Should I install a switching power supply?

sbardelli

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Hey guys,

Bought an old stern cabinet that was running Frogger. The k4600 in it was shot... so I swapped one out of another game. Now I have a working monitor.

So, I plug in the Anteater board (which is classic Konami like Frogger, except for a few unimportant things.)

Turn it on and get nothine. Marquee lights on. Door lights on. Monitor glowing. Yet all I'm getting is a tiny glimpse at some nonsense on screen (not game characters... just some red super blurry stuff.

I used my multi-meter and am getting 6.5V and -10.3 volts. I don't think that's right.

It has an original power supply.

So the question is... can I adjust the voltages on the original power supply? Do I need to install a switcher? If yes, how? I have not had to do that yet. Is there a good Johns arcade video for this? Has he ever restored a Stern Cab? Has anyone else documented a Stern restore?

Any help would be awesome.

Scott
 
6.5 and -10.3.... that doesnt sound right. What voltages were you expecting to read and where were you getting those readings from?

If that -10.3 was supposed to be the +12 something most likely fried on that anteater board.
 
6.5 and -10.3.... that doesnt sound right. What voltages were you expecting to read and where were you getting those readings from?

If that -10.3 was supposed to be the +12 something most likely fried on that anteater board.

I just got the anteater board from ElDorado. It should be working fine.

I know I need to hook up a switching power supply. My question: How the hell do I do it? What wires to I spice into? Is there some kind of "easy to follow" diagram for Stern power supplies??
 
Not knowing exactly which Stern Supply you have in the cabinet its hard to tell. But, from this Stern supply you would simply connect the wires from pins 4 and 5 to +5, pins 3, 8, 9 and 10 to Ground, pin 2 to -5 and pin 1 and 6 to +12 on your new switcher.

You will also need to supply 120VAC to the switcher. Good place to get it is on the input or primary side of the isolation transformer.
 

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Here this should help "http://arcadecontrols.com/BBBB/acwiring.html"
Refer to the picture at the bottom
 
hopefully you didnt damage your board by putting 6.5v on the 5v line


Most TTL can handle voltage around 10-12VDC for a short period. Its the negative voltage on the positive input thats going to be an issue.
 
Yeah, I was scared to plug in the anteater. I guess I was just hoping it would work. HA!

I did notice that I somehow screwed up the marquee light. It was working fine ( I replaced the starter and bulb). Then, after testing crap with the multi-meter, I noticed it's not working at all.

Oh well, after I get the switcher installed, I'll deal with that.

Thanks for all the help guys. I have no idea what it was originally running. The sides are painted blue (but I can see original yellow paint). It was converted to Frogger, however, the bezel was Super Cobra.

Thanks again
 
Crap. So now I'm getting the right voltages... but I've got some weird crap on the screen.

Not sure why. Wish I had another Konami style board to test everything with.

One question...

Does anybody know what the hell I'm supposed to hook up to this:
 

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Those were typically used to get +5 and GND to the board mounted on the back side of the board stack. Is there two boards on that game or just one?
 
does the other board have one of those headers as well? If so theres a chance that the board in the back isnt getting +5 and/or ground.
 
IT WORKS!!!

The funny thing is, when I hooked up the connections to the monitor, I was one pin off. And that pin was the TV sync. pin comming from the game.

I felt like a jackwagon when I figured it out.

Still can't play the game though. There aren't enough buttons on the Control Panel... and I have to re-work the edge connector.

But I am stoked!
 

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