The Enterprise is on fire!!!

Hehe, funny hein?!

I bought the ST25th from Terry (b1buwg97). The game had the light rope issue so I tested the rope itself and all the lights are ok so I installed a new ULN2003. I started a game and all worked well untill (maybe 2-3 minutes) I heard a little crispy sound comming from the speaker and I say a big F#@*#@# smoke coming from the head of the game!!!!   Cap'tain, what the hell is happen here?!?!?

The new ULN2003 started to burn!!!  Poouuach, this thing stink!!!  

Anybody can tell me what can did that???
The old ULN2003 was physically in great shape, just don't work... Why the new one burned like that???

I would guess something further up the circuit is causing this.

And I assume it was put in correct?  I once put a sound rom in backwords and fried an unrelated transitor.

Quoted from Monkeybug

I would guess something further up the circuit is causing this. If so, why the old one did not fried?

And I assume it was put in correct? Yes, it was.  I once put a sound rom in backwords and fried an unrelated transitor.

It's possible the old chip failed for the same reason but with less drama. I would measure the voltage of each pin on the cables which connect to this board.

Scotty would have that up in running in no time.

Physical evidence looks like it burned on the output side on pin 12 or 13. I would say you have a short on that output.

The other one may have done the same thing... just less dramatic.

Quoted from necro_nemesis

Scotty would have that up in running in no time.

Too bad he's dead now.

Quoted from ALJO

Too bad he's dead now.

The funny thing is that I bought that machine the day before he died.

Quoted from necro_nemesis

Physical evidence looks like it burned on the output side on pin 12 or 13. I would say you have a short on that output.

Yep, you're right, the light rope plug on this output but all tested good?! Mistere et boulle de gomme!!
I ordered some others ULN2003 and when I will receive them I will retest the board with the rope plug unpluged to see what will happen. Maybe something wrong in the rope?! And if so, why they tested good??

Quoted from Bish

The funny thing is that I bought that machine the day before he died.

Malediction?!

Quoted from Bish

The funny thing is that I bought that machine the day before he died.

He must of heard that the game was now in good hands...And he could now leave in peace.

Warp speed is very risky !!  
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kj178APgdno

You could measure the current the circuit is drawing. If your exceeding 500mA that's your problem. I don't know quite what these lights are like but if they are in parallel all it would take is one bad bulb in the string to short when it warms up.

Each channel is rated to 500mA continuous and 600mA peak.

This is an extremely common problem on this game, I am sure more games have these lights not working than working. From what I understand the lights can short from ball hits causing the chip to blow up. Hmmmm, Not that I think about it, I think the problem had to do with the very thin insulation on the wires inside the blue tubes. I forget for sure...

Tony at http://www.pinballwizzard.com was remaking this board and a new set of Chase Lights for it. I haven't talked to him in a while to see where he is at, but I know he was working on it.

He is the guy who made the lighted wires for the engine in Corvette and his ball trough repair piece is Great!!

Dave