Static Electricity Causes Monitor Reboot

exstormal

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Try not to flame me for switching to an LCD screen when the G07 in my Ms Pacman went out; I'm not a collector or a purist, just a guy whose wife wants to play her game.

I installed the new monitor and everything - mostly - works and looks great. The problem is that when the static charge built from walking across the carpeted floor on which the game sits gets discharged (just before one's hands touch the control panel or coin door) the monitor goes blank and reboots. The game itself seems unaffected - it'll continue playing blind for the 5 or so seconds it takes for the monitor to come back on.

I've tested continuity in every ground location, strap and wire I can identify and everything checks out.

I've tried tying the monitor's chassis directly to ground. No joy.

I've tested the various receptacles into which I've plugged the machine, as well as every other one on the circuit. Hell, I checked a bunch of others too. They all check out. House was built in `96 so everything is three-prong. The main ground to the house checks out just fine.

I've tried placing the cabinet's feet on rubber pads (didn't figure it'd work but I'm beginning to grasp as straws).

When the game's power source is by-passed (monitor powered by plugging it directly into its own wall receptacle) the monitor will reset upon discharging the static charge only when the game itself is plugged in and running- when the game is not powered up the monitor doesn't reboot from the discharge of the static electricity.

Here, though, is the one that really throws me; I have an all original Asteroids machine sitting next to (separated by a few inches) the Ms Pacman. When the static is discharged onto the control panel of the Asteroids cabinet, Ms Pacman's monitor reboots. Asteroids remains fine (original monitor), Ms Pacman's screen goes dark for a few moments. When I discovered this, I thought it must be a ground issue with the house wiring. How else could discharging static electricity into one machine cause the monitor of the one sitting next to it to reboot? Yet the house wiring appears to be correct.

I may forgotten something I tried. Clearly I haven't tried enough. I'm guessing it's something simple - even obvious. Whatever the case, I could sure use some help.

Thanks! Norm
 
Try not to flame me for switching to an LCD screen when the G07 in my Ms Pacman went out; I'm not a collector or a purist, just a guy whose wife wants to play her game.

I installed the new monitor and everything - mostly - works and looks great. The problem is that when the static charge built from walking across the carpeted floor on which the game sits gets discharged (just before one's hands touch the control panel or coin door) the monitor goes blank and reboots. The game itself seems unaffected - it'll continue playing blind for the 5 or so seconds it takes for the monitor to come back on.

I've tested continuity in every ground location, strap and wire I can identify and everything checks out.

I've tried tying the monitor's chassis directly to ground. No joy.

I've tested the various receptacles into which I've plugged the machine, as well as every other one on the circuit. Hell, I checked a bunch of others too. They all check out. House was built in `96 so everything is three-prong. The main ground to the house checks out just fine.

I've tried placing the cabinet's feet on rubber pads (didn't figure it'd work but I'm beginning to grasp as straws).

When the game's power source is by-passed (monitor powered by plugging it directly into its own wall receptacle) the monitor will reset upon discharging the static charge only when the game itself is plugged in and running- when the game is not powered up the monitor doesn't reboot from the discharge of the static electricity.

Here, though, is the one that really throws me; I have an all original Asteroids machine sitting next to (separated by a few inches) the Ms Pacman. When the static is discharged onto the control panel of the Asteroids cabinet, Ms Pacman's monitor reboots. Asteroids remains fine (original monitor), Ms Pacman's screen goes dark for a few moments. When I discovered this, I thought it must be a ground issue with the house wiring. How else could discharging static electricity into one machine cause the monitor of the one sitting next to it to reboot? Yet the house wiring appears to be correct.

I may forgotten something I tried. Clearly I haven't tried enough. I'm guessing it's something simple - even obvious. Whatever the case, I could sure use some help.

Thanks! Norm


Welcome to Bally/Midway games. Notorious for static issues.

My Solution? I don't wear shoes in the game room. Seems to work pretty well.
 
1) Do you have the ground strap connected from the Ms. Pac control panel to the cab's AC power supply ground?

2) Are you running the LCD off of the original monitor power (through the isolation transformer) or directly to the wall (or surge protector mounted inside which is connected to the non-iso power?

3) Some LCD's have a sleep or crash mode that can be turned off in the LCD's on-screen menu....
 
Make sure that the ground plug on power cord is good with a meter. Run braid from a wall grounded point to the control panel and other problem areas. That should overcome alot of your problems
 
I agree, it's got to be that you are not grounded right. You have to run that earth ground all over the cab to make sure there isn't any static charge left.
 
My Ms Pac Man, despite having grounding straps all throughout, only had a two prong plug to the wall (the green wire was actually in the bundle, not used). First make sure that you have a normal 3 prong plug, and like the others have said, follow grounding straps from the base to every isolated metal piece -- coin door, CPs, monitor frame, etc...
 
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