage regulator U16 chip.

[erbs]

Take a small wire cutter and clip the 3 legs on U16. Then fold back and break off. Don't try to desolder it.

[stlscott]

I apologize, I forgot to mention that I removed the U16 chip as part of the battery removal.  So that is not the cause of the issue unfortunately.

[hotlsot]

desoldering the U16 can be a board killer, much better to clip it. Most likely the board is damaged.

[Stayouttadabunker]

Scott,
Take a real good, close-up photo of that U16 area.
If we could look at it good, we may be able to give you a better answer.
Otherwise, try to get ahold of NLG member Lookes, maybe he can try to make a board repair?
Tell him I sent ya! lol

[stlscott]

desoldering the U16 can be a board killer, much better to clip it. Most likely the board is damaged.

I might be inclined to agree if it never booted again after the removal.  However, with frequent power-off-power-on and door switch open-close (several UP and Downs), I can sometimes get it to boot.  WHen it boots, the red light goes off, everything cycles, and the machine comes online as normal.  Right now it's up and playing after fighting with it last night for about 15min-20min.  I left it on overnight to see if it would still be working this morning and it is still up.  However, if I power cycle it, I will have this continued issue again.  Once it boots it stays working until I power cycle it.... Does anyone have a good picture of what wires to test voltages with while the machine is on?  THere's lots of orange wires back by the motherboard.

[Stayouttadabunker]

The bottom right-most plug on the backplane.
Stick the red probe of your multimeter into the back of the housing to contact the power pins inside.
Black probe on any metal part of cabinet.
Look for 13vdc on red, 25vdc on orange.

I outlined the header on the backplane in yellow.
Click on drawing below to enlarge if needed...>>>

[stlscott]

Scott,
Take a real good, close-up photo of that U16 area.
If we could look at it good, we may be able to give you a better answer.
Otherwise, try to get ahold of NLG member Lookes, maybe he can try to make a board repair?
Tell him I sent ya! lol

Here's the good close-up photo as requested

[stlscott]

And the plot thickens further... So to take the photo above, I had to remove the daughter-board (with Sound-SIM in it).  It was screwed to the MPU board with the 6 screws all secured.  Anyway, after the photo, I put it back together, obviously I re-seated this board and re-inserted the MPU assembly.  I had previously removed and re-inserted the whole MPU assembly over a dozen times troubleshooting this problem.  However, now - it seems this issue is "more" resolved but not completely.  9 out of 10 times, the game boots fine.  Every so often, especially after it's been sitting powered off for several hours, it will do show the same message and not boot, but if I lift and lower the door open switch 1 or 2 times, then machine immediately boots up.  What would the door switch be doing that would cause the machine to suddenly boot.  If I don't touch the door switch, it will sit there for hours when it's stuck in the non-boot mode (flashing red light, netplex is down).  Could this still be a funky PSU?  I've already pulled and blown it out, and re-inserted it before my last MPU (picture taking) attempt.

[Tilt]

Did you measure the PS output voltages?  If not, go ahead and do that and see what they are.

[stlscott]

Did you measure the PS output voltages?  If not, go ahead and do that and see what they are.

Yes I did. 
13.1 on RED
24.7 on Orange

[stlscott]

I pulled the lid off the PSU.  I included model info from the board (pics) as well as a pic of 3 potentiometers.  Would any of these adjust the 25v Voltage to increase and if so, which one?  I was trying to find schematics for this PSU in the Files section but couldn't find schematics.  I am a paying/contributing member so I have access, not sure where else to look other than the IGT S2000 area.

[stlscott]

Also, most of the time it seems to boot, but sometimes, like when I re-installed the PSU, it flashed the NetPlex error until I raised the door switch up and down once.

[stlscott]

I think the issue is related to the 5V system.  However, I don't know how to test this.  IN it's current state, if the machine has been powered off for a while, when I turn it on, it sits there flashing the "Netplex is down" message until I raise the door latch and then lower it, one time.  Then it boots up and all works fine. So something is a miss on the 5v system since the door latch uses that.  How do I test and better yet, resolve this?

[Stayouttadabunker]

 

[Stayouttadabunker]

I think the issue is related to the 5V system.  However, I don't know how to test this.  IN it's current state, if the machine has been powered off for a while, when I turn it on, it sits there flashing the "Netplex is down" message until I raise the door latch and then lower it, one time.  Then it boots up and all works fine. So something is a miss on the 5v system since the door latch uses that.  How do I test and better yet, resolve this?

Try adjusting the door optics?

[stlscott]

I think the issue is related to the 5V system.  However, I don't know how to test this.  IN it's current state, if the machine has been powered off for a while, when I turn it on, it sits there flashing the "Netplex is down" message until I raise the door latch and then lower it, one time.  Then it boots up and all works fine. So something is a miss on the 5v system since the door latch uses that.  How do I test and better yet, resolve this?

I just wanted to provide an update on this old thread... since it is fully resolved now.  First thing I did that resolved it was to purchase another PSU and swap that in.  That seemed to resolve the whole boot/Netplex is down issue completely.  After leaving it alone for a week or two, to make sure the problem didn't come back, I considered it a PSU issue, although a strange one at that (pin-7 seems to be the cause). 

So then I ordered a cap-kit from one of the awesome guys from here (THANKS!!) and my wife did a cap job on the PSU.  Now it's fixed and the original PSU no longer has the boot issue/ netplex down issue.  Thanks for all of the suggestions and troubleshooting.  I will make sure I always have a known-good S2K PSU handy going forward.

[Sunrise Side]

Can I ask who has cap kits to purchase? i have several PS that need recapped. Thanks! Tim  tkrozleski@hotmail.com

[dailey]

Keep in mind that the different power supplies for the S2000 are interchangeable but the boards are not identical. The capacitor kits are part number & Mfg specific.
(40009000, 40009090, 40009001, 40009003)