Big House (Gottlieb, 1989): faults and replacement boards System 80B

On your Gottlieb Big House, does the start button do nothing, do you have no sound, do lamps stay off or does the game reset? These symptoms are typical of Gottlieb System 80B pinball machines, whose original boards (MPU, Driver, power supply, sound) are now over 40 years old. Good news: modern replacement boards, Plug & Play and battery-free, give your machine a second life.

Big House (Gottlieb, 1989): overview

Released in 1989, Big House is a System 80B pinball machine with a prison and escape theme. It features the series' alphanumeric displays, in one of the last production years of the System 80B.

• Manufacturer: D. Gottlieb & Co.
• Year: 1989
• Electronic system: Gottlieb System 80B
• Type: solid state electronic pinball, alphanumeric displays
• Theme: prison / escape

Common faults (System 80B)

System 80B machines use alphanumeric displays and an MPU with battery-backed 5101 RAM. Recurring faults: leaking battery on the MPU (corrosion and loss of the 5101 memory), unstable power supply (the original trim pot struggles to hold 5 V and 12 V), cracked solder joints (notably on the CPU daughter card), inter-board connectors needing repinning, poor grounds (ground mods essential; a single failing ground can block several boards), blank displays if a single bit fails to pass from the MPU to the display, and start-up disrupted by the starter of the backbox fluorescent tube.

Issues specific to Big House (forum reports)

• Dead start button: resolved by re-crimping the A1J5 and A1J6 connectors.
• Sound 16 missing: it passes through the connector at the bottom right of the Driver board, a known weak point on Big House — seat it firmly; ground mods helpful.
• Missing lighting: the lamps of the pop-ups, of the roller at the top of the playfield and before ramp no. 2 (meant to stay lit) that do not work.
• Weak flippers: often the end-of-stroke (EOS) switch or the coil.
• Cascading grounds: a failing ground can lock coils, relays or driven lamps.

Replacement boards compatible with Big House

• GottFA80_Plus (Light) — all-in-one CPU + Driver + power supply board, without sound.
• GottFA80_Plus (Full) — same with integrated sound board (80B audio limited to a few titles).
• Gosof — replacement sound board for System 80 and 80A (80B support currently limited to a few titles).
• Godri80 — replacement Driver board.
• Lisy80 — CPU board + web diagnostics.
• GoPOP80 — bumper driver board (MA-922).

System 80B note: favour the GottFA80_Plus Light — the 80B is covered on the CPU/MPU side. On the audio side, support is for now limited to a few titles (Bounty Hunter, Chicago Cubs Triple Play, Tag Team); for the other System 80B machines, keep and repair the original sound board and contact us (an audio solution is in preparation).

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

FAQ — Big House Gottlieb

My start button doesn't respond.
Re-crimp the A1J5 and A1J6 connectors. A replacement MPU also makes switch reading more reliable.

Sound 16 is missing.
Seat the connector at the bottom right of the Driver board firmly and do the ground mods; repair the original sound board. For 80B audio, support is limited to a few titles — contact us.

Some lighting stays off.
Check the grounds and the lamp driving. The Godri80 board (or GottFA80_Plus) replaces the faulty Driver stage.

And what about 80B sound?
Audio support is for now limited to a few titles (Bounty Hunter, Chicago Cubs Triple Play, Tag Team). For Big House, keep and repair the original sound board and contact us; a solution is in preparation.

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. Powered off, visual inspection: look for any battery or corrosion trace on the MPU of your Big House; remove the NiCad battery if still present.
2. Power supply: measure the 5 V and check it reaches the MPU (redo the solder of the regulator or Q1 if the voltage drops).
3. Grounds: apply the "ground mods" between the boards (CPU, Driver, power supply, sound).
4. Connectors: re-pin the oxidised Molex connectors, especially the MPU↔Driver link.
5. Displays: never plug or unplug a display while powered; test with a known-good display.
6. Final test: check start-up, credits, coils and displays; if needed, contact the free support.

See also

• Bad Girls (Gottlieb, 1988)
• Hot Shots (Gottlieb, 1989)
• Bone Busters (Gottlieb, 1989)
• Excalibur (Gottlieb, 1988)

Sources & further reading

• Pinside Forum — Big House
• IPDB — Internet Pinball Database
• OPDB — Open Pinball Database