Testing DMDs

orion3311

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I have a couple DMDs I'd like to test...with any luck if they happen to work I'll post em up here for sale to fund my new pinball. Is there an easy way to test them, at least just to see if they light up? Do they self test if you put power to em?
 
If you just power one up, without sending any data to it, best you might see is a couple of random flickers as it powers up. The DMD has no self test functions on it's own.

Best way to test one is in an actual game so you can see it run thru some sequences and ensure all the rows and columns function and check to see if it's gassy at all. Early stages of ougassing (It's not really outgassing, but that's what everybody calls it), may only show up when most of the dmd is lit and in-game is the best way to check for that.
 
It's really easy to test dmd's. It's only a couple of plugs and a ribbon cable, if your testing there is nothing to mount.
 
True but I have nothing to plug them into...if I can connect em to a serial port and send some commands then I'm all about it.
 
True but I have nothing to plug them into...if I can connect em to a serial port and send some commands then I'm all about it.

The DMD itself is actually a fairly dumb device and won't just accept pc com commands from a serial port.

I suppose one could write a PC application that used a serial port to transmit the required timing, control and data signals to run some simple display routines, I am pretty sure the display signal and timing information is well documented in the display data sheets, but I am not aware that anybody has actually written such an application.

You would also have to come up with a way to generate the high voltage required by the DMD.

There are some folks working with various pc interfaces into various machines and hardware platforms, some work with PinMame and custom work in C and under Linux. Not sure where all of that work is these days, last I knew it was mostly focused on the playfield and no focus on driving a DMD.
 
There is actually some drivers and utilities for controlling LCD displays from a PC using either the serial or parallel port. If I can use one of those I could prob get something going.

EDIT: Not a whole lot of straightfoward info on these suckers, but it appears they need at least 4-5 different voltages to run. I guess the easiest option would be to find someone local with a machine I can test them on, or just sell as-is.
 
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Not many people are gonna let you go plugging in untested dmd's to their nice working game to be honest. Maybe someone who doesn't mind local to you would let you if you reimbursed them somehow. Bad DMD's can stress a borderline HV section. The last thing you want is the owner looking your direction after their dmd stops working.

Honestly, I'd test them for you if you are local becaus I know my HV section is solid. I doubt you'd want to ship them to me. Even if they test good that doesn't mean they are good. You also have to check voltages to see if they are pulling too much and lowering the supply voltages. Then you have to run the a while to check for weak plasma.
 
just rebuilt my hv section of my dmd controller for fish tales

piece of cake!...........if it is an unknown, splurge!!! buy the 5.00 rebuild from great plains

electronics and a soldering iron ,crack a beer and before ya know it, boom ziiippppppp zooooooooow ready to go;)
 
Yeah I just thought maybe if it was easy enough (or didn't take hours) to build a test rig or something then fine but its more complicated than that, so no biggie, but if anyone is interested in an UNTESTED dmd make me an offer. I also have a second one with a cracked glass if you can use the board.
 
just rebuilt my hv section of my dmd controller for fish tales

piece of cake!...........if it is an unknown, splurge!!! buy the 5.00 rebuild from great plains

electronics and a soldering iron ,crack a beer and before ya know it, boom ziiippppppp zooooooooow ready to go;)

hey DC, you have website for the 5.00 rebuild ? i guess i could find it but im feeling lazy

hey DC, what you think as a price for a FISH TALES for 1800.00 ? kinda high ?

hey DC, i want to go boom ziiippppppp zooooooooow ready to go too. what beer is THAT ??
:)


hey orion3311, you can buy new ones for 125 plus shipping but you knew that probably
where'd you find these two units ?
they have a story or you think they are both bad ?
 
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hey DC, you have website for the 5.00 rebuild ? i guess i could find it but im feeling lazy

hey DC, what you think as a price for a FISH TALES for 1800.00 ? kinda high ?

hey DC, i want to go boom ziiippppppp zooooooooow ready to go too. what beer is THAT ??
:)

no name calling?........

http://www.greatplainselectronics.com/proddetail.asp?prod=WPC-HVP-KIT


depends on condition and availability in your area, its popular......

personally i know where there is one somewhat close to me for 1775 thats in really nice condition but i have one already, ......but knowing i can now fix one id rather buy a project for 3-500 and make board,opto,coil, repairs

i have bought 2 dmd pins this summer for 400 TOTAL , one i already repaired, the other is working (pics will come when appropriate)


but to answer your question.......yes 1800 is a bit too much, that title is prone to cab fading and playfield wear on the stringer, the cab decals are about 200, decals 50 or so?

for a good condition and working ft id say 1000-1200


as for the beer of choice........its coors light lol......the comment was a ripoff of a infomercial
 
no name calling?........

http://www.greatplainselectronics.com/proddetail.asp?prod=WPC-HVP-KIT


depends on condition and availability in your area, its popular......

personally i know where there is one somewhat close to me for 1775 thats in really nice condition but i have one already, ......but knowing i can now fix one id rather buy a project for 3-500 and make board,opto,coil, repairs

i have bought 2 dmd pins this summer for 400 TOTAL , one i already repaired, the other is working (pics will come when appropriate)


but to answer your question.......yes 1800 is a bit too much, that title is prone to cab fading and playfield wear on the stringer, the cab decals are about 200, decals 50 or so?

for a good condition and working ft id say 1000-1200


as for the beer of choice........its coors light lol......the comment was a ripoff of a infomercial

thanks for the link

what 2 dmd pins you get ?

i bought a BLACK ROSE,
WHO DUNNIT
and a
ROYAL RUMBLE
800 a piece. i think i got a good deal...im happy anyway

oh frog, they are out of stock
 
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maverick and lw3

id like a black rose,who dunnit, dr who, etc.....................................................
 
They came in a pile of stuff I got from Quarter Arcade. One is definitely cracked although I don't know if its just the lens or the actual tube. The other one seems to be intact but I know nothing other than that. Trying to build up some funds for this friggin obsession AHEM I mean hobby...

Just looked again - the cracked one most likely bad. Board is a Cherry 0001-4025-B and it looks as though a new glass can be soldered on.

The other one does appear to be burnt but may still work - that one is a Dale and has ribbon cables connecting the glass.
 
well.......cherry imo was the best, and of the 4 manufacturers iirc dale had some weird voltage requirment, so i hope your dale display is good,
 
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