Tron Restoration Questions / Log

smokinfish

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Well I put new RBR MCR ribbons on but all I get is a white screen. I messed with the dip switches to set them for Tests. I did get a high annoying tone when I set all 4 to on.

With just the first two on - on the yellow LED lit up and stayed steady.

I even marked the MCR ribbons with a silver sharpie so that I hooked them up right.
No sound no coin up just a white screen.

I'm thinking of sending them in to www.eldoradogames.com for repair, can anyone recommend their work? Seemed like a nice guy on the phone.

I also noticed that the header light is a light bulb! thats right a light bulb. Not of fluorescent tube, but an actual bulb socket with a clear bulb in it. You can see where the fluorescent fixture used to be.

any ideas on the boards?
 
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RE:

Make sure you put the video connector from the monitor to the board on right. That's all I can say for now. I also reseated each chip by completely removing them, but I am almost 100% sure I didn't put any in backwards.
 
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I replaced all the Fuses, they were pretty mixed up. Allot of 125v were there should be 250v. Still just a white screen. The lack of sound makes me think something with the boards is wrong. I did get a tone when the board was set to tests so I know the speakers work.

I'm going to look at the MCR cables and connections again tomorrow. I'm pretty sure I hooked them up right.

The video cable is hooked up correctly from what I can see. The plugs have fills in certain spots that only allow the right connector to plug into the pins.

How would I verify if the chips were in correctly?

I replaced all the light ballasts and starters and now all the lights fire up nicely.

Such a cool looking game, even if I can't play it yet.
 
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Tron Ribbons

You may try this. I had this in one of my posts some time back!
LINK-
http://forums.arcade-museum.com/showthread.php?t=105597

"Well I did get the New ribbons from Bob. I still have the error on rom2. Now it's time to play with the roms. You all were right the ribbons don't line up like you think they would. They hooked up outside to inside for people in the future. I just hooked them up one at a time. That way I knew when I had it wrong. I cleaned the board and removed the Batt! I think the Power supply is still in good shape. I will have to test it with MM to make sure of the power coming out. If any of you have any more thoughts let me know. I'm in the middle of buying about 6 games right now. The only game he wanted to keep was TRON. I guess it's a good thing I had one I just want to get his working. We did get it working one time. I told him that if we turned his game off It might not come back on....I was right. Sooooo at least I know the game will work. Thanks for the help."
 
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When I first got the game, the sounds and game was working, but had some graphical glitches during the actual gameplay. So I hope that makes you more determined to fix it, because it was my fault your having this problem now. Where did I put my dunce hat?
 
thanks for the link TrickDragon.

I ran continuity tests on the MCR cables and everything seems to be hooked up correctly.
I even swapped the monitor hook up to the other pins but all I got was the black screen with white lines I got when it wasn't hooked up so I know I had it right the first time.

The mystery continues...

I'm definitely determined to fix it. TRON will LIVE in my GARAGE!!
Besides if you (FlavaDave) had it working when you actioned it, I wouldn't have been able to get it for so cheap!
I love a challenge! And if I have to send the boards off and pay $110 to fix it. Thats still only $318.50 for a working TRON.
I'm still way happy with my purchase!
 
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Not to treadjack - but can someone post a picture of the battery on tron? I bought one a little while back but haven't looked at it at all. I guess I better snip the battery off before it sits much longer (probably already exploded).
 
So I found some pics of Tron boards online and checked each rom to see if it was in correctly. Turns out the chip at G12 was in upside down.

I took it out and flipped it...

Now I have a white grid pattern that is scrolling from side to side...
 
Re:

You are one step closer my friend, I would take the board apart and inspect each one. Good to hear you found one of my problems...lol...you could also look to get that battery on the power supply board replaced, because I think they are original.
 
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Tron Problems

I did a bunch of stuff to get my friends tron working. It was the roms in the end! rompingirl on E-bay made me new roms. I did them one by one :) I was able to find the bad rom and get his tron working. Make sure to check that power in. If the Power supply in a Tron is bad it will do some funny stuff to the screen. Like grid patterns. Also check the coin door! It is famous for making problems. It's that tilt switch insisde the coin door. Also if your Batt is bad in the Tron it can make a mess on the molex plug. Or the board! In the Tron I have I had to clean my Molex plugs with De-ox! Some people have had problems with the Purple wire. As soon as they cut it the Tron will start working. It can take a bunch to get that old Tron working, but as soon as you do it kicks ass :) I love mine. Keep up the good work man!
 
Tron must live!

So I found some pics of Tron boards online and checked each rom to see if it was in correctly. Turns out the chip at G12 was in upside down.

I took it out and flipped it...

Now I have a white grid pattern that is scrolling from side to side...

From my experience on upside down chips, you might have cooked it and it might need to be replaced, also touch each chip with the back of your finger as its on, if it is HOT, most likely it is upside down. The chips in my TRON have a notch and all the notches on them face the same way. replace the caps on the sound board and if you get the music playing once you credit it your probably just looking at a monitor problem. As far as your light bulb worries, you are in luck, instead of a $15 florescent you get to put in a 99 cent bulb, a lot of old arcades did this to save on energy efficiency and cost of replacement, just make sure it is soft white so you don't cook marque . PM me with any other questions and I will look inside my TRON to help
 
have you verified the test mode switch is in the right position, that you don't have a stuck slam switch, and your voltages?
 
Test switch checked.
Slam switch I'm not sure what that is?
Voltages are next to check. I'm new to a multimeter so I am doing my homework on how to use one properly.
I did find a tron marquee replacement fixture and installed it. Fluorescent bulb looks great!
I did notice the notch and it seems all chips were correctly installed other then that one.
I'll take some pictures of my boards and post them for all to see.

I haven't had much time to dedicate to tron lately. Been slammed at work, but I do plan on trying everything everyone suggested. I am determined to do what I can to make this work.

The worst that can happen is I learn something new. Please keep the ideas coming.
Hope to try them out this weekend.
 
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The slam switch was cut off (not by me)and it's sitting inside the coin box of your Tron. Even with it cut off it still worked while in my possession, that's until I took the board apart that is. I do remember checking the notch on each chip to make sure they all went back in correctly, but I'm only human I make mistakes. Also make sure the boards are stacked correctly. That's the only thing I can think of right now. If your getting some kind of grid pattern your doing alot better than I did. Oh, and there are tons of connections going to the boardset, so I could imagine it's easy to put one of them on wrong or upside down. I remember the battery on the power supply was in bad shape.
 
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Ok had some time to play with TRON Tonight here is what I found:

• Boards are in correct order and wired correctly
• MCR cables have been replaced and are hooked up correctly
• Video/Monitor cable is hooked up correctly
• Roms all appear to be in correctly

•*Power voltages needed some adjustment but are now outputting the correct voltages
•*No Change
•*Hooked up a different coin door with slam switch intact
•*No Change
•*Cut the purple wire
•*No Change
•*All fuses have been replaced
•*No Change
•*Test switch is in the correct position
• No Change

I tried the test switches on the board, the sound test works, the ram test gave a steady yellow light no flashing.
It won't coin up or make a sound and heres what my screen looks like:
 

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try the roms

get a new set of roms. change them out one set at a time. One board at a time. That is what I had to do. I had a bad rom on the middle board. If the power is right and the slam switch is good and you don't have acid from a bad battery. I would say check the roms. Good luck
 
Ok had some time to play with TRON Tonight here is what I found:

• Boards are in correct order and wired correctly
• MCR cables have been replaced and are hooked up correctly
• Video/Monitor cable is hooked up correctly
• Roms all appear to be in correctly

•*Power voltages needed some adjustment but are now outputting the correct voltages
•*No Change
•*Hooked up a different coin door with slam switch intact
•*No Change
•*Cut the purple wire
•*No Change
•*All fuses have been replaced
•*No Change
•*Test switch is in the correct position
• No Change

I tried the test switches on the board, the sound test works, the ram test gave a steady yellow light no flashing.
It won't coin up or make a sound and heres what my screen looks like:

That picture looks like your monitor isn't syncing. (multiple tears) What kind of monitor is this.
 
Yeah- the horizontal frequency is WAY off on that monitor. It may sync up if you dial it down a bit.

There should be a pot for this in the back of the monitor. You can tell if you're going in the right direction when there are FEWER bands of color spread out :)

And you'll probably hear the whine decrease in pitch.

You've got something on the screen, just dial it in.

K
 
Make sure you have the dip switches in the right place, some put it in test mode using the LED when you have major problems. It might be worth trying that method first to confirm RAM and ROM are good, Take a look in the manual in the test section. If that fails you need to lay the board out flat in a row but still connected. Hook up a logic probe( i connect across the silver caps on the game PCB 0 and +5v. You can then check the Z80 cpu on the middle board for activity, if its dead look at the clock section and work you way out from there.

I just finished my Tron restoration, it's a great game. http://s32.photobucket.com/albums/d39/golfg60gti/Tron/
 
So thanks to CDJUMP Tron is Alive!

I have now moved on to the following issue:
•*My Spinner was acting funny, so I took a look under the control panel. Turns out the plastic spacers have broken and the board is lose and wobbly. I'm thinking this is what is causing the problem.

Anyone have a source for these? They seem smaller then normal standoffs. I didn't see them in the Bob Roberts assorted set.

Any help would be great!
 
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