Fixed: Popeye pcb repair help needed. Garbled screen

hailrazer

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Fixed: Popeye pcb repair help needed. Garbled screen

I've got a garbled screen on a Popeye pcb. Almost the whole screen is filled with different color upside down f's. With no cpu it looks the same

Tried so far:

1: Remove clean reseat all socketed chips.
2: Test all eproms, one was bad, re-burned.
3: New Cpu socket and new working cpu
4: New 2016 Ram at 7H
5: Checked reset pin, works as it is supposed to.
6: All data lines are off on cpu
7: Clock pin 6 is high all the time

So where to go from here?
 
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Yea, I've watched them all, LOVE THEM !

But no, no Fluke. Using a logic probe, dmm, and o-scope.

Find and watch again that one vid which has stagnant character screen. I think that board just needed one RAM changed out. You can do the same debuggin' with the logic probe.

Too bad Nintendo boards, of themselves, don't have better SELF TEST like Atari boards. Though HSS now sells Braze DK kits which do better SELF TEST on power-up. Not sure if similar kits available for Popeye though ...

dk-boot1.gif


On DK, I think clock comes from video board. If POOPEEE is the same, then track back.
(I'm just learning Nintendo boards, so don't believe everything I write; though Atari boards are better. LOL) :)
 
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Sounds like you checked all the basics....now you have to look at what is being driven inline after the z80....i still think it's the socket....but you stated you checked it
 
OK if pin 4&5 and pin 9&10 of 5H are pulsing then what should I be seeing out of Pins 6&8?
 

Attachments

  • popeye.jpg
    popeye.jpg
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So it should be toggling but opposite?

All I'm getting is toggling on all inputs and absolutely nothing on Pin 6 and active high on pin 8.
 
look at position 5h on the board on the board there are letters on the side and number on the other sides at 90 degrees to the letters wher 5 and h intersect is where the chip you want is located if it isn't you have the wrong schematics for the board you have.

ps if you can find where the input and output pins are pulsing on the chip why can't you find the chip?
 
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look at position 5h on the board on the board there are letters on the side and number on the other sides at 90 degrees to the letters wher 5 and h intersect is where the chip you want is located if it isn't you have the wrong schematics for the board you have.

ps if you can find where the input and output pins are pulsing on the chip why can't you find the chip?

No idea what you're talking about. I know where the chip is and have been diagnosing it. I just need a replacement.
 
No idea what you're talking about. I know where the chip is and have been diagnosing it. I just need a replacement.

The gates in 5H are used in at least three places, that I could see on the CPU board.
There's a work-around by using a standard 7404 (i.e. lift pins etc) "that might work", but I would suggest you just buy/find a new 7437 / LS37.

$0.65 ... too bad no free shipping. LOL

https://www.twistywristarcade.com/7400-series/721-7437.html?search_query=7437&results=3
 
The gates in 5H are used in at least three places, that I could see on the CPU board.
There's a work-around by using a standard 7404 (i.e. lift pins etc) "that might work", but I would suggest you just buy/find a new 7437 / LS37.

$0.65 ... too bad no free shipping. LOL

https://www.twistywristarcade.com/7400-series/721-7437.html?search_query=7437&results=3

Yea I bought a few, just won't be back home until February 3rd and was hoping to fix it this weekend before I leave.

I threw a 74ls32 in there for S&G and got the cpu to start toggling, but still just all F's.
 
I now have clock and activity. It's in attract mode and cycling through these screens :

poppcb1.jpg


poppcb2.jpg


Looks like something before or after the sprite eprom is messed up.
 
Some more progress. Replaced the 3- 2114 static ram chips on the video pcb at 5P, 5R, and 5S and now have this:

poppcb3.jpg


poppcb4.jpg


poppcb5.jpg


I can get rid of the line down the right side by removing Ram 3M and 3P. No idea why yet.
 
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