1. Repurposing Glass Jars

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Introduction.
First I would like to state that in regards Sigma slot machines, no one seems to be archiving any informationon these. It really too bad as these are *great* slot machines forthe home. Excellent graphics and game play with good bonus games.And they are fairly inexpensive compared to Williams and IGT models,yet have all the same features (if not more).

Sigma was bought by Mikohn around 2003, and then was sold toMultimedia Gamingin 2005, where the UV1700 was shelved. So most Sigma uv1700 video slots were made between 1999 and 2003.Because of the Mikohn buy, the uv1700 history is a bit hard to track,hence this web page. Though most pinball people hate slotmachines, I find them interesting (especially given their reasonable price.)I mean compare a Sigma uv1700 video slot to the industry leader (at the time),the Williams 550 video slot. They are very similar, maybe the Sigma is evensuperior (better animation, easier to work on). But the Sigma is 1/4 the price of a Williams 550 slot machine.For 'bang per buck' the Sigma UV1700 is hard to beat.

The Sigma 1700 slots are generally pre-TITO machines (TITO is 'ticket in, ticket out'). Meaning they take coins and paper money, and have a hopper to payout coins. Unfortunately Sigma was the innovator of coin-less slots, and this showed upin the trail end Sigma uv1700 slot machines (TITO with ticket printer and no hopper). Generally speaking, most new slotsafter 2003 are TITO and don't handle coins, only paper money and tickets.So it makes sense that some of the newer Sigma 1700 models didn't have hoppers. The first coinless slot machines to be installed in a major casino was theSigma Derby horse racing machine. But to me TITO machines are not a good home slot machine, and is not really the type of slot I would want in my home gameroom.(Though do I really want to 'cash out' 800 credits in nickels at home?Heck no, but maybe it's just the idea that I could do that.)

Sigma Gaming Brief History.
Sigma Gaming was actually founded in Tokyo (Japan) back in 1984. They were the first non-U.S. slot makerto gain Nevada Gaming Commision certification. They did relocate to Las Vegas in 1996, but the Japanese touch remained. Sigma was known for technical innovations,and Sigma aggressively marketed their slot machines and poker machines. This spurred competition, and IGT (International Gaming Technologies)decided to take Sigma to court over copyrights.(Sound familiar? See the Williams slot history fordetails.) In 1989, IGT claimed the Japanese Sigma Gaming had been stealing patented game designs from IGT. This was eventually settled out of court.Sigma is one of only a few manufacturers to hold an unrestricted license to use the Telnaes technology (which IGT holds the patent) that allows for virtual reels and unlimited odds. (Spinning reel only, does not applyto video slots, see Williams slots for moreinfo on this.) The Telnaes technology enables Sigma to offer the ability to provide high-end payouts and progressive jackpots without limitations.

In 1990 Sigma came out with the first 'slot top' (sit down) slot machines.Though not a good home slot machine format due to size, these were very popular inthe casinos (and still are today). Players loved the comfort of sittingdown to play. In 1991 they were honored with the State of Nevada Governor's Industry Appreciation Award for its continued contribution to Nevada's growth. Again in 1996 Sigma received the award again.

Sigma was also the first company to embed a dollar bill validator into their slot machines, which made playing a Sigma slot one-stop shopping. To the casinos it was not about comfort, butto keep players at one machine for a longer period of time. There would be no breaks to go sit down, and no need to run to the cash machine. The ideas worked, and soon IGT was copying Sigma Games.Sigma wanted to build slot machines which were user-friendly. They made their slots easy to use and more comfortable to play, hoping this would lead to player loyalty.

Sigma also released the firstred, white & blue-themed game (Patriot), and a patented locking cashbox extractor. The cashbox extractor featured a design licensed to and utilized by two other leading slot machine manufacturers (Bally and Wms), and was offered by JCM.

Sigma Gaming made other slot play innovations too. Though they didn't invent it, early on they were part of the trend to increase the playusing big credit bonuses. If you payed the full price to play (all the creditsthe game would except for one spin, which in some cases was up to 50 credits), the bonus structure made it worth your while. This is standard nowadays.

Around 1999 Sigma jumped on the video slot machine bandwagon with theSigma uv1700 video slot. The video slot was a marketlargely developed by Williams (Wms), and one that Wms excelled. Sigma met andI would say surpassed Wms with the uv1700. Animation is more refined onthe Sigma, and the machines are far easier to repair.

As for repairs, Sigma slots were easier for casinos to repair (and us too, since these are now in our homes!)For example the UV1700 Sigma slot machines shown on this page arebased on 300 mHz Cyrix/Pentium PC computer hardware, using standard 168 pin 256meg SDRam DIMM pc100 or pc133memory sticks and CD ROM drives. But the PC board isa bit different than those seen in your home computer.Instead of a board with a zillion connectors, the Sigma 1700 slot uses a DPX-80 board from Densitron Technologies andGamingboads.com, using a single 'ConnectBus'connector. This board eliminates the need to plug and unplug different connectors for power, HDD, FDD, monitor, etc. That is, all power, I/O, and interface signals are routed to a single ConnectBus connector. This makes the board literially 'plug and play', allowing Casinosto easily swap a motherboard to fix a machine. Everything is on one board,so it's pretty painless. (Though a hardware 'clear' is still requiredthough to change a game.)

Unfortunately this all came to an end in 2005, as Sigma (called Mikohn since 2003) was bought by Progressive Gaming International (PGI). At that time PGI stoppedselling the Simga UV1700, andnothing further has come of the Sigma 1700 platform.

Repurposing Glass Jars

The guts of a Sigma 1700. Looks like a regular PC eh?
That's because it pretty much is a regular PC.

Sigma uv1700 and uv1900 (sit-down) Slot Machine Hardware.
The motherboard used in Sigma 1700 slots was a 'ConnectBus' Densitron Technologies DPX-80 board,with a single connector for all power and hardware. This allowed a techto replace a motherboard in about 10 seconds.The processor is a Cyrix MII-333GP (333mHz clock speed with a 83mHz bus 3.0x, 2.9 volts.)Memory includes two SIMM 72pin EDO sockets (not used) and one DIMM socket (SDRam 168 pin 256megpc-100 or pc-133, depending on how old the DPX-80 motherboard may be.)Interestingly many games can run with 64meg or 128meg of RAM (thoughKiss requires the full 384meg, Garfield runs at 288meg or above.)The Densitron Technologies DPX-80 board supports up to 450mHz clock speed using a socket-7 compliant processor.Design features include PCI accelerated Fast Ethernet LAN controller, PCI 64-bit accelerated LCD/CRT graphics controller with digital LVDS/PaneLink interface, PCI Ultra DMA/33 EIDE controller, expansion for PCI/ISA buses, analog video input port, touchscreen controller capable, DiskOnChip flash disk socket to 144 Mbytes, 16-bit stereo sound system, two USB, two parallel, four serial, MIDI, mouse, keyboard, and two floppy disk ports.

The Densitron Technologies DPX-80 as used in the Sigma 1700.
Shown is the board loaded with 256meg of DIMM pc133 RAM.

In 2002 Densitron Technologies introduced the DPX-91 motherboard, which is backwards compatible with their DPX-80 and DPX-81 ConnectBus motherboards.Though I've never seen this used in a Sigma uv1700 slot machine, there is a chance itmay work.

Sigma 1700 17' Touch Screen.
The really cool thing about the Sigma uv1700 is the 17' color touch screen.Great resolution and graphics, and a touch screen to boot. It's a nicefeature, especially given the price the Sigma 1700 sells at. The touchscreen is nicely implemented into the game play too (some games use itmore than others.)

The coin door opened on a Sigma 1700. A pretty tight design!

Sigma RAM.
All Sigma uv1700 games have a single DIMM ram socket,usually fitted with PC133 256meg 168 pin SDram. This is the maximumRAM size that will fit in this socket (though some older games may onlyhave a 128meg SDRam card.) I have found some uv1700 boardsthat want PC100 SDram, and won't boot with PC133 (or vice versa.) Either the game will lock up at boot (no power-on 'beep'), orit will beep on and off constantly (signifying a RAM issue.) Reseatingthe SDRam or replacing usually fixes this problem.Note that Garfield requires pc133 DIMM RAM withSerial Presence Detect (SPD) aka Low Density. This is denoted by a second notch cut into the ram on the sides (the second notch is abovethe stock notch seen on 'regular' RAM.)

There are also twoSIMM 72 pin EDO RAM sockets, which will hold 64meg each, andthat are not utilized. Only games I am aware of which require more than 256meg of RAM isKiss and Garfield. These games require the DIMM 256meg SDramplus the two SIMM sockets to have 64meg each, for a totalof 384meg (actually Garfield will run at 320meg, but Kiss requiresthe full 384meg.) Also some brands of PC133 DIMM memory won'taddress the additional SIMM sockets - The DIMM memory must haveSerial Presence Detect (SPD). So in the case of Garfield and Kissyou must have the 'right' 256meg DIMM SDram memory with SPD, in addition to the twoEDO 64meg 72 pin SIMM memories.

Finally you can run most Sigma games with just the two EDO SIMM memories installed (128meg), andno DIMM memory. So if you can't get a board to boot right with the DIMM SDram,sometimes trying the SIMM memory can get a board working.

Sigma uv1700 board with both DIMM and SIMM memory installed for Kiss/Garfield.

Sigma 1700 Parts and Repair.
Of all the slot machines I've worked on (and I've worked ona bunch!), the Sigma 1700 is probably the easiest to repair.It's more like a PC computer than a slot machine. There'sjust one board (the 'motherboard'), which is basically a PCmotherboard. I've yet to need to repair a power supply.The mother board uses PC-100 or PC-133 stick 256meg memory (available at the localcomputer store), and a standard CD or DVD drive to read the CDs.The CDs themselves are copyable with say Nero, which means backupsare a breeze (and I do suggest you keep a backup around.)Memory is kept intact with two standard drug store coin batteries(CR4025).

The only thing I don't like about this platform is thetime it takes for the game to boot. Because it's a PC based system,it goes through a memory test at power up (which can be abortedif a keyboard is attached), and the time it takes to check the CD rom.The game reads the entire CD rom and does a checksum against the valuestored in the motherboard's PLCC u52 game chip. If these don't match the gameaborts. This was done so someone doesn't 'hack' the CD rom (easy to do!),changing the game code. So total boot time is probablya minute or three, where most other slot machines boot in 10-20 seconds.

Coin and Dollar Bill Validators.
The coin hardware (if the Sigma has it, not all do) can utilizestwo different coin entry systems.An IDX coin comparitor (programmed for the appropriate coin) canbe used, assuming it has the correct 'personality plug'. Also aMicro Comparitor MC-40 (cmi# 66460089) can also be used (12vdc,InHhi,PR7).In either case both of these systems have the coin-in optics built intothe comparitor.

Micro Comparitor label showing the proper part number.
This is important as there are many different models of Micro Comparitors.

The bill valiator used is JCM's WBA-13 model, which is a reallynice dollar bill acceptor system. If using version 3.75 of the software(it has a 4meg 274001 EPROM built into the WBA transport), it willaccept all colored U.S. money with no problems. Note the head is thesame on a WBA12 and WBA13, but the transport is different.

Sigma 1700 Game Software.
Software (game changes) for a Sigma uv1700 is pretty easy too. There is a single smallPLCC (square) 32 pin 4meg game EPROM chip on the DPX-80 board at U52. And this chip must have a matching game CD ROM. A Dallas 'All Clear' chip is run first at U51 (replacing theboard's 'boot' chip), clearing the memory.Then the boot chip (u51) is replaced, and with the newPLCC game chip (U52) and game CD ROM are installed, the game should run.Upon bootup, the CD ROM is fully read and its checksum compared to the checksumstore on the PLCC game chip (u52). If the checksums don't match, the game gives an error and does not proceed.

Interestingly the 4meg PLCC game chip is pretty much blank.It only contains the checksum of its matching game CD ROM, and some general game parameters (like whether it's a nickel or quarter game, etc.) About 200 bytes of actual info is on the game PLCC U52 chip, and the rest of the chip is blank with '00' stored at each byte. So the PLCC chip onthe motherboard is really only used to verify the CD ROM (which is whereall the game software resides.) Because state regulators don't want tomake game swaps too easy for casinos, the PLCC chip's stored checksumis used so no one can put a 'hacked' CD ROM in the Sigma.

The PLCC chips (Bios, BdBoot, Game chip) and the two coin batteries.
The socketed 'Disk on Chip' provides a solidstate disc work area for the operating system.

Sigma 1700 Progressive Slots.
Sigma made a couple games that were progressive only. That is,they won't run standalone without a networked computer behind them.This is unfortunate as the two progressive games (Lava and Easy Riches)look like good games. (I can load the games and add credits, but theywon't spin because of the lack of a progressive network to support them.)If anyone knows how to get around this, please contact me.

What's the 'Best' Sigma 1700 Game?
I get asked a lot, 'I want a Sigma slot machine, but which is the best onefor my home?' That's a hard question to answer, as it's like asking, 'which flavorof ice cream do you like the best?' Actually I like all the Sigma 1700 games,but Battleship is my favorite.

Sigma Boot Codes.
There's a two digit LED on the corner of the CPU board.I don't have the error code definitions, but I have managedto write down what a proper uv1700 does upon bootup:

• c1 c6 c3 - real fast upon initial power on.
• 06 0d 0e 31 - then game beeps that familar PC boot sound.
• 31 - stays at this until memory test completes.
• 3d 6f 42 4e
• 52 60 62 ff - boot up complete, game should be running, stays at FF.

Sigma Power-On Constant Beeps.
A common boot up error at power on is constant beeping from the speaker,and a C6 error on the LED. This happens when the SDRAM memory stick is bad. Sometimes a simple power off, reseat the memory stick, and power back on will fix this problem. But other times a new memory stick will be required (168 pin 256meg SDRam DIMM pc100 or pc133.) Look at the existing memory stick and see if it is pc100 or pc133 (it should be labeled), and get the correct variety. Using a pc100 memory stick in a board made for pc133 won't work. If the memory stick is unlabeled, best guess is to go with pc133 (which is the most common.)(Yes there are several different versions of the mother board, and the earlierversions use pc100.)

Sigma Game Numbers, Titles, Pictures.
Below is a list of all the Sigma uv1700 video slot machines I have found.The game numbers are important, as the game number on the u52 motherboardchip must match the game number on the CDrom. Note I have some u52 chipsbut no matching CDrom. If you have a cdrom for any of the game numbersI am missing, I would really appreciate hearing from you.

Here's a list of games I know are out there, but have not seen:

• Clue
• Trivial Pursuit (seems to require a network)
• Working Overtime
• Ten Hand Stud Poker
• Flying Aces
• Gold Island

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Our Refurbishing Process

Did you know some suppliers simply reset the programing, blow out the interior out with an air Compressor, and put the machine up for sale? Not here at SlotMachine4You. We remove the reels, all of the glass, internal cooling fans, and unused casino wiring. We then vacuum out all of the dust (you would be surprised what accumulates over the years) and completely wash the inside (door included) with a mild cleaner and replace any broken wire ties. Prior to re-installing the cleaned glass, we buff out the chrome to bring back that like-new shine. Reel strips are then cleaned and reinstalled. Then the mechanical work begins. New batteries are installed on all circuit boards as needed and the machine memory is cleared and reset. All working parts such as the bill acceptor are inspected and tested.

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