isolation transformer

I just picked up a cab a few days back. The ex-owner said that one game pcb he had would not play in it. So I got the cab and some pcb's including the one that did not work.

I tried the boards in one of my other cabinets and they all worked. Though after inspecting the new cabinet I recieved there was not an isolation transformer installed into it. The monitor was a the original from the cabinet that starte life as Xenophobe. The info on the monitor even says that it requieres an isolation transformer.

So unless I am misunderstanding just how one works and what it does I do not see how he was able to get the games to play in it without some serious problems? The powersupply was pretty standard for such an old cabinet so what is going on here?

I am a bit confused so if anyone knows a bit more about that I would be glad to hear from you.

It'll run without an isolation transformer, but any electrical disturbance could result in damage.

Do NOT run it without the isolation transformer... One side of the AC line may be connected to the monitor chassis and if it is, and you have a miswired outlet you could be in store for a nasty shock from touching various metal pieces in the cabinet. It could also let some magic smoke out too...

Isolation transformers are there for safety purposes.

The Xenophobe cabinet should have a big metal box/cage bolted into the bottom at the back part of the cabinet. In it will be a power supply and an isolation transformer. Hopefully a previous owner didn't remove it. If they did, you should find another one. I can take a pic or two for you if you'd like... My Combatribes game is in a Xenophobe cabinet.

RJ

nope there is no isolation transformer in there. I stripped everything out of it at this point.

I wish I had taken a picture of how it was wired up before I gutted it. I never seen anything like it. The game pcb's that came with it all worked though when I put them in one of my other cabs.

thanks for the info, I thought that it would run a big risk of frying your boards if you ran one without it, as well as getting a good jolt.