Dutch Pinball The Big Lebowski Installation instructions

Dutch Pinball –Technical Support TBL FAQ rev 0.51
Technical support TBL FAQ
The Big Lebowski is a trademark and copyright of Universal Studios. Licensed by Universal Studios Licensing LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Dutch Pinball –Technical Support TBL FAQ rev 0.51
Where applicable: based on firmware release 0.55
Caution:
If you are not comfortable working on pinball hardware and/or high voltage electronics, please get professional
support for this. In general: use your common sense. Don’t experiment. Don’t be a nihilist. Only skilled and
trained people are allowed to open this system. The manufacturer accepts no responsibility for injuries caused
by unauthorized operation. Keep long hair, fingers, jewelry, etc. away from turning parts of the system.

Dutch Pinball –Technical Support TBL FAQ rev 0.51
Table of content
Common parts and Tools required rel 0.50 .........................................................................................7
Tools...............................................................................................................................................7
Parts ...............................................................................................................................................7
Switch test FAQ rel 0.60......................................................................................................................8
How do you do this switch-test? .....................................................................................................9
Coin Door buttons.......................................................................................................................9
Menu function ..............................................................................................................................10
Test report....................................................................................................................................11
Switch test ................................................................................................................................12
Which switches are expected to be Active with NO game started?............................................13
Bowling Operations FAQ rel 0.86 ......................................................................................................16
Principal of Operations..................................................................................................................17
Fault seeking.................................................................................................................................17
Is the launcher properly mechanical fixed?................................................................................19
Do the switches of the launcher work?......................................................................................19
Do the opto and ball launcher switch work?..............................................................................20
Possible cause of zero pins dropping? .......................................................................................21
Bowling pin coil check ...............................................................................................................22
Stuck releasepin........................................................................................................................23
Ball is not getting up the ramp ..................................................................................................23
Miscellaneous checks................................................................................................................24
Switch Overview Bowling Alley..................................................................................................25
Freezes Hangups switches not responsive P3-ROC not found issues FAQ rel 0.52..............................26
Fault-diagnosis..............................................................................................................................27
Stuck switches ..............................................................................................................................28
USB Communication .....................................................................................................................28
Software menu .........................................................................................................................28
USB Export................................................................................................................................29
Check position USB connections to audioboard and P3-ROC .........................................................31
Reseat USB connections to PC and P3-ROC....................................................................................32
Replace the USB cable running from PC to P3-ROC........................................................................33
Provide an extra 5VDC powerfeed to the P3-ROC..........................................................................34
Preparation...............................................................................................................................35
5V Power P3-ROC Fix.................................................................................................................36

Dutch Pinball –Technical Support TBL FAQ rev 0.51
Reseat the RAM memory on the PC-board ....................................................................................38
Rug Toy FAQ rel 0.50.........................................................................................................................39
Principle of operation....................................................................................................................40
Rugtoy makes noise when moving into third position....................................................................42
Rugtoy makes noise when moving into fourth and final position...................................................43
Shots to the rugtoy are not registered...........................................................................................44
The Rugtoy doesn’t run smoothly..................................................................................................45
Test the Rugtoy.............................................................................................................................47
Testing of the switches..............................................................................................................47
Coin Door buttons.........................................................................................................................47
Menu function ..............................................................................................................................48
Test Menu.....................................................................................................................................49
Switch test ................................................................................................................................49
Testing of the Rug Stepper motor..............................................................................................50
Mini PlayField (MPF) Operations FAQ rel 0.70...................................................................................53
General overview..........................................................................................................................54
Working of the Cartoy...................................................................................................................54
Switch overview............................................................................................................................55
Cardoor stutters in open position..................................................................................................56
Cardoor stutters in closed position................................................................................................57
MPF Overview in TBL ....................................................................................................................58
Upper flipper doesn’t work ...........................................................................................................59
Ball comes down Walter ramp after Jesus ramp was shot .............................................................59
Upper flipper is weak and difficult to make loopshots ...................................................................60
Test functionality ..........................................................................................................................63
Switch test ................................................................................................................................63
LED tests ...................................................................................................................................64
Stepper motor test....................................................................................................................64
Mini PlayField (MPF) Removal and installation guide rel 0.53............................................................67
MPF out of TBL..............................................................................................................................68
MPF back in the TBL......................................................................................................................73
Switch test ................................................................................................................................75
LED tests ...................................................................................................................................75
Stepper motor test....................................................................................................................76
Step 7 –Wrap up ..........................................................................................................................77
Operate TBL from keyboard rel 0.50 .................................................................................................78

Dutch Pinball –Technical Support TBL FAQ rev 0.51
Restore Power Setting BIOS FAQ rel 0.50 ..........................................................................................80
Restore SSD FAQ rel 0.85 ..................................................................................................................86
How to make a backup or restore the database in your TBL ..........................................................93
Restore-Transferring Database from the old SSD to the new image...............................................94
System program Error pop-up FAQ rel 0.80.......................................................................................99
Where to hook up my Mods FAQ rel 0.81 .......................................................................................102
Audio FAQ rel 0.51..........................................................................................................................107
I hear high pitch sound coming from below playfield ..................................................................108
I hear a humm/distortion coming from the speaker(s) ................................................................108
Revised ballgate kit Installation Guide.............................................................................................112
Early Achiever Apron Installation Guide ..........................................................................................120
Mini PlayField (MPF) kit Installation Guide rel 1.0 ...........................................................................130
Switch test ..............................................................................................................................143
LED tests .................................................................................................................................144
Stepper motor test..................................................................................................................144
This manual is to help you to maintain your TBL to the best way possible and make sure you enjoy it
to the full of the intentions of the builders. They have taken pride and joy in building the TBL for you
and hope it will give you joy for many years.
If you have questions or issues which are not solved in this document please contact Dutch Pinball
support at [e-mail]
Clearly mention in the subject header the serialnumber of your TBL and a short description of your
issue. In the email itself include as many info as you have to be able to help you the fastest and best
way possible.
Also we would like to refer for more info to the The Lebowski section of the Dutch Pinball website,
https://www.dutchpinball.com/the_big_lebowski_pinball . Available here is for instance the latest
release firmware and Operations Manual.
Disclaimer: this manual has been made with great care and attention, but errors can and will
always happen. Take care when maintaining your TBL and always double-check what is written. DP
can not be held liable for any errors when using this manual.

Dutch Pinball –Technical Support TBL FAQ rev 0.51
Changelog compared to previous release:
•Release 0.50: first release 23 may 2021
•Release 0.51: added MPF kit installation guide

Dutch Pinball –Technical Support TBL FAQ rev 0.51
Page 7 Parts and tools rel 0.50
Common parts and Tools required rel 0.50
Tools
When working on your TBL the following ‘special’ tools (compared to a Stern/BW pinball for
instance) are likely needed:
•Metric nutdrivers and-or wrenches size 5 ; 5,5 ; 7 ; 8 ; 10 mm
•Torx drivers size TX6 ; TX8 ; TX10 ; TX15 ; TX20 ; TX30
•Metric Allen keys M2,5 ; M4
Of course, this is besides the usual tools like screwdrivers, pliers, etc.
This list is subject to change.
Parts
Most parts directly related to pinball are common available parts used also with many BW pinballs
and can be bought for instance with Pinball Life.
Examples:
•Flippercoils FL-11630: https://www.pinballlife.com/williamsbally-fl-11630-flipper-
coil.html?Category_Code=
•Coilstops are standard BW WPC type A-12390, Pinball Life: Williams/Bally Flipper Coil Stop A-
12390
•Plungers are standard BW WPC type. Left flipper Pinball Life: Williams/Bally Left Flipper Plunger
and Crank Assembly , right flipper Pinball Life: Williams/Bally Right Flipper Plunger and Crank
Assembly
•Complete flipper assy. No EOS needed. Coilstop type A-12390, Coil type FL-11630
https://www.pinballlife.com/full-flipper-assembly-for-williamsbally-machines-from-021992-to-
101998.html
•Complete flipper rebuilt kit, Pinball Life: Flipper Rebuild Kit - Williams/Bally 08/1993-10/1998;
Spooky 2014-2017; JJP 2012-Present; CGC 2014-P
•Fuses are 5x20 mm Slow Blow fuses: https://www.pinballlife.com/20mm-slow-blow-fuses.html
Values used are 1A, 1.6A, 5A, 6.3A, all slow blow
•Micro Switches DB5 : https://www.pinballlife.com/williamsbally-sub-microswitch-5647-
12693.html
•Roll-over Switches: https://www.pinballlife.com/rollover-switch-with-mounting-bracket.html
•Etc.
This is just a short list to give you an idea what you may need for your TBL. List is also subject to
changes throughout the built which were unknown at the moment of issuing this manual.

Dutch Pinball –Technical Support TBL FAQ rev 0.51
Page 8 Switch test faq rel 0.60
Switch test FAQ rel 0.60

Dutch Pinball –Technical Support TBL FAQ rev 0.51
Page 9 Switch test faq rel 0.60
Perhaps the most important test in the TBL is the switch test. Especially stuck switches have shown
to have unexpected side-effects and need to be dealt with prior to any other actions
First of all, its good to know that firmware release 055 introduced a switch test checking for any un-
used switches or stuck switches. This check is performed upon booting the TBL and upon opening the
Menu. Additional explanation is further in this manual.
How do you do this switch-test?
First you need to open the coindoor and understand the controls you will see fitted in the coindoor
Coin Door buttons
Normal function
With the coin door buttons (located at the inner side of the coin door to the left), you can make all
game adjustments you desire as well as carry out tests if needed.
In normal use, the two inner buttons function as volume up (+) or down (-). The most left button
functions as Escape and the most right as Enter button. As there are two coindoor styles there are
two appearances of the coindoor buttons, both are here displayed

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Page 10 Switch test faq rel 0.60
Menu function
Push the Enter button to open the Main menu. In the Main menu, you have submenus which will
lead you to subsections with a variety of possibilities:
•Test menu. You can carry out any test you desire to check if something is working
properly.
•Adjustment menu. You can adjust settings or customize gameplay to your needs.
•Audits menu. Here you see what the earnings are, how many times a flipper was
activated, etc.
•Player profiles. With the TBL, you can give players a profile. If they select this profile
when playing a game, they can see their statistics later, such as high score, average
score, ball times, etc.
•Install presets. Here you can set a pre-defined set of adjustments.
•Software menu. Here you can find software related options, such as version check &
select, and update.
You can use the + - keys to select the item of your choice and when pressing the Enter key, this
choice will be activated. The Escape key will return you to your previous choice or close the test
menu.

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Page 11 Switch test faq rel 0.60
Test report
PLEASE DO NOTE THAT THIS MENU WILL ONLY BE VISIBLE IF THERE ARE ISSUES TO REPORT.
In this menu you can see if the TBL has noticed any issues. This is checked when TBL boots and when
opening the Menu. Noticed issues are stuck switches or any unused switches during a certain
number of games. This number can be set by user in the Adjustment section.
If during booting an issue is seen it will be reported on the Attract screen. If the Menu is opened to
have a further look again a check is done. If that second check doesn’t see an error the Test Report
menu will not be displayed.
If a problem is noticed, you are notified of this during the attract screen plus you get an audio
warning.
An overview where switches can be found is at the end of this FAQ.

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Page 12 Switch test faq rel 0.60
Switch test
If you activate this test, it will display all switches which are active at that moment.
If you have doubts about a certain switch, you can check the correct working here. Push the switch,
or even better, roll a ball over it, and see if this switch pops up on the display here. Also, a sound can
be heard when a switch is activated, and you can also see if there are no switches active when they
should not be.
The displayed screen is a typical example without a game started. You will always see Car Closed plus
the balls in the ball trough 1-2-3-4-5. Shooter lane will only be active when a ball is present in the
shooter lane (*which means of course that Trough 5 will not be active anymore).

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Page 13 Switch test faq rel 0.60
Which switches are expected to be Active with NO game started?
Most likely it is :
And depending on the exact position of the Bowling launcher it can also be this
If you see any other switches Active this is most likely a stuck switch and needs to be fixed prior to
further diagnosis.

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Page 14 Switch test faq rel 0.60

Dutch Pinball –Technical Support TBL FAQ rev 0.51
Page 15 Switch test faq rel 0.60

Dutch Pinball –Technical Support TBL FAQ rev 0.51
Page 16 bowling operations faq rel 0.86
Bowling Operations FAQ rel 0.86

Dutch Pinball –Technical Support TBL FAQ rev 0.51
Page 17 bowling operations faq rel 0.86
Principal of Operations
The way the bowling alley-pins work is as follows.
The software calculates the position of the bowling launcher by detecting the left, right and middle
position via switches. It also knows the speed of the launcher so it can determine where the launcher
is at the moment you push the launch button.
It than calculates the trajectory of the ball and which bowling pins should drop if the ball hits them.
The ball passes an opto just before the first bowling pin when moving down and that triggers the
software to activate the appropriate coils which pull the calculated bowling pins up. So, it has
nothing to do with ball physically hitting the bowling pins! If a bowling pin doesn’t ‘drop’ it means 1)
the coil is not OK or 2) the software thinks the ball is in another place.
Fault seeking
To do some checking you will have to remove the playfield and set it vertical:
•Carefully remove the lockdown bar and playfield glass.
•Remove all five balls from the Ball Trough!
•Lift the playfield a bit and pull the playfield a bit towards you as soon as the playfield support
brackets are high enough to do so and rest the playfield onto the front of the cabinet on the
playfield support brackets

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Page 18 bowling operations faq rel 0.86
•Now we need to raise the playfield to vertical position. Lift if up at the servicebars, pull it
towards you till you hear two clicks (this means the locking mechanism is in place and
the playfield can’t drop in the cabinet). Then set it vertical. Let it carefully touch the top
part of the backbox, this to avoid damage. You can put something in between like a cloth
to reduce the chance of damage even further. To make sure it doesn’t drop on your head
while working on it, it is recommended to secure it with a strap. Also, we recommend
putting something over the bowling alley to avoid screws falling into it.

Dutch Pinball –Technical Support TBL FAQ rev 0.51
Page 19 bowling operations faq rel 0.86
Is the launcher properly mechanical fixed?
So, if the pins don’t go up it’s because 1) software is never perfect but mainly
because 2) the software thinks the launcher is in a different position as it is in
real life. Suppose the launcher is not 100% tight fit on the stepper motor axis it
has some space to move to take a different position as the software thinks.
The launcher is fixed with a 2.5 mm Allen screw.
To check if its properly fixed pull by hand the ball-launcher to see if it’s
securely fastened. Use normal force when pulling!!
The 2.5 mm Allen screw to tighten the launcher is found at the right and best approachable when the
launcher is positioned like in the above picture.
Note: DP changed the M2.5 Allen screw to Torx TX10 approx feb-march 2021. When the screw is
loose you can adjust also the height of the launcher
Do the switches of the launcher work?
Go into the testmenu and activate switch test. Move the launcher slowly by hand left-right-left
You should see the following:
•left is left switch
•middle is right switch
•right is left+right switch
If one of these switches does not work check the wiring.

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Page 20 bowling operations faq rel 0.86
Do the opto and ball launcher switch work?
To check this, go into the Testmenu and select Bowling Opto test
This tests if the switches in the Bowling alley are working properly. It will show if there is a “Ball at
Top” or “Ball at Bottom” and the word OPTO will light up if the ball crosses the OPTO beam. It will
start with Ball at bottom. If you push Enter now, the coil will be activated which will fire the ball up.
Status will now be Ball at Top. If you push Enter again, the ball will be released and will roll down
over the bowling playfield. You should see OPTO appear briefly on the display.
Remember that for the coils to work in the Test
Menu, the switch which enables power supply to the
12 & 48 VDC circuits must be enabled!
The switch responsible for this protection can be
found on a bracket at the left side of the coin door. If
you want to disable this protection during testing,
you have to pull the pin on this switch till you feel it
click. The protection circuit is now disabled! It is
important be aware of this when you touch parts at
the bottom of the playfield. If you close the coin
door, the protection is re-instated for the next time.