Mars Discovery

[Stayouttadabunker]

Houston...we had a problem.

I have a WMS BB2 test set-up running an MEI SC6607 bill validator.
It's been working for years - without any problems.
I use the set-up to test BB2 validator heads and Cashflow boxes.
All of a sudden, the green LEDs on the bezel stayed on continuosly....even with the door closed. 

When I go into Diagnostics, and run a CRC check, it will time-out, not give any checksum numbers, and cannot find the acceptor, nor pull in any bills.
But when I get out of Diagnostics, and back into game mode, it pulls in bills, they get stacked inside the box, but zero credits get registered.
So I put in the known good head...no go. 
I throw in the known good cashbox....no go.
You know what it was?
The Interface card.
I swapped the interface card and everything works perfectly.

but...get this....I pulled it from an IGT i-Game BV unit?
A wow moment...I never knew it doesn't matter what machine you use an interface card from? 

[Stayouttadabunker]

I wonder why the bad interface card doesn't send credits back to the MPU?

I found out why...>>>

Old age creeping into these IGT G23's now.
The spring contacts are getting flattened out from the bill head contacts pushing down on them forever.
Contact springs #7 and #8 were lower than the others...I sort of re-bent them a little, but it is what it is.
I suppose you could spray some contact cleaning spray like De-Oxit or CRC, but that won't help much from worn out springs.
I got the BV to communicate perfectly with the machine again...we'll see how long it lasts.
Here's the link to the spring contacts I was writing about...>>>

https://youtu.be/fHQsAerdIyk