ms pac interlock wiring vs power switch

cueball

Active member

Donor 2011
Joined
Mar 4, 2007
Messages
3,313
Reaction score
24
Location
Coatesville, Pennsylvania
i know i am probably having a brain fart with this, but i was looking at a ms pacman which worked when plugged it but the power switch was non-functional. To me, it seems that someone swapped wires around on the interlock to allow it to function. I originally thought it was a bad power switch but that does not seem to be the issue as it worked the same way when the switch was removed. I believe the interlock in this case is a DPDT.

i was running short on time so I couldnt trace the wires, but the wires dont look hacked (still brown and blue wires on the switch) and the harness looks to have all of the tiny wire ties holding it together so no additional wires are run anywhere.

does anyone have the flow of the interlock for a ms pac?
 
Okay, the interlock has four tabs, two on each side. The blue wires go to the two tabs on one side (one in and one out), and the brown wires go to the two tabs on the other side (one in and one out). I believe the brown wire then goes to the power switch on the top - in one tab and out the other, then back down the rest of the game.
 
i believe on this ms pac, there are 6 tabs. i did find the schematic and it has a brown wire going in one side and on the other set a blue wire is going in (both come from the ac filter). Then a brown wire going out up to the switch and there is another brown wire going out of the switch and continuing on. the other blue wire, i am not sure specifically where it goes.

but hte question is, if it were wired correctly, the game should not function if the switch was working and shut off... or if the switch was physically removed, right?

is this a possible bad interlock if it is wired correctly?
 
Maybe, but a meter can tell you for sure. Find the tabs that show continuity when the switch is pushed in or pulled out, and hook up the two blues to one set and the two browns to the other set.

I have seen many times when an interlock is taken out of the circuit (so that ops don't have to worry about a game being dead due to a loose or warped back door) and a power switch defeated (so people on location can't shut the game off), and I've hooked them back up the proper way....
 
The switch has normally open contacts and normally closed. You need to use the normally open tab.
The game shouldnt turn on with the switch unplugged unless the wires were tied together which bypasses the switch.
 
Back
Top Bottom