Looking for Omega Race battery/nvram solution

GaryMcT

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I just recently got an excellent condition Omega Race!!!

What do you guys use to make save games work? Some non-volatile RAM solution? Safe battery solution?
 
I used a 1F, 5.5v battery backup capacitor in place of the original battery.

Here's what one looks like...
Frenzy-bbc.jpg

I did that to a Frenzy I used to have.
 
You can also use a cordless phone battery pack. Store the battery somewhere away from the board and run wires to the board.
 
I just recently got an excellent condition Omega Race!!!

What do you guys use to make save games work? Some non-volatile RAM solution? Safe battery solution?

5101 --> simtek should work fine if you want to ditch the battery... I keep meaning to throw one in my friend's machine so my scores will get saved ;)
 
Hello guys, I recently acquired a Omega Race upright. the battery was removed over a decade
ago. so, no board damage. it has NVRAM installed... but doesn't save the high scores after power is off. I purchased the button battery board. the same one TNT Amusements uses in there Omega Race refurbs. my question is: can I leave the NVRAM in while using the battery backup? I don't have the original chip to put in its place.
 
If you've got an NVRAM chip installed, you don't want/need the battery. They don't have the low power data retention mode that an original 5101 has, so it'll quickly eat your battery. If you want to run a battery, you'll need to reinstall an original 5101. And if you use a lithium coin cell (like a CR2032), then you'll need to add a diode so it doesn't try to recharge it.

I personally use the 5101 FRAM module (like: https://www.pinitech.com/products/5101_nvram.php ), which is a drop-in replacement, and doesn't require a battery at all. Which NVRAM do you have in there now? If it doesn't work, you might have a bad RAM, board fault, or dead battery (if it's one with an internal battery).

DogP
 
This is the NVRAM that's installed, and doesn't save high scores. and also a picture of the battery board that TNT Amusements sent me. so, I can't run both? If I solder in the battery board and remove the NVRAM, then it can't save the scores?
 

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We have our Battery Board (designed by Frank) that also had the blocking diode needed to isolate the lithium battery...easy to install in the same two slots the battery was in...its $13.99 plus $4 first class...order from our website store www.tntamusements select battery holder for Bally 6803 pinball machines and also the Bally video games like Spy Hunter. The hole placement on the new board is adjustable, but we have the pins soldered in the best position. Todd
 
Thanks for avoiding the question Todd!! 😜 can I leave the NVRAM in along with the battery board you sent me? I don't have the original chip to replace the non working NVRAM. I don't want to ruin my boards!
 
This is the NVRAM that's installed, and doesn't save high scores. and also a picture of the battery board that TNT Amusements sent me. so, I can't run both? If I solder in the battery board and remove the NVRAM, then it can't save the scores?
No... you can't (and shouldn't need to) run both. The NVRAM doesn't require battery power to save scores. If you put the battery in, it'll just drain it, and won't save scores any better than it does now.

The scores are stored in the 5101 RAM (which is replaced by the NVRAM), so if you remove the NVRAM and don't replace it with another RAM, it won't save any scores, regardless of the battery.

Flip it into self-test and see if it reports any errors... it does test the high score RAM. Also, I seem to remember it not immediately writing the high score table or something... make sure you play a couple games after getting a high score before power cycling (I could be remembering wrong though).

DogP
 
Yep... BBU RAM NG means "Battery Back Up RAM No Good". So, either something is wrong with the RAM itself, or the board has a problem accessing the RAM. The battery (or lack of) has nothing to do with it, since the RAM is powered by the board power when powered up.

The first thing I'd do is check that you have +5V at the RAM. I assume you have the original transformer, power supply, etc? The 5101 gets knocked down to 5V from the unregulated 8.2V rail (which may not be connected properly if someone hacked in another power supply).

DogP
 
Ah... that could be the problem! Can you measure the voltage at the NVRAM?

From the schematics, you can see that 8.2V supplies the voltage for the chip, which gets dropped to +5V through a resistor and diode. This is so the chip still gets +5V with the voltage drop across the diode... if they connected it to +5V with a diode, the chip would only get 4.3V or so. The replacement power supply doesn't provide +8.2V, so they may have connected it to +5V, +12V, etc.

Assuming that you don't have +5V at the RAM, since you don't need the battery anymore, the easiest fix is probably to add a jumper wire simply connecting +5V to the NVRAM power pin.

Or, you could connect +5V to the battery '+' terminal, and jumper across the 270 ohm resistor R142.

DogP
 

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I already ordered the NVRAM you suggested. So I'll try that first. that type of testing and jumper wire you speak of... might be above my knowledge/skill level. but, I have a friend that might be able to help. if not, maybe one of you KLOV'ers who are taking a trip to Las Vegas, in the near future, can fix me up. I am OCD and need my high scores saved! 😂
Thanks for the advice...
 
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