Star Tech Journal

12
STAR*TEyH JOURNAL/DECEMBER 1982
(Gott/ieb 's "Q•BERT" Continued)
H&R Enterprises,
a division of
Famlee Electronics, Inc.
has ...
Over
2 Million
Integrated
Circuits
ALL IN STOCK . ..
TRANSISTORS AND DIODES TOO!
H&R
ENTERpRiSES
9025 Eton Avenue
Canoga Park, CA
91304
21}/709-4~40
TELEX: 6622~8
DOMESTIC
& EXPORT!
TIRED OF
,__...__ WAITING
FOR YOUR
BOARDS?
HOW MANY TIMES ARE YOU WILLING TO
HEAR, "YOUR BOARDS ARE NOT READY
YET'? MAKE THE CHANGE - COME SEE
US AND GET RESULTS - NOT EXCUSES!
"FLAT RATE"
prices for all repair and exchanges
on printed circuit boards:
In an effort to streamline the processing and speed up our
printed circuit board repair/exchange program, we have
established a "flat rate" price for all repair and exchanges
(Monitor PC Boards not included).
These rates will NOT apply: (1) If board has been
brutalized or damaged by the customer. Missing components
will be charged separately. (2) Two sets of boards in metal
cases.
"Flat rate" charges will apply in ALL other cases.
LOGIC,CPU,MPU .. . $60
SCORE DISPLAY . .. $41
POWER SUPPLY ... .. 41
LAMP DRIVER . ... .. 32
SOLENOID DRIVER ... 41
TRANSFORMER .. . .. 34
SOUND/AUDIO .... . . 41
ATARI VECTOR
ATARI AUXILIARY .. . 70
GENERATOR. ..... 70
Fastest Service ... Quantity Discounts ... Call Now!
FRISCO ELECTRONICS
& VENDING INC.
3299-19th Stree~ San Francisco, CA 94103
(Authorized Atari Service Center)
OPEN 24 HOURS!
DAY: (415) 648-5466 NIGHT: (415)359-5641
SOUND ADJUSTMENTS - As always, there
is an 8-position dip switch located on the sound/
speech board. Apparently there are no options
adjustable with these switches since there is no
mention of this dip switch at all in the game
manual. These switches must have some effect,
however, since toggling all switches in the "off''
position results in no sound or speech. Games
from the factory are shipped with all switches in
the "on" position (and this is the way they should
be left).
The potentiometers located directly on the
sound/speech board have been factory-sealed and
usually no adjustments are necessary. Proper
calibration requires an oscilloscope.
VOLUME CONTROL-A single volume control
pot is mounted on the service panel assembly
(counter-clockwise decreases volume, clockwise
increases it).
For detailed information on all options and all
elements of the self test, see the "Q•BERT"
production game manual.
MISCELLANEOUS INFO
Monitor - Color rastor-scan Wells-Gardner
Model 19K4951
Joystick - 4-way Suzo Rotterdam
Coin door - Coin Controls Mfg.
Coin rejectors - Coin Controls Mfg.
Knocker coil - AS 195
Slam-switch - None used
1- and 2-player start switches - No lamps mounted
in them (i.e. Do not flash indicating credit.)
NOTES
1. Joystick employs micro, not blade switches
(it's not a Wico).
2. Coin door is the type with two small doors
mounted one on top of the other ( same as the
ones on recent Atari videos).
3. Knocker coil - Yes, a knocker coil! ( At least
there isn't a game over relay). This one is fused
and will momentarily energize on power up.
During game play, this coil energizes when the
player-controlled Q•BERT or Coily snake
jumps off the edge of the pyramid. An option
setting (switch 6 kicker on/off) can disable this
coil during game play.
CONNECTORS - There is only a single 60-pin
edge connector mounted on the main logic board.
Both voltages(+S and +11.5) enter this connector
as well as all inputs ( coin door and control panel
switches) and outputs (video and sync, sound
board enables, and coin counter). There are four
connectors on the power supply, and a single
connector for the sound/speech board.
Board
Main Logic
Connector&
No. of Pins
Al-Pl
Power Supply A3-Pl
Function
60 All inputs &
outputs
4 Unregulated
11.Svdc input
Power Supply A3-P2
Power Supply A3-P3
10 AC inputs
Power Supply A3-P4
Sound Board A6-Pl
16 +Svdc output
12 Enables, power
in, audio out
7
+12,+20,+30
-12 output
NOTES:
1. All connectors are keyed.
2. Wire color code is the same as the one used in
Gottlieb pinball.
3. Male connectors codes AxPx, female con-
nectors AxJx.
4. A3-Pl is a 4-pin rectangularmolex connector,
very similar ( slightly bigger pins) to the one
used on Atari" Asteroid" and "Lunar Lander"
audio regulator boards, the one that always
broke off and was later replaced by a more
stable square type in " Asteroids Deluxe").
CONCLUSION/COMMENTS
Writing the new system preview for a new game
employing a completely new system would normally
be very difficult. Never having serviced these
particular boards or games means there is nothing
to fall back on. With "Q•BERT", however, I had
the feeling I had seen it all before. A transformer
assembly with a bridge rectifier and large filter cap
(like Atari), the boards mounted on a hinged back
door ( like Tai to), a detailed self test consisting of a
" menu" of various sub tests (like Midway's MCR
II board system). This is not to say that this is not
an original design. There are just so many ways to
put together a video game, and certain parts have
to be the same from manufacturer to manufac-
turer. Quite the contrary, this design is very unique
- (who else uses the Intel 8088?) and cost
Gottlieb a great deal of time and money to
engineer. What the similarities do show is that
Gottlieb, having been the last major manufacturer
to enter the video marketplace, was given the
opportunity to examine all existing video game
designs and, much to their credit, they used this
opportunity to select those areas which they felt
were most important in regard to cost, reliability,
and servicing. The standardization that many
operators are asking for certainly exists within
most manufacturers' own designs (Williams'
"Defender" system, Taito's "Qix" board system,
and Atari - whose boards and especially cabinet
design are basically the same from game to game).
These manufacturers' individual designs (as
"Q•BERT" illustrates) are heading in the same
general direction of standarization. I'm sure Todd
Erickson will be happy with "Q•BERT's" Coin
Controls coin door and "Distributions" category
of self test ( which affords the operator the ability to
customize the options according to that individual
location's skill level). However, any technician
whose preference is for Wico joysticks and quick
type control panel fasteners will be disappointed
("Q•BERT" employs a Suzo Rotterdamjoystick
and wing nuts to hold the control panel down).
As I sit here reading "Stark Tech Journal's 3rd
Annual Reader Survey" ( Oct. '82), I realize that it
is impossible to please all the people (game players,
distributors, operators, and technicians) all the
time. It is my only hope that the manufacturers
(like Gottlieb has with "Q•BERT") never stop
trying.
One final note - The game manual in
"Q•BERT" is excellent, especially the actual
photographs illustrating the cabinet and various
sub assemblies. A complete set of easy-to-read
schematics (particularly the "Primary Power/
Interconnection Diagram") is included. There is
also a listing for most parts, including those on the
printed circuit boards. Over the past year, all of
Gottlieb's game manuals and schematics have
improved greatly.