Tech: Rottendog WPC Sound Issues with IJ and STTNG?

[Jim Knight]

We have had our 2nd customer with sound issues relating to our WPC089 MPU
board.

The symptoms are missing or distorted sounds that are intermittant (as in
not repeatable for each sound).

It may be a coinsadence, but both customers had IJ and STTNG.

I assumed that the first person was a fluke, however, the second person with
the same problem might indicate a real problem or a repeatable manufacturing
defect. In both cases, the game played fine elsewhere.

Any help as to what to look for?

Jim Knight
734 330 5543

[Jim Knight]

now if I could just spell intermittent and coincidence korrectly

Jim Knight

Post by Jim Knight
We have had our 2nd customer with sound issues relating to our WPC089 MPU
board.
The symptoms are missing or distorted sounds that are intermittant (as in
not repeatable for each sound).
It may be a coinsadence, but both customers had IJ and STTNG.
I assumed that the first person was a fluke, however, the second person
with the same problem might indicate a real problem or a repeatable
manufacturing defect. In both cases, the game played fine elsewhere.
Any help as to what to look for?
Jim Knight
734 330 5543

[Eric A.]

On Thu, 13 Jul 2006 19:33:20 -0400, "Jim Knight"

Post by Jim Knight
We have had our 2nd customer with sound issues relating to our WPC089 MPU
board.
The symptoms are missing or distorted sounds that are intermittant (as in
not repeatable for each sound).
It may be a coinsadence, but both customers had IJ and STTNG.
I assumed that the first person was a fluke, however, the second person with
the same problem might indicate a real problem or a repeatable manufacturing
defect. In both cases, the game played fine elsewhere.
Any help as to what to look for?
Jim Knight
734 330 5543

I've had this problem with bad connectors on the ribbon cable.
Reseating it a few times cleared everything up. Not your board but the
original.


Eric A.
313-268-0541
"Mr. Propane Torch"

[PT]

Could it be a generic problem with WPC/DCS? There were only three
other machines besides IJ and STTNG according to IPDB. Anyone have one
installed in a JD, DM or Popeye?

John

Post by Eric A.
On Thu, 13 Jul 2006 19:33:20 -0400, "Jim Knight"

Post by Jim Knight
We have had our 2nd customer with sound issues relating to our WPC089 MPU
board.
The symptoms are missing or distorted sounds that are intermittant (as in
not repeatable for each sound).
It may be a coinsadence, but both customers had IJ and STTNG.
I assumed that the first person was a fluke, however, the second person with
the same problem might indicate a real problem or a repeatable manufacturing
defect. In both cases, the game played fine elsewhere.
Any help as to what to look for?
Jim Knight
734 330 5543

I've had this problem with bad connectors on the ribbon cable.
Reseating it a few times cleared everything up. Not your board but the
original.
Eric A.
313-268-0541
"Mr. Propane Torch"

[SilverballWizard]

I spoke to Jim last night, told him that I also had spoke to a few
other folks who all had the same intermittent sound issues with the
new CPU board. One fellow went through 4 boards already and issues are
still occurring. Hopefully he can rectify the problem; he has an IJ in
his possession right now and is looking into the matter and conducting
tests. We shall see soon, I hope.

[Chris Redinger]

This post might be inappropriate. Click to display it.

[SilverballWizard]

I must agree, Jim has been very helpful and looking into this matter.
Like you mentioned and so did Jim, it was thought to be a fluke. Then
it happened to another fellow here in the groups who went through 4
boards, then myself that I'm on the second board currently. Random
sound drops, sounds seemed muffled and distorted, then when replaced
with a Williams actual CPU board, all problems seem to dissappear.
This seems only to be happening with a certain few titles names that
keep surfacing. IJ, STNG, JD. Not sure if any other titles are
effected.

The game seemed to boot fine, but I didn't play it long at all for I
noticed the sound quality and loss immediately. So I can't say for
sure that there were not any other game issues that maybe going on,
but I think I'll just leave it on the side for now and see hopefully
what Jim comes up with.

Like someone posted eariler, maybe these issues are limited to the
tiltes that are WPC DCS machines only. Very weird but that tech level
is a bit out of my reach, we'll leave this one for the pro's.

Good luck Jim

Post by Chris Redinger
I was the first person with the issue.
I would like to first state that Jim was awesome to deal with & worked
very hard to try and get things working for me.
Here is what I experienced ( maybe it will help solve the issue)
JD ( first board)
I first noticed the weird problems during game play.
I would get phantom scores and target hits & some sound issues.
The game would do the DONG DONG DONG reset sound & show the intial boot
screen
With the game in the test menu
The sounds were really loud then soft, As I scrolled through the items
the sound was all over the place. the game would also do the DONG DONG
DONG start up sounds but would stay in the test menu.
I swapped the same chips into my STTNG (Willams) MPU and put that in
the JD- The game worked fine.
After inspecting the Rottendog board, I noticed half of the legs on U20
the 2803 were bent and not going into the socket.
Jim Sent me a new 2803 since I did not have on hand, it did not fix the
problem.
Jim then sent me another MPU board.
(2nd board)
Since I had my STTNG MPU running in my JD , I tiried the new board in
my STTNG.
The sound problems in the test menu were gone, however right off the
bat in gameplay as soon as a ball is put in the shooter lane, the game
started repeat the Picard Q quote over and over and over.Once I stated
playign the game it was doing much of the same, random quotes at the
wrong time etc.
I put my original STTNG board back in the game & it ran fine.
Put the replacement board int he JD & had the same issues.
Power at the outlet for both games was 118 Volts
I was also getting 4.96 volts on at the MPU & driver baords.
So with the Rottendog board, on both games, sound issues, resets and
other anomolies.
As soon as I put a real Willams MPU in both games using the exact same
chips , the game worked fine.
I sent Jim the same board and the same chips I was having a problem
with on my STTNG & it worked fine for him in a differnt STTNG.
We Determined that sicne I was the only one to mention this problem &
selling many of these boards it was some wierd fluke.
I have offered to assist JIm in any future testing that needs to be
done.

Post by Jim Knight
We have had our 2nd customer with sound issues relating to our WPC089 MPU
board.
The symptoms are missing or distorted sounds that are intermittant (as in
not repeatable for each sound).
It may be a coinsadence, but both customers had IJ and STTNG.
I assumed that the first person was a fluke, however, the second person with
the same problem might indicate a real problem or a repeatable manufacturing
defect. In both cases, the game played fine elsewhere.
Any help as to what to look for?
Jim Knight
734 330 5543

[Chris Redinger]

The odd thing about this is Jim took the exact board I was having
issues with and it worked fine in another STTNG.

At least I know I am not alone.

Post by SilverballWizard
I must agree, Jim has been very helpful and looking into this matter.
Like you mentioned and so did Jim, it was thought to be a fluke. Then
it happened to another fellow here in the groups who went through 4
boards, then myself that I'm on the second board currently. Random
sound drops, sounds seemed muffled and distorted, then when replaced
with a Williams actual CPU board, all problems seem to dissappear.
This seems only to be happening with a certain few titles names that
keep surfacing. IJ, STNG, JD. Not sure if any other titles are
effected.
The game seemed to boot fine, but I didn't play it long at all for I
noticed the sound quality and loss immediately. So I can't say for
sure that there were not any other game issues that maybe going on,
but I think I'll just leave it on the side for now and see hopefully
what Jim comes up with.
Like someone posted eariler, maybe these issues are limited to the
tiltes that are WPC DCS machines only. Very weird but that tech level
is a bit out of my reach, we'll leave this one for the pro's.
Good luck Jim

Post by Chris Redinger
I was the first person with the issue.
I would like to first state that Jim was awesome to deal with & worked
very hard to try and get things working for me.
Here is what I experienced ( maybe it will help solve the issue)
JD ( first board)
I first noticed the weird problems during game play.
I would get phantom scores and target hits & some sound issues.
The game would do the DONG DONG DONG reset sound & show the intial boot
screen
With the game in the test menu
The sounds were really loud then soft, As I scrolled through the items
the sound was all over the place. the game would also do the DONG DONG
DONG start up sounds but would stay in the test menu.
I swapped the same chips into my STTNG (Willams) MPU and put that in
the JD- The game worked fine.
After inspecting the Rottendog board, I noticed half of the legs on U20
the 2803 were bent and not going into the socket.
Jim Sent me a new 2803 since I did not have on hand, it did not fix the
problem.
Jim then sent me another MPU board.
(2nd board)
Since I had my STTNG MPU running in my JD , I tiried the new board in
my STTNG.
The sound problems in the test menu were gone, however right off the
bat in gameplay as soon as a ball is put in the shooter lane, the game
started repeat the Picard Q quote over and over and over.Once I stated
playign the game it was doing much of the same, random quotes at the
wrong time etc.
I put my original STTNG board back in the game & it ran fine.
Put the replacement board int he JD & had the same issues.
Power at the outlet for both games was 118 Volts
I was also getting 4.96 volts on at the MPU & driver baords.
So with the Rottendog board, on both games, sound issues, resets and
other anomolies.
As soon as I put a real Willams MPU in both games using the exact same
chips , the game worked fine.
I sent Jim the same board and the same chips I was having a problem
with on my STTNG & it worked fine for him in a differnt STTNG.
We Determined that sicne I was the only one to mention this problem &
selling many of these boards it was some wierd fluke.
I have offered to assist JIm in any future testing that needs to be
done.

Post by Jim Knight
We have had our 2nd customer with sound issues relating to our WPC089 MPU
board.
The symptoms are missing or distorted sounds that are intermittant (as in
not repeatable for each sound).
It may be a coinsadence, but both customers had IJ and STTNG.
I assumed that the first person was a fluke, however, the second person with
the same problem might indicate a real problem or a repeatable manufacturing
defect. In both cases, the game played fine elsewhere.
Any help as to what to look for?
Jim Knight
734 330 5543