fox_tango
Member
My video gaming neighbor and I are working on a Battlezone.
The test screen was giving me the "L" and only numbers 1-6 on the bottom (no other numbers, and no alphabet)
Items repaired so far:
1. New sockets for every socketed chip on the main board, and for the large 40 pin chips on the mathbox (the 2901 bit slice processors and the 5th other 40 pin chip)
2. Reflowed the interconnect header (many cracked joints)
3. Reterminated the interconnect wiring with new trifurcon pins
4. Replaced main processor (not working) and one 2901 bit-slice processor (also failed)
Now, the test screen doesn't show any mathbox error, but I don't get the alphabet along the bottom like the manual says I should.
However, in game, it appears that all letters are working properly. The game plays and as far as I can tell is displaying all words and scores.
There is just one screenshot that I managed to catch though: Very infrequently and only for a split second, I'll get some alphabet garbage across the screen on the same line that is already showing words. In the last picture I've attached, you'll see the extra letters in the same line as the "GAME OVER". It has only done this very sporadically, and I can't seem to make it come and go with any sort of wiggle or tapping of the boards. I've also seen this in the red area next to the scores.
So my two questions:
1. Should I be seeing the entire alphabet on the test mode screen like the manual says?
2. Is the generation of characters (letters/numbers) performed on the main board or on the mathbox aux board?
NOte, it is probably obvious, but the monitor is on the bench next to me and not viewed via the mirror, so images are left/right reversed.
Any advice on where to look would be appreciated.
The test screen was giving me the "L" and only numbers 1-6 on the bottom (no other numbers, and no alphabet)
Items repaired so far:
1. New sockets for every socketed chip on the main board, and for the large 40 pin chips on the mathbox (the 2901 bit slice processors and the 5th other 40 pin chip)
2. Reflowed the interconnect header (many cracked joints)
3. Reterminated the interconnect wiring with new trifurcon pins
4. Replaced main processor (not working) and one 2901 bit-slice processor (also failed)
Now, the test screen doesn't show any mathbox error, but I don't get the alphabet along the bottom like the manual says I should.
However, in game, it appears that all letters are working properly. The game plays and as far as I can tell is displaying all words and scores.
There is just one screenshot that I managed to catch though: Very infrequently and only for a split second, I'll get some alphabet garbage across the screen on the same line that is already showing words. In the last picture I've attached, you'll see the extra letters in the same line as the "GAME OVER". It has only done this very sporadically, and I can't seem to make it come and go with any sort of wiggle or tapping of the boards. I've also seen this in the red area next to the scores.
So my two questions:
1. Should I be seeing the entire alphabet on the test mode screen like the manual says?
2. Is the generation of characters (letters/numbers) performed on the main board or on the mathbox aux board?
NOte, it is probably obvious, but the monitor is on the bench next to me and not viewed via the mirror, so images are left/right reversed.
Any advice on where to look would be appreciated.

