:: Belgium Roadtrip :: Quest for SEGA G-Loc Deluxe ::

[Sonic 1992]

I know restoring your games is alot of fun, but are you doing the work in the lair?  I know that cleaning, sanding is very dust making and messy!      

I take it you don't have anywhere else to do it?  Garage maybe?  (hate to see your other games & the lair covered with dust & dirt!)  double duty, restore & clean up....

[DarthNuno]

I take it you don't have anywhere else to do it?  Garage maybe?  (hate to see your other games & the lair covered with dust & dirt!)  double duty, restore & clean up....

Well, that is my biggest problem : I do not have a workshop for that 
I'm using a room at the first floor in my house to repair the games, and it's a HUGE job to bring them at the first floor (because of the stairs, corridors, I need people to help me...  ), but for the case of G-Loc... it's just impossible, unfortunately 
Generally I do not make 'dangerous' things inside my game room, such painting, wood cutting. Maybe in the V3 I would be able to have small workshop area  ?

Ok, now... the G-Loc is now complete/in one piece   

[DarthNuno]

Unfortunately, the problem with this game is worst now 

I know the hydraulic parts are not working, but now even the game doesn't start anymore 

I hope it's just a power supply problem :
When I power on the game, I hear the fans, but nothing come on screen. I also tried to play or insert coin (without having a picture), but I don't hear something... So I presume even the board doesn't start 

I have to check what happens on this one 

But hey, even switch off, it really looks cool under the neons   

[DarthNuno]

Back ok this... got TWO set of PCB... but untested ( ) ...

Yes, I don't like to buy 'untested' boards, but I'm so sad to see a such beast 'non-working' inside the game room ... so let' see if I'm lucky on this 



Well, even if these boards are working, it won't fix the hydraulic system... I just expect to have the game working first (without motion).

In order to fix the motion, I must find drive boards and/or motor driver boards...

[Samurajer]

I have a G-loc DLX too,

maybe we can exchange ideas... My actuators are working, although one is a bit slower.

do you have the schematics?

cheers, Samurajer

[DarthNuno]

I have a G-loc DLX too,

maybe we can exchange ideas... My actuators are working, although one is a bit slower.

do you have the schematics?

cheers, Samurajer

Hello Samurajer and welcome here 

Hey, an other G-Loc deluxe owner  Where are you located?

Well, I have the owner's manual but it doesn't include the schematics for the drive boards and/or motor driver boards. It seems that SEGA Japan didn't publish these specific schematics 

[Samurajer]

My G-loc is now in almost perfect working order; just need to get some painting done and stickering.

is your game running? Since you wrote that at first movement was all that failed, I reckon it's most probably the safety that's on... so one of the perimeter breach units is either missaligned, dirty or not well connected.

I made a little sketch explaining all the units in the base of G-loc for those that want to repair one...

[DarthNuno]

Many thanks for that picture Samurajer  It will help me to localize what could be wrong on my cockpit.
I've done some work on it... but still do not understand what are the problems yet  (I'll post my work on this soon...)

Lucky man... having a fully working G-Loc deluxe is awesome  Congratulation 

But hey... I still have hope  See... I got my Top Gun suit... and I'm ready to fly now    



...friends name me 'Darth Maverik' now 

 

[Samurajer]

Cool picture,

looks even better off course if there'd be something on the screen.

I found that if you disconnect a perimeter breach sensors, the safety is off; so actuators will be allowed to move.

but that doesn't fix your main problem now. The y-board runs on 5 volt only: that will be easy to check on the power supply itself: there is nothing between that supply and the power cord accept the relay and automatic fuse. Since your fans are spinning, the supply should be powered.
Keep me posted!

samurajer

[DarthNuno]

Yes, during the test, some perimeter breach sensors weren't connected. But even with all of them connected, I'm not able to have something on screen or any move 

Ok, it's time to test the 'untested' boards I got : 2 set of two boards... so here all the stuff I have now : 3 set of two boards.

Before removing the cage with the initial board, let's take a picture for the connectors location :





So I try the 'untested' set of two boards #1, and the 'untested' set of two boards #2 ...



...nothing happens... no move, black screen 

Ok, let's check the voltage...



...just before arriving on the boards... seems ok 



Because he didn't have the 'motor drive boards' schematics, the previous owner tried a lot of experience on one of the two 'motor drive board'. Something go wrong because of that now... let's unplug the connector coming from them...



Power on and ... The game is back on screen   







...but as you can see, all the GFX are not there 

let's plug the motor drive boards again... and ...

... the game is doing one of the two motor check  ... see that video 



I'm now *almost* at the same point than the time I got it : game is working, and half motion only during the 'power on' test.

Ok, let's try to get back all the GFX on screen, let's swap boards from the three different set of boards I got... maybe two of them are working fine...



Argh... black screen and no motion on all the boards combination  Let's put back the previously working combination : nothing! Let's unplug the motor drive boards : nothing!

A real nightmare!

It's like the motor drive boards infects game boards!?... very strange! Any Sega specialist around?  I'm sure I have to change at least one of the two motor board/driver (motor digital powersupply on the Samurajer schema) , because it has been badly modified previously 

[Samurajer]

Pretty interesting and not at all hopeless results though! I notice three things, which lead to a fourth:

1) on the working sega screen: your background is missing. This means that one of the 68000 is not acting, I believe. I don't know if that is actually one of the two boards.
2) disconnecting the DA/AD-board connector might help if there is a short circuit on one of the lines. But it might also be a switch of because of a failing selftest. But I can't tell...
3) but I did notice: you have the schematics and owners manual! excellent! Could you mail me a copy?
4) if you do, we could isolate the problem more easily!

good luck, and oh: beware of static electricity: 1988 boads are still very sensitive to that. Putting one on your nylon carpet would be unadvicable...

 

[Samurajer]

By the way, I have a supply of light bulbs used in sega machines: 110-140V 6-10W These are used for instance in the chase lights of the G-loc.

I'd Be happy to send them to anyone in The Benelux... I have about 18 bulbs in stock.. It would be perfect to trade them against, say, the schematics of G-loc

[sega-sim-fan]

how are you getting on with this? these simulators need a lot of help!


cheers matt
www.mandccars.com/spaceharrier.htm

[DarthNuno]

Hi sega-sim-fan, and welcome here 

Well, I hope to have very soon a couple of motor drive boards.

I've already seen the incredible work you've done on your Space Harrier *deluxe*. Congratulation! Your pictures will be very helpful when I'll start to clean this G_Loc. 

[Samurajer]

Hi there DarthNuno,

hope your new driver boards work out. If that doesn't solve it, I think the board before that: the A/D D/A board is to blame. I analyzed the motor supplies to be driven by a simple four bit (four wire) control. 1 bit for the motor direction (thus supply polarity) and three bits for motor speed (supply voltage). You can simply test this with the actuators in the center position and making all four bits 'high' (+5 volt), for a very, very short time; the motors should run at maximum speed: so stop in time! Better of course to just measure the supply voltage with the motors disconnected. I do not know if the end switches are connected directly to the power supply or to the A/D/ D/A board... I guess they are not connected to the power supply as the motor test in the service screen can ignore them....

I don't know if you measured on the supplies yet... If they are dead, then that's that, but they are heavily protected by electronic overcurrent and thermal cut outs so I doubt wheather they died. Both of them! The only fragile part in the supplies is the H-bridge for the motor direction; these are easily repaired though (just four parts there).


please let me know; this shit is some damn fine Japanese electronic art!