Re: Project log - Pinball machine
Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2011 10:41 pm
did you try cramming the magic blue smoke back in?
Anyway, let's try this again:
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Project log - Pinball machine
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Re: Project log - Pinball machine
Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2011 11:12 pm
You only get blue smoke from semiconductors. Resistors give black stinky smoke.
Anyway, let's try this again:
Anyway, let's try this again:
Re: Project log - Pinball machine
Posted: Fri Apr 22, 2011 12:53 am
So it turns out I had three problems with the controlled lamps:
* The undersized resistors which melted
* A bug in the controller software which caused some of the lamps to latch on (which is why only the one resistor popped before I caught it)
* A wiring error in the power supply was feeding 50V to the bulbs instead of 18V. This vaporized all of the light bulbs once I got the above 2 issues fixed.
I spent tonight replacing about 50 light bulbs (sigh), and now everything works great!
Got some video:
http://youtu.be/BqWAM7FzRpA
* The undersized resistors which melted
* A bug in the controller software which caused some of the lamps to latch on (which is why only the one resistor popped before I caught it)
* A wiring error in the power supply was feeding 50V to the bulbs instead of 18V. This vaporized all of the light bulbs once I got the above 2 issues fixed.
I spent tonight replacing about 50 light bulbs (sigh), and now everything works great!
Got some video:
http://youtu.be/BqWAM7FzRpA
Posted: Fri Apr 22, 2011 10:26 am
How much power does the whole system draw?
Re: Project log - Pinball machine
Posted: Fri Apr 22, 2011 10:39 am
Not sure, I haven't measured it yet. The line fuse is 8A though, and I haven't blown it yet 
Commercial pins typically draw about 4A, though. So somewhere just shy of 500W.
Commercial pins typically draw about 4A, though. So somewhere just shy of 500W.
Re: Project log - Pinball machine
Posted: Tue May 31, 2011 3:10 pm
I've got the prototype machine working to my satisfaction - now time to build the real thing.
Parts are ordered, I've started designing the game, and the software stack is beginning to take shape. Getting there, slowly.
Parts are ordered, I've started designing the game, and the software stack is beginning to take shape. Getting there, slowly.
Re: Project log - Pinball machine
Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2011 12:59 am
Spent about 5 hours tonight stripping everything off the old playfield. There is a ridiculous amount of stuff on there, even after all the wire comes off.
Also bought some fancy plywood to form the base of the new one. Construction begins this week!
Also bought some fancy plywood to form the base of the new one. Construction begins this week!
Re: Project log - Pinball machine
Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2011 8:46 pm
What game was the playfield originally from?
Re: Project log - Pinball machine
Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2011 11:54 pm
Alien Poker. Bought just the playfield off ebay a long while ago, it's a complete junker.
Re: Project log - Pinball machine
Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2011 11:32 pm
Been a while since the last post, but the project is progressing nicely.
The ball trough and bottom part of the playfield are populated and wired up, so it's possible to play a "game" of pinball right now:
I sketched out a basic game layout. This will probably change:
Work is starting on the top part. I've got the orbit shots and the ball lock in so far:
I'm waiting for some parts to arrive, so work on the upper playfield is stalled. Time to make some starburst inserts for the lights:
Prototype looked like ass:
Got the machine tuned up, a sharp bit, and a better model for the part. Looks much better now!
The ball trough and bottom part of the playfield are populated and wired up, so it's possible to play a "game" of pinball right now:
I sketched out a basic game layout. This will probably change:
Work is starting on the top part. I've got the orbit shots and the ball lock in so far:
I'm waiting for some parts to arrive, so work on the upper playfield is stalled. Time to make some starburst inserts for the lights:
Prototype looked like ass:
Got the machine tuned up, a sharp bit, and a better model for the part. Looks much better now!