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Dying NVRAM? - Resolved

Posted: Fri Apr 17, 2020 1:08 pm
by NoahK
I had an issue with Alien Poker recently where when I turned it on the GI lit up but the game did not boot into attract mode. It did this occasionally in the past, but not since I replaced the 40-pin interconnect. As I was checking the connections I noticed '1501 06' on one of the displays. Looking online that error code means dead battery. This machine has an NVRAM installed so not sure how that should happen. Someone suggested turning it off and on again to see if it is indeed a dead battery, so I tried that and it booted and apparently did a factory reset. The machine booted just fine the few times I had tried since then, so does this mean that my NVRAM might be dying? When this problem first happened, it had not been powered on for several months but was plugged in. Not sure if that has anything to do with it.

Re: Dying NVRAM?

Posted: Fri Apr 17, 2020 1:59 pm
by JohnH
I think that code can also mean jumbled data in the NVRAM. Maybe try re-entering your settings?

Re: Dying NVRAM?

Posted: Sat Apr 18, 2020 1:58 pm
by Eric_S
It sounds like your Alien Poker booted into Audit mode, which can be a result of many things but the most common is due to dead batteries. Since you have an NVRAM, dead batteries aren't an issue. The older Williams boardset really doesn't do any diagnostic boot-up, it just goes right into running the game. I've found that turning them on every few weeks helps keep them happy. Since your game is working fine, I think the NVRAM is probably fine too, probably just a fluke or maybe some surface corrosion that started somewhere. I wouldn't be too concerned unless it becomes more prevalent.

Re: Dying NVRAM?

Posted: Thu May 28, 2020 1:52 pm
by NoahK
The machine has booted fine ever since I got it working, so yeah probably a fluke. Thanks for the info.