Pachinko / Arrangeball Newbie "Hustler"

[spiwrx]

Maybe some of you could help with the minutia, as I've never had or played a working version...

Please comment or confirm:
1) Game Over and Low Coin lights, Flash or Steady?
2) Bonus Target Scoreboard Lights, Flash or Steady?
3) Coin rejection solenoid in coin mechanism "On" (blocks coins) when low coin is on? (if not when?)
4) Inserting a new coin before payout is pressed, pays out then starts a new game or keeps a running total until payout is pressed?

If any of you are interested in the details I started a project page on the Arduino site:
https://create.arduino.cc/projecthub...oration-c2157d

I also posted a new video testing the payout. Sorry I'm not so camera friendly...
https://youtu.be/0viLy4GIoOY

[Tink]

Maybe some of you could help with the minutia, as I've never had or played a working version...

Please comment or confirm:
1) Game Over and Low Coin lights, Flash or Steady?
2) Bonus Target Scoreboard Lights, Flash or Steady?
3) Coin rejection solenoid in coin mechanism "On" (blocks coins) when low coin is on? (if not when?)
4) Inserting a new coin before payout is pressed, pays out then starts a new game or keeps a running total until payout is pressed?

If any of you are interested in the details I started a project page on the Arduino site:
https://create.arduino.cc/projecthub...oration-c2157d

I also posted a new video testing the payout. Sorry I'm not so camera friendly...
https://youtu.be/0viLy4GIoOY

Here is the how to play translation from the other thread, thanks to emmadog for this.

How to Play Miracle Hustler
*Inserting a medal into the machine will make 16 balls line up in the front.
*Hit the balls aiming for the numbered holes. When the lamps are lit as follows, you win.
6-2-14…… 1 point 11-1-15-5…… 1 point
13-7-3-9…… 2 points 10-4-12-8-16…… 3 points
(These next pictures are a bit hard to reproduce in word, so I’ll just tell you that the character on the right means point, and the one on the left next to the pictures of the medals by double up and full chance is just a counter, meaning 1 medal.)
*Balls that pass through the replay course can be hit again.
*Upon ending the game and either inserting another medal into the machine or pressing the settle accounts button, a number of medals equal to your score will be dispensed.
*Adding medals or pressing the settle accounts button while a game is ongoing is ineffective.

That's the translation from my guy. Sometimes the instructions are thorough and sometimes cryptic but all these machines are simple.

I have not seen this model so I cannot comment on all your questions, a few I can help.

1) Game over? I have only seen a game off light and on the ones I have seen they are steady. Low coin, also steady state when lit.

2) Bonus lights? Unknown to me, seems these are machine specific as I have a Satomi that flashes bonus function, and a Taiyo that is steady.

3) Coin reject solenoid, on when low token is lit, correct.

4) Inserting a new coin before payout is pressed, pays out then starts a new game.

Hope this helps, really enjoying your work on this one

[emmadog]

1-steady
2-steady
3-as Tink stated. i forgot that i disabled mine on my Satomi Space Wars because i didnt want that coil in a constant energized state which meant i also had to pivot the coin reject arm out of the way.
sorta the same as jumping the "hold" solenoid in an em pinball.
4. Tink's correct

[emmadog]

really like the light in the ball shooter area. nice touch.

[spiwrx]

Thanks for your input emmadog & Tink, I personally like the Low Coin and Game Over flashing but I want to make it correct for the code I share.

I don't think my coin rejection is working at all, but I really don't care about that feature personally, I just want to write it into the code correctly.

[emmadog]

I like those lights functional as well-just didn’t want the coin reject mech operational. Interesting to note that when the low coin switch is activated, there’s no change in the logic. In other words, a game can still be played (if the rejector arm is disabled) because the machine doesn’t “know” it’s low on coins.
i’d think you could put a #455 pinball flasher light or whatever is compatible with the base and voltage and get your flashing light without changing the code. I have those flashers in my Tilt and Game Over lights in my pinball machines.

[spiwrx]

I like those lights functional as well-just didn’t want the coin reject mech operational. Interesting to note that when the low coin switch is activated, there’s no change in the logic. In other words, a game can still be played (if the rejector arm is disabled) because the machine doesn’t “know” it’s low on coins.
i’d think you could put a #455 pinball flasher light or whatever is compatible with the base and voltage and get your flashing light without changing the code. I have those flashers in my Tilt and Game Over lights in my pinball machines.

I have 2 EM pinballs as well (1978 Playboy & 1984 Fireball Classic, Bally's), didn't realize they used flashing lamps I though the lamp board handled that? Well I guess I'm lucky because I haven't had any lighting problems on those, just about every other problem though..

You'd have to be sadistic, but understanding the switching matrix on the pinballs you could do the same with an arduino, but lucky replacement boards for pinballs are easy to find!

I converted all the arrange ball lights to LED's run independently by the Arduino, so making them steady or flash is just another line of code.

[emmadog]

Both of those pins are solid state and the flashes are controlled by a board. My old pins are electromechanical and there’s no flashers on the playfield-they’re used in the back box for tilt, game over, or just where they’d look good.
they flash by the filament heating up and cooling down so it’s random.

[spiwrx]

Both of those pins are solid state and the flashes are controlled by a board. My old pins are electromechanical and there’s no flashers on the playfield-they’re used in the back box for tilt, game over, or just where they’d look good.
they flash by the filament heating up and cooling down so it’s random.

You're right I had it mixed up in my head, Not sure which I'd rather service, sure can be a lot of ghosts in the solid state switching matrix though...

[emmadog]

servicing em’s is one reason why they’re my favorite type of pin but I love playing all types. em’s can be daunting with all of the switches and gapping them correctly but it takes no special training and there’s no risk of frying anything. solid states on the other hand are going to require a tech to come out for the overwhelming majority of owners.

[hkp]

If you can get hold of an ESR meter, you can check the capacitors in-circuit.

[spiwrx]

Just wanted to thank you all again and let you know, except for an occasional stuck ball this has been working perfect. I still plan on revising the code for the Arduino and giving it more options. But I've moved on to get my regular (mechanical) Pachinko working. Previous owner must have oiled everything that moves and over time all that oil has become gummy and parts are not moving freely. I think I have it all worked out, still trying to find or may I will 3D print a few parts and also trying to find a plans for a ball lifter or something I can afford. By the way, don't search the term ball lifter without pachinko....