AVG Repro Chip Replacement for Star Wars/Atari Vector

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Does anyone have one of these? My Star Wars can likely use an AVG chip replacement. I am not sure which ones are best to get, and I am open to get one from a member here if you have one for sale. Thanks so much.
 
To be sure, remove the one from your Black Widow and test in the SW. :unsure:
That said, however, it's always good to have spare AVG and POKEYs in your parts bin.

The BEST AVGs were made by Biltronix. Too bad he's not around anymore.
Needless, the archive of his site still details his comparison of various repro AVG solutions.
A good read. Recommended.

 
The ones on ebay are fine (from user pm-sam). They are the ones I use on all boards, as I replace them on all boards that cross my bench.

I also know the guy who makes these (since I buy so many of them), and he's a very smart guy who knows his stuff.

If there aren't any current listings available, just message him. He has more.

 
There's really little value in trying to test an AVG chip. (And definitely never test one in a working game. At best you should use a scope as a display, not an actual monitor.) If it's an original chip, you should always just replace them. It's the best $20 insurance you can give your vector monitor.

When they go bad, they usually go REALLY bad, and are so messed up they just cause the board to output junk, railing the XY voltages to maximum (which can easily blow your monitor). So by swapping parts around to try to 'test' one, you'll end up with two blown monitors instead of one. This is why you never want to troubleshoot vector problems by swapping boards between cabs. Always use a scope and/or DMM.

What issues are you seeing that lead you to think the AVG chip is bad?
 
From Bill's old archive AVG page, >10years ago his pricing was ->

Price: $25 USD + shipping
(This is the new 2014 version. The previous 2011 and 2012 versions are no longer produced. The new one runs the same logic. It's just a different and smaller package.)

BXAVG3_017_350x303.jpg


The more recent PM-SAM ones were around $15 + shipping which also seems reasonable. YMMV

I also own both. They work well.
I don't believe I own any JROK versions as I refuse to buy anything from ArcadeShop. :poop:
 
I wrote it up here, and there is a link with a video I put there showing what is going on.

Briefly: After the tie-fighters get cleared, they disappear, and the Death Star bounces in the distance. You can't get to it, and you cannot fire. It's like a tractor beam mode that never ends.

 
Ah right, I saw that thread.

Doesn't seem like an AVG issue to me, but anything's possible. It won't hurt to replace the AVG anyway, so no harm in starting there.
 
OK, a KLOV'er pointed me to this link, describing a similar issue with someone else's Star Wars.


Is a 74LS384 the same as a 74LS138? I am having a hard time locating the 74LS384 mentioned in the thread above.

Thanks.
 
I bought a batch from Bill. I did not ask, nor did I get any discount. So while buying directly from Bill, you could have got them for $25 plus shipping (per info in post above), my net cost is more, as I also had to pay shipping, and then I would be charging you shipping too. I did not buy these with the intent to resell, I wanted to get a "lifetime supply" for me and not have to worry about finding them again.

After buying from Bill, the ebay seller pm-sam also made an AVG repro and I sold them here on KLOV for $16. I sold several hundred of these for him here. I think they work excellently, and in all the ones I sold, never had a single return.

I'm not twisting anyone's arms to buy from me, and if you want to price police me for making a few bucks, I'm not offended. Go ahead and buy them cheaper from Bill or on ebay (paying taxes too).

For Bill's, offering at $35 plus shipping. for pm-sam's version still offering at $16. I have them in stock right now and can ship within 1 business day. (FYI, if you look up my AVG FS thread, PLEASE DO NOT PAY TO THE PAYPAL LISTED THERE. It is inactive).

Figure $6 shipping for 1-4 (within the USA).

emails only, [email protected]
 
OK, a KLOV'er pointed me to this link, describing a similar issue with someone else's Star Wars.


Is a 74LS384 the same as a 74LS138? I am having a hard time locating the 74LS384 mentioned in the thread above.

Thanks.

No, not the same.

74LS384 - 8-Bit Serial / Parallel Twos Complement Multiplier

74LS138 - 3 line to 8 line Decoder / Demultiplexer
 
Thanks for letting me know. For some reason I cannot find 74LS384 chips anywhere for sale. Any idea where I can buy some, or does anyone have a couple for sale?

I appreciate all the help.
 
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74LS384 and/or 25LS14 seem to be pricey little buggers.
Anyway, why buy one if you have not tested the board and CONFIRMED it is bad?
This is the biggest mistake people make. Only replace what has been validated as "bad" from testing. :unsure:
 
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