Stupid 48-in-1 Question

FrizzleFried

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Alright, so I have a 48-in-1 hooked up in a Ms. Pac cab via a JAMMAARCADE.COM converter. First off, the coin-up isn't working. I guess I can try to figure that out later as I wanna make this a FREEPLAY game right now anyway, but it's still of concern.

2nd issue I come to is that there doesn't seem to be a TEST or SERVICE switch in the cab... how does one rectify that situation? I didn't want to hack in to the Ms. Pac harness, hence the reason I chose to go with a converter...

I can get in to the test mode by using DIP 4, but from there I can't progress the screens at all?
 
Alright, so I have a 48-in-1 hooked up in a Ms. Pac cab via a JAMMAARCADE.COM converter. First off, the coin-up isn't working. I guess I can try to figure that out later as I wanna make this a FREEPLAY game right now anyway, but it's still of concern.

2nd issue I come to is that there doesn't seem to be a TEST or SERVICE switch in the cab... how does one rectify that situation? I didn't want to hack in to the Ms. Pac harness, hence the reason I chose to go with a converter...

I can get in to the test mode by using DIP 4, but from there I can't progress the screens at all?


Hmm... there should be a test switch... like Galaga Ms. Pac has a test and a momentary push button as well...
 
Found the Service switch and test button on the coin door, but neither does anything.

Also, QUESTION - if I don't have the switcher's "field ground" hooked up, will it then prevent the "GROUND" from being, well, grounded, which would explain why none of the buttons, coin door switches, or service switch/test button isn't working...

Didn't work...I just grounded the FG on switcher to a ground point in the cab and nothing... nothing at the CP or the coin door...

Any suggestions?
 
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No, but you do need a connection from the DC ground of the switcher to the ground pad at the PCB.

I'm assuming that you are using an adapter that requires a switcher to be attached for power, and not one that converts the original Ms. Pac power?

A couple things to mention:

1) sometimes these coin switches don't work because they have a diode between the legs that interferes with the 48-in-1. If yours has that, try cutting the diode off.

2) If none of your controls work (not even the joystick), then you obviously have a ground break. First - do a continuity check between the pcb ground pad to the connector plugged into your adapter, just to make sure the adapter isn't the problem. Then from there to a switch ground. Once all your grounds are established, and you know that the appropriate wire is attached to the other leg of the switch, your switch should work. if not, try adding a jumper from the switcher directly to the ground lug of the switch....
 
Field Ground just ties all the metal in the cab to earth ground. It has nothing to do with + and - DC power. The "-" is what you are thinking of as ground.

Sounds like you need to hack in some buttons to the converting wiring harness if there aren't already capped of button leads.
 
No, but you do need a connection from the DC ground of the switcher to the ground pad at the PCB.

I'm assuming that you are using an adapter that requires a switcher to be attached for power, and not one that converts the original Ms. Pac power?

A couple things to mention:

1) sometimes these coin switches don't work because they have a diode between the legs that interferes with the 48-in-1. If yours has that, try cutting the diode off.

2) If none of your controls work (not even the joystick), then you obviously have a ground break. First - do a continuity check between the pcb ground pad to the connector plugged into your adapter, just to make sure the adapter isn't the problem. Then from there to a switch ground. Once all your grounds are established, and you know that the appropriate wire is attached to the other leg of the switch, your switch should work. if not, try adding a jumper from the switcher directly to the ground lug of the switch....

1) No diodes attached to the coin switchers.

2) I can't tell if anything works at all because I can't get it to coin up so I can select between games, nor can I get it in to free play mode as it sits at the checkerboard screen in TEST mode when I switch DIP 4 on. Basically I can do nothing... I checked and there it continuity between the switcher and the converter and between the converter and the 48-in-1 board and between the switcher and the 48-in-1 board so that all sounds right. I am not sure how I can test continuity between the board and the control panel as I can't be in front and back at the same time, but perhaps I can recruit the wife to hold one leg of the meter.
 
I don't know. I am at a loss. There is nothing disconnected between the CP or coin door and the harness edge connector. Yet nothing. The wife's busy so I can't get her to go out and help me right now so I can't test from the board to one of the buttons yet, but jesus, you'd think SOMETHING would be self evident. I just tried a 2nd switcher thinking perhaps somehow the ground was bad in the first one... no luck.

The adapter is SUPPOSED to convert the Service Switch and Test buttons to standard JAMMA TEST and SERVICE signals....so they SHOULD work... once inside the test menu using DIP #4, P1 start and P2 start are SUPPOSED to work to move through the difference menus'.... they're not. I guess for a quick test I could run a ground from the P1 button directly to the switcher to see if all of a sudden that button starts working...
 
Well, it's 100% for sure a ground issue. Running a ground directly from the switcher I was able to touch the various switches and they worked. I'll try to run backward from the control panel to the edge connector...If, worst case, I can't find jack shit, I guess I could simple cut away the ground from the edge connector and wire a direct ground OR I could use one of those tap connector things and just leave the wire but attach a direct ground to it?

Thoughts?
 
Well, it's 100% for sure a ground issue. Running a ground directly from the switcher I was able to touch the various switches and they worked. I'll try to run backward from the control panel to the edge connector...If, worst case, I can't find jack shit, I guess I could simple cut away the ground from the edge connector and wire a direct ground OR I could use one of those tap connector things and just leave the wire but attach a direct ground to it?

Thoughts?

The common for all those switches on the coin door is the red wire... this should go back to pin 15 of the pcb header... I wonder if it makes it that far or if its a good connection to the header?
 
What is that tiny little PCB on the right wall of the cab with a molex going to it? It seems the signal stops there?!
 
This is the thing I am talking about...

WHATISIT.jpg


What is it? Also, last week, by accident, I pumped 5+ volts down the ground line which, evidently, includes this little board... what are the chances I fried something in it? If so, can I just by-pass it?
 
Something to do with the coin counter I think.. a conversion board for european or Canadian money could be put in place of the dummy one in US cabs

Yeah...while it seems to trace from the coin door, it doesn't from the PCB...

The 2 red and 2 orange wires that go to a square connector are all four connected to gound (I am guessing those were originally AC connectors for the original board or something?

There are a couple green wires that appear to connect to ground, but the circuit doesn't seem to make it to the coin door?!

I'm frustrated now... I might just rewire a dedicated ground to the CP and coin door and be done with it.

It's going to be a friggin' 48-in-1 anyway...
 
Something to do with the coin counter I think.. a conversion board for european or Canadian money could be put in place of the dummy one in US cabs

I believe its there to hook up a coin doubler if desired... the PCB is in place to complete the circuit without a doubler installed...
 
Well I look and PIN 15 is suppose to be GROUND to control panel. I check the adapter board and guess what. Pin 15 goes nowhere. Nice...

I snipped the wire from the edge connector and wired it directly to the switcher and I now have controls and the coin door is fully working.

Strange, eh?

Now for the next problem. I have a broken leaf switch on the MS. PAC stick I have... for UP. Anyone know where to get a large leaf switch for the stock Ms. Pac sticks? The spare Wicos I have dont' seem to have a long enough lower blade...

EDIT: Holy shit! Two bits wants $15.00 a leaf! Anyone know of an alternative?

EDIT #2: Nevermind! I have a few extra leaf's from Marco Specialties I got when I made a pinball order earlier this year. They look like they'll work fine. Nice.
 
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This is the thing I am talking about...

WHATISIT.jpg


What is it? Also, last week, by accident, I pumped 5+ volts down the ground line which, evidently, includes this little board... what are the chances I fried something in it? If so, can I just by-pass it?

That would be the multicredit bypass pcb. I think there is a way to bypass it entirely but it involves more than simply unplugging it. Might explain why you are missing ground. I'd either check it for cold solder joints or ask one of the pac experts how to bypass it.

Also, what does your adapter look like? I am running the Jamma boards adapter and had to add a ground to the adapter itself before the CP and coin door switches would work.

Check my YouTube Channel for my tech. help video with the 48-in-1 in a Ms. Pac-Man cabinet.
 
FG = "Frame ground", or the safety ground for AC wiring.

I would not cross-connect the GND (-) of the DC power lines to anything that is connected to Frame Ground.

This can lead to AC voltage getting into your DC lines especially if your home has poor wiring and has a slight voltage potential on the line. Keep AC and DC separate. Just like isolating the AC to your monitor, you want to isolate the DC from the noise and surge from AC.


The credit bypass board is nothing more than a fancy jumper wire. There are no electronic components on the board, it's just some .156 pins, solder, and a couple jumper traces. It just crosses over some wires on that harness for "bypassing" a real credit multiplier board

For leafs, you need a "fiberboard" leaf. You might need to use parts from 2 of them to build up enough thickness for the Ms.Pac joystick leafs. I think Bob Roberts has them for about $3
 
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Well I look and PIN 15 is suppose to be GROUND to control panel. I check the adapter board and guess what. Pin 15 goes nowhere. Nice...

I snipped the wire from the edge connector and wired it directly to the switcher and I now have controls and the coin door is fully working.

Strange, eh?

Well, I'm glad you got this answered before I finally got here to answer it for you.

I went to help someone yesterday who bought that same adapter and had the same problem. I just cut the red wire at the connector and moved it down and spliced it into one of the normal ground wires at the end of the connector. Fixed the problem just fine.

Whomever made that adapter obviously wasn't paying attention....
 
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