Stern SPIKE™ System Repair

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1 Stern SPIKE™ System Repair

1.1 Introduction

The SPIKE™ System is the current board system used by Stern Pinball. The first full production game to use the SPIKE Board Set was Wrestlemania in 2015. The SPIKE architecture is a large departure from prior board set architectures. Per Stern, "The SPIKE Pinball system is rugged, distributed, and embedded platform custom-designed for the rigors of the pinball machine environment".

The SPIKE system is comprised of a CPU board and a series of several "node boards" that are powered from a 48VDC power bus. Each SPIKE "node board" will regulate this 48VDC down to the proper voltage required to operate the "devices" under control of that node (lamps, coils, switches, etc). Nodes are connected with standard CAT 5e (or better) 8 conductor Ethernet wiring although the interface protocol is not Ethernet, and connecting a SPIKE node to computer Ethernet will damage the board (per Stern). There are several node boards mounted to the bottom side of the playfield to control the various lamps, coils, and switches on the playfield. There is one "cabinet" node board located next to the plumb bob tilt assembly which controls start button, tilt, coin door, diagnostic switches, dollar bill acceptor, shaker motor, ticket dispenser, coin meters, etc.

1.2 Games

1.2.1 SPIKE 1

1.2.2 SPIKE 2

1.3 Technical Info

1.3.1 The SPIKE Board Set

Stern has issued a technical video discussing the Spike system boards: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvefdrNaAPg


Spike 1 CPU board installed in a Ghostbusters.

Ghostbusters Spike 1 board




1.3.2 Recommended Documentation

1.3.2.1 Manuals

As always, it is highly recommended to possess a game manual. Every game manual is full of detailed information regarding game specific switch, lamp, and coil assignments. Equally, details for maneuvering through test, audit, and bookkeeping screen menus, schematics for all boards used, and game specific mechanical assemblies are included.

  • Wrestlemania manuals - Pro, LE
  • Jurassic Park manuals - Pro

1.3.2.2 Schematics

Game 520-6936-01 SPIKE-1 CPU Node Board 509-1000-00 SPIKE-2 CPU Node Board 509-1003-01 SPIKE-2 CPU Node Board 520-5319-00 Cabinet Node Board 520-6967-xx Cabinet Node Board 520-6935-10 8-Coil Playfield Node Board 520-6985-72 8-Coil Playfield Node Board 520-7017-72 8-Coil Playfield Node Board 520-5322-00 32-Light & Switch Board 520-5329-10 4-Coil Playfield Node Board 520-6998-72 4-Coil Playfield Node Board 520-6976-72 SPI Core Playfield Node Board Misc.
Whoa Nellie Node 0 Node 1 Node 8 Node 10 Node 9 & 11
KISS Prem/LE Node 0 Node 1 Node 8, 9, & 10 Node 11
Game of Thrones Prem/LE Node 0 Node 1 Node 8, 11 Node 9, 10
Ghostbusters Prem/LE Node 0 Node 1 Node 8 & 9 Node 10 Node 24 - 520-6988-00 LCD Node (Ecto Goggles)
Batman 66 Node 0 Node 1 Node 8 & 9 Node 10 - 520-7019-72 Turntable Node, Node 24 - LCD Node (Villain Vision)
Aerosmith Pro Node 0 Node 1 Node 8 & 9
Star Wars Prem/LE Node 0 Node 1 Node 8 & 9 Node 11 Node 10
Guardians of the Galaxy Prem/LE Node 0 Node 1 Node 8 & 9 Node 11 Node 10
Iron Maiden Pro Node 0 Node 1 Node 8 & 9
Deadpool Pro Node 0 Node 1 Node 8 & 9
Beatles Node 0 Node 1 Node 8 & 9
Munsters Prem/LE Node 0 Node 1 Node 8 & 9
Black Knight: Sword of Rage Node 0 Node 1 Node 8 & 9
Jurassic Park Node 0 Node 1 Node 8 & 9
Star Wars Pin Node 0 Node 8

Notes:

  1. 509-1000-00 replaced by 509-1003-01
  2. 520-6985-72 replaced by 520-7017-72
  3. For the Star Wars Pin (Home Edition), Node 8 subsumes the functions performed by the cabinet node board (typically Node 1 on other Spike machines).


1.3.3 Accessing Bookkeeping, Settings, and Diagnostic Modes

Ghostbusters coin door pushbuttons




Spike system games use four pushbutton switches (located on the coin door) to access the bookkeeping, adjustments, and diagnostics very much like Williams WPC series machines do. The black pushbutton enters the menu while the two red + and - pushbuttons step you through the menu (also act as volume up and volume down). If you want to go backwards, push the green button (it acts like "escape" function).

1.3.4 Cabinet Node Board Information

LED indicators on the board:

  • Red: 48 volts is present at the board
  • Yellow: Board is communicating with cpu board
  • Green: 6 volts is present at the board

Ghostbusters # 520-6967-00 (replaced by 520-6967-72) Cabinet Node Board connectors:

  • CN1: Universal Card link (if present on your particular board)
  • CN2: Low tickets warning in ticket dispenser
  • CN3: To Meter #1 (usually coin counter, use a 12 volt meter)
  • CN4: To Meter #2 (usually tickets out, use a 12 volt meter)
  • CN5: From Coin Door coin switches and coin entry LED lights
  • CN6: Left cabinet switch inputs (tilt, start, etc)
  • CN7: Right cabinet switch inputs
  • CN8: From electronic coin mechanism (for export machines only)
  • CN9: From Dollar Bill Acceptor
  • CN10: From coin door volume and diagnostic switches
  • CN11: Ticket dispenser
  • CN12: Volume and diagnostic switches output to cpu board connector CN25
  • CN13: RJ45 Node Data Bus
  • CN14: 48 volts DC power input
  • CN15: Optional spare LED +5 volt power source
  • CN16: To shaker motor

1.3.5 Dollar Bill Acceptors

The Spike system machines come with a bill acceptor coin door and dollar bill acceptor wiring harness already installed. Many are wired for using 120 volts AC powered bill acceptors (Mars/MEI AE-2411-300 is recommended), but there are reports some machines are wired for 12 volts DC models instead. Here is a Ghostbusters which comes wired for 120 volts AC power for the bill acceptor.

Ghostbusters bill acceptor connector




1.3.6 Optional Equipment

This power supply for 12 volt and 5 volt accessory items has four Molex output jacks and is fused:

Power supply for backbox mounting

This power supply is the same as above except it mounts in the lower cabinet near the cashbox:

Power supply for lower cabinet mounting

This 8 way splitter provides eight 12 volt only Molex jacks and mounts only in the backbox:

8 Way splitter for backbox mounting

Knocker Kit provides a real knocker:

Real Knocker Kit for Spike 1 and Spike 2

1.4 Problems and Solutions

1.4.1 Power Problems

The main power supply is 48 volts @ 10.5 amps and has a cooling fan. Some versions have the fan on the front of the power supply while others may have the fan mounted on the top. Power supply is a Mean Well # RSP-500-48 (Jameco Electronics # 2198014).


Ghostbusters Pro 48 volt power supply




Ghostbusters wiring interconnection label.

Ghostbusters interconnection wiring label




1.4.1.1 Noisy Power Supply Fan

There have been reports of the fan on the switching regulator 48 volt power supply becoming too loud. There is now a plug n play replacement fan kit. The fan in the kit is a lot quieter.

Spike Quiet Fan Kit

1.4.1.2 Relocating the Power Switch

One complaint with Spike machines is the fact the power on-off switch is located in the backbox. If the machine is located in a bank of machines, it may be difficult to reach the power switch. Some people have ordered a Stern # 515-7085-00 Power Switch and Bracket assembly and mounted it in the usual right front bottom cabinet location. Then wires are run up to the backbox and connected in place of the backbox power switch. Stern installs a shaker motor in the right front of the cabinet now. So the shaker motor (if installed) must be relocated farther back in the cabinet (about 6 inches) to the other side of the wooden divider.

Stern Power Switch and Mounting Bracket Assembly

1.4.2 MPU boot issues

1.4.3 Game resets

Some reset/slam tilt problems have been traced to the shaker motor. Please check the service advisory bulletin.

Shaker motor service advisory

1.4.4 Solenoid problems

1.4.5 Lamp problems

1.4.6 Switch problems

1.4.7 Display problems

Starting with Pirates of the Caribbean (a S.A.M. board set game), Stern replaced the normal Plasma Dot Matrix Display on European models with an LED variant because of the RoHS law. They first used PinLED DMDs, and later, switched to a red DMD specifically made for them (520-5052-05). The debate which looks better will be going on for your remaining lifetime and continue right into your next few lives.

1.4.7.1 LED DMD bad vertical line

Stern bad LED DMD


If a game is always showing a semi-bright vertical line on the DMD, usually one of the LED segments is bad. Fortunately the bad segment can be found easily. As shown in the picture to the left, one pixel in the line is always dark. This 8x8 segment is the bad guy and needs to be replaced. The good thing is that this problem usually occurs with NIB games just after a few hours or days of game play so the DMD is still under warranty. If not, ask Stern for the availability of the LED segments. When replacing a block, be advised that the vias are small and are difficult to remove without the proper equipment.

1.4.8 Sound problems

The Spike 1 cpu board connector CN1 is the 2 channel backbox speaker output (two 4 ohm @ 10 watt 4 inch square speakers, use Stern # 031-5004-02). Connector CN4 is the lower cabinet woofer speaker output (one 8 ohm @ 20 watt 8 inch round speaker, use Stern # 031-5007-01).

CN1 pinout:

  • 1: Black-White backbox right speaker -.
  • 2: Red-White backbox right speaker +.
  • 3: Key
  • 4: Black backbox left speaker -.
  • 5: Red backbox left speaker +.

CN4 pinout:

  • 1: Yellow-Black lower cabinet woofer speaker output -.
  • 2: Yellow-White lower cabinet woofer speaker output +.

CN18 (TRS headphone 3.5mm jack) pinout:

  • TIP: headphone left, 8 ohm, 200mw maximum output
  • RING: headphone right, 8 ohm, 200mw maximum output
  • SLEEVE: Audio ground

CN27 Preamp (line) output to feed sound to an external monaural amplifier or subwoofer amplifier:

  • 1: Line out +, 600 ohms
  • 2: Line out ground
  • 3: Line out -, 600 ohms


The latest game codes now have speaker impedance settings for whether 4 ohm or 8 ohm speakers are installed in the machine. Added UTIL->VOL adjustments, Speaker Balance, backbox speaker type, and 

  cabinet speaker type for Spike 1 and 2 games.

1.4.9 Flipper problems

See Common Flipper Troubleshooting for general flipper information.

Flipper assembly on Ghostbusters




1.4.10 Pop bumper problems

Ghostbusters pop bumper assemblies


1.4.11 Opto problems

1.4.12 Shaker Motor Problems

The shaker motor connects to connector CN16 (CN2 on early boards) on the cabinet node board located next to the plumb bob tilt. It will be labeled Shaker Motor.

The pinout of CN16 is this:

  • 1: Shaker motor - (Blue wire)
  • 2: Shaker motor - (optional extra connection)
  • 3: Shaker motor + (optional extra connection)
  • 4: Key
  • 5: Shaker motor + (Red wire)

Genuine Stern SPIKE Shaker motor causes mysterious slam tilts during game:

Service Advisory 2018

If your shaker motor is damaged or worn out, you can purchase just the motor itself if desired.

Replacement Spike/Sam shaker motor only

1.4.12.1 Third Party Shaker Motors

All current SPIKE™ games allow for a shaker motor, but it should be a SPIKE shaker motor, not a SAM-system shaker motor (SAM is the previous system). After the initial launch of SPIKE™ games, it was discovered that motors from third-party manufacturers (in particular Pinball Life) had a capacitor that caused problems, and will blow out the node board. Service Bulletin 184 advises against using third-party shaker motors entirely. Installation will void the game's warranty.

The symptom of this problem is that the Start button, plumb bob, and coin door GI lamps won't work; that is, the game becomes unplayable.

Some owners have reported that removing the capacitor from the third-party motor will fix the problem. Stern's public position is that owners should spend the extra money and buy an OEM motor. Many vendors do not clearly differentiate between an OEM part and a third-party part.

Genuine Stern Spike shaker motor kit

Third party Spike shaker motor kit

All SPIKE system games already have the holes for a shaker motor pre-drilled and 10-32 T-Nuts already installed for mounting the shaker motor to the right of the cashbox.

1.4.13 Missing Playfield Slide Brackets on Pro Models

Starting with the Pro model of WWE, Stern removed the playfield slide brackets and replaced them with a couple of cheap pieces of threaded rod covered in heat shrink tubing and a ball shooter tip. This was so you could pull the playfield toward you a bit and rest those "pegs" on the lockdown receiver to service under the playfield. That didn't work very well if you needed to get to something at the very back of the playfield. Pinball Life has reproduced the playfield slide brackets as a set. Once installed, the playfield can be pulled out a lot farther to make it easier to work at the rear of the playfield. Premium and LE models already have the playfield slide brackets installed.

Spike cabinet playfield slide bracket kit

Note: It now appears, starting with Iron Maiden, that Stern has gone back to installing the metal slide brackets on the bottom of the playfields on Pro models.

1.5 References

1.6 Game Specific Problems and Fixes

Ghostbusters Premium and LE models damaged Ecto Goggles LCD screen. Air balls flying up and hitting/damaging the LCD screen on the Ecto Goggles unit. Stern issued a service bulletin about this problem and came up with a metal shield to install on the machine to prevent this from happening.

Ecto Goggles Shield Kit Service Bulletin

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