Rock (Gottlieb, 1985): faults and System 80B replacement boards

Is your Gottlieb Rock no longer starting, showing dead displays, resetting or crashing? These symptoms are typical of Gottlieb System 80B pinball machines, whose original boards (MPU, Driver, power supply, sound) are now more than 40 years old. Good news: modern replacement boards, Plug & Play and battery-free, give your machine a second life.

Rock (Gottlieb, 1985): overview

Released in 1985, Rock is one of the first pinball machines in Gottlieb's System 80B range, built around a rock'n'roll and concert theme. It introduced the alphanumeric displays characteristic of this series.

• Manufacturer: D. Gottlieb & Co.
• Year: 1985
• Electronic system: Gottlieb System 80B
• Type: solid-state pinball machine, alphanumeric displays
• Theme: rock'n'roll / concert

Common faults (System 80B)

System 80B machines use alphanumeric displays and an MPU with a 5101 RAM backed up by a battery. The 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 (particularly on the CPU daughter card), inter-board connectors that need re-pinning, poor grounds (ground mods are essential), dead displays if a single bit fails to pass from the MPU to the display, and start-up disrupted by the backbox fluorescent tube starter.

Rock-specific issues (forum feedback)

• Ineffective grounds near the transformer: redoing them with solid, tight connections removes a lot of instability.
• MPU that won't boot with no error indication: case-by-case diagnosis following the System 80 procedure.
• Blank displays: if the MPU→display interface isn't perfect, a single missing bit is enough to blank everything.
• Connectors not re-pinned: poor connections between boards, the number one source of intermittent faults.
• Leaking battery on the MPU: corrosion and loss of the 5101 memory.

Replacement boards compatible with Rock

• GottFA80_Plus (Light) — all-in-one CPU + Driver + power supply board, without sound.
• GottFA80_Plus (Full) — same with an 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 specifics: go for the GottFA80_Plus Light — the 80B is covered on the CPU/MPU side. On the audio side, support is currently limited to a few titles (Bounty Hunter, Chicago Cubs Triple Play, Tag Team); for 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, free tutorials and support. Contact us.

FAQ — Rock Gottlieb

My Rock won't start.
Check the battery/corrosion on the MPU and the grounds. A GottFA80_Plus Light or Lisy80 board replaces the MPU and makes start-up reliable.

The displays stay dead.
Reseat both ends of the MPU→display ribbon cable, with the game switched off, and clean the connectors. A replacement MPU makes the interface reliable.

The game is unstable / resets.
Redo the grounds (ground mod) and re-pin the connectors. An all-in-one GottFA80_Plus board includes a modern power supply.

What about 80B sound?
Audio support is currently limited to a few titles (Bounty Hunter, Chicago Cubs Triple Play, Tag Team). For Rock, 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 free tutorials and 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 settings are retained when powered off.

Step-by-step diagnosis

1. Powered off, visual inspection: look for any trace of battery or corrosion on your Rock's MPU; remove the NiCad battery if it is still present.
2. Power supply: measure the 5 V and check that it reaches the MPU (reflow the solder on 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 on; test with a known-good display.
6. Final test: check start-up, credits, coils and displays; if needed, contact the free support.

Useful guides

• How much does it cost to repair a pinball machine? The price guide
• How much is my pinball machine worth? Value and estimate
• Pinball leg sizes: the guide by machine
• Which board for a Gottlieb System 80, 80A or 80B?

See also

• Raven (Gottlieb, 1986)
• Hollywood Heat (Gottlieb, 1986)
• Genesis (Gottlieb, 1986)
• Gold Wings (Gottlieb, 1986)

Sources & further reading

• Pinside forum — Rock
• IPDB — Internet Pinball Database
• OPDB — Open Pinball Database