Coastal Amusements Pop-A-Tac-Toe User manual

POP - A - TAC -TOE
OWNERS MANUAL
COASTAL AMUSEMENTS, INC.
1935 SWARTHMORE AVE
LAKEWOOD, NJ 08701
PHONE: [phone]
FAX: [phone]

TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Pop-A-Tac-Toe’s Game Play
2. Safety Guide
3. Initial Inspection
4. Preparing for Installation
5. Operator Mode
6. Switches
7. Pop-A-Tac-Toe’s Jackpot Reset
8. Pop-A-Tac-Toe’s Options
9. Game Options
10. Odds Options
11. Accounting
12. Normal Maintenance
13. Troubleshooting

POP-A-TAC-TOE’S GAME PLAY
Pop - A -Tac - Toe is a fun filled game for all ages. To get the most use out of our
game, please read and follow the installation and maintenance instructions we provide.
INTRODUCTION TO POP - A - TAC - TOE
Pop - A - Tac - Toe is an amusement game in which the player must get specific
combinations of a Tic - Tac - Toe pattern to win. The player must pop three (3) rubber balls up
into the air and into four (4) of nine (9) holes. The monitor will display a video representation
of the selected positions.
The players may save any positions they want by pressing the flashing save button that
corresponds to the four (4) balls on the screen. When the SAVE button is pressed, the balls
which correspond to the SAVE button will remain. All the other balls will pop in the hope of
improving the players Tic-Tac-Toe pattern. When the players win, they will be awarded points
corresponding to the value of the winning pattern, and tickets will be dispensed. Winning
combinations and awards are defined on the screen when a play is made.
THE MAGIC SQUARE
The object of the magic square is to give the player a random bonus. The operator can
determine when it should appear and at what award value. The magic square will become
visible by a flashing yellow square at that position. If, at the completion of the player’s game, a
ball remains in the magic square, bonus will be awarded to the player, according to the game
set up.
How to Play:
1. To start the game, the player must first deposit a coin. The player can deposit as many as
ten coins. These are added to the play counter on the video screen.
2. After accepting the coin, Pop-A-Tac-Toe will say ‘Pop a ball’ and the player will press the
Pop button and all four (4) balls will pop into the air.
3. The players can save any position they want by pressing the SAVE button.
4. The player will then press the Pop button to pop the balls which correspond to the
unwanted positions or will press SAVE again to cancel and recover them.
5. When the player gets a Tic - Tac - Toe combination, or any of the specific Tic - Tac - Toe
combinations, Pop - A - Tac - Toe cheers and compliments the player.

6. When the player enters the Magic Square Bonus round, Pop-A-Tac-Toe says ‘The
magic square bonus’ and compliments the player if he wins.
7. If the player does not score, Pop -A - Tac - Toe encourages the player to play and
says ‘Try again’. At the end of the game a Game Over message will be displayed.
8. At the end of the game, tickets are issued based on the score and payout option
settings.
9. While the game is not in play, Pop-A-Tac-Toe attracts players by playing several
tunes, flashing lights and talking.
At the bottom of some screens in the Operator Mode, you will find a message in
the form of the following: Version PTT4 - DS.xxx # # # # # #
This information identifies the revision of game software running in your
machine. It should be noted and referred to in any conversation with Coastal
Amusements, Inc. If you should have any questions regarding game operation or
requests for change, call our Customer service at 732-905-6662.

SAFETY GUIDE
The following safety precautions apply to all game operators and service
personnel. To avoid electrical shock, reduce the risk of fire hazard, and prevent
equipment damage, perform the following safety practices while servicing the game.
1. Always turn machine off while servicing.
2. The back door has a safety interlock switch, which will turn off machine when the
door is opened.
3. Do not replace a fuse when the machine is plugged in.
4. Replace a blown fuse only with another of the same voltage and current rating.
5. Do not remove the AC ground plug. Operating a game without proper grounding can
cause severe damage to circuitry.
6. Do not use a non-ground adapter.
7. Inspect the AC power cord for cuts, crimps or other damage and replace if
necessary.

INITIAL INSPECTION
Before connecting power to the game, inspect the unit as follows:
• Remove the rear door and front access door with the appropriate packaged key
• Examine all major components and circuit boards to see if they are damaged
• Check to see if all cables and connectors are secure on boards and power supply
• Check the transformer and power supply to make sure they are secure
• Remove any foreign material such as screws, wires or staples that might have fallen
loose during shipping
• Check the on / off switch located behind the coin mechanism on the control panel
All games are carefully packaged in double walled cardboard cartons to prevent
damage during shipment. Every step is taken to ensure that all components are
secure. However, minor trouble caused by abusive handling in shipment, is sometimes
unavoidable. In the event that you do receive a damaged product, please follow the
procedure as outlined below.
• Retain the original bill of lading
• Retain the original shipping carton
• Notify your delivery carrier of damage
• File a claim with the carrier
• Notify your distributor or supplier
DO NOT apply power to any game with visible damage

After a preliminary check you are now ready to proceed with the operation of the game.
• The game must be placed within four (4) feet of an electrical outlet (110vac/60hz).
Make sure that a ground jack or terminal is available at the outlet.
• Do not remove the AC ground plug. Operating a game without proper grounding can
cause severe damage to circuitry.
• Do not use a non- ground adapter.
• Inspect the AC power cord for cuts, crimps or other damage and replace if necessary.
• Always see that the tickets are installed in the game before it is started.
• The volume control is located at position R -11 on ULTRA p.c.
• Never attempt to repair the game with the AC power on.
INITIAL INSPECTION (CONTINUED)

INSTALLING POP-A-TAC-TOE
Please locate and familiarize yourself with the following parts before assembling Pop -
A - Tac - Toe. You might find several of the drawings located at the back of this manual
helpful in identifying the major components and their locations with respect to each
other in this game.
Assembly Hardware:
1 Game
2 Sets of Keys
1 Cash pan
1 Owners Manual
INSTALLATION
Pop -A - Tac -Toe should be assembled in the following order:
1. Connect the game to a 120 v AC outlet.
2. Load the ticket bin with tickets.
3. Turn the game on.

SWITCHES
Pop -A - Tac - Toe has three push button switches, and one toggle switch that are
accessed through the front control panel. The toggle switch located on the panel door,
is the power switch used to apply power to the game. Two push button switches are
located on the left wall of the game behind the ticket dispenser. The upper switch is the
OPERATOR MODE switch. Depressing this will cause the game to enter the operator
mode. Note that the operator mode can only be entered through the attract mode. The
lower switch is the COIN ERROR switch. Depressing this will remove the game from a
coin error condition.
The third push button switch is the Attendant Pay switch located on the panel door to
the right of the ticket dispenser. The Attendant Pay switch has the following functions:
1. When a game dispenses the maximum amount of ticketsallowed for anyone game
per the MAXIMUM TICKETS PAID option, the message CALL ATTENDANT will
appear on the screen and the game will freeze. This allows the attendant to give the
credit or the remaining tickets won, by holding the ticket value frozen on the screen.
When the ATTENDANT PAY switch is depressed at this time, the game will return to
it’s normal operating state.
2. Depressing the ATTENDANT PAY switch after a progressive sign Bonuswinner will
reset the sign and return the game to it’s normal operating state.

POP-A-TAC-TOE’S JACKPOT RESET
The following instructions should be followed before setting the Jackpot:
ECO4 Reset during Ticket Dispenser operation, (PACO only).
ECO4 Jackpot may be reset while tickets are being dispensed.
ECO4 Jackpot can be reset at the following times:
- when tickets are being dispensed
- in a ticket dispenser jam situation
- when the ticket dispenser is empty and
- when the ticket dispenser has allotted all tickets payable and the player has attained
the maximum tickets per win award value. The attendant must pay the player manually
at the end of the game.
NOTE: If it is necessary to turn off power, then the jackpot must be reset prior to
turning off power. If the above procedure is not followed, you must cycle
power to the master game controlling the sign -To reset the sign. In general,
NEVER turn off power to the master game when a jackpot is showing from
a slave game, unless power was turned off in the slave, prior to a jackpot
reset.

POP-A-TAC-TOE’S OPTIONS
Pop -A -Tac -Toe has the following game options that can be enabled or disabled,
depending on your preferences.
To enter the Options Mode press the button labeled Operator Mode. Press the STAND
button on the monitor panel. The screen will now display Game Options. In this menu,
a series of statements will be displayed on the screen. To determine which setting
you are working on, move the red cursor up or down by pressing the appropriately
lit (UP) or (DOWN) SAVE buttons. Use the TOP SAVE button furthest to the left to
increase numbers and the TOP SAVE button furthest to the right to decrease numbers.
Use TOP SAVE buttons to toggle between Up and Down. Appropriate buttons will be
marked and lit on screen. To return to Operator Mode continue to press STAND until
you have paged through all the screens and the OPERATOR MODE screen returns.
There are two screens of games and odds options, two screens of accounting
information, and one screen of win distribution tables. Each time the STAND button is
pressed, another screen will be displayed, They following are in the order of display:
Game Options Screen
Odds Options Screen
Accounting Screen
Win Distribution / Hit Frequency Table

GAME OPTIONS
The following are game options which could be set by the operator to determine game play:
MaximumCoins allowed (1 to 10)
Allows operator to determine the maximum amount of coins to be played for each
game. Up to 10 quarters can be played on one series of Pop-A-Tac-Toe.
Maximum Tickets played (20 to 2000)
This is the maximum number of tickets that will be dispensed at the end of anyone
winning game. Additional tickets must be awarded by the game attendant. The
attendant may do so by using the attendant button located between the ticket
dispenser and game meters.
Game Bonus Sign (Yes/No):
Gives the operator a choice of displaying the Progressive sign to the players.
Game Sign Increment/Coin (1 to 10)
Gives the operator a choice to select the number of credits the progressive sign will
increase on the deposit of each coin.
Minimum Coins for Game/ Bonus Win (1 to 10)
Allows the operator to determine the minimum number of coins that must be played to
be eligible for bonus.
NOTE: VideoProgressive Bonus is won by obtaining 4 corners with the required
amount of coins. Video Progressive will be reset to 4 corner winner and
maximum coins allowed per game x 50.
Beacon in Attract (Yes/No)
Allows the operator to determine whether the beacon will flash intermittently during the
attract mode.
Ball Pop in Attract (Yes/ No)
Allows the operator to determine whether the rubber balls will pop intermittently during
the attract mode.

Ticket on Coin Drop
Allows the operator to determine if there will be (1) ticket issued for each coin
deposited, for game play.
Magic Square Bonus Value (1 - 99)
Gives the operator an option to determine the award value of the magic square.
Magic Square every 5X game (1 -10)
Allows the operator to determine when the magic square will appear during the game,
in multiples of 5 up to 50.
Free Play (Factory use only) Demo
Pop Test (Factory test not for field use)
If you inadvertently go into factory test, a warning screen will indicate that it will last 48
hours. You must choose to get out of this screen or elect to go into playfield pop test.
GAME OPTIONS (CONTINUED)

ODDS OPTIONS
Pop - a - Tac - Toe requires, that the odd options (2 for 10) be determined by the
number of tickets to be issued for every coin inserted for game play.
Options
Winning Hand Possible Odds
Tic-Tac-Toe 1-200
Diagonal 1-200
Diamond 1-200
4 Corners 1-200
Tic-Tac-Toe 2345678910
Diagonal 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Diamond 25 25 25 35 35 40 40 50 50
4 Corners 50 50 50 60 60 75 75 100 100
Tickets / Coin 2345678910

ACCOUNTING
To access the accounting mode, put game in Operator Mode. The third screen to
appear is the Accounting screen. Press the STAND button three times. Accounting will
be the third screen of information.
Electronic Meters
Permanent Temporary
Coins In # #
Tickets Out # #
Attendant Tickets Out # #
Game Bonus Tickets # #
Press POP to clear temporary accounting after recording your readings. Press STAND
to proceed to the next screen.
Mechanical Meters
There are two mechanical meters located in the front compartment of the game. They
represent (top to bottom) Coins In and Tickets Out.
Cumulative Win Distribution
Put the game in Operator Mode. Press the STAND button three times. It displays the
different win types awarded. Analysis of this information coupled with the adjustable
award schedule will result in optimal game play.
Switch Test
• Put the game in Operator Mode
• Press the POP button
• All buttons will light. You will hear a sound and the lamp will go out for each button
pressed.
• Failure to hear a sound indicates a malfunction.
• When all 11 buttons have been depressed, the game will return to Operator Mode.

NORMAL MAINTENANCE
This game requires regular maintenance to several parts. The following items are to be
regularly inspected or serviced in order to maintain the earning potential of the game.
You may require slightly different service intervals depending on the actual operating
conditions and frequency of play. While servicing and cleaning this game, please follow
the safety instructions outlined in section 2.
Perform the following services on a ‘as needed’ basis:
• Keep the game clean by using a glass cleaner and soft cloth.
• DO NOT use solvents on any printed surface .
Perform the following service every week:
• DO NOT use oil on playfield plungers. Use a degreaser only (Do not put on printed or
painted surfaces)
• Keep PCB’s free of dust, dirt and other objects
• Keep the ticket dispenser free of dust and paper fragments

TROUBLESHOOTING
The following is a list of common problems and ways to fix them. You can find a
complete set of schematics and board component locations in the back of this manual.
1 Ball not Reading
The problem could be with the crimps at the video connector to playfield and to switch.
Entire column not reading
If the entire column does not read, check crimps at video connector to playfield.
Check crimps at switches.
1 Ball not Popping
The problem could be with the crimps at video connector to the playfield and
connection to solenoid.
Another problem could be the chip or transistor on the Popper board. Refer to playfield
layout diagram to find corresponding chip or transistor on Popper board and check.
Entire or part of column does not pop
Check the red wire on video connectors to playfield. Check crimp to common wire (red)
to solenoid.
Not reading any balls
The problem could be the connections from J - 4 on Ultra to J - 11 on the Popper
board.
Check for +5 volts on controller board.
If it still does not read any balls, check for a stuck switch.
Not popping any balls
Check J - 13 connector on Popper board for + 52 volts.
Check 5 ohm 10 watt resistor at the back of game between bridge rectifier and
capacitor.

TROUBLESHOOTING (CONTINUED)
No sound
The problem could be the connections from J - 3 on Ultra to J - 4 on sound board.
Check J - 1 on sound board for + 5 volts. Check J - 2 and J - 3 for + 12 volts. Check J
- 2 on sound board for - 5 volts.
If you still don’t get any sound, check chips U3 8031 and U 23 LM 324 on the sound
board.
No video (Black Screen)
The problem could be with the Y104 and Y101 crystals on Ultra board. Check them for
broken legs.
Secondly, check socketed chips for proper seating on Ultra board.
Also check power supply for +5 volts.
Check connections U - 3 on the Ultra board to U - 4 on the sound board.
No video (Blue screen)
The problem could be in the Ultra board. Check the Y2 crystal on the Ultra board for a
broken Ieg.
Another problem could be the chips in the Ultra board. Check for proper seating on the
Ultra board.
Check the power supply for + 5 volts.
Ticket dispenser does not work
The problem could be in the wiring to dispenser.
It could also be the chips on the Ultra board U - 42 and U - 4775451.
Ticket Dispenser does not sense tickets
The problem could be in the wiring to dispenser.
It could also be the chip U - 24 74LS244 on the Ultra board.
Not reading some or all switches
Check the wiring from button panel harness.
If the wiring is okay, check U - 31 74LS244 on the Ultra board.

TROUBLESHOOTING (CONTINUED)
Coin -In meter not working
Check the wiring to the meter.
If it still does not work, check the chips U - 51 74LS259, and U - 52 ULN 2803A on the
Ultra board.
Ticket -out meter not working
Check the wiring to the meter.
The problem could also be with the chips U - 51 74LS259, U - 52 UNL 2803A on the
Ultra board.