1473 replies to this topic

[russdx]

sorry thewool

your right it was the firmware - the latest revision has a very slight timing change that i did to try and remove the ghost pixels and it has totally stopped it working on plasma displays lol

i have flashed the board with the original firmware for you and will keep this source separate from the led version for any plasma users

i have added the plasma version to the firmware.zip




while testing this, i forgot how cool the real plasma displays are

also noticed no ghost pixels on the plasma LOL
very strange lol

Edited by russdx, 20 April 2012 - 08:49 PM.

[thewool]

Awesome news Russ - and honestly there's no need to apologise. I'm happy to be the plasma guinea pig just so long as my DMD is not buggered!

I never noticed any ghosting, the display was crystal clear and vibrant as below. There was some tearing on flashing sequences (like the beginning of T2) but I'm not sure if this is normal.

Really looking forward to getting it back now

[Zablon]

Seems to me T2 beginning has tearing on the real machine too...but I might be mistaken.

[destruk]

agreed...I think T2 was intended to be that way - at least it looks the same on the real machine.
The PinDMD board is much much smaller than I expected - excellent work! It can fit pretty much anywhere it needs to be!

Edited by destruk, 20 April 2012 - 11:39 PM.

[russdx]

smaller = cheaper

[russdx]

gf still in bed so me sneak onto computer haha

i think the next thing to sort out is finding more Vishay LED DMD's as without them the board is USELESS lol.

I will try and contact Vishay,Future Electronics and Stern.


hopefully my dad can get back working on the plasma display power board as well!!

gf still in bed so me sneak onto computer haha

i think the next thing to sort out is finding more Vishay LED DMD's as without them the board is USELESS lol.

I will try and contact Vishay,Future Electronics and Stern.


hopefully my dad can get back working on the plasma display power board as well!!

[arngrim]

Here's a small vid of the Cueball Wizard issue, quality is average, sorry

Cueball Wizard

when the vid is scrolling down the pixels are wrong, the flickering is not visible in real

My 2 cents

[chriz]

yeah, the plasma display power board is the way to go. you can buy original plasma dmd's in masses everywhere.

[russdx]

just spoke to my dad, hes come alot further with the plasma power board then i thought it was hes got a week off work next week and said hes gonna try and get the prototype finished , ill buy a 128x32 plasma dmd to test it with.

if all goes well i can design the PCB prototype get that made up and tested


hes very worried about the casing though as this thing spits out high voltage + current and could really hurt some one if they touched it when turned on so he wants to create some sort of case for it as well

looking good though

Edited by russdx, 21 April 2012 - 12:58 PM.

[arngrim]

how can i explain?

the images in the video displayed in the vid on the led are buggy, where it is fine on the original pinmame.

the best is that if you run it, you'll see it, when you have time and possibility, there's no rush

[russdx]

ok cool, ill check it out later

[Snotz]

New DLL updated. That should fix the Cueball Wizard video glitch. GTS3 games should work as well. Updated to latest PinMAME SVN

[russdx]

gf having a nap so managed to sneak onto computer haha, i have now labelled up the firmware revisions correctly so its easy to tell what firmware your using

the version number is the current svn revision number for that firmware

example LED04-V142 (current release)
this is for a LED display in 4 colour mode svn revision 142

[arngrim]

Just tested the new dll, and cueball wizard problem remains.

In fact, in the video I have shown, it is during the scrolling down that the image is buggy, when the image of the cowboy stops to his last position, before the plunger is activated, image is fine.

[PinKitty]

I believe I have an alternate solution to running a plasma DMD. Am I correct in my thinking here...

When it comes to the power supply to run a plasma DMD and it's board, you can buy most of the parts over the counter. You can get a dot matrix display pcb board on e-bay for under $100 with free delvery and 10 year warranty. Now for the voltages to run the board, you need the 5V and 12V d/c, which you can get from your computer's power supply.

Now for the special voltages, you need two more inputs: 100V a/c and 80V a/c. One can be achieved from a 120V a/c to 100V a/c step down transformer. You can buy this at a transformer manufacturer as "off the shelf" for around $69. The other special voltage could be gotten from a 120V a/c to 80V a/c step down transformer. This is the one I have been looking for to complete the power to run the DMD pcb board. So if anybody knows where to pick up the 120V to 80V step down transformer, this would complete everything we need to make it work here in United States, and still be around the same price, unless the other transformer is unreasonably priced. The manufacturer did say they can custom make a step down transformer with the two special voltages combined, but once again, orders would have to be taken and money collected like you are doing.

Help on an "off the shelf" source for the 120V to 80V a/c step down transformer would be appreciated. Also wold like feedback on my idea.

Thanks, PinKitty

[russdx]

im not 100% how all these voltages work together but far as im aware the voltages need to be in reference to each other. its not quite as easy as just supplying the right voltages. they need to come from the same coil and one of them is -100 i think not + and that's in reference to the +12v, you also need all the smoothing caps and make sure it can supply all the peek currents these displays demand when they are flashing on and off.

don't quote me on any of that. my dad knows how it all fits together.


my dads little board sorts all this out and creates the voltages correctly

[Arcade4]

gf having a nap so managed to sneak onto computer haha, i have now labelled up the firmware revisions correctly so its easy to tell what firmware your using

the version number is the current svn revision number for that firmware

example LED04-V142 (current release)
this is for a LED display in 4 colour mode svn revision 142

We must give thanks to the sleepy girlfriend.

[PinKitty]

im not 100% how all these voltages work together but far as im aware the voltages need to be in reference to each other. its not quite as easy as just supplying the right voltages. they need to come from the same coil and one of them is -100 i think not + and that's in reference to the +12v, you also need all the smoothing caps and make sure it can supply all the peek currents these displays demand when they are flashing on and off.

don't quote me on any of that. my dad knows how it all fits together.


my dads little board sorts all this out and creates the voltages correctly

The board I am talking about was designed specifically to run the plasma display. It is called the dot matrix controller board and is an upgraded replacement board for the Bally/Williams pinball games. It has the smoothing caps already installed on it. You add the power to the board and then hook the board up to the plasma DMD.

Getting back to your voltage statement, the dot matrix controller does not take -100 VAC from the transformer. It takes 100VAC and 80VAC, which would come from a step down transformer. The -100V does not come into place until it comes out of the dot matix controller and into the DMD display. And those voltages are pin 1 @ -125V, pin 2 @ -113V, pin 3 is key, pin 4 is ground, pin 5 is ground, pin 6 is 5V and pin 7 is 12V, pin 8 is 62V. Those are the voltages going from the dot matrix control board to the plasma DMD.

So all the voltages going to the dot matrix control board (per a Bally manual) are 80 VAC from transformer and 100VAC from transformer. And also 5V d/c and 12V d/c as supplied from the power driver board, which is no different from a typical computer power supply from which you get the 5V d/c and the 12V d/c.

So...does anybody know of a 120VAC to 80VAC step down transformer? I'd like to buy the card from Russ and be the guinea pig if I can get the input voltages I need with that transformer.

TheWool, how are you powering your plasma DMD?

[russdx]

Thewools dmd is the plasma display with the built in dc power supply (which is what my dads board is based on)

Id be really interested to see your multiple transformer idea to work though

[Zablon]

Is there a way we could keep a running list somewhere of known non working games so we don't repeatedly bother you with things you already know?

Currently: Diamond Lady and Genesis do not work as of yet with the latest DLL. Haven't had a chance to check much else yet. Thanks!