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That Old Pinball

Williams System 9-11 Lamp Matrix Test board

Williams System 9-11 Lamp Matrix Test board

$24.00 USD
$24.00 USD
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This circuit board is a
Williams System 9-11 Lamp Matrix Indicator, a essential diagnostic tool for pinball repair. It is designed to simulate a playfield’s lamp matrix using an 8x8 LED display, allowing you to quickly isolate whether a lighting issue is on the CPU/driver board or within the machine's wiring harness.

Product Description
The Williams System 9-11 Lamp Matrix Indicator provides a clear, real-time visual representation of your pinball machine's lamp matrix operation. By mimicking the playfield’s 64-lamp grid, it eliminates the guesswork involved in troubleshooting "ghosting" lights, dead rows, or locked-on columns.
Whether you are testing on a professional repair bench or directly inside a machine, this board helps you confirm the health of your MPU and driver components before you start tracing miles of under-playfield wiring.

Key Features
  • Broad Compatibility: Specifically designed for Williams System 9, System 11, 11A, 11B, and 11C machines. It is also compatible with Data East pinball systems.
  • Dual-Environment Testing: Operates flawlessly on a test bench (requires 5-18V DC power) or while mounted in a live machine (draws power directly from the driver board).
  • Intuitive Diagnosis: The LED matrix is oriented to match standard game manual diagrams (e.g., Column 1 is the leftmost column, Row 1 is the top row), making it easy to identify specific faulty transistors or chips.
  • Simple Connectivity: Features standard header pins for J6 (Rows/Returns) and J7 (Columns/Strobes). Simply attach your machine's 16-pin and 8-pin connectors to begin testing in any mode—attract, gameplay, or diagnostics.

Why You Need It
Identifying a fault in a lamp matrix can be tedious. If an entire row or column is out on this indicator, you know the problem is a component on the circuit board (likely a transistor or PIA chip). If the indicator shows a perfect matrix but your playfield does not, you’ve successfully isolated the issue to a harness, socket, or diode problem.

Quick-Start Guide

1. In-Machine Testing
Use this method to determine if a lighting fault is on the circuit board or in the playfield wiring.
  • Step 1: Turn off the pinball machine.
  • Step 2: Disconnect the lamp matrix harness from the CPU/Driver board.
  • Step 3: Connect the Williams 9-11 Lamp Matrix Indicator directly to the board headers (J6 for Rows/Returns and J7 for Columns/Strobes).
  • Step 4: Turn the machine on.
  • Step 5: Enter the machine’s Diagnostic Menu and run the "All Lamps" or "Single Lamp" test.
    • If the indicator displays the correct pattern: The fault is in your playfield wiring, sockets, or diodes.
    • If the indicator shows missing rows/columns: The fault is on the CPU/Driver board (check transistors Q42–Q49 for rows or Q62–Q69 for columns).

2. Bench Testing
Ideal for board repair when the machine is not present.
  • Step 1: Connect your bench power supply (5V–18V DC) to the lamp matrix power input on your driver board (typically 1J4 for System 9-11).
  • Step 2: Connect the indicator board to the J6 and J7 headers.
  • Step 3: Power on the board. The LED matrix will reflect the signals sent by the processor, allowing you to verify repairs in a controlled environment.

3. Reading the Matrix
The indicator is designed to mirror the "Lamp Matrix Table" found in your game's original manual.
  • Columns (Strobes): Run from left to right (1 through 8).
  • Rows (Returns): Run from top to bottom (1 through 8).
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