Skip to content

drop_targets:

This is a config file reference. Click for instructions.

This page is reference material which explains every setting and option for this section of an MPF yaml config file. See the instructions for config files for formatting and other details. See our guide to config file examples for more examples of real configs in action.

Valid in
machine config files YES ✅
mode config files NO 🚫

You configure individual drop targets in your machine in the drop_targets: section of your machine config file. (This section is only used for individual targets. Once you configure them here, then you group them into banks in the drop_target_banks: section.) Here's an example from Judge Dredd, with five drop targets we've given names J, U, D, G, and E.

#! switches:
#!   drop_target_j:
#!     number:
#!   drop_target_u:
#!     number:
#!   drop_target_d:
#!     number:
#!   drop_target_g:
#!     number:
#!   drop_target_e:
#!     number:
#! coils:
#!   reset_drop_targets:
#!     number:
#!   trip_drop_target_d:
#!     number:
drop_targets:
  j:
    switch: drop_target_j
    reset_coil: reset_drop_targets
  u:
    switch: drop_target_u
    reset_coil: reset_drop_targets
  d:
    switch: drop_target_d
    reset_coil: reset_drop_targets
    knockdown_coil: trip_drop_target_d
  g:
    switch: drop_target_g
    reset_coil: reset_drop_targets
  e:
    switch: drop_target_e
    reset_coil: reset_drop_targets

Important: Not all "drop targets" in your machine will be configured as "drop targets." Some machines have drop target mechanisms that actually act as diverters. For example, in Attack From Mars, the drop target under the saucer is actually a diverter. When it's up, the ball stays on the playfield. When it's down, the ball enters the lock. Star Trek: The Next Generation has this with the drop target up above the lanes, and The Wizard of Oz has this for the drop target in front of the Winkie Guard. If a drop target in your machine is guarding a path to somewhere the ball can go, it might be a diverter. Of course sometime a drop target can be both, like the "D" target in Judge Dredd. Feel free to post to the forum with questions.

Notice there are no settings to control lights associated with drop targets, but many machines (like Judge Dredd used in the example) have lights for each drop target. To control those lights, you'd create shots based on the lights and switches for each drop target, and then you control them just like any other shot with the shot settings, shot_group settings, and shot profiles. In this case you'd end up specifying your switch for this drop target as well as for a shot for it. It's okay to have the same switch in both places.

Create one entry in your drop_targets: section for each drop target in your machine. Don't worry about grouping drop targets into banks here. (That's done in the drop_target_banks: section.) The drop target name can be whatever you want, and it will be the name for this drop target which is used throughout your machine.

Required settings

The following sections are required in the drop_targets: section of your config:

switch:

Single value, type: string name of a switches: device. Defaults to empty.

The name of the switch that's activated when this drop target is down. (Note that active switch = target down, so if your drop target uses opto switches which are reversed, then you need to configure this switch with type: NC in the switches: section of your config file.) MPF will automatically update the state of the drop target whenever the switch changes state.

Optional settings

The following sections are optional in the drop_targets: section of your config. (If you don't include them, the default will be used).

ball_search_order:

Single value, type: integer. Default: 100

A relative value which controls the order individual devices are pulsed when ball search is running. Lower numbers are checked first. Set to 0 if you do not want this device to be included in the ball search. See the Ball Search documentation for details.

disable_keep_up_events:

List of one (or more) device control events (Instructions for entering device control events). Defaults to empty.

Events in this list, when posted, will send a "disable" command to the drop target's reset coil, disabling the "keep up".

enable_keep_up_events:

List of one (or more) device control events (Instructions for entering device control events). Defaults to empty.

Events in this list, when posted, will send enable the drop target's reset coil which means that balls that hit it do not cause the drop target to fall since the reset coil is being held on. Note that this will require either allow_enable: true in the coil's configuration or a default_hold_power:/max_hold_power setting. See the (Adjust coil hold power) documentation for details.

Also note that many drop target coils are not designed to be held on at full power, so you'll most likely want to use a hold power of less than 8. Start low and only use the minimum power you need to keep the drop target up.

ignore_switch_ms:

Single value, type: time string (ms) (Instructions for entering time strings). Default: 500ms

How long this device should ignore switch changes while ball search is running. (Otherwise the ball search pulsing coils will set switches that could add to the score, start modes, etc. Default is 500ms.

knockdown_coil:

Single value, type: string name of a coils: device. Defaults to empty.

This is an optional coil that's used to knock down a drop target. Most drop targets do not have these. (In the Judge Dredd example above, you'll notice that only the D target has a knockdown coil.

knockdown_coil_max_wait_ms:

Single value, type: time string (ms) (Instructions for entering time strings). Default: 100ms

Max time allowed to delay the pulse of the knockdown coil. This is used to prevent excess power usage. See /mechs/targets/drop_targets/index for details.

knockdown_events:

List of one (or more) device control events (Instructions for entering device control events). Defaults to empty.

Events in this list, when posted, pulse this drop target's knockdown coil. (If this drop target doesn't have a knockdown coil, then these events will have no effect.)

max_reset_attempts:

Single value, type: integer. Defaults to empty.

Help us write it!

This section is unwritten or needs an update or edit. Can you help write it? Get your name in lights and geeky pinball bragging rights! Hit the magic sparkly wand to the right of the title to see this page source on GitHub. Then add/edit and submit your change. It's easy!

playfield:

Single value, type: string name of a playfields: device. Default: playfield

The name of the playfield that this autofire device is on. The default setting is "playfield", so you only have to change this value if you have more than one playfield and you're managing them separately.

reset_coil:

Single value, type: string name of a coils: device. Defaults to empty.

The name of the coil that is pulsed to reset this drop target. The pulse time will be whatever you configure as the default pulse time for this coil in the coils: section of your machine configuration file. Important: Only enter a reset_coil name here if this coil is only resets this drop target. For banks of drop targets where a single coil resets the entire bank of targets, enter the reset_coil in the drop_target_banks: configuration, not here. Why? Because if you have three drop targets in a bank, you only want to pulse the coil once to reset all the drop targets. If you enter the coil three times (one for each drop target), then it will pulse three times when the bank is reset.

reset_coil_max_wait_ms:

Single value, type: time string (ms) (Instructions for entering time strings). Default: 100ms

Max time allowed to delay the pulse of the reset coil. This is used to prevent excess power usage. See /mechs/targets/drop_targets/index for details.

reset_events:

List of one (or more) device control events (Instructions for entering device control events). Default: ball_starting, machine_reset_phase_3

Default: ball_starting, machine_reset_phase_3

Resets this drop target. If this drop target is not part of a drop target bank, then resetting this target will pulse its reset coil. If this drop target is part of a drop target bank, then resetting this drop target will have no effect. (Instead you would reset the bank.) Default is ball_starting, machine_reset_phase_3.

console_log:

Single value, type: one of the following options: none, basic, full. Default: basic

Log level for the console log for this device.

debug:

Single value, type: boolean (true/false). Default: false

See the documentation on the debug setting for details.

file_log:

Single value, type: one of the following options: none, basic, full. Default: basic

Log level for the file log for this device.

label:

Single value, type: string. Default: %

A descriptive name for this device which will show up in the service menu and reports.

tags:

List of one (or more) values, each is a type: string. Defaults to empty.

Special / reserved tags for drop targets: None

See the documentation on tags for details.

Something missing or wrong? You can fix it!

This website is edited by people like you! Is something wrong or missing? Is something out of date, or can you explain it better?

Please help us! You can fix it yourself and be an official "open source" contributor!

It's easy! See our Beginner's guide to editing the docs.

Page navigation via the keyboard: < >

You can navigate this site via the keyboard. There are two modes:

General navigation, when search is not focused:

  • F , S , / : open search dialog
  • P , , : go to previous page
  • N , . : go to next page

While using the search function:

  • Down , Up : select next / previous result
  • Esc , Tab : close search
  • Enter : go to highlighted page in the results