New Life Games LLC
**Reel Slots** Gaming Machines => WMS Reel Games => Topic started by: Lucky1 on May 18, 2021, 05:11:02 AM
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Hello !
I´m lucky1 and I developed a DotMatrix replacement hard- and software using cheap chinese advertising panels.
My project is called pin2dmd and it is a DIY hobby project from my side, although in the meantime ready to use compatible hardware is available in many shops around the world based on the schematics I published. It currently supports almost all available pinball machine displays but I would like to add DotMation support.
To do that I would need a logic analyzer recording of the signals going to the DMD. In the past I used this cheap device
form ebay to do this https://www.ebay.com/itm/133471685789 (https://www.ebay.com/itm/133471685789) It is also available on amazon.
You just need to connect the input channels 1 to 6 to pin 1,3,5,7,9,11 of the dmd connector, install a software on a laptop and record the signals. The software I use with my logic analyzer is available for download here https://support.saleae.com/logic-software/legacy-software/older-software-releases#1-2-26-download (https://support.saleae.com/logic-software/legacy-software/older-software-releases#1-2-26-download)
Would someone be so kind and get the needed data for me ?
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I cant help with Dotmation Data. but I am so glad you are here to help with Slots DMD !!!! It's been a long awaited desirable parts and repair option for the Williams Dotmation slots! There has not been any support for replacements for the DMD other than a few great people with some good working original DMD . There is some great people here that I think have or can help get this working with all what you have done already!! Thank You!! I will try to keep this active as I have a few Dotmations and I would willing to try a replacement in on of my machines for sure. Thanks Again!! Please to my fellow NLG members, Please chime in.
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I cant help with Dotmation Data. but I am so glad you are here to help with Slots DMD !!!! It's been a long awaited desirable parts and repair option for the Williams Dotmation slots! There has not been any support for replacements for the DMD other than a few great people with some good working original DMD . There is some great people here that I think have or can help get this working with all what you have done already!! Thank You!! I will try to keep this active as I have a few Dotmations and I would willing to try a replacement in on of my machines for sure. Thanks Again!! Please to my fellow NLG members, Please chime in.
If you have some Dotmation machines it would be great if you would invest 10 or 15 $ and buy such a logic recorder device and do the recordings on your machines. The data is not so hard to get and I can walk you through the process. The only thing you need is a windows or OSX laptop and the device . This one is shipped from within the US https://www.ebay.com/itm/124238666414 (https://www.ebay.com/itm/124238666414)
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OK Great! I want to help. I ordered it. I have laptops. I will need your help to get what we need to make this happen. Please stay in touch! Thank You!! Tim
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OK Great! I want to help. I ordered it. I have laptops. I will need your help to get what we need to make this happen. Please stay in touch! Thank You!! Tim
Let me know when you have received it.
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I most definitely will!!
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I have laptops with either of the following. Which windows version will work best? XP, Vista, 7 or 10 ? I will have to load a program onto my laptop correct ? I will need some hand holding, if you don't mind, to get this accomplished . The analyzer will be here soon. Sat - Tues is the estimate for delivery. Comin from West coast has been quite reliable mail service.
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I just saw the post and was going to chime in, but since Sunrise already chimed in and bought what was needed, I will just stand by and offer support.
I know your product from Pinside as I also own pinball machines and am a regular over there. I do not own your product (yet), but would be very interested in what you develop for the WMS 40x slots.
So I am guessing that you would need readings for every game?? If that is the case, whatever Sunrise may not have (software wise), either myself, Fusco, or one of the others here can probably get to him.
I believe I have most of the DMD software, and whatever I do not have, Fusco has for sure. The ones that are probably not available are Batters Up and the Monopoly games. But pretty much no one has those kits anyway. I believe I have the software for the other 21 DMD games.
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And just to put it all in one place, here is a list of the 24 DMD games (that I know of):
First, the 3 that I do not have:
1. Batters Up
2. Monopoly: Advance to Boardwalk
3. Monopoly: Roll and Win
and the rest that I believe I have all the software for:
4. Piggy Bankin
5. Big Bang Piggy Bankin
6. Mermaids Treasure
7. Mermaids Gold
8. Jackpot Party
9. Jackpot Beach Party
10. Jackpot Country Party
11. X-Factor
12. Magic Lamp
13. Winning Streak
14. Pharaoh's Fortune
15. Mega Multiplier
16. Palace of Riches
17. Stroke of Luck
18. Jackpot Stampede Deluxe
19. Riverbelle 21
20. Jackpot Limbo
21. Perfect Match
22. Shopping Spree
23. Money to Burn
24. Safe Cracker
Again... Let me know what you need.
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Calfdemon , please jump in as I have no experience with this data stuff. I will need hand holding to even try to help. I'm not savvy at all with a computer . I have a few
slot games . Never had a pinball machine. SO PLEASE you any anyone else, jump in !! Thank You ! Tim
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Not a problem, I will see what I can do. My issue right now is spare time. But I pointed Fusco to this thread and will wait to talk with him and see if he is interested in helping as well. Reason for that is I have total of 7 machines set up and 5 of those are with DMD games (the other 2 are non-dmd right now). 2 of my DMD machines are at a vacation house and not accessible often. So I currently am running 3 DMD game kits at home and have 2 off-site. If we need data from every game, that is a lot of game swapping to do each one. Obviously, for this purpose, we would only have to swap the game software to get the readings and can leave the glass and strips alone so it is not as bad as it sounds.
But Fusco has a lot more of the games set up which would be a lot less swapping of eproms. So lets see if he wants to help out. If not, I will buy the stuff and do it (never done the readings before either) but not sure when I will have the time to do it between work obligations and scheduled vacations, etc.. that all seem to be on the horizon.
Since I am not familiar with the data collection, can you confirm that you would need data from each individual game? Or is this a one time data collection on HOW the machine transmits data and then once you have that, you are able to convert whatever each individual game would send? Just clarify a bit on how much data is going to be needed so I (we) can see what we are in for.
Thanks!
-Rich
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OK Great! I have the time to get this project started right away. No problem there.
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I went ahead and bought one of the logic readers off of eBay for the measly $12 shipped. So I have one coming. Waiting for Lucky1 to clarify the data collection and needs.
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Calfdemon. Great !!
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Lucky1, as I am waiting for the data cable to arrive, which Windows OS will be best to do data collection? I could load the program onto my laptop. Thanks! Tim
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Hi guys, sorry for not posting sooner, but I am on vacation and won’t be back until next week. I would be happy to contribute to the data collection and have all of the software except for the three games calfdemon spoke of. Batter’s up, and the two monopoly games.
I would like to know a little more information from Lucky1, so please PM me when you have some time. Sounds very interesting.
Thanks
Fusco
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Lucky1, if needed here is my email tkrozleski@hotmail.com . Data Cable scheduled to arrive tomorrow 25th. Fusco , Great to see you found this post. With you and Calfdemon here to help !!!! And please, anyone else. Thank You Tim
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I received the data analyzer the other day.. Just waiting on Lucky1 to come back and reply. I will send him a message on Pinside as well.
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OK Great! Thanks!
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I reached out to Lucky1 on Pinside and he is on vacation until June 1st. But will probably pop in here soon enough. In the meantime, I will see what I can do this week as far as some data collection.
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OK. Great! The ball is rolling!! Tim
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Hi !
I did not get any notification from the forum, so I thought you are still waiting for the Logic Analyzer to arrive .
Please download and install v1.26 on your OS. It does not matter wether you use OSX or WIN32/64.
If you connected the Logicanalyzer through USB and have installed the driver the button on the upper right should change from
"Start Simulation" to "Start". If the channels are connected to the DMD connector you should get something like on the picture attached.
Use "Save Capture" from the options menu and send me the file.
With that I should be able to add the code necessary to read the data to the PIN2DMD XL firmware .
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Did anyone make a capture so far ?
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I replied to you on Pinside with a couple of additional questions. But the simple answer right now is no. I just have had zero time (and not sure if I will before June 14th). I was out of town, just got back and have a crazy week ahead of me with a full schedule, just to head out of town again next weekend for another week.
I will try and squeeze in some time this week, but need those questions answered first so I can be sure of exactly what and how I need to do it.
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Here is a picture of the pinout of the DMD connector
(https://pin2dmd.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/dmdinput.jpg)
I need a capture of this connector on the attached picture.
I need a capture with logic analyzer Channel 1-6 connected to 1,3,5,7,9,11 and GND connected to pin 2
This should be the connector in your machine
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Maybe Sunrise Side can take over again if you are too busy
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I will be at my shop tomorrow and get the connections made. I need to know what OS is best to do the analyzing with?
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Fusco might jump in here soon !!!
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I will be at my shop tomorrow and get the connections made. I need to know what OS is best to do the analyzing with?
OSX or Win64. Version 1.26
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OK . Didn't make it yesterday.
I'm hooked up and not showing any data. Please check my pictures and see what I am doing wrong.
The machine is playing normally.
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More pics
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More pics
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Better pic
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Well it works better when you click on the START tab. Have an error though
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There is update for this. Would that help? Or do I need a newer analyzer? Or ?
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Looks good so far. Just press keep and send me the data you have recorded. Click on option -> save capture to save the data. Maybe you can upload it to dropbox or google drive. If you dont have the possibilty to upload the data you can try to send it to luckyjamann (at) gmail (dot) com
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An update. I captured the data and sent it to Lucky1.
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Update. The data capture I did was no good. Going to try again.
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I tried to buy a dotmation controller from ebay to do some testing with real data but unfortunately the seller refused to ship to europe :-(
I hope Sunrise Side is successful in getting some better recordings.
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Good news is I just received a new recording from Sunrise Side.
Bad news is that the controller seems to introduce a glitch into the data structure,
which I currently dont know how to handle. It seems that the controller randomly adds
a bit to the 192bits sent out per row. A plasma display handles only single rows and therefore
this is not visible. My software reads all rows in one go and that would lead to a alignment problem
of some rows.
I think we have to wait until I get a controller board and maybe I can fiddle something out to make it work
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Quick update:
I used the recording I received from Sunrise Side to program a simulator for the signals normally generated from the dotmation controller. Then I used that simulator to add the code needed to display it on my PIN2DMD XL.
It works, but due to the glitches the original contoller adds to the signals the picture was flickering a lot. I then added some code to stabilize the picture by generating the picture from 3 successive frames. Looks much better now (see picture attached).
I will do some more testing, but I think it is time now to test on a real machine. I have been informed that a member of the community already ordered a PIN2DMD XL for testing from europe to the US. We now just have to wait for it to arrive.
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Glad to see the updates and that Sunrise Side was able to get the data you needed. I apologize as I bought the reader and wanted to help, but have just been so busy lately and then left on vacation last week where I was without wifi or cell service. Not that life has slowed down at all since I got back yesterday, but I can try some more readings at some point if you need them. Looks like you have it going in the right direction though.
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Great News today. The test with a PIN2DMD XL in a dotmation machine was successful .
Greg aka @mrcrazy ordered a unit from one of the various hardware suppliers, installed the latest firmware on it
and "it worked like a charm"
I think my job is done here.
Thanks Sunrise Side for buying the logic analyzer and collecting the data for me to implement it into the firmware.
Please remember PIN2DMD is a DIY project. If you have any questions please first read here https://pin2dmd.com or ask in the pin2dmd section
of https://vpuniverse.com/forums/forum/132-pin2dmd-general-discussion/ where the largest base of pin2dmd users is.
Please don´t contact me through PM or e-mail as I don´t have time for one on one support anymore.
Thanks
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Just want you guys to know that Lucky1 & his company sent me the pinDMD for my dotmation (I am sitting on a lot of these that were missing the display) & he sent me an update file to update the one I got from him 2 days ago...AND SUCCESS!! I popped it in a river gambler as well as a winning streak with no problems!!! We are in!!! I will snap & post a pic on here probably tomorrow!
Greg
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This is fantastic! It will no doubt save many of the Williams Dotmation machines from the scrap bin. Great job guys!
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Just want you guys to know that Lucky1 & his company sent me the pinDMD for my dotmation
Just to make things clear, I don´t have a company which sells PIN2DMD devices. PIN2DMD is a non commercial, non profit private DIY hobby project from me and Steve, a friend of mine. We both have a good daily job which pays our bills. We started this as a open source project with a restrictive non commercial license, but some individuals just ignored our license to make money with it without our approval. The only thing they "contibuted" to the project was changing the boot logo to their own to not giving credit of any kind to our work done. We therefore were forced to change the project from open source to closed source for devs only. To protect our development we also introduced a activation key which is bound to the hardware. We have published the information how to build the hardware on pin2dmd.com. The hardware design is free and everybody can take it and sell pin2dmd compatible hardware. The company Greg is referring to is one of many around the world which take this information, build the hardware and sell it in their shops. We are not affiliated with any of these shops. So if you have a problem with any of them or with your hardware , contact them and not us. Shops which want to sell their devices preactivated or commercial users like game room owners, are asked to donate 20 Euro per device directly to a charity organization of our choice and we generate the keys for free. Private hobby users are asked to donate a minimum of 10 Euro per device to us, which we collect and also forward to these charity projects.
These are the charity organizations we currently support with the success of our pin2dmd project
http://www.soh-kenya.org/mama-christa-foundation/ (http://www.soh-kenya.org/mama-christa-foundation/)
https://www.stelzenmaennchen.de/index.php?id=6 (https://www.stelzenmaennchen.de/index.php?id=6)
https://www.kinderhospizdienst-offenburg.de/ (https://www.kinderhospizdienst-offenburg.de/)
https://www.sanni-foundation.ch/ (https://www.sanni-foundation.ch/)
https://www.deslumieresdanslesyeux.fr/ (https://www.deslumieresdanslesyeux.fr/)
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Greg , where is the new DMD pictures??