From: adoerfer@lndrfr.enet.dec.com (_bill)
Subject: Re: TAFFAQ and Time Line
Keywords: TIME LINE Gottlieb system 80
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
Date: Sat, 15 Aug 1992 19:21:29 GMT


In article <1992Aug15.120440.18577@etek.chalmers.se>, cafer@etek.chalmers.se (Tommy Vaske) writes...
>2) Me and a friend of mine have some problems with a Time Line
>   (Gottlieb, early 80's, methinx). At Power-on, when the drop
>   target setup solenoids should fire, they don't. We have fixed
>   some minor visible damages, such as disconnected diodes, but
>   this seems to be harder to spot. (Anything else seems to work,
>   except for a kind of primitive kick-out.)
> 
>   Any tips/hints/manuals/schematics/total service sessions
>   gladly appreciated... ::-)
> 
"Primitive kick-out"?  Do you mean the solenoid in the lower left
to kick back into play a ball headed for the leftmost outline?
I don't see a kick-out, as from a hole anywhere....

Anyway, to the point of this post, the typical start-up for those
types of games is...
Turn game on.  
Immediately
1)playfield illumination lamps on 
2)lightbox illumination lamps on
3)coin chute lamps on
4)All displays are blank

After a five-second delay,
1)Game over(Q) and Tilt relay(T) are pulsed on/off
2)coin lockout coil is energized
3)score displays light and show zeroes
4)Credit displays will do whatever switch 28 says it should
5)Ball-in-play display goes blank

Then, every 5 seconds
High game to date score will flash - game is in attract mode and switches
23,24 and 30 could be in effect.

Hmm, it even goes on, but this part gets more game specific...
Insert coin
Coin chute tune is played (depending on switch 27)
Total credits are displayed (depending on switch 28)

Press credit button
Credit tune or voice is played  (TIME LINE doesn't have speech)
Total credits decreased by 1
All playfield features reset
First player score display flashed a single zero
The other players displays are blank
Bonus(s) added when ball enters outhole
All captured balls will be ejected (TIME LINE doesn't have that, either)

when ball is released to the shooter
Playfield controlled lamps flash
High Score to Date is displayed in all score displays

Other things
Additional players can only be added while the first players first ball
is in play.  If the credit button is pushed after the first ball goes into
the outhole, the game resets to a new single player game(if credits were
on the game).
Only one extra ball per ball in play is given.
Tilt gives a penalty depending on switch 29
When slamed, the game is over for all players
the switch matrix goes inactive for three seconds(coins put down the chute 
         would be returned during the three seconds)
You can match after a slam, if matching is on (depending on switch 18)
SOME games reset drop target banks on game over.
On most games, scoring for features (and bonus maximums, on games that
have them) is LOWER on games set of 5 ball play then 3 ball play.  
Some games adjust the rules (like scoring) just a bit depending on 3 or 5 
	ball play.
=========================================================================

So I guess the drop target resets happen at the start of every ball.  
On TIME LINE, that would probably be a soon to be familiar CHUNK CHUNK CHUNK...
Note that on many games of that era, solenoids WOULD pull in, actaully
a lot of Gottlieb games seem to go beserk(I know, technical term :-)
on power up.  That problem seems to have been solved in later years
with the addition of a (functioning) reset board.  I don't believe
TIME LINE had that reset board yet, but what I think that does is
keeps the coils and stuff out of the circuit until the cpu has completly 
powered up and is running.  I suspect, before that came along, a lot of
coils were burned out when they energized, but the cpu DIDN'T come up.
It's one of the things I check for when buying Gottlieb games - does
it have the reset board (does it work) and have the pop bumper board
modifications been done. (that's sys 80 or later, sys I didn't have
a reset board as far as I know)
_bill
Recieved your mail - that manual would be one of the things to get into
"the r.g.p library" if that takes off, with permissions from proper places.
You might be able to get one from the pinball connection (which is in the us),
if that helps.
_b
Newsgroups: rec.games.pinball