6 Slot – Memory test on power up giving error
Address Write Read
00008000 5555 55FF
Checking with Mame, the memory chips in question were only small, so looking at the board revealed two DIL 5814’s. Chip select signals to these were toggling as expected, so I needed to identify which ram chip was which. Using the test probe I shorted pins 11+12 on one chip, powering on the board now gave read as 51FF so I was looking at the wrong chip. Replacing the other (with a 2018-35) sorted the problem.
Crashing game. Game woud start attract mode, but shortly after would crash and boot loop. Entering test mode (hold player 1 start button whilst switching on) and it would pass first time around, but fail at random addresses on subsequent runs. The /WAIT signal on the main Z80 is handled by the IC at E2…
Blank screen, Blanking line to output colour proms always enabled. Trace back to 74161 in timing circuit – output stuck, input clock all look OK – replace chip and picture appears. Blue video only – The video lines are controlled by three transistors near the edge connector, checking these revealed that 2 were not giving…
In normal mode, just had a blank screen. Enable test mode and you instead get an error message showing that the ROM test had failed (even though the rom itself checks out OK with correct content) This is because the custom Atari SLAPSTIC chip is not functioning correctly. It is used to page banks of…
Glitched graphics. Screen changes as board is flexed. Moved around board pressing chips until pressing the custom surface mount chip at B6 changed the effect. Noticed that the corner most pins had come up from the board. After an unsuccessful effort to resolder them, I used some enameled 38 swg wire to solder from the…
Boots up, and plays, but incorrect sprites – most noticeable little bug changes into ‘END’ at one point. Check 74ls138 at 8n, controlling graphics banking, and pins strobing. Replace chip and now uses correct sprites. Quiet missile sound and explosion sound. Both of these effects use the op-amp chip, LM324 at 7T. Replace this chip…