WMS BB2: Slow blinking green LED on MEI Mars BV

[Stayouttadabunker]

[Bill Val Comm error]
RS232 jumpers on bulkhead board the answer?
All 6 jumpers are set onto bottom two of 3 pins...still no go.
Machine configured to "MARS Billval"

Two green LEDs on bill entry guide is flashing dimly fairly quickly but the one single green diagnostic LED on top of the MARS head on the left is flashing slowly....will never turn solid green.

Wont accept bills in diagnostic tests.
Will not compute CRC values either - like as if it's not connected.
Head is known good....will swap rear interface card to see what happens.


Video link below...>>>

https://youtu.be/U1-oExjVBKQ

[rickhunter]

Easytrax enabled on the validator?

[Stayouttadabunker]

No....I found a bad ground wire that goes to the white wire in the 2-wire white harness.

I never did swap out the BV interface and I don't really know offhand the difference between an EasyTrax interface and a non-EasyTrax card anyways.

I was too lazy to pull out schematics....I just checked for continuity with a multimeter between the bulkhead connector and the BV.

How did I find it? I shook the harness near the back of the BV and watched the Entry guide lights go off/on intermittently.

Someone used a cheap crimper tool on the wire tabs - they cut thru the stranded wire.

It was hanging on only by the vinyl wire covering.

[rickhunter]

The easytrax issue really only applies to the head, there's no way to tell unless you hook the head with a USB cable to a pc runing the mei software.  There is a difference in the control boards, as they have a piggybacked easytrax board, but it doesn't do anything unless the validator has the option enabled.  You could safely remove the easytrax board from the control board with no issues and use it on a non-easytrax enabled head.

[Stayouttadabunker]

In any event, the BV is up and working.
I didn't re-program anything and have no knowledge of whether or not it has EasyTrax enabled or not.
Unless there's something in the machine's internal records accounting that may show this?

I suppose I  could give MEI a call in the morning and see what they say.
I love calling those big companies...haha
They ask me all kinds of questions every time I call them.
In the end, they always say..."Well, we're sorry...we don't think we can help you".
So I ask politely "Why not?"...they go....>>>> "We don't really cater to slot homeowners....blah blah blah"
Then I ask again "Why?"....more "blah, blah, blah" ....
I should record the conversation and play it here...it's really quite a hoot usually! 

[rickhunter]

There's no record of any kind on the machine.  If the validator worked before, then it was not enabled.  An mei head with easytrax on will never work without a cash can that has the rfid tag on it.

[Stayouttadabunker]

okay..I have 160 heads and I think only two are enabled.
All of the interfaces have have the piggyback board.
Only those two heads shoot out 4/5 red diagnostic blinks.
The rest work fine with any cash box.
Going to look for the MEI program and see if I can disable them.
Many do not take ones....only fives and up.
I have to make a coupon. and enable the ones I think?

[rickhunter]

Yes, the special ticket or you can enable using software.  I have a friend that can do it locally, so whenever I have head with the issue, I just go to his place to do it.

[Stayouttadabunker]

Only takes $5 dollar bills and up video.
Must of been in the high roller section before they threw it out...>>>



https://youtu.be/WiDJAFu9HTs

**Solved**
Had to disable the EasiTrax settings and remove the antenna cards on the heads with the STS programmer.