All the of wiring seems correct. Makes no sense!
Agreed. This is where the meter will help you figure out what is actually happening.
If you aren't sure which meter to get, we'll help you find one with the features you want/need.
- Digital meter instead of analog. There are some tests where you need an analog meter, but they are few and far between.
- Auto-ranging.
- Diode check.
Yeah... it's about time I sprung for a multimeter - would it be able to detect a signal that faint?
Yes.
You're not testing for a signal, you're testing for a path from ground to the input port.
- When the switch is not pressed, there is no path for the electrons to flow so the voltage (think water pressure) on the input port is at a logic high.
- When the switch is pressed, there is a path for the electrons to flow so the voltage on the input port is pulled to a logic low. (think someone flushes the toilet while you're taking a shower and the lower cold water pressure causes the shower to get
really hot)
How to test the switches and wiring:
- Remove power so you don't fry the meter.
- Set meter to continuity/ohms.
- Touch the red lead to the black lead. The meter should indicate continuity (beep)/short. (<2 ohms)
- Connect the black lead to your ground daisy-chain and the red lead to the IPac input you want to test.
- When no button connected to the red lead IPac input is pressed, the meter should indicate no continuity (no beep)/open.
-- If it shows continuity, you might be on the NC terminal instead of the NO
or there might be a short to ground somewhere on the IPac input line.
- When a button connected to the red lead IPac input is pressed, the meter should indicate continuity (beep)/short. (<2 ohms)
-- You should get continuity when you press the coin mech switch (currently working)
and you should get continuity when you press the switch behind the coin return. (currently not working)
-- You can also test the switch by putting the meter leads on COM and NC. There should be continuity when the switch is not pressed and no continuity when the switch is pressed. This should confirm that the microswitch nub is being pushed far enough to move the pole from the NC contact to the NO contact.
Scott