Rescue Tron!

[1hookedspacecadet]

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10-25-2005 New Pics Here: (Direct Link, Blogger.com sucks, cannot seem to publish to save my life the last two days)

http://home.earthlink.net/~rescuetron/tron-beta/

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Edit: Created a Project Blog

http://home.earthlink.net/~rescuetron/

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Picked this up the other day.

[Zero_Hour]

Best of luck with the restoration.

Looking at your pics I'm wondering- Is the metal CP bent, or simply not seated correctly in the cab? Regardless, I picked up a TRON cp last year, as I wanted the Tron Stick and spinner for my own project.  As a result, I have a CP with just the P1 / P2 buttons on it that looks to be in pretty good shape compared to the one in your pic. If you would like, I'd be happy to donate it to the cause. Drop me a PM if you are interested.

Hope you can get it back to its full glory.

[1hookedspacecadet]

One thing I noticed this morning is that there is a magnetic switch pictured in the manual on the coin-door.  Am I correct in recollecting that this will cut the power if the door is open?

The Tron I have has no lock and the door is open.  I did not see the switch, I need to  look inside and see if it is hanging out somewhere.  If it is hanging, I am thinking it is "off" and has thus cut the power most likely explaining the lack of life so far.

If anyone sees any glaring errors in my understanding of that switche's function, please let me know.  Thanks.

[1hookedspacecadet]

Best of luck with the restoration.

Looking at your pics I'm wondering- Is the metal CP bent, or simply not seated correctly in the cab? Regardless, I picked up a TRON cp last year, as I wanted the Tron Stick and spinner for my own project.

[SirPeale]

One thing I noticed this morning is that there is a magnetic switch pictured in the manual on the coin-door.  Am I correct in recollecting that this will cut the power if the door is open?

Could it be a slam switch?

Also, check for interlock switches, make sure they're all pulled out if the back is off.

[1hookedspacecadet]

One thing I noticed this morning is that there is a magnetic switch pictured in the manual on the coin-door.

[KSKID]

man that game is beat, i hope you have alot of money saved up for
New CPO
New Side Art
New Inner Art

i had one in similiar shape, and i got rid of it was glad i did.

good luck with the resto.

[1hookedspacecadet]

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Created a Project Blog

http://home.earthlink.net/~rescuetron/

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Ya, it's beat.  It is still on the fence I think.  Not sure.  Everyday  it is here I want to get it  to work more.  We will see....

[tommy]

How much would you sell it for

[dabone]

Making any progress on it?


You'll probally want some of these after you get it running.




http://www.phoenixarcade.com/art.htm#tron


Later,
dabone

[1hookedspacecadet]

Little bit.  Looks like my mechanical panel and power supply is good.  Having problems with the monitor and sound or boards.   

[dabone]

I've got access to a tron here in Chattanooga, If you can't figure out which ones are bad, you're welcome to come up and throw them in the cab for a test.


Later,
dabone

[mahuti]

I have most of the art high-res if you want it, phoenixarcade's stuff is good, and probably cheaper in the long run.

[1hookedspacecadet]

I decided to test the voltages being output by the power supply PCB. Overall they look fine. There are two a bit out of range;

Schematic Label: Coin door lights
Schematic Voltage: +12V
Recorded Voltage: +10.62V

Schematic Label: Coin Meter
Schematic Voltage: +5V Unreg
Recorded Voltage: +10.28V

The rest looked good. I am putting the word out to find out about the two descrepancies and find out the answer to some new dumb questions regarding various schematic labels. One is the "Unreg" notation on the coin meter location. Not sure what that means.

Others are:


"A.Grnd" - From J4 (A4) - (Is that 'all ground'?)
"V.Batt" - From J4 (A5) - (Something battery?)
"Logic Grnd" - From J4 (A2)(B3)(C3) and J5 (--BINGO! Either that, or I was attempting to say "before" but it was too many letters to type--) - (Special Ground?)
"Reset" - From J4 (C3) - (I heard a rumor that this wire was key?)
"Unreg" - From J5 (A1) - (Unregulated?What does that indicate?)


Note the "J4"and "J5" indicate the connector, the (letter/number) code indicates the position as noted on the tables here:
PS Test Results Table (http://home.earthlink.net/%7Erescuetron/docs/pstest.htm)

[1hookedspacecadet]

A few of the pin locations had notations on the cabinet's
schematics I do not understand.

If anyone can help me decipher these I would appreciate it.

There is a diagram of the two connector locations I was testing on the
power supply here: http://home.earthlink.net/~rescuetron/docs/pstest.htm

Here are my questions:

"A.Grnd" - From J4 (A4) - (Is that 'all ground'?)
"V.Batt" - From J4 (A5) - (Something battery?)
"Logic Grnd" - From J4 (A2)(B3)(C3) and J5 (--BINGO! Either that, or I was attempting to say "before" but it was too many letters to type--) - (Special Ground?)
"Reset" - From J4 (C3) - (I heard a rumor that this wire was key?[This is
specific to Tron])
"Unreg" - From J5 (A1) - (Unregulated?What does that indicate?)


Note the "J4"and "J5" indicate the connector, the (letter/number) code
indicates the position as noted on the tables here: PS Test Results Table
(http://home.earthlink.net/~rescuetron/docs/pstest.htm)

Lastly, here is a link to the schematic showing the power supply.  It is the
board labeled,"Power Supply Bd."
http://home.earthlink.net/~rescuetron/docs/Tron_UR_Schematic.pdf

[Patent Doc]

Best of luck with the restoration.

Looking at your pics I'm wondering- Is the metal CP bent, or simply not seated correctly in the cab? Regardless, I picked up a TRON cp last year, as I wanted the Tron Stick and spinner for my own project.  As a result, I have a CP with just the P1 / P2 buttons on it that looks to be in pretty good shape compared to the one in your pic. If you would like, I'd be happy to donate it to the cause. Drop me a PM if you are interested.

Hope you can get it back to its full glory.


The cp is just not seating correctly.  The latch on the left side is a bit bent so it is up in the air.  I am trying to see if I can get this thing to work, it is on the fence right now between part out and ebay or restore.

I wouldn't mind seeing pics of the cp you have though just in case, pm sent.

I also have a tron cp with buttons that I'd be happy to donate.  The artwork sucks, but the panel is in great shape.  Also I live in ATL and work in midtown so you can see it in person if you want.

PM me if you're interested

Patent Doc

[1hookedspacecadet]

Best of luck with the restoration.

Looking at your pics I'm wondering- Is the metal CP bent, or simply not seated correctly in the cab? Regardless, I picked up a TRON cp last year, as I wanted the Tron Stick and spinner for my own project.

[1hookedspacecadet]

Minor update -

Checked the fuse on the monitor it is ok...why I have NOTHING happening with the monitor is a mystery.

Fired it up and I am now seeing light on the main cpu led.

Volume is up, no sound being heard except for intermittent scratchy sounds from the speakers.

No love from Tron.

[dabone]

Try this trick with the reset line


http://tinyurl.com/4l8lt


TECH: TRON Reset Line
All 10 messages in topic - view as tree
   
AJSTAY      Oct 30 1999, 12:00 am     show options
Newsgroups: rec.games.video.arcade.collecting
From: ajs...@aol.com (AJSTAY) - Find messages by this author
Date: 1999/10/30
Subject: TECH: TRON Reset Line
Reply to Author | Forward | Print | Individual Message | Show original | Report Abuse

I am working on a Tron full size upright, and the power supply was unusable.  I
pulled out the entire power supply and installed a switcher.  The game now
works perfect, but to get it to boot up, I have to put the purple reset wire on
+5 before I turn it on, then turn it on, take it off for a second, then put it
back on. 

In other words, to boot the reset line must go HIGH, LOW, HIGH.  Is there a
timer circuit that I can build that can do this for me?  This game is going to
be used comercially, and we don't want to have to explain to the people at the
location how to boot the game every time they turn it on.

Any ideas?  Anyone else have to do this before?

Thanks,
AJS...@AOL.COM


Later,
dabone

[1hookedspacecadet]

I looked around some more and the concensous seemed to be that disconnecting the purple wire may get results.  I did so at lunch, no change.

The PCB LED is on, but as I have not verified that the sound works, and I am pretty sure the monitor is busted, it could be playing blind (and deaf).

I am going to plugin the monitor that came from the galaxian on Sat.  If there are no signs of life....

Poor Tron

[Flinkly]

well when you deem that there are no signs of life, or at least not enough for you, there are plenty of others that would gladly take on the project....

but all luck to you to get it working.  although we all envy you, i'm sure we would all love to know one less tron is going to video game heaven.

[1hookedspacecadet]

Just realized ICS "A10" is missing from the soundboard.  I would think that
might have something to do with the lack of sound...

Here is the diagram of the Super Sound PCB
http://home.earthlink.net/~rescuetron/docs/Tron_supersound.pdf

[dabone]

Tron is only susposed to have 3 roms.

A10 should be blank.

Check out the mcr faq.

http://db.gamefaqs.com/coinop/arcade/file/midway_mcr.txt


Later,
dabone

(Your first mcr game is ALWAY a #%#$@ to learn, but you learn alot in the process.)

[1hookedspacecadet]

I was just plodding through some ebay auctions and was noticing that.  thanks for the confirmation. 

I seem to be having alot of...

"AHA!!! I think I ... no that's not it."

"AAAAHHAAA!!!!!!...no wait..."

"OOHHOOO....shoot...no that's not it....sigh"

[Witchboard]

Sounds like my current Pole Postition restoration. 

[1hookedspacecadet]

I hooked up the Galaxian monitor and have video!

So I know:

There is power going to the monitor

There is video being output by the boards

The attract screens appear ok though there are some video issues.

[tbombaci]

May I suggest replacing all of the interconnect ribbon cables. They dry out and cause loads of problems. You can use 50 pin SCSI cables. Cheap and easy fix for that.

I only skimmed the forum. If you need a sound ROM burned,  I have a few 2764's. Be happy to burn one or two for you for the cost of the chip and the stamp. 

Also, get rid of the battery on the power board. It will leak all over the power board and ruin it. I installed a Wizze power supply in my Tron. It uses a modern switching PS and replaces the MCR power board alltogether.

-Tom

[1hookedspacecadet]

My favorite suggestions are the free or mostly free ones. 

I just happen to have a load of SCSI cables laying around.  On the power, I tested the PS PCB and have good voltages in all but one or two locations.  One being the coin meter, the other being the coin door lights.  See here:


http://home.earthlink.net/%7Erescuetron/docs/pstest.htm

[1hookedspacecadet]

Created a thread in the Monitor section regarding the video issues:

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,32936.0.html

[1hookedspacecadet]

May I suggest replacing all of the interconnect ribbon cables. They dry out and cause loads of problems. You can use 50 pin SCSI cables. Cheap and easy fix for that.

I only skimmed the forum. If you need a sound ROM burned,

[1hookedspacecadet]

I'll start the bidding at $1000...

[IntruderAlert]

lol
that reminds me.. i was working on a really old phonograph player the other day
it had an old tube type amp which was way up in the cabinet and hard to reach
while i was cleaning and removing all of the old tubes i felt something extra in there and was like.. hmm whats this???.. I pulled out a mummified mouse
that always brings a little excitement into your day

[1hookedspacecadet]

Tron is ALIVE!

I cleaned the boards, the board's pins and replaced the ribbon cables with
50 pin SCSI cables.  Plugged it back in and still no sound.

I hooked up the crappy "test" monitor again and figured out where my blue
went.  There was a little adapter left over from galaxian that re-routed the
RGB pins.  I removed that, plugged it in and bingo!  Blue is back including
all of the text (scores etc).  I am convinced the remaining video issues are
all related to the crappy monitor.

Now the sound.  How's this for a noob mistake?  **clears throat**

YOU NEED TO COIN-UP BEFORE YOU WILL HEAR SOUND!  THERE IS NO SOUND IN THE
ATTRACT MODE ON TRON!

-ahem

So sound is there and sounds great too.

I need to put the trigger back in the joystick, someone thought it would be
a good idea to pull it out for some reason, but the joystick movements work
as does the spinner!

I think a capkit on the original monitor and the trigger install and this is
a fully operational game though still in need of ALOT of TLC.

[dabone]

Now didn't that eureka moment feel great!


Congrats man. I told you the mcr's are fun to work on.


Later,
dabone

(Now If I could just figure out why my friends tron has absolutely NO sound.. but that has to wait until I pick up the game later this month.)

[tommy]

Thats hilarious cadet  "why is there no sound"         but good job makeing progress  post some new pics when you clean it up a bit

[Patent Doc]

Congratulations!!

Can't wait to see some update pics and I'm glad you overcame your momentary desire to sell.  Did your "friend" just walk away? Anyway, I still have the control panel with the buttons and wiring if you want to take a look. If you want it, it's yours.

By the way, love the idea of hitting the pins and vids over lunch.

Patent Doc

[1hookedspacecadet]

Well I got Tron working and realized I never really cared for the game.  I am jonesin' for a Spy Hunter so instead of the Tron restoration, I will move on.  The parts will go to help other Trons and I found someone who needs the cabinet for thier tron so not a drop will be wasted.

Thanks for looking and thanks for all the help with getting it running.  It will be good training for the Spy Hunter!

http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZ787sellpro

[NiN^_^NiN]

I do wonder why the arcade game was never vector like in the movie it would of been cool but i don't like this tron game at all it's a bit boring for my tastes 

[IntruderAlert]

i hate to see it end..

I always loved the way it made me feel just to walk up to a TRON machine and play it

...the design of the cabinet and controls was just amazing.. it was like stepping into another world

[RayB]

I agree NIN. It's one of those cabs that looks cool, but the "mini-games" weren't particularly exciting for that era.