{"id":664,"date":"2023-12-01T08:36:56","date_gmt":"2023-12-01T04:36:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jrtwine.com\/blog\/?p=664"},"modified":"2024-02-27T23:31:41","modified_gmt":"2024-02-27T19:31:41","slug":"alltek-ultimate-solenoid-driver-board-with-only-the-43-vdc-led-lit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jrtwine.com\/blog\/alltek-ultimate-solenoid-driver-board-with-only-the-43-vdc-led-lit\/","title":{"rendered":"Alltek Ultimate Solenoid Driver Board with only the +43 VDC LED lit"},"content":{"rendered":"

So I have a stand-alone Mata Hari headboard that is used for testing purposes.<\/h1>\n

I previously had a Alltek<\/em> Ultimate Solenoid Driver Board<\/strong> (USDB) in it that was powering an Alltek<\/em> MPU board.\u00a0 That USDB was pulled because it was needed for another purpose and I later received a new USDB as a replacement.\u00a0 However, after connecting this one up it only lit up its +43 VDC<\/strong> LED. (Actually, it also lit up its 180 VDC<\/strong> LED, but that has nothing to do with this post.)<\/p>\n

\"USDB<\/a>
Not Powering Up Correctly<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

<\/p>\n

I verified all of the voltages on the power supply’s (rectifier board’s) test points and all the way to the back<\/em> of the connector that plugs into J3<\/strong> on the USDB.\u00a0 Everything was where it should be.\u00a0 I even resocketed and replaced the plug for the J3<\/strong> connector on the power supply, just in case (some pins showed signs of burning), but that did not fix anything, either.<\/p>\n

I looked around Alltek’s web site<\/a> but did not find anything for the specific issue I was having.\u00a0 I sent an email and quickly got a response from “Dave” offering to replace the board, no questions asked<\/em>.\u00a0 I realized I had not described the problem correctly and after I did, he quickly identified the problem as a missing +12<\/strong> VDC<\/strong> going into the board as that is what the +5 VDC<\/strong> and +3V3<\/strong> rails derive from.<\/p>\n

I was a bit skeptical as I had already verified that the +12 VDC<\/strong> existed and went to the connector but told him I would take another look at it.\u00a0 Having a closer look at the connector it looked like the wiper on the orange<\/span> +12 VDC<\/strong> wire had backed out of the connector a bit.\u00a0 I pulled it from the connector and it disintegrated as it came out.\u00a0 I think I found the problem!<\/p>\n

I clipped the broken wiper, crimped on a replacement, and reinserted it into the connector.\u00a0 Upon applying power the USDB came right up with all of its LEDs lit and the tornado<\/em> was, well, tornadoing<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\"USDB<\/a>
Working Once More!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

So!\u00a0 Just because you have signal or voltage present on the back<\/em> or inspection\/testing<\/em> side of a connector does not mean that it is actually present on the other side<\/strong> of that connector!<\/p>\n

And kudos to “Dave” at Alltek<\/em> for helping me get things sorted out!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

So I have a stand-alone Mata Hari headboard that is used for testing purposes. I previously had a Alltek Ultimate Solenoid Driver Board (USDB) in it that was powering an Alltek MPU board.\u00a0 That USDB was pulled because it was needed for another purpose and I later received a new USDB as a replacement.\u00a0 However, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,10,7],"tags":[103,104,102,105,106],"class_list":["post-664","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-repair-logs","category-ballymidway","category-repair-logs-2","tag-alltek","tag-allteksystems","tag-pinball","tag-solenoiddriverboard","tag-troubleshooting"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t