Alien Poker (Williams, 1980): common faults and System 6 replacement boards

Is your Williams Alien Poker silent (no speech), playing wrong sounds, not booting or resetting? These symptoms are typical of Williams System 6 pinball machines, whose original boards (MPU, Driver, power supply) are now over 40 years old. The good news: the WillFA7 replacement board, Plug & Play and battery-free, brings your machine back to life.

Alien Poker (Williams, 1980): overview

Released in 1980, Alien Poker is a Williams System 6 pinball machine themed around a poker game against aliens. Famous for its speech lines (the well-known "I win, you lose"), it is one of the brand's early talking games.

• Manufacturer: Williams
• Year: 1980
• Electronic system: Williams System 6
• Type: solid-state pinball with speech
• Theme: science fiction / poker

Common faults (System 6)

On Williams System 3 to 7, the recurring faults come from ageing: leaking NiCad battery on the MPU (corrosion, the No. 1 cause of dead boards), worn 40-pin MPU↔Driver connector (the best-known weak point), resets/reboots on a 5 V drop (power headers and connectors to be resoldered), tired power-supply capacitors, displays with missing segments, and a solenoid fuse that blows (slingshot or stuck bumper).

Issues specific to Alien Poker (forum feedback)

• No speech: the W1 jumper and the sound board DIP switches must be set correctly — some machines have been found with speech disabled.
• Wrong sounds at the wrong time: a target triggering the ball-drain sound, for example, points to faulty sound-select signals (cracked solder joints on the MPU connector).
• Unsuitable sound ROM: the documented original ROM set (Sound ROM 2) plays sounds that are off; a corrected ROM is often needed.
• Loose IC sockets: on the sound/speech board the sockets no longer hold the pins, causing intermittent bad contacts.
• Error code on the display: some Alien Pokers show a code (e.g. "1501") at start-up, to be diagnosed on the display/connector side.
• Volume control not working: the pot under the playfield barely changes anything and the sound stays very loud.

Replacement boards compatible with Alien Poker

• WillFA7 — 2-in-1 board (MPU + Driver) compatible with System 3 to 7, System 7 included.

The WillFA7 replaces the original MPU and Driver board (boot-up, logic resets, coil driving, battery-free memory) and removes the fragile 40-pin ribbon. Because the sound-select signals originate on the MPU, a healthy board also makes sound triggering more reliable; the sound/speech board and the displays, however, must be addressed separately. Our support team will guide you.

Plug & Play installation, battery-free, free tutorials and support. Contact us.

FAQ — Alien Poker Williams

My Alien Poker has no speech.
Check the W1 jumper and the sound board DIP switches. Speech depends on the sound/speech board, separate from the MPU; our support points you to its repair.

It plays wrong sounds at the wrong time.
Often cracked solder joints on the MPU sound-select connector. The WillFA7 replaces the MPU and makes these signals reliable.

My Alien Poker won't start or reboots on its own.
Often an unstable 5 V and/or the 40-pin connector. The WillFA7 replaces MPU and Driver and removes the fragile ribbon.

Should I keep the original battery?
No. The WillFA7 works without a battery and removes the No. 1 cause of corrosion on System 6.

How long does it take to install a replacement board?
Installation is Plug & Play: a few minutes, no soldering, with tutorials and free support.

Does a battery-free board keep the settings and high scores?
Yes. Modern replacement boards use non-volatile memory: no more battery, no more corrosion, and the settings are kept when powered off.

Step-by-step diagnosis

1. Power off, visual inspection: look for any trace of battery or corrosion on the MPU of your Alien Poker; remove the NiCad battery if it is still present.
2. Power supply: check the 5 V and the fuses; resolder the power supply and MPU headers if the voltage drops or the game resets.
3. Connectors: re-pin the oxidised Molex connectors, especially the MPU↔Driver link.
4. Coils: check the solenoid fuses and the switches (stuck slingshot) before powering back on.
5. Displays: never connect or disconnect a display while powered on; test with a known-good display.
6. Final test: check start-up, credits, coils and displays; remember that the WillFA7 replaces MPU + Driver. If needed, contact free support.

See also

• Algar (Williams, 1980)
• Scorpion (Williams, 1980)
• Blackout (Williams, 1980)
• Firepower (Williams, 1980)

Sources & further reading

• Pinside forum — Alien Poker
• IPDB — Internet Pinball Database
• OPDB — Open Pinball Database