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Arcade Collecting => Miscellaneous Arcade Talk => Topic started by: Level42 on October 15, 2007, 01:57:32 am

Title: Atari ARII (AR2) unloaded voltages ?
Post by: Level42 on October 15, 2007, 01:57:32 am
Anyone ever tested an Atari AR2 without load ?

I did a re-cap using Bob Roberts' kits on both the Power Brick and the AR2 and thought it would be wise to measure all the voltages before trying it in my cab.
However, I should have measured those values under no-load before I started the re-cap so I could compare them, but I forgot to do that.

Anyway, problem now is I'm getting -8,7 V out of the -5V pin. I checked the input on the 7905 and it's -30V instead of about the -22V that it should be. Naturaly the -22V also is to high (low ?) because of this....
I know the -30V is too high for the 7905 input.

Is this normal behavier ? It's strange since the +22V is fine, and basicaly the +22V and -22V sections are identiacal. I checked every soldering twice, replaced the new cap with the old one, resoldered all solderings etc. Can't find anything wrong with it.....
Title: Re: Atari ARII (AR2) unloaded voltages ?
Post by: cw on October 15, 2007, 09:00:13 am
checking it without a load is not going to give you accurate  reading on a meter.  If you are worried about about over loading something you could drop fuses on the voltage lines.
Title: Re: Atari ARII (AR2) unloaded voltages ?
Post by: ChadTower on October 15, 2007, 09:13:37 am

I think the exact expected voltages varies by revision, too, since the ARII has quite a few versions out there that are specific to either a single game or a small set of games.  The rev # is usually written on the board in black marker.
Title: Re: Atari ARII (AR2) unloaded voltages ?
Post by: Level42 on October 15, 2007, 10:04:55 am
OK then, someone willing to check it on their ARII ? There are plenty of people here owning one or a coulpe, Brentradio perhaps ?

I'd hate to fry my perfect working Star Wars PCB set because of this....

Chad, I know about the revisions. The SW is Rev-02. The only thing it's not supplying is +15V and -15V, which is weird because the -22V is going directly into a 7915 on the vector PCB and is not going anywhere else.

Also, the cabling schematic shows that the -5V goes to the CPU PCB only, but I've checked all the schematics and can't find where it's used on that PCB...will need to check the PCB itself to find out I guess....
Title: Re: Atari ARII (AR2) unloaded voltages ?
Post by: ChadTower on October 15, 2007, 10:08:46 am

Which game or board revision?
Title: Re: Atari ARII (AR2) unloaded voltages ?
Post by: Level42 on October 15, 2007, 10:09:23 am
-02 Star Wars...
Title: Re: Atari ARII (AR2) unloaded voltages ?
Post by: Level42 on October 21, 2007, 02:54:11 pm
For anyone interested....apparently the unloaded voltages were fine. I put everything back in the SW and all works fine.