Karate Champ -characters missing

Slug54

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Hey,
I recently acquired a Karate Champ and the game powers up and coins up but all I see is the background graphics none of the guys are visible although I can use the controls and it makes sounds like they are fighting but they are just invisible.

If anyone has any ideas on things to check please let me know.

-Slug
 
Think I may have found something.A memory chip and a flip flop with the legs completely corroded.When I get the parts and get them replaced I'll let you know if it fixes it.
-Slug
 
After soak testing the PCB on my test bench I couldn't get it to fault.
I adjusted the +5v on the PSU and the characters disappeared.
Looks like it was voltage related, there may be a chip on its way out.
 
um. what does "soak testing" a pcb involve?

sounds interesting.

clean the edge connector, you'll get more efficient power flow to the board. if you're really handy you can tunnel more grounds or +5 in. I imagine the Data East harness is pretty power deficient like a lot of games of its time and you'll experience a lot of voltage loss. you won't know for sure unless you meter at the chips where your voltage is at.

beyond that, the first step you should always take is reseating chips. I can't remember if the sockets were single or dual wipe, but if they're single, it makes a huge difference if the legs were pulled at some point and bent all over the place. they need to be straight, and kind of bent inwards to make the best contact.
 
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