Bally 5500 error code 31 Help

[mcarlo1117]

I have a 5times pay 10 Times pay machine and Its stuck with error code 31. I feel I have tried everything but I cant figure it out.

[rokgpsman]

Is that the error code for a Hopper coin-out jam? Take a look at your coin hopper, make sure there aren't some coins jammed up in there somewhere, like around where the coins come out of the machine or as they are picked off the rotating hopper wheel. Or down inside the hopper where the rotating hopper wheel picks up the coins. You say you've tried everything you can think of, what have you tried?

[mcarlo1117]

I checked all that out. It had a bally hopper simulator plugged in and the hopper wasnt hooked up. I took out the Simulator and plugged hopper in and recieved code. Plugged simulator back in and must have plugged in wrong way or on wrong pins because I fried it. Not sure what else to do.

[rokgpsman]

1) maybe you can fix your hopper simulator by replacing the fried parts, unless the board is damaged completely.

2) have you looked closely at the hopper to see if anything is jamming it up? if you get it working you can use it in the machine instead of the hopper simulator. Was the hopper simulator in there because of a problem with the real hopper or just for convenience?

It is usually easier to examine the hopper by removing it from the machine. Then turn the hopper motor shaft by hand while holding the motor brake off. This should let you turn the hopper plate (rotating wheel/disc). If things don't turn freely you'll have to look it over to see why. While the hopper is out of the machine look at the coin eject chute to make sure it is clear, no coins or tokens jammed up in there.

Post pictures of your hopper and the hopper simulator board so we can get a better idea what you are dealing with.

[mcarlo1117]

Here are some pics of hopper and simulator. Im at a stand still with it now. I checked out the hopper and it freely moves and even works when i push forward and reverse buttons. I just cat get rid of the dang 31 error. This is my number if you have any ideas if i dont answer leave a message and ill call you right back. Thanks for your help.

[rokgpsman]

Whoa! you weren't kidding about that hopper simulator board. It's just a 2 sided board so could be repaired with a little work by running jumper wires to make the connections in place of the burnt pads & feed-thrus. You'd need to get another IC and transistor/FET but that wouldn't cost much. You might want to look into that if you aren't able to get the hopper working. There's probably someone that could repair it for you. Does it plug into the hopper cable or another cable on the backplane and it is easy to get connected wrong?

Just to be clear, the machine had the hopper simulator installed and was working ok. Then you took out the simulator board and installed the hopper, and that's when the machine gave the error 31, right? After that you took out the hopper and reinstalled the simulator board and it smoked due to installation error. Need to verify this is all correct so we here understand how it happened, better chance of coming up with the fix.

Probably wouldn't be productive to talk on phone, I'm not a Bally expert. If the hopper motor turns freely and there are no coins/tokens jammed anywhere in the dispensing area then that pretty much covers the things I know about hoppers. It could be that the error 31 on the machine just needs to be cleared by turning the reset switch or doing something in the setup menu. Have you tried installing the hopper and clearing the error? Do you have the manual for your machine, it would instruct how to clear an error. Sometimes it just involves turning the reset key a couple of times or opening and then shutting the main door.

[mcarlo1117]

I tried to find the components i needed but cant even make out what they are. No i dont have a manual to reset the machine i tried a ram clear but of course its not that easy. Yes it worked fine until I removed simulator and then burned it up.  

[rokgpsman]

These things happen, don't beat yourself up too much over it.  Like they say, chalk it up to a "learning experience".  Could be worse, could have been your boss's machine.   

If you can find that chunk that blew out of the IC it might be in one piece and you can read the numbers off it. (it isn't embedded in your forehead is it?)   


The part number for the transistor/FET device is usually written on the flat side that is facing the IC. You may need to bend it over a little to read or take a picture so we can id it.

Also, lets give it a day for the other folks here to have a chance to read this thread, surely someone here has seen a Bally hopper simulator and can say what the IC number is.

In the mean time maybe you can find the manual, download it and get more familiar with your machine. Your machine is a Bally 5500, right? Is there a letter in front of the 5500, like an "S" or anything? Might be good to post a picture of your id plate, it should be on the side of the machine (or maybe inside) and gives info such as model number.

[rokgpsman]

Not entirely sure this is correct but I think that chip that got nuked on your Bally Hopper Simulator board might be a PIC microcontroller made by Microchip corporation. They make a bunch of different versions of these chips with different markings. So without the number on the back of your IC it is very hard to know for sure. But take a look at the picture below of a similar looking chip which is a PIC made by Microchip. You can see the company logo, it is a stylized 'M' and they look the same on both IC's to me. I think that means your IC is a Microchip IC and they pretty much only make PIC's. And the other markings that are readable on your IC follow a similar pattern as the example chip.

A PIC is sort of like a very small microprocessor with its own operating instructions stored inside. The software is written and programmed into it by someone. If your IC is a PIC then that means it had software inside written by someone or some company. So even if you buy a new PIC chip it will need to be programmed with the same software. When new a PIC is unprogrammed, blank like an eprom.

If this turns out to be what is on your Hopper Simulator board then simply replacing the parts on it will not work, the new PIC will have to be programmed with the software that was in the old one. Since we can't retrieve the software from the blown up chip then that really limits things. Do you know anything about the Hopper Simulator board, where it came from or who might know, like the person that installed it in the machine in the first place?

I may be wrong about your IC being a PIC, that would be good news. But at this point that's what I am thinking.

[rokgpsman]

UPDATED INFO:

Good news, that Bally Hopper Simulator board is made for and sold by a slot sales company in Toledo, Ohio by the name of Rec Room Specialties. The sell them for $20 plus shipping, they say they work with the Bally models 5500 and 6000. You can contact them and order one by using the email address or phone number listed at their website. I emailed for more info and they got back quickly to me. This sounds like a very reasonable price and should hopefully get your machine back up & running.

http://www.recroomspecialties.com/


Rec Room Specialties
419.243.3194 Office
Or In a hurry? Call my Cell 419-350-1595

For more information please feel free to contact us at:
fred@recroomspecialties.com or fred@glasscity.net

Hopper Simulator boards for the following slot machine models:
Bally S5500, S6000, V7200 GameMaker

Coin Simulator boards for the following slot machine models:
Bally S6000
IGT S2000

[mcarlo1117]

Spoke with Fred today and ordered need parts. I really appreciate all you help and will keep you posted on my out come

[rokgpsman]

That sounds great. I thought Fred was friendly and he provides a good service. If you could, when you get the board can you post a picture of it (the board may be similar but not exactly like the one you had) and a picture of your machine. We love pictures here, don't get to actually see and play the machines we help with, so photos are the next best thing.

[Sunrise Side]

This shows solved but no updates to as what the final resolution was?

[rokgpsman]

I'm not sure if the OP or the moderator marked this thread as "Solved". As far as I know we're waiting for the OP (Mike) to receive his replacement hopper simulator board and get it installed. Hopefully it will get his machine working again and he'll post pictures.

[metex]

HI, your hopper is using an optical coin sensor, you should clean it.If this can't solve the problem, you'll have to replace it
As the members said, be sure nothing is jammed around the sensor