Taf things flip

Rhm

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Does anyone know what controls the flipper on thing flips? The light comes on, ball diverts to flipper but thats all that happens. Can anyone point me in right direction?
 
Does the script act like thing is working? Also does it say anything about thing missing like "Slow down thing" also does the flipper flip when you press the left flipper button?
 
There is an optic there that senses the ball and tells the flipper to flip. The optic receiver mount on mine broke causing it not to see the ball.
 
taf things flip

it was working and sayings were all working. now nothing happens once ball diverted to flipper, you can manually flip the flipper but thing doesnt flip! I have tried the new location calibration. Is there another calibration>. The opto, is there a way to check? or do iI check the aliment of the bracket? thanks.
 
There is an opto before it. Clean it, be sure it is working in switch edge test.

Then turn the game off, reseat the ribbon cable between the cpu and fliptronics board a couple times. Be sure and get it back on right, red stripe pin one each end and not off by a row.

Turn game on, go into Utilities, U12, New Location and hit enter. Then play about 10 games on it, and it will start learning the shot.

Anytime you move or level the game, you should do the new location thing.

LTG :)
 
You can check to see it the opto is actually lighting. Take any cheap digital camera, activate the sequence where thing should flip and look to see if one of the opto's lights. If so, you have checked one half of the circuit; the transmitter side. More than likely they are dirty and just need a good cleaning.
 
Is the opto in the metal deflector just before small flipper? When you push the light to light thing flips, should opt light? While playing even if I flip ball in manually I don't get the toxic fume bonus? What is the camera for?
 
The metal walls before the small flipper, there is a hole on each side for the optos. One sends a beam to the other.

Can you go into diagnostics, tests, switch edge test ? If so then do that and roll a ball back and forth across where the optos are and see if it registers on the DMD.
LTG :)
 
Taf. Things flip

Ramp opto 57? Is that the switch to test
I couldn't get it to register on any of the test.
I cleaned them but still nothing? Anyone
Know what's next? I lifted playfield and
Didn't see any loose wires? Thanks
 
No, it's not registering. If you push the trigger by the flippers it sometimes says shoot thing flipper other times just lights light. It always diverts to flipper but nothing? If I throw the ball in swamp I dont get the 5x bonus either! The toxic fume saying. Any ideas?
 
If the opto is not registering, then it is not seeing the ball and will not flip the flipper. I will have to look at the manual for other suggestions.
 
taf things flip

I also noticed while playing the game you dont get any of the 5x bonuses when flipped into the swamp. normally when you send up ramp and flip in manually, you get the bonus and can rack up that by putting into grave bumpers? Is this related to the opto problem also? since not reading opto. does that trigger the things flip and 5x bonus? thanks for the help so far!
 
I also noticed while playing the game you dont get any of the 5x bonuses when flipped into the swamp. normally when you send up ramp and flip in manually, you get the bonus and can rack up that by putting into grave bumpers? Is this related to the opto problem also? since not reading opto. does that trigger the things flip and 5x bonus? thanks for the help so far!

Have you done what Half-life suggested above? If not you need to.
 
I dont understand what to do withe the camera? sorry!

No problemo :)

You need a digital camera with a display. One of the optos (the transmitting one) will glow in the LCD of the camera. Typically the transmitter is the clear opto and the receiver is the black one. Look at the opto in the camera and you do not see it glowing then the opto is bad.

Another thing you can do is put the game in switch edges test. Take a flashlight and shine it on the receiver momentarily. If the receiver is good then the switch will register, then you know the transmitter is bad.

Optos shine a contant light between them and when the light path is broken the switch registers. You are simulating this by shining a light on the receiver and then removing that light.
 
Another thing, on the switch edges test the DMD will display a grid of dots. That represents the switch matrix. Find the thing flips opto, it is called the bumper lane opto, and you might notice a dot showing in the 5th column, 7th row (Switch # 57). That means the switch is triggered. That should not be lit normally and that means that switch is constantly triggered. The dot will disappear when you apply light to the receiver as long as the receiver is working. You could possibly have two bad optos which would require measuring voltage on those optos.
 
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taf things flip

thanks ! will check when I get home. does that also control the 5x bonus? by the ball passing into the light? what are the voltages suppose to read when I check the voltage? where would I look if I need the opto's?
 
Put your machine in switch edge test. Pass your finger or roll a ball through the opto beam for thing flips (right below the pop bumper), It should register in switch test. If not you have an opto problem.

Try cleaning the optos with a q-tip & Windex first. Once you get the switch registering use a ball and make sure the opto's register and are aimed correctly. While your at it make sure the wires are soldered to the opto's properly. When I had an issue with mine it needed cleaning and re-aimed. Mine worked for a while then would miss the ball passing by. I later found out the opto wire needed soldered.

The targets by the swamp give feedback to the CPU when your teaching "thing flips" for accuracy. Make sure your game is level,select "new location" in the menu to re-teach thing.

Make sure your swamp stand up targets are upright and working also.


If you replace the opto's and it still does not work look to the LM339's on the opto board next. A camera with night shot feature will show you the infra red opto beam when viewed. This shows the emitter / sender is working. The receiver should show a voltage change state when the beam is broken if you have a multimeter attached. You can also shine a flashlight beam into the receiver and it should register if the receiver is working.
 
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