SW Boardset Cost

[FrizzleFried]

My SW cockpit has come up with a mathbox error... my options are:

(A) Elektron Forge - $85+ and shipping both ways... estimate $130ish...

(B) Buy Working Boardset - There's one available for $225 shipped... seems a bit steep but it is what it is.   I could sell my current boardset for around $100 I am told.

Opinions?

[ChadTower]

Times like these are good opportunities to learn more about repairing the games.  Sure, you may end up still sending it out, but you'll learn a lot in the attempt. 

[FrizzleFried]

Times like these are good opportunities to learn more about repairing the games.  Sure, you may end up still sending it out, but you'll learn a lot in the attempt. 

In my discussions with Spaeth,  it seems the issue is with one of many chips on the AVG and would need a scope to determine which one it is.

I have no scope... and I have no idea WTF I am doing with one even if I had it!

[ChadTower]

Yeah, the general area is already known by the errors you posted.  Are you able to desolder those chips and put in sockets? 

[TheShanMan]

Aw, sorry to hear it's not something easy to repair, especially since I was the bearer of bad news (I discovered the problem when I was at Frizz's house picking up a few games).

[FrizzleFried]

Yeah, the general area is already known by the errors you posted.  Are you able to desolder those chips and put in sockets? 

Perhaps you can explain to me how those errors tell me where the chips affected are?

According to Spaeth,  the error tells you jack ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- other than the issue is on the AVG board.  Evidently it's a logic analyzer that is needed to determine what chip is exactly the problem.

[FrizzleFried]

Aw, sorry to hear it's not something easy to repair, especially since I was the bearer of bad news (I discovered the problem when I was at Frizz's house picking up a few games).

No big deal.  Sucks,  but it's life when dealing with 25+ year old machines.

[ChadTower]

I would swear I recently skimmed through a third party doc that was pretty good about narrowing the mathbox errors down to at least a small set of chips.  All I can find on the hard drive where I am is a similar document on Tempest, though.

Of course, the method I gave you wasn't about knowing exactly which chip is wrong.  It was about socketing a few of them and swapping in known good ones.  Eventually you'll swap out the bad one and the issue should go away.  In the absence of being able to track down the exact issue sometimes shotgunning the section is the best way to solve the problem. 

Like I said, often you just end up sending the boards out anyway, but at least you learn a bunch every time you make an attempt.  Eventually less boards get sent out and more get fixed on site.  Given the amount of games you're cycling through now it seems as though that would be a worthwhile path to take.

[FrizzleFried]

I would swear I recently skimmed through a third party doc that was pretty good about narrowing the mathbox errors down to at least a small set of chips.  All I can find on the hard drive where I am is a similar document on Tempest, though.

Of course, the method I gave you wasn't about knowing exactly which chip is wrong.  It was about socketing a few of them and swapping in known good ones.  Eventually you'll swap out the bad one and the issue should go away.  In the absence of being able to track down the exact issue sometimes shotgunning the section is the best way to solve the problem. 

Like I said, often you just end up sending the boards out anyway, but at least you learn a bunch every time you make an attempt.  Eventually less boards get sent out and more get fixed on site.  Given the amount of games you're cycling through now it seems as though that would be a worthwhile path to take.

If I were to find said document,  I'd seriously consider doing the work.   I'll have to see if I can find some info... and if you run across it,  please shoot it over.

Thanks.

[ChadTower]

Yeah, if I find it, I'll shoot it over.  I have my crap spread across too many hard drives.

[Level42]

Do you mean this Chad ?

If so, not third party, but official Atari stuff...

{EDIT} Doesn't seem to work downloading the attached file.....

Here's a link:

http://www.gamearchive.com/Video_Games/Manufacturers/Atari/tech/starwars_troublshooting/starwars_troubleshooting.html

[FrizzleFried]

Hey,  check out the DIVIDER TESTS part of that doc...

...am I reading it right in that you can change DIP settings to alter the divider if it fails this test?? EDI:T That can't be right... I dunno... I am confused.

The Mathbox Tests self-test display performs Hardware Diagnostic Test 21 through 25. The Mathbox Tests display shows the Option switch setting of any test that fails to produce the correct results.

BTW: Here is the error screen...

[Level42]

Frizz, you probably missed this line:

Perform the Preliminary Procedure under Hardware Diagnostic Tests and set the option switch at location 10D on the Main PCB as indicated in the test.

Which point to this:
Preliminary Procedure

Set the Self-Test switch to the on (up) position.
Ground the DIAGN test point on the Main PCB.
Set the option switches as indicated in the test procedure and momentarily ground the RESET test point on the Main PCB. If an unimplemented switch position is selected, LED 1, 2, and 3 on the Main PCB will all flash on and off about once per second. Also, the display will show the number of the test for Hardware Diagnostic Tests 10 through 26 (if the AVG PCB and display are working).
Consider the following suggestions:
If a significant number of tests are to be performed attach a small momentary on, normally off, pushbutton switch to the RESET test points.
Remove the high-score and bookkeeping nonvolatile RAM (NOVRAM) from location 1E on the Main PCB while troubleshooting the rest of the hardware. Each time the RESET test point is grounded, one of the RAM store cycles is used up. The nonvolatile RAM is rated for either 10,000 store cycles if the data is not changed, and 1,000 store cycles if the data is changed.

[ChadTower]

Level42, that might be what I was talking about, but I can't see it from here to verify.  Sure does sound like it though.

[FrizzleFried]

Set the option switches as indicated in the test procedure and momentarily ground the RESET test point on the Main PCB.

I think this indicates that I need a CAT BOX as I believe they mean to set the option switches on the CAT BOX?

[Level42]

No, as far as I understand it the dip-switches that normally set game options double in this special diagnostics set-up. But in all honesty, I've tried understanding that document a couple of times but it's a little above my head....

[Dr Zero]

Set the option switches as indicated in the test procedure and momentarily ground the RESET test point on the Main PCB.

I think this indicates that I need a CAT BOX as I believe they mean to set the option switches on the CAT BOX?

That CAT box is way cool there was one for the jaguar I had not seen this one
http://www.ukvac.com/tech/SIG_AN/How_Atari_Signature_Analysis_Works.htm

[Spyridon]

Just get this off of eBay

Link