ParaParaParadise Problem

[splunge]

Ok, i have NO idea where else to go with this. Ive done may searches and come up with pretty much nothing immediately helpful, so this cant really set me back any...

Im the game tech for a local arcade in Atlanta, GA. We have a ParaParaParadise 1st Mix Plus here. Yesterday, the game stopped working and on the screen, when you attemp to reboot, it gives this error on the first line:

IBTN: ERROR E800 No Security Error

One bit i DID find online was a picture of the main motherboard case inside the machine where everything plugs into it, one of which is labeled 'SECURITY'.

Upon opening the machine, in this slot, is whats known as a 'dongle' (Dont laugh, thats really what its called). Its basically a security computer chip, that has to be plugged into that slot in order for the machine to work.
It was plugged in fine, nothing LOOKS wrong with it, so my *guess* is that the dongle has gone bad, and Im not sure where to get a replacement.

The dongle is made by Dallas Semiconductor (website was no help) and distributed(?) by www.ibutton.com (also not a whole lot of help as to telling me where to get one of these blasted things thats specific to ParaPara). The whole thing has a big sticker covering most of it with the Konami name, game name, something in japanese and a serial number on it.
If you peel up the sticker, it uncovers what looks like a big watch battery but its in fact the security chip.

Might there be any game techs or otherwise knowledgable people who can help me out here? It doesnt matter to me if the dongle is replaced or bypassed, i just need this game working.

Thanks much.

[Zanshin]

I don't know how helpful this can be, but in the Para Para thread this link was posted to a bunch of info about the arcade machine.

http://www.anikionline.com/FAQs/ParaPara/para.html

Like I said, I don't know how helpful it can be, but what have you got to lose?
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Things fall apart; the center cannot hold; mere anarchy is loosed upon the world. Yeats

[Tomo_kun]

Have you tried contacting the companies?
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Cutriss wrote:

FLCL, God of Gods wrote: Uh... so when do we get the porn forum? If you can't find porn on the Internet, you're not trying.

[boostinallovryou]

I am not an expert on ParaPara but I am very familiar with ibuttons and how they work. An ibutton is a one wire serial device. (Other side is ground) Inside the can is a small chip. I bet the model you have is a DS1991. This is the "security" version of an ibutton. It has something like three 64k sections of rom that are protected by a 8-byte password. When the computer boots it looks to the ibutton, passes a password to unlock the ibutton, then reads one of the three sections for a known password. Wrong password read.....security error.

First make sure that the socket where the ibutton plugs into is not broken and doesn't have cracked solder joints. Next is to make sure that the "legs" of the socket fit on the top and bottom of the ibutton tightly.

If everything looks good try booting the game with the ibutton removed. See if it gives you a different error.

I would start there. You say you are a tech so i'm sure I don't need to go over reflowing solder joints and all the small stuff.

One other possibility (remote but possible) is that the small wire inside the ibutton can that connects the chip to the top tin has broken off. If you open the can BE CAREFUL and do it slow. You don't want to rip the wire if it is still connected.

Start there and if you still have problems I can help you with more advanced testing. Also pictures of the board and components would help.

[splunge]

Yay! Someone who knows what these things are =)

Yep, its a DS1991.

Yes, i booted with and without it plugged in, same error.

I watched it working just fine in demo mode just a short while before i noticed it with the error.

Itll be a hassle but ill try and wrangle the thing out of there aand take it apart to check for bad solders in the connector.

When i checked the ibutton, the sticker covering the chip inside was not stuck down all the way so someone has peeled it back before, so Ill check the connectors inside again, and the solder connections there too.

[boostinallovryou]

Temperature cycling is what kills PCB's and in an arcade environment the game is running 24/7 and it gets toasty inside. Pull the whole cpu out and even though the solder joint might LOOK ok doesn't mean it is. Lean toward the side of caution and reflow the ibutton socket.

If the ibutton looks tampered with make sure it is the proper one and make sure nobody else has opened it up before you. There are a ton of problems that can keep you from reading an ibutton properly.

Let me know.

[Baka of the Orochi]

The stickers on the ibuttons I don't think usually stick, the one that I saw also wasn't stuck down, I figured the adhesive that Konami uses just stinks (or came off from the heat).

If you had to replace the dongle anyway, I'm pretty sure you'd have to go straight to Konami of Japan, who won't help you if you were in the U.S.
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