Re: How do i check the clock circuit?

I would highly recommend at least a low end oscilloscope. It made
troubleshooting my space duel vastly easier. Plus, you can hook it to the x
and y out and play the game sans vector monitor ;>

I actually found a reasonably good one on ebay for 60 bucks once..

On Tue, Sep 24, 2013 at 9:52 AM, Pat Danis <patdanis@verizon.net> wrote:

> Joel:
>
> I salute your dedication in attempting to get your board set working. You
> might have considered starting on something a little bit easier. I have
> been doing this for at least 10 years and my skill set at fixing boards is
> what I consider "very basic". That is, running the self test and replacing
> chips identified as bad. After that, if you do find something that is
> wrong, chances are you will not have the parts you need to fix it. There
> are the very common chips scattered throughout he board that are easy to
> find, it is the unique parts that might give you the fits.
>
> If you do find the problem, you need to be certain you know what you are
> doing when replacing chips. Can you cleanly desolder chips without ripping
> pads or traces and reinstall a socket? If not, You might stop now and
> consider sending the board off to a "pro" (Not me) and let them tackle it.
> It costs more in the long run for them to fix other people's screw ups. It
> is certainly admirable to learn to fix things yourself but it might be
> better to start on a simple board like a pacman etc.
>
> There is a Star Wars trouble shooting guide available and a ton of
> information on the web about star wars issues. Who knows, you might get
> lucky and find the problem and change a chip and be up and running. (I
> doubt it) Based on my experience with SW board sets, you have a long road
> ahead of you. I know two guys who fix them and I consider them brainiacs
> when it comes to board repairs. They still have problems sorting out all
> the issues.
>
> Best of luck in your endeavors.
>
> Pat
>
> On 9/24/2013 8:32 AM, Joel Griffin Dodd wrote:
>
> Thanks guys, the info on spotting a clock visually was especially
> helpful. Sometimes the skill level of guys that have been doing this work
> for such a long time skips past many of the most basic yet useful pieces of
> information that a newbie simply doesn't yet know. Now at least I know what
> to look for on the PCB in the 'real' world as well as the schematic.
>
>
> On Tue, Sep 24, 2013 at 2:08 AM, Andre Huijts <a.huijts@upcmail.nl> wrote:
>
>> The clock signals are generated using crystals. They are easy to ID,
>> usually a flat aluminum colored can:
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> More modem versions look like this, if you see these, the crystal has
>> probably been replaced in more recent years:
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> This may sound weird but your first work should be visual. Check if the
>> crystals are there at all and if they are still firmly soldered. I actually
>> started measuring for a clock signal only to discover some seconds later
>> that it was missing :) The crystals often get damaged or broken off during
>> stacking PCBs or transport because they stick out high above all the other
>> parts. This is also why I prefer to replace them with the smaller modern
>> types.
>>
>> A general visual inspection is always a good idea. Look for damaged
>> tracks, bad sockets etc. in case of SW PCB set, make very sure the
>> interconnection board is on really tight.
>>
>> Verstuurd vanaf mijn iPad
>>
>> > Op 24 sep. 2013 om 10:49 heeft Andrew Welburn <andy@andysarcade.net>
>> het volgende geschreven:
>> >
>> > You need to get the manual and schematics and read them, they you will
>> know where all these things are...
>> >
>> > Andrew Welburn
>> > http://www.andys-arcade.com
>> >
>> >> On 23/09/2013 23:33, Joel Griffin Dodd wrote:
>> >> Thanks Ed!
>> >>
>> >> No problem on waiting for the probe to arrive, I'm moving house this
>> >> week so I have plenty to keep me busy.
>> >>
>> >> How do I physically identify a clock/chip/oscillator on a board? Also
>> >> how do I know which line out is the clock line?
>> >
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>>
>>
>
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Received on Tue Sep 24 11:49:08 2013