Editorial Page 3-Editorial Page 4-IGT Monitor, Deceased Part 2 of 2 Page 8-Slot Tech Training at Clearwater Casino Resort Page 10-Wilder Things #4 Page 13- The Slot Academy at TechFest 33 Page 15-Slot Tech Training Schedule for 2017 Dear Friends of, I would like to make a last-minute request that you consider attending the Slot Academy at TechFest 33. The Slot Academy is an outstanding program, especially for folks who are beginning their career as a slot manager. This is a University Accredited (UNR) course. There are seats available for the class. More details are available at the website at slot-techs.com. Tech- Fest has available seats as well. See you at the casino. Publisher- Randy Fromm TechFest 33 @ Mystic Lake Casino Featuring the Slot Academy May 16-18, 2017 Randy Fromm's Editor Randy Fromm Technical Writers James Borg, Todd Brooks, Wilder Contreras, Nathan Galloway, Chuck Lentine, Jerome Mayard, Pat Porath is published monthly by 401 W. Lexington #777 El Cajon, CA 92022 tel.619.838.7111 fax.619.315.0410 e-mail editor@slot-techs.com Visit the website at slot-techs.com SUBSCRIPTIONS Domestic (North America) 1 year - $80.00 2 years - $140.00 International 1 year - $160.00 2 years - $300.00 Subscribe online at slot-techs.com Copyright 2017 under the Universal Copyright Convention. All rights reserved.
Slot Tech Feature Article IGT Monitor-Deceased! Part 2 of 2 By James Borg This supply is a 12V, 4A unit and, as with modern PSUs, they have an input voltage swing from 100 240V ac nominal, with the input frequency spanning from 47 63Hz A quick visual of the PSU didn t show anything out of the ordinary, no blown semiconductors, capacitors, and no carbonized resistors. And yet, if there was nothing actually wrong with it, something was certainly effecting its operation. Supplies tend to suffer when left constantly on for a great deal of time. I m referring to months and years here. When the power source is then removed, you might need to brace yourself for the worst once this is reintroduced. Page 4 W801 Funnily enough, even if a component on it has gone faulty, obviously depending where it is in the circuit, this might not have any effect on the operation of the unit, until the power source is plugged in again. There could be an every man for himself scenario, and panic stations are likely to follow. In a quiet place, you might just hear the PSU going into overload mode. This could be triggered either because there is a short
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circuit on one of the boards it is supplying or perhaps the PSU itself has gone FUBAR. The noise it would make, during overload mode, would be like a ticking clock. That s the noise of the supply starting up and then turning itself off as it has sensed something out of the ordinary. This ticking noise would carry on until the problem of the overload has been rectified. In rare situations, I ve had cases where the supply eventually blows, making it next to irreparable but so far, this hasn t happened with this model. In order to eliminate a great chunk of fault-finding and diagnostic work, you can remove the four-pin connector on W801, which is at the other end of the mains input connector, P801. From the picture, four wires are visible on W801, two coloured black, and two white. The black wires are common to each other, and the white are as well. On the solder-side of the PCB, the tracks connect them together. In this setup, the black wires are positive, and the white are negative. If, once the connector is removed the overload noises stop, then chances are that the image board has an onboard short. You can check the output of the power supply with a multimeter or a scope, whichever you wish. If the Page 6 output is fine, you should see a steady 12V on it. If when the connector is plugged back in again, the overload noise can be heard once more, you need to confirm the image board s supply rail isn t shorting out the PSU, sending it into overload. A quick continuity test, compared with a known good image board, should settle any doubts to it being faulty or not. If the compared readings are similar, then you have to go back to the PSU. Normally, in many of the cases I ve had of PSUs not working properly, I have mostly found the output capacitors to have lost their values. These can easily be checked with an ESR meter. On load is the ideal way to test a PSU. If the output isn t a clean DC, a meter won t catch this so a scope has to be used. Not everybody has access to such a precious piece of equipment, but an ESR meter can save your life. An ESR meter can be looked at as a glorified capacitance meter but it doesn t tell you the value of the capacitor in microfarads. It tells you of its Equivalent Series Resistance, hence the term ESR. In fact, the result it displays is in Ohms. All an ESR meter is a twoterminal unit. Its primary use is the measure of the series resistance of a capacitor. The beauty about these meters is that you don t need to remove the suspect components out of their place in the circuit, unlike when using conventional capacitance meters. The way an ESR works is that it generates a signal at a specific frequency at which the capacitor s reactance is slight and through a voltage divider circuit, the capacitor s internal resistance can then be measured. The capacitors on the final stage are designated as C813, C814, and C815. C813 and C814 are 1000uF/25V, while C815 is 470uF/16V respectively.
Nine out of ten, you can actually see the capacitor tops being lifted or inflated or domed which means they are most certainly FUBAR. Other times, you won t recognize them from a new capacitor, so just giving them a visual won t really get you that far. It s always best to check these out with an ESR meter. On this board, C813 and C814 had a higher than normal ESR reading, which quickly prompted me to replace them. A brand new capacitor gave a reading of 0.11 Ohms, while my two suspect capacitors read 4.59 Ohms, and 3.99 Ohms. C815 was found to be fine, so I left it in place. Should this inexpensive, yet priceless, tool not be available, then just replace the three of them in one clean sweep. There is no through-plating involved here, so changing them is child s play. Make a note of their orientation before soldering the new ones in and don t just take for granted the markings on the PCB for these might not be correct. Anybody might have a bad day, but it will save you a great deal of hassle if you double check their orientation. While the board is out, a quick test of the two output diodes, D808 and D809 (both FCH20U10) next to the capacitors in question, surely won t be a step in the dark. Should you find either or both of these damaged, before screwing the new ones on to their heatsink, apply a thin layer of thermal paste on to their heatsink side. In my case, these two diodes were both fine and as far as I can recall, I ve never ever found these to be FUBAR but there s always a first time for everything, or almost. If, after you ve come this far, there is still no decent output (or no output at all) then check or just replace C807, which is a 47uF/50V capacitor. This component is a vital part which works in conjunction with the heart of the power supply, the FSDM07652RB power switch, by Fairchild. C807 s positive terminal is connected across pin 3 (the device s supply rail) and pin 2, its ground. This part is actually a six pin package integrated Pulse Width Modulator, or PWM, designated as IC803 on the PCB, and it s attached to a heatsink for obvious reasons. This device is quite sturdy, but should you decide to replace it, as in the case of D808 and D809, always apply thermal paste. You ll be amazed at the difference applying this paste does to keep the components temperature as low as possible. It s not necessary to cake it on. Actually, doing this does more harm than good. It s best just to apply a thin layer of paste and forget about it for a few years. It s also recommended to clean your hands when handling this paste as some chemicals present in it aren t very beneficial to your health. The problem with my supply, apart from C813 and C814, was that C807, a 47uF/50V had gone nearly open. Once this was replaced and the image board plugged in, there were no more overload mode noises Applying a VGA signal to the monitor, I had a lovely picture to admire while sipping away at a cup of my favourite drink, tea! - James Borg-Malta jborg@slot-techs.com Page 7
Slot Tech Event Slot Tech Training at Clearwater Casino Resort Ihad a great time at the Suquamish Clearwater Casino Resort for one of our regional slot tech classes for power supply and LCD Monitor repair. I had been to this property twice before and it was wonderful to return. Nine techs participated in the training event, from Washington, Oregon and California. Attending the four-day class were Jerimee Cynor, KLA-MO-YA Casino, Travis Brehm, Lucy George, Anthony White, Yakama Legends Casino, Ryan Coleman, Ryan Fogelberg, Clearwater Casino, Emma Wegener, Elwha River Casino, and Julie Patterson and Melvin Cardenas from Muckleshoot Casino. Thanks to Johnny Walker for the last-minute signups. Page 8
It s Movie Time! Before we start the soldering lab on day three, we watch a little movie on proper soldering techniques. Then we get to work. We start with a practice project and move on to build a nice little component tester that tests resistors, capacitors, transistors, diodes, MOSFETs and more. Figure 11 Page 9
Slot Tech Feature Article WILDER THINGS #4 By Wilder Contreras Figure 1 So we ran into an issue with a Williams blade. It had a broken spin button. The plunger had popped out because the little plastic clips that hold it in place had broken off. See FIG.1. Figure 2 The main problem we ran into other than the button being broken was we were out of this specific button type. Once again, I had to improvise a temporary solution instead of just leaving the game out of service. Actually, it became a permanent solution as it s still holding. For this repair, you will need a small file, a paperclip, Krazy Glue, some baking soda and, of course, a wire cutter. See FIG.2 Figure 3 If you put the button together you can mark off the two spots where the plastic pins used to hold the plunger in. See FIG.3 Page 10
Figure 4 Get your small file and create small grooves. Make sure the depth of the grooves are about the thickness of the paper clip or actually a bit deeper would be better to hold in more glue but not too much. See FIG.4. Figure 5 When you re done filing down the button you should end up with something like this that will be able to hold the paper clip in place. See FIG.5. Now you re ready to cut your paper clip Figure 6 Put the button together so you can measure the paper clip (so you know where you will cut it). Make sure you give it a little bit of a tip to hold the plunger in place. See FIG.6. For software, manuals, schematic diagrams and more, visit the free Technical Department at http://slot-tech.com Page 11
Once you have the proper size, you can cut both pieces of the paperclip evenly as possible. See FIG.7. Figure 7 Figure 8 Now you are ready to glue the paper clips in place. Once they are glued in, make sure you file down the spots that you have glued (including the sides) and make them as flat as you can so when you put the button back together you will have a perfect fit. See FIG.8. Figure 9 Test out the fit in the entire button to make sure it fits properly and it s not rubbing anywhere and it doesn't pop out. It shouldn t fall apart if you measured the paperclips correctly. See FIG.9 Figure 10 Then you are ready to assemble your button with your switch. Make sure you hear the click of the switch. If you can hear it, then you know you got it right and it s ready to be installed back in the game. See FIG.10. I hope this helps someone out there. Wilder Contreras W. Contreras@slot-techs.com Page 12
Presents TechFest 33 May 16-18, 2017 Featuring The Slot Academy * NEW PROGRAM!-Three days of Slot management training that is effective, painless and even a little fun. Open to all slot techs from all properties (and now slot managers are welcome too!) Are You The Slot Manager? This year, I am pleased to announce a world-class training event for slot managers that will run as a separate program alongside TechFest 33. You've probably heard of Lucien Wijsman and his Slot Academy. The Slot Academy has a reputation for delivering a huge amount of practical material in a manner that is both informative and super entertaining. If you think slot math is boring, think again. You ll love it! I guarantee it. Money back if not delighted by this training. You ll leave with a level of comprehension you may not have considered. For a few years, I have been trying to bring the Slot Academy in to run their program alongside TechFest. It's a natural fit and it rounds out TechFest so there's something for everyone, not just the slot techs. Lucien's a busy fellow but this year, our schedules matched and the Slot Academy has agreed to appear at TechFest 33. This is a fully-credentialed and accredited slot management program (attendees receive full credit from UNR-the University of Nevada at Reno) and will be held alongside TechFest 33 at Mystic Lake Hotel Casino. This is the real deal. It's three full days of slot management training, taught by one of the gaming world's most respected casino professionals. Slot Academy is part of the UNR extended studies program. This means that attendees to the Slot Academy get credits toward the UNR Gaming Management Program. They also receive a certificate from UNR for completing the Slot Academy course. This is an exciting training opportunity that will pack a lot of information into three full days. I expect that this event will sell out quickly. Further data and enrollment form available at slot-techs.com Technical Presentations: Ceronix-LCD Monitor Repair FutureLogic-Gen 2 and Beyond-Ticket Printers JCM-UBA and ivizion Bill Validators MEI-CashFlow SC66 Bill Validator PLUS-Randy Fromm on: LCD Repair/Power Supply Repair Component Identification and Testing Includes all classroom materials: Free digital multimeter, free component tester kit (a valuable shop tool for testing capacitors, resistors and all types of semiconductors). Tuition is $895/person TechFest is The World s Largest Gathering of Slot Machine Technicians Slot Academy Presentations: Slot Machine Meters According to SAS protocol Slot Machine Myth and Math Progressive and Mystery Prize Management Floor layout Management Includes all classroom materials Tuition is $995/person TechFest 33, featuring the Slot Academy will be held May 16-18, 2017 at: Mystic Lake Casino Hotel 2400 Mystic Lake Blvd NW, Prior Lake, MN 55372 Phone: (952) 445-9000 Mention TechFest for our discounted rate of $129/night. Page 13
Slot Academy at TechFest is produced by: 401 W, Lexington #777 El Cajon, CA 92022 tel.619.838.7111 fax.619.315.0410 e-mail TechFest@slot-techs.com EZ ENROLLMENT! INVOICE ME! PO # Please complete this enrollment form and return it to Slot Tech Magazine. TechFest 33/Slot Academy Enrollment Form May 16-18, 2017 Mystic Lake Casino Hotel 2400 Mystic Lake Blvd NW Prior Lake, MN 55372 Phone: (952) 445-9000 Please enroll in: TechFest Slot Academy Company Name: Name of attendee(s) - Attach a list if necessary or just send all of this information on a PO. Address Address City State/Prov. Country Zip/Postal Code Telephone Fax E-mail Mention TechFest when reserving your lodgings for our discount rate of $129.00. Enrollment fee is $895.00 per person. Payment by credit card or check payable to Slot Tech Magazine. Purchase orders will be invoiced. [ ] American Express [ ] Discover [ ] MasterCard [ ] Visa Account Number: Credit Card Security Code Expiration Date:
Regional Slot Tech Training Attend or Sponsor a Class Near You! Sands Casino, Bethleham, PA-June 13-16, 2017 Albuquerque, NM-July 11-14, 2017 at Isleta Casino Las Vegas, NV-September 26-29, 2017 2017 Class Schedule Chicago, IL-November 6-9, 2017 New Orleans, LA-December 6-8, 2017 Locations TBA and subject to change If you are interested in sponsoring one of these regional classes at your property, please contact Randy Fromm This is a fast-track class for slot techs who want to learn the quick and easy way to fix monitors and power supplies without having to learn a lot of electronic theory or mathematics. If you are interested in sponsoring a regional class at your property, please contact Randy Fromm for details. There is no actual cost involved. Since 2001, has been holding slot tech training classes at casinos across the USA. These classes have mostly been held at larger properties with a dozen or more slot techs from their own slot department attending the class. In order to serve our smaller cainos (with, perhaps, just a few techs) we are now holding regional classes that are open to all slot techs that wish to attend. This is the full, four-day class that covers power supply repair and LCD monitor repair, down to the component level. To Enroll: Download the enrollment form at slot-techs.com Day 1-Beginning Electronics for Slot Machine Technicians This segment assumes that you have no previous electronics training and takes you through a simple, NO MATH look at electronic components, electronic circuits, schematic diagrams and more! Using a Digital Multimeter The DMM is the single most important piece of test equipment you can use. Electronic Components All of the individual components used in gaming machines are introduced. Students learn how to test them for proper operation. Day 2-Diodes, Transistors & Other Semiconductors Hands-on Transistor Testing Lab This part of the school takes a look at all of the different types of semiconductors commonly seen in gaming machines. We'll take a look at the operation of each component, along with testing procedures to determine if the part is good or bad. NO PREVIOUS KNOWLEDGE OF ELECTRONICS IS REQUIRED Class Schedule 9:00am-4pm Daily Day 3-Soldering Good soldering technique takes practice but there are some tricks that can really help speed things along. During this segment, each student will be provided with their own soldering supplies and some fun project kits they will assemble. Current kits include a versitile component tester that can be used alongside the DMM to test electrolytiuc capacitors, semiconductors, resistors and other components. This equipment will be theirs to keep. This is a VALUABLE shop tool. Day 4-Morning Session-Power Supplies This module covers all types of power supplies, including linear power supplies and the Switched-Mode Power Supply (SMPS) found in virtually everything in a modern casino. Day 4-Afternoon Session-LCD Monitor Repair LCD Monitor repair is generally pretty easy thanks to their modular design. This segment covers the theory of operation of LCD monitors. There will be a presentation on componentlevel repair techniques, CCFL testing and replacement and using LED strips as backlights. Includes free component tester! Cost of the Program Tuition is $795/person Includes: Digital Multimeter Soldering iron, tools and soldering supplies Sample components Soldering Instruction Kit Component Tester Kit Textbook Students are responsible for their own meals and lodging. If you re interested, please contact Randy Fromm right away. It s first-come, firstserved and there is a limited number of places available in each class. Randy Fromm 401 W. Lexington Ave. #777 El Cajon, CA 92022 619.838.7111 You can fax a PO to 619.315.0410 and we ll invoice you. Be sure to include the student s name.