Atari Quantum Reproduction - my little contribution

[EclipseEye]

That would be crazy!

No you have around 250 or so holes that you would actually solder with parts. Most of those 3,744 are via holes.

Phew! I can cope with 250!

 

[gamingdevice]

Quantum

I socketed every chip, but not everyone has too. I did it mostly for testing purposes.


Middle of the road, or even a maybe a little on the high side the price in parts comes to $350. You can probably shave a $100 off in parts if you look around.

Here is the BOM in excel format with the price totalled at the bottom.

I may need to make some small revisions to this BOM but for the most part you can order right from it.

So your talking $350 for parts + $185 for bare board + sockets + several
hours of soldering time?

 

[Tronic]

So your talking $350 for parts + $185 for bare board + sockets + several
hours of soldering time?

worst case scenerio yes. I'll bet most of you could do it for $200-$250 in parts (sockets included).

Several hours of soldering time? that's sort of part of the idea of taking on a do-it yourself project, there's always going to be something that's time consuming.

 

[gamingdevice]

Quantum

worst case scenerio yes. I'll bet most of you could do it for $200-$250 in parts (sockets included).

Several hours of soldering time? that's sort of part of the idea of taking on a do-it yourself project, there's always going to be something that's time consuming.[/QUOTE

Ok, just making sure I understand what are the costs. If I get everything
soldered and all the connections look good and the board doesn't work then what?

 

[bheineck]

Hmmmmmm......It does sound like a lot. Never even played Quantum. Maybe I'll just settle for having it in my multivector.

worst case scenerio yes. I'll bet most of you could do it for $200-$250 in parts (sockets included).

Several hours of soldering time? that's sort of part of the idea of taking on a do-it yourself project, there's always going to be something that's time consuming.

 

[Tronic]

If I get everything soldered and all the connections look good and the board doesn't work then what?

It's the same thing with cap kits, there are no guarantees on your own work. I am sure some basic troublshooting will help most of the issues.

My part was to make sure that this PCB had the exact same electrical connections as the original, which I did. I am also going to have both sides covered with solder mask to minimize shorts. BUT, I can't control peoples soldering skills and I can't control the selection of parts used outside of the BOM guidelines I provided. I mean if you don't feel confident enough to complete this kind of project, maybe there would be someone you could pay to do it for you.

I myself am curious how people will respond to doing a project board like this. I found soldering the parts easier than I thought, but that's just me.

One thing that surprised me was how fast the soldering went, I just worked on it a few hours a night, and it was done in less than a week. It would be too much to try to do it all in one day.

 

[Tronic]

Which game is next?

Bill

It's looking like Major Havoc will be next.

 

[bheineck]

Now that one I am definitely game for. Will that take just as long or did the Quantum project give you a good head start?

It's looking like Major Havoc will be next.

 

[pmichelsen]

worst case scenerio yes. I'll bet most of you could do it for $200-$250 in parts (sockets included).

Several hours of soldering time? that's sort of part of the idea of taking on a do-it yourself project, there's always going to be something that's time consuming.

Damn that is a steal condsidering what these boards go for, I think this is a project I might take on.

 

[don1400]

So after you enter the schematic into the program does the computer figure out the actual routing of all the traces and produce the actual layout? What means are used to get the layout on the copper board, how about all the holes for the components. Just curious how it a comes together.
Thanks,
Rich

 

[Tronic]

Now that one I am definitely game for. Will that take just as long or did the Quantum project give you a good head start?

I don't know if it will take me as long, it shouldn't, but I have to watch my words here as I know its a different board.

 

[Tronic]

So after you enter the schematic into the program does the computer figure out the actual routing of all the traces and produce the actual layout? What means are used to get the layout on the copper board, how about all the holes for the components. Just curious how it a comes together.
Thanks,
Rich

You can have the computer figure out the routing with some higher end layout programs. I haven't checked the market but they used to be pretty pricey. OrCAD 10.5, (which is what I am using) Does have an auto-router, but most professionals don't use it. The AI is not quite good enough in them and the make some silly routing choices.

That wouldn't work in this situation as I didn't know if the netlist was correct, so I needed to manually route each trace to make sure. I used pictures at first then when an original board came into my hands I went over it again and put all the traces in their exact spot. I did find things that were missing, so it was necessary to do it manually.

Once you get the board all routed, you output the layout to Gerber files, then you send those off to a boardhouse to have the PCB made.

IF you only have a single layer board, like some monitor deflection boards, you can use a transfer paper to a blank copper clad board (iron-on) an use ferric cloride to etch the board. Of course then you have to drill all the individual holes with tiny carbide bits. I have done this in the past, but only for small boards.

 

[kstillin]

That would be crazy!

No you have around 250 or so holes that you would actually solder with parts. Most of those 3,744 are via holes.

That can't be right.

Right off, I see two 40-pin processor-sized chips and 10 28-pin (or so) EPROMS. That's over 350 pins right there that need to be soldered.

So- I think you guys are talking about two different things.

 

[Tronic]

That can't be right.

Right off, I see two 40-pin processor-sized chips and 10 28-pin (or so) EPROMS. That's over 350 pins right there that need to be soldered.

So- I think you guys are talking about two different things.

HAHA, good to see someone's counting. Your probably right, it sure didn't feel like more than that though.

 

[PeRFiDiouS]

Project Canceled?

Looks like Vector Labs has beat you to the punch on this one...

Watch for our new re-designed Quantum board to be released this
summer for $250 assembled & tested with 5 year warranty.

Thanks,

Mike
Vector Labs

Just got that with my SW/ESB confirmation email.

 

[nomore25s]

Thats some odd timing/coincidence.

That aside, I wonder if someone would be able to make a killing on reproducing Omega Race PCBs this way. I know its apples and oranges (mother/daughter card vs. single card and other things) - but there has to be more OR cabinets with crapped out PCBs than Quantums. I know the cabinet and assorted parts are being reproduced for Quantums, but I'm guessing its going to easily approach $1k to piece it together from NNS (New New Stock).

Anyway - carry on the great work.

Looks like Vector Labs has beat you to the punch on this one...




Just got that with my SW/ESB confirmation email.

 

[kstillin]

Tell Vector Labs to quit monkeying with Quantum and push out a single Sega Vector Sound solution.

 

[Tronic]

Looks like Vector Labs has beat you to the punch on this one...

Just got that with my SW/ESB confirmation email.

Actually he didn't beat me to the punch, I announced the Quantum board yesterday and your posting it today.

But good luck to him, I hope he gets that off the ground.

If it's real, I would like to compare notes and see his prototype running because I have some questions on data streams on the address lines that he would have run into while testing.

 

[djw90]

Looks like Vector Labs has beat you to the punch on this one...


Watch for our new re-designed Quantum board to be released this
summer for $250 assembled & tested with 5 year warranty.

Thanks,

Mike
Vector Labs



Just got that with my SW/ESB confirmation email.

WOW $250 assembled and tested with 5 year warranty. I had heard about Vector Labs Quantum project about a month ago. I think its great that both parties are making these. Its awesome to see some of these rare boards reproduced.

 

[ballytablewiz]

WOW $250 assembled and tested with 5 year warranty. I had heard about Vector Labs Quantum project about a month ago.

That is impressive. HOWEVER, "re-designed" can mean alot of things I can't think of many (read:any) re-designed elements that I wouldn't frown upon...