The problems associated with the original Gottlieb driver board are four-fold - connections to the CPU can be corroded and cause poor driver/lamp signals; the MPS-U45 is a very difficult transistor to find; the old 2N3055 transistors burned holes through the PCB, and a failed driver board will cause as much damage to a sound board as a failed sound board would do in reverse. Ni-Wumpf has redesigned the System 80 driver board to address all these issues, and adds in a few more features that should prove useful: Each driver circuit is equipped with fault detection circuitry and LED's to indicate circuit failure.
- Note: that the LED will remain lit when a game does not support the associated playfield driver components
- Each solenoid has fault detection circuitry that identifies failed play-field/driver board components
- FET solenoid transistors
- Higher rated transistor components for all circuits
- Discrete components for easier/less-expensive service repair in the future. Using a transistor array is neat, but costly, when one lamp in the array fails!
- Open-collector interface to the sound board to buffer against failures generated to/from that sourceModern component architecture uses currently available parts for easy field service - only parts that do not normally fail are surface mounted
- Diode isolated grounds to prevent play-field lamp problems from the board
