Capcom Bowling PCB Battery Replacement

[korendog]

Can someone explain to me what the battery on this board might look like?  I've looked in the Installation manual and it just mentions the battery should last 5 years.  It has says nothing about where it is located or what it looks like.  I'd like to replace it so the high scores stay saved.  I've stared at this board for quite a while and can't identify anything that would be a battery.

[Kevin Mullins]

Capcom used a few different style batteries.
Most "suicide battery" boards had a barrel shaped battery.
But yours could have either a silver "disc" or a square black block with the battery embeded.

Is this the same pcb you have?
http://www.crazykong.com/pcbs/A%20-%20F/CapcomBowling.pcb.html
(maybe the disc at the top left of the pic, can't tell if thats a battery or a capacitor)

I haven't looked into all the variations possible.
My Buster Brothers had the barrel type. (pretty obvious battery)

I personally didn't find any mention of the battery in the installation manual.
Where did you see that information?

[korendog]

Kevin,
I have the same PCB as the one you posted a link to.  The disc in the top most left of the picture is a cap I believe.  The markings on mine are (NEC FZ 5.5V 0.47F VD 352) if that helps.  It is about an inch in height with a light green wrapper.  lol the board isn't that big and you'd think I'd be able to locate/identify it.
The reference to the battery is in the Capcom Bowling Installation Manual (Upright Kit) on page 16.  Last sentence of the first paragragh. "The battery on the logic board should last five years."

[Kevin Mullins]

"The battery on the logic board should last five years."

Well... there ya go... it's right there on the logic board...geez.   

I totally missed that line. (pretty vague)

Look for a square or rectangular block looking thing, may or may not say Capcom on the top, then look to see if it only has a few pins on the solder side. (not like any other chip)

[arcadefever]

the board still work ?

[Kevin Mullins]

The markings on mine are (NEC FZ 5.5V 0.47F VD 352) if that helps.  It is about an inch in height with a light green wrapper. 

Have to cross the numbers, but it looks like capacitor numbers. (not positive)

[Kevin Mullins]

Here's a pic of a Capcom Bowling pcb on ebay right now with the OBVIOUS pink battery in the lower left corner.

You may have a different revision. Or one that has already had the "suicide battrey" fix applied.   

[Kevin Mullins]

Guess what ? . . . .

http://www.bmm-electronics.com/Product.asp?Product_ID=2378

http://www.evanscap.com/morecap.html

[korendog]

"Are you telling me that this sucker is nuclear?!"  Yes, the board still functions and the game play is great.  The ebay auction PCB pic looks like a newer or different model board.  However, in place of the pink thing is the green "capattery" if I understand correctly.  So I just need to replace this and all will be right in the world?

[arcadefever]

i never change a suicide battery on a pcb, but is it a way to do it right?
i read once that if you dont fallow a certain procedure, it can ruin the board ?

[Kevin Mullins]

Yes... I had to do it with my own Buster Brothers.... And I have a few Sega boards that will do it also.

It certainly looks like you have the capbattery version of Capcom Bowling.
But I would read up a bit on the "suicide battery" stuff if you haven't already.
Some of those will flat-ass die and be useless if you just remove the battery.
It holds some encrypted stuff in the NVRAM memory and this will be lost if the battery is removed without power being applied.

http://www.arcadecollecting.com/dead/dead.html

I found Capcom Bowling on this list: w/battery
http://www.system16.com/cybercade/capcom_list.html

But I didn't find anything that said for sure that yours is one of those that die when the battery does. Just be sure to do some homework, and at least look into how to do a battery swap with out losing power to be safe.

[arcadefever]

Kevin thanks for the tips 

[korendog]

I've checked out most of the writeups on the "suicide battery" issue and it appears this one is just a regular battery.  ie; it will not affect any of the game code if removed  Now I just have to find out if I can replace it with an alternative battery.  Maybe a lithium or similar.  Any suggestions?  If this "capattery" is 5.5V then I'm assuming I can just replace with an equivalent right?

[Kevin Mullins]

hmmm... I can only assume since it is a "capacitor" / "battery" that is taking on a small charge from the pcb while it is on which is what keeps it alive. So I would think that as far as an alternative that it would need to be a rechargable of sorts.
From what I was reading earlier these things last alot longer than a regular battery.
And if it doesn't hold any encrypted information in memory, then I wouldn't worry about it too much until settings or high scores, etc quit holding.
But it's also good to do the research now rather then later.

[StephenH]

If it is a pre-CPS game with a suicide battery, there is a suicide battery patch that takes some new EEPROMS, and EEPROM programmer, some wire, and removing a resistor.

[NightGod]

And if it doesn't hold any encrypted information in memory, then I wouldn't worry about it too much until settings or high scores, etc quit holding.
But it's also good to do the research now rather then later.

I'd like to replace it so the high scores stay saved.  I've stared at this board for quite a while and can't identify anything that would be a battery.

*cough*

[Kevin Mullins]

OK . . . .

Yes, the board still functions and the game play is great. 

Does your Capcom Bowling board not only function and play great, but does it currently hold the high scores as it was designed to do?

 

I was under the assumption the he just wanted to change the battery as a precautionary measure prior to racking up some great highscores.

i.e. - Goes along playing just fine enjoying life mastering the art of obtaining an incrediblely well deserved high score..... and then BAM!! .... it dies.

But... I could be wrong.

[korendog]

First off let me thank you guys for all the help and input.  I appreciate it.  At this point in time the board functions as it should except for saving of high scores and the settings.  It's not really a huge deal, but it would be nice to keep those high scores saved in there.  My best friend racked up a good one then my 9 year old niece blew the doors off it! lol  Ever since I got a replacement trackball they love the Capcom Bowling.  I guess I'll have to see if I can locate one of the capacitor/battery thingys and go from there.  I wish there were a better alternative, but I guess not.

[Kevin Mullins]

Ah.... I defineately mis-understood that it already had a memory issue.

Have you actually measured the voltage on the capbattery while the power is off?
(just curious)

Phew !! ..... I looked all over for them things and found several in other countries, but so far only one in the states with the right specs so far. But I'm sure there's others.
http://www.hosfelt.com/index.html?target=dept_184.html&lang=en-us

EDIT: Found a couple others, but their sites were way complicated or you had to research the .pdf's to figure out which part number you needed and such.... so I gave up on those.