Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum
Arcade Collecting => Miscellaneous Arcade Talk => Topic started by: korendog on November 08, 2005, 01:30:55 am
-
Ok, I just got a Pac-Man cabinet with Ms. Pac-Man running in it. It looks as though the previous owner hacked the Pac-Man board to run Ms. Pac-Man. Pictures are below. In the one picture on the back of the PCB there are three wires that are soldered to other terminals. This doesn't appear to be stock. Am I correct in assuming this procedure in part converts the board to play Ms. Pac-Man so you don't need the daughter board? (My board does not appear to have one) My goal is to just get Pac-Man running again if that is possible. I have done some research on the web and know that Ms. Pac character chips are installed at 5E & 5F. Can I just acquire Pac-Man character chips to install at 5E & 5F and snip the three wires on the back of the board? Also, where do I obtain the character chips? Any info or help would be greatly appreciated. -Jarrett
-
You are correct about the hack. That's exactly what that is, Ms Pac modified to run without the daughterboard.
I've got a Ms Pac that's the same way.
I can't tell you how to convert it back, I've never studied the hack. But last I looked at mine it appears to be slightly more complicated than a rom swap as the addressing circuits get modified slightly to address the additional rom space.
Good luck!
D
-
Mowerman describes this hack under his Bootleg Pacman section of his website.
-
Ok, I've had the game up and running a few times. Last time I fired it up I got some wacky stuff on the monitor. I'm guessing this is a video pcb issue. The very next time I fired it up it wouldn't even boot so I did the RAM/ROM test thingy and it says "Bad C Ram-0" which tells me I have some bad RAM at location 4L. So my question is....Can I just pick up these RAM chips at Radio Shack or do I need to order them someplace special online? Please advise.
-
If memory serves (no pun intended :) ) pac boards used 2114 rams? (somebody correct me if I am wrong).
They are available from Jameco, Mouser, Arcadechips.com, most of major suppliers should have them. You aren't going to get them at RadioShack.
D
-
Ok, I just got a Pac-Man cabinet with Ms. Pac-Man running in it. It looks as though the previous owner hacked the Pac-Man board to run Ms. Pac-Man. Pictures are below. In the one picture on the back of the PCB there are three wires that are soldered to other terminals. This doesn't appear to be stock. Am I correct in assuming this procedure in part converts the board to play Ms. Pac-Man so you don't need the daughter board? (My board does not appear to have one) My goal is to just get Pac-Man running again if that is possible. I have done some research on the web and know that Ms. Pac character chips are installed at 5E & 5F. Can I just acquire Pac-Man character chips to install at 5E & 5F and snip the three wires on the back of the board? Also, where do I obtain the character chips? Any info or help would be greatly appreciated. -Jarrett
Don't worry about the wires it should work with them. Just replace row 5 with pacman chips, and pull all 6 in row 6. Replace the first four with pacman chips just like it wasn' t modified.
-
Thanks Dav. This PCB stuff is all new to me. My first project was a MAME cabinet. ie; no board.