Stern Star Trek game Start up

[dschulpius]

Hi,

I've got a Stern Star Trek LE that has a weird acting start button.

After a game ends I can't start another one when I try to push the start button. When I run a switch test in this state the button does not show up when I push it.

Oddly when I reboot the game I can test the start button and it tests good and I can start a game.

Then the cycle starts again. If I want to play a second game I need to reboot.

By an off chance I looked in the manual at the settings and didn't find one that I could understand would cause this behavior. It would be a dumb setting anyway. LOL. 

The only other odd thing that's happening is that I need to reset the connection to the center LED arrow light strip once in a while. These are the lights that point at the Vengeance StarShip in the center of the PF. They go wonky sometimes and show different colors and flash with no purpose. Resetting corrects this. However I really don't think one thing has to do with the other.

Any ideas what is happening with the start button?

[BigMatt]

After a fresh reboot, does the start button in switch test work continuously?

Also can you change starting the game to the action button and see if its the same behavior?

And can you start a multiplayer game after a fresh reboot or is it one and done. Maybe the gsme is set to single player only in a menu?
Weird issue, maybe reistall code

[dschulpius]

Hi BigMAtt, Thanks for the help. Ya, weird stuff indeed.

Good questions and I'll need to do a few tests to answer them. I can say that after a fresh reboot the start button does work continually in switch test. After a game is played it wont respond. I'll check out your other questions and get back to you.

I have a feeling it's on the board or a connector somewhere. Not sure though. Odd that it works well after a reboot. I really don't know a lot about these Stern S.A.M. Board Systems. I've worked on many 80's and 90's pins but not these newer ones. Something to look forward to and learn. 

Hopefully it's just a corrupt code and a reinstall may fix it like you suggest. I'll give that a try after I fuddle around a bit. 

[Neal_W]

The start micro switch snaps into the lamp holder which snaps into the push button like a B/W start button.  If the lamp holder is worn and no longer snaps in tightly or does not hold the micro switch tightly, it will cause intermittent start button operation.  You can imagine, each time you press the start button it is trying to push the switch out of place. 

[WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot]

It's a long shot, but test the start in switch test and then each the switches on the same row/column one at a time, and then back to the start.(Start, bottom pop, start, etc) I have a Premium and I did have a similar behavior where everything worked until a shorted switch was triggered and the CPU took it offline to prevent free scoring.

Hi BigMAtt, Thanks for the help. Ya, weird stuff indeed.

Good questions and I'll need to do a few tests to answer them. I can say that after a fresh reboot the start button does work continually in switch test. After a game is played it wont respond. I'll check out your other questions and get back to you.

I have a feeling it's on the board or a connector somewhere. Not sure though. Odd that it works well after a reboot. I really don't know a lot about these Stern S.A.M. Board Systems. I've worked on many 80's and 90's pins but not these newer ones. Something to look forward to and learn. 

Hopefully it's just a corrupt code and a reinstall may fix it like you suggest. I'll give that a try after I fuddle around a bit. 

[k7]

factory reset the game as well. first thing Stern has you do for odd behavior.

the start button will not fail, then work fine after a reboot. unless the CPU logic is disabling it...but i doubt that

you have one of 3 4 issues:

  1) you have a code issue. burn fresh SD card with latest code.
  2) goofy setting toggled in the menu. i doubt anything menu wise, can create your issue.
  3) a switch matrix issue, as addressed by whiskeytango...long shot, but i've seen solder globs at lamp sockets take out the node board functions.
  4) your cabinet node is messed up. shakers do blow these up, sadly.

[tktlwyr]

  1) you have a code issue. burn fresh SD card with latest code.
 
  4) your cabinet node is messed up. shakers do blow these up, sadly.

SAM game.

[WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot]

SAM game.

I have the latest game code with the movie soundtrack if needed.

[dschulpius]

WOW thanks guys. I really appreciate the help. I'll look at each of these suggestions. I've been a bit busy with other issues these past few days. This is getting back to the top of my to do list. 

[k7]

SAM game.

i'm so Spike2 centered....lol.

so forget my list of 4 things. just the top 3:  factory reset, fresh code, something bunk
in the matrix, which you would see under a switch test.

those SAM boards are pretty bulletproof.

[dschulpius]

Thanks again for the tips and help.

I think it's fixed. I was looking through the settings and saw the Fast Boot option. I decided to give turning it OFF a try to see if it helped. Sure enough, it seemed to work. I set it to NO and rebooted the pin. The game went through a process of verifying the image. When done I started and played my first game. After it ended I held my breath and pushed the start button to start a second game. Bam! Checkoff said "Welcome Aboard" and the second game started.

I reset the Fast Boot setting to ON, rebooted and am still able to start a second (and third, forth..... game). Yay!

I don't know if the image verification in Slow Boot start up mode did it or something else but everything worked after I did that.

Fire phasers, Warp 10! LOL 

[BigMatt]

Thanks again for the tips and help.

I think it's fixed. I was looking through the settings and saw the Fast Boot option. I decided to give turning it OFF a try to see if it helped. Sure enough, it seemed to work. I set it to NO and rebooted the pin. The game went through a process of verifying the image. When done I started and played my first game. After it ended I held my breath and pushed the start button to start a second game. Bam! Checkoff said "Welcome Aboard" and the second game started.

I reset the Fast Boot setting to ON, rebooted and am still able to start a second (and third, forth..... game). Yay!

I don't know if the image verification in Slow Boot start up mode did it or something else but everything worked after I did that.

Fire phasers, Warp 10! LOL 

Nice! Great discovery

[CUJO]

Thanks again for the tips and help.

I think it's fixed. I was looking through the settings and saw the Fast Boot option. I decided to give turning it OFF a try to see if it helped. Sure enough, it seemed to work. I set it to NO and rebooted the pin. The game went through a process of verifying the image. When done I started and played my first game. After it ended I held my breath and pushed the start button to start a second game. Bam! Checkoff said "Welcome Aboard" and the second game started.

I reset the Fast Boot setting to ON, rebooted and am still able to start a second (and third, forth..... game). Yay!

I don't know if the image verification in Slow Boot start up mode did it or something else but everything worked after I did that.

Fire phasers, Warp 10! LOL 

I haad this "verifying image" pop up on my Metallica (the original Pro) the other day when my GF turned it on. I was in the other room so I didn't see the message but it didn't stay on the screen long. First time I've seen my Metallica do this since I bought it from Curly years back. Hasn't done it since that one time. Sort of curious why? Are the Stern Sam systems to do this automatically after so many power ons or something like that?

[k7]

I haad this "verifying image" pop up on my Metallica (the original Pro) the other day when my GF turned it on. I was in the other room so I didn't see the message but it didn't stay on the screen long. First time I've seen my Metallica do this since I bought it from Curly years back. Hasn't done it since that one time. Sort of curious why? Are the Stern Sam systems to do this automatically after so many power ons or something like that?

not that i know of. none of this "update node boards" crap.

was a factory reset ever done on this star trek LE? that wipes out "errors" that aren't really a problem.

this one still puzzles me. a reboot will not make a start button "function" in test.

i swear by the SAM board sets.