Astreoids Help needed

SaminVA

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I completely built my Asteroids about 10 years ago from parts I obtained from different people. If you haven't read the story on my web site here's a link.
http://members.cox.net/sverlander/asteroids.html
It's been in my garage for the last 5 or 6 years but with Scott's new kit soon to be released I decided it was time to bring my Asteroids back into the game room. After a good cleaning, sure can get dirty in a garage under a tarp, everything was looking good. The game was looking and playing great. Played about 20 or so games and turned it off.
The next day as soon as I turned it on their was no picture. The game had a blank screen and player 1 and 2 buttons were flashing. I put it in test mode and the game was watchdoging and a distorted test screen was flashing on and off with a hi pitched beeping. I tested all the voltages and they were correct so I pulled the board out and reseated all the socketed chips cleaning the chips legs and reinstalled the board with no change.
The next day the game was back to normal for a wile but would reset every now and then. The next day it came up with a graphics glitch which is shown in this video. Test screen was messed up too. The next day it was back to normal for a wile but started back with the random resets and the ship would disappear for a second and reappear. All voltages were tested and correct. Everything in the game was rebuilt, even a new Big Blue installed before I put the game in storage in the garage. It looks to be a board problem. Any idea's on where to start trouble shooting?
Thanks
 
Today my Asteroids went back to it's original problem. Their's no picture in game mode and the Player 1 and 2 buttons are flashing. Put it into test mode and you get solid lights on both start buttons and a flashing messed up looking test screen and hi pitched beeping. I grounded the watchdog and in test mode both buttons are lit solid and the test pattern is all messed up. Here's a video of what's the game is doing now. Seems like it's something different every day.:004_ssad:
Any Idea's ?
 
I'd suggest you pull all 4 of the ROMs and clean the legs....also the sockets on these boards can get flaky over time (30 years).

Mike
 
If that white line across the screen is blinking and the game is constantly resetting and the problem seems to come and go then I would ask if the CPU is making good contact. Is the CPU socket the original socket? Had a couple boards doing this and it turned out the CPU was not making good contact after it warmed up so replacing the socket fixed the issue.
 
One way to take the ROMs and sockets out of the equation is to install a Braze HS-save kit; it also serves as a replacement for the ROMs...

Also, maybe look at your crystal and make sure it's legs aren't broken/breaking. The xtals on early Atari PCBs were mounted such that they're prone to damage.
 
Thanks guys for all the suggestions. I think it might be the sockets causing most if not all the problems. Wile I could change the sockets myself, if that didn't fix the board I would have to send it out for repair as I need it faster than I could troubleshoot it so I boxed it up today and sent it to Mike.
 
Just thought I should post an update.
I sent my Asteroids board to road.runner 1/19/11 and he jumped right on it, fixed it and sent it back. I received the board last Friday 1/28/11. It's installed and working great again.
Parts wise it was not a bad repair job......
5 sockets
74LS42
74LS191
74LS273
If you need an Asteroids board repaired give Mike a shout. He also fixes many other Atari boards.
Thanks Mike
 
Parts wise it was not a bad repair job......
5 sockets
74LS42
74LS191
74LS273
Thanks Mike

You mind sharing the board locations that those replaced ICs were at?
Just for posterity; linking the pics & video of the problem to the exact resolution...
 
Last edited:
You mind sharing the board locations that those replaced ICs were at?
Just for posteity; linking the pics & video of the problem to the exact resolution...

Well I don't know as Mike did the repair but I suppose I could look at the board and write down the location of any replaced chips but the board had already been worked on before and had a couple chips replaced but they may be totally different chip numbers so I may be able to figure out which is which. I'll see what I can do.:)
 
The board was in constant watchdog reset - not sure what good the chip locations would really do anyone. A failure in almost any chip will cause that symptom.

But for what it's worth (L6, H7, C9)
 
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