Batman 66 LE/SLE has a node board for the topper but it’s physically located at the top of the backbox. Will have to check for the number.

The Elvira topper has a node board inside the topper (node 12). Believe the official name is back panel driver board, p/n 520-6998-72

Cannot speak to the others but if there is a coil, there’s probably a node board.

I realize that you are asking about Spike 2, but perhaps you need a Topper column for Spike 1?

As I had the Ghostbusters topper, it hooked up via the node board Ethernet connector. Node board inside, right? When I installed it, the system had to add the new board to the node system.

Just checked, the home-made GB topper uses Node Board 12. That's what is listed in the thread.

Yes the home-made version as what I read on their thread. Unfortunately I never opened up my Stern one while I had it.

Perhaps some kind soul will do that.

OK I'm intrigued...

So in theory, if one were to connect the correct node board with the correct ID, they could build a home made variant of the official topper, right?

As the node board does not really check what's connected behind it, so you could use the default signals used for the official topper to build something custom?

me too. check out the node board and post a photo of node board #12

Well would love too, just don't have an official topper

ForceFlow

Here's what's inside Star Wars Topper:
- PN #520-6998-72
- 4-way motor controller board, PN ##520-6996-00

The motor controller board is used to control, well... the motor - one motor, two directions
The node board seems to simply drive the motor controller board and a few leds

Note: these are not my pictures, I don't have a Star Wars topper

Attached pictures
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Black knight does

Just did a tear down and pictation for Jurassic Park and Black Knight toppers:

Jurassic Park:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/9siHuSrgguMpqSWn7

Node board: 520-6976-72 x1
Node board capacitor: 502-7059-00 x1
LED controller board: 520-6831-01 x2
LED Letter board: 520-8464-00A x1
Flash Lamp: 520-8457-00A RED x4
LED DRV: 520-5307-00B x12
5V 4 LED RGB strip (1LED per segment), x2

Black Knight (didn't dive too deep into the helmet):
https://photos.app.goo.gl/FfYeMXn2Y1GUi6Kg6

Node board: 520-6998-72 x1
Node board capacitor: 502-7059-00 x1
Flash Lamp: 520-7000-00 x6
Knight Helmet board: 520-8416-00 x1

ForceFlow , I'm slightly confused on the wiki, did you update it ?

Specifically interested into Stranger Things, there is a reference in the comment section: Node 9a1 - 520-8418-00 - Dual Motor Driver Lamp board

But the topper board should actually be node 12

Has anyone identified which board this topper board is ?

Thanks for the info

Looks like no one owning a topper has disassembled yet the topper. I would have thought it would be straightforward, but apparently it's not so easy

Anyway

Part number for Node 12 - 520-6976-72

@Pinhead1982, that's an SPI board, I'm surprised they would use this board as the primary interface board in the topper. What's connected to it?

And indeed... Which game?

Regards

[EDIT] Actually... it does make sense if it's a Stranger Things topper. The only controlled toy in the topper is a ledstrip, I suspect it's a WS2812, which requires a serial data line plus power. And that's exactly what's on the this node board fundamentally, they could have repurposed the SPI output as a WS2812 control signal.

@Forceflow, by the way the wiki has not been udpated with the SW topper nodes information

Cheers

ForceFlow

Confirmation of the Spike 2 node board in Stranger Things topper.

Stern Pinball Flipper Platine (SPI Node Board Rev A) #520-6976-72

Manufacturing cost of the STh topper is astonishlingly low.

It's basically a WS2812B 60led/m ledstrip, with plastic casing, a few printed laser cut plexi, and a backmirror.

Close up of connection attached, green is data, red is 5V and white is ground.
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So here's a bit of an uncomfortable question...

If the toppers for two different spike2 games use identical node boards, can the topper for one be recognized by the other as simply "hey, this is a legit topper"?

... Or is there potential harm to the topper or game by connecting it to a pin that it wasn't designed to implement?

(I mean, if the node board is the same...?)

*I beleive* that all node boards are initiatized by the CPU board at power-up, and the topper node board 12 should be no different. Many times at first power up after a game code update you'll see node boards updating message on screen when microcode is updated inside the game code. That is why you don't see 25 different versions of Node board 9 for instance. As long as you set the address dip switches properly, the board will respond and if the CPU detects no micro-code, or any version mis-match, it will update the node board for the specific game sent to it by the CPU board.

I suspect if you hang the right node board (found in their official topper) off the network chain, and set the address properly, the CPU will detect and initialize it properly, even if there is nothing else connected to the node board itself.

So, just looking at it. Say you've got a Avengers Infinity Quest topper and an Elvira topper.

You connect the node board of the new topper to the wrong game. Say you attach the Elvira topper to the Avengers Infinity Quest game.

I suspect that the game will boot up, find out that the firmware isn't the right version, and overwrite the firmware on the Elvira Topper. Then the node board starts acting like an Avengers Infinity Quest node board. It turns on certain transistors, turns off others. But instead of those transistors connected to lights on the Avengers Infinity Quest, maybe a transistor in the Elvira Header is connected to a coil that causes some action. In Elvira, it activates that transistor for a fraction of a second, but the programming for Avengers Infinity Quest says 'turn that transistor on and leave it on'. The coil burns out in your topper, and possibly does other damage.

So, no.

Don't plug the wrong topper into a different game.

Now, suppose I have two Avenger Infinity Quest toppers. Of course you can plug either of them into either game. If somehow the firmware on one of the games is an older version than the other the game will update the node boards on boot up.

Now, suppose you have a node board in a topper that has the same part number as the node board in another topper, and one of those toppers is not working. Say you've got an Elvira with a obviously burnt up transistor on it's node board sitting at location in 'Ye-olde-pinball-barre'. And you've got a working Avengers Infinity Quest topper with a known-good node board, that has the same node board part number. Take the working node board out of the Avengers Infinity Quest, replace the non-working node board in the Elvira topper at your location. On power up, I believe that the CPU will recognize that the firmware isn't a correct version for an Elvira topper, and it'll reprogram the node board currently connected to be the (correct) Elvira topper firmware. Then the Elvira topper starts working correctly, and you can send off your node board with the burnt transistor to Stern for repair/replacement.

At least, that's the way I think all of this works.

If you have a serious interest in doing something really strange like putting an Elvira Topper on an Avengers Infinity Quest, I'd contact Stern first and ask them what they think the result would be. Don't believe what somebody tells you on a random pinball forum, contact the manufacturer.

Hope this helps!

Thanks so much!! Very informative!

You saved me! I just got a new stranger things topper. Dead on arrival. The led strip connector has a 7 pin connector. The board only has 6 pins. I'm going to match the pinout to the picture you posted and see if it works.

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