TEKBILT ICM 1000 WITH MARS BILL VALIDATOR

[Ed G]

i posted this months ago in the coin breaker topic, and I have received zero responses, so I thought to post here as the machine has a MARS validator.  I purchased a TEKBILT MODEL ICM 1000 BILL TO COIN BREAKER, Serial #: 100157 from the Riviera Hotel and Casino back in 2011.  I finally was able to remove the tubular locks and get into it and found the hoppers for nickels were being jammed by mangled quarters.  The hoppers are now functional but I am seeing what I believe to be NI/RAM on the digital display.  I believe that the main board needs to be utilized to reset the RAM.  There is no instruction manual with the machine.

I am looking for a manual for this machine as I am lost without any knowledge of this machine.  I am hoping that there might be a member that could assist me with this machine.  Please see attached photos of the machine. Sorry, but I cannot get the photos to rotate properly on this website.  I tried!

I believe that the machine has to be reset prior to the validator becoming operational.  That will be my second task, so if anyone has any information regarding that MARS validator, I would also be very appreciative.

[Stayouttadabunker]

Googled and found this?...>>> 
https://www.arcade-museum.com/manuals-manufacturers/Mars-GL5-manual.pdf

[Ed G]

Thank you very much for your prompt response Stayouttadabunker!  I too, found that document a while back and printed it out.  That should help me with the validator if there happens to be an issue with it. Before I can move to the validator, I need to find information regarding the actual TEKBILT ICM 1000 as the machine is giving me that  NI/RAM message on the digital display.  I have searched all available resources and tried all the telephone numbers for TEKBILT and have had negative results.  I really need to find the instruction manual for that machine so I can attempt to reset or reestablish the proper information on the main board.  Pressing some of the buttons on the board yield activity on the display but I can't figure out the steps to reset whatever needs to be done to get the machine to operate properly.  I was hoping to find a manual wedged into the machine but found nothing.  Any further help from anyone out there would be greatly appreciated.

[Stayouttadabunker]

That bill breaker looks like it came outta the 90's.
Look inside...find the circuit board...try to find a battery on it somewhere.
It might look like a rectangular chip like a Dallas NVRAM chip.
Take a photo of the circuit board.
The battery HAS to be dead or very low by now.
I'll try to identify it for you.
Take a clear close up photo of it.
It helps hold the programming.
Then we'll have to figure out hwo to program it make the coin hopper
pay out.
There's going to be dip switches on that board...do NOT touch them.
Instead, take a photo of where the dipswitches are set at NOW.
You need to change that lithium battery first before hitting the little white reset button.
If you hit the reset button without changing the battery, you'll still have an error on the display.
also, the battery is INSIDE a case on top of a chip.
You will need to source another one.
As I said, your machine is from the late 80's or 90's...it will be next to impossible to find a new Dallas NVRAM chip.
I have only one chip.

Your board might look like this...>>>

[Ed G]

Again, I appreciate your prompt response.  I am really glad that you are helping me with this as I had posted in what I thought was the proper section three months ago and got zero responses.I want you to know that I am fairly new here and my nomenclature and abilities are limited but I feel I have a basic knowledge as I got my four Bally EMs totally restored and operating perfectly through this forum.

I am constantly having issues with the photos that I am trying to attach.  I take them with my phone, email them to myself, save them in a photo file and they have perfect clock positioning.  As soon as I attach them to this site, they show in the wrong clock position.  This photo is now in the nine oclock position.  I have tried getting them right but I am just not able.  Might you have insight on that because I am trying to do things properly around here.

That being said, the TEKBILT ICM 1000 was manufactured in 04/1994.  I am attaching a photograph of the board which is stamped 1993, and I am not seeing any DIP switches but I am seeing the E-Prom denoted NICKELS in the center right which makes me believe that the E-prom contains the settings.  I am also seeing that DALLAS chip [marked DALLAS DS1643-120 Timekeeping RAM 9248A1 029018 (which didn't transfer over to this site too well)], and I did some research on that to find that might be Step 1 toward success as when i first started troubleshooting and pressed some of the buttons on the board, the hoppers started agitating.  I was poking around also, and I saw through GOOGLE that there are reproductions of DALLAS chips that have piggyback battery holders on them.  Not sure if there are any that will be useful in my situation. Please let me know as your time permits how I should proceed based upon your review of the board photo. 

[Stayouttadabunker]

I would purchase a Dallas 1643 chip that has a piggyback battery.
Once you put that in, I think your bill changer should start working again.
You may not have to do anything else to get it working again other than try to igure out how to set the date and clock.
We'll know more once you install a working chip.

To remove the Dallas chip, gently wiggle the body of the chip back and forth while pulling straight up evenly.
It's better to lever a small screwdriver under the body and work at upwards on both ends a little at a time so that way the chip legs don't get bent.
Make sure you're pushing up on the chip body with the screwdriver and not the actual chip socket.


Also, never take the circuit board in/out with the power switch ON.

Oh, for photos, I use the good ol' Windows Paint program to resize my pictures on a laptop PC.
I have much more control of photo sizing and orientation - than emailing a photo to myself.
My attachments are never smaller than 1000KB per one side.
That way they can be opened up and zoomed in to max size, without pixelating the photo.

[shortrackskater]

...I thought was the proper section three months ago and got zero responses.
I am constantly having issues with the photos that I am trying to attach.  I take them with my phone, email them to myself, save them in a photo file and they have perfect clock positioning.  As soon as I attach them to this site, they show in the wrong clock position.  This photo is now in the nine oclock position.  I have tried getting them right but I am just not able.  Might you have insight on that because I am trying to do things properly around here.

Hi Ed - Admin here. I think that actually was the proper section but sometimes the guys just don't see it, for whatever reason. 
I think it's because we rarely get posts in the bill breakers section. I deleted the other, unanswered post. Maybe when this is totally resolved, I'll move it back. For my photos I used the photo preview in my MacBook Pro. I put your last photo at 12 o'clock. My understanding is that the phones create "metadata" on orientation. The "fix" for me and others has been flipping the photo left or right (or full rotation) in your phone, even it it's upright to start.

[Ed G]

Thank you.  I have that  DALLAS DS1643-120 chip enroute from China via Ebay.  I will post when it arrives as it is scheduled for 01/2026.  It looks bootleg (made in Philippines) but the community gives the supplier good reviews.  Once I install it, I'll post back.  Merry Christmas and thanks for everything.  Getting this machine up and running will be a feat that I have been waiting to accomplish for about 14 years.

[Ed G]

I just received the replacement DALLAS DS1643-120 chip through Ebay and I carefully installed it onto the board.  Unfortunately, I am still getting the same digital readout on the main digital display, that being an alternating " NO SERVICE" followed by "NV RAM".  I do see two new and different readouts in the two displays below that display with the new chip installed.  The amount inserted display read "2C0.00" with the old chip and now reads "FFF.00" with the new chip.  The number of coins returned display read "200" with the old chip and now reads "FFFF' with the new chip.  I removed the new NV RAM chip and replaced it with the old RAM chip just for comparison and the displays all read what they originally read prior to the installation of the new chip.

Some points of interest are:
The CLOCK LED on the board is illuminated light green with either chip installed.
The POWER LED on the board is illuminated bright green with either chip installed.
The validator out of service LED is off with both chips yet a visual look at the validator shows two red lights on inside the mouth of the validator and I can hear an audible intermittant functioning noise that sounds like the feed rollers are activating on and off or something that sounds like that.
The hoppers are both completely empty of coins and there are no bills or obstructions in the validator. 
Pushing the SERVICE button on the board allows the main digital display to go through ACCOUNTING, CONFIGURE, SERVICE and EXIT OUT sequentially with either chip installed but I actually get some numeric readings in the sub categories with the original chip installed. 
I did something while playing with the buttons with both the old chip and new chip in and got an occassional readout on the main display stating "THIS MACHINE ACCEPTS BILLS AND DISPENSES NICKELS"  I don't know how I got that but when it disappeared the "NO SERVICE" followed by "NV RAM" reappeared.

I am very frustrated as I have been trying other options to find a service manual for the machine, and I have had no luck nor any other responses on this forum.  I am at a standstill, and I am now completely lost for options.  I certainly appreciate your help STAYOUTTADABUNKER!