Let's get some Crystal Castles repair thoughts here:

modessitt

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Let's get some Crystal Castles repair thoughts here:

Am looking at a client's Crystal Castles that seems to be non-functioning. Monitor powers up, but turning up the brightness shows me a grey screen with a couple odd-looking black shapes at the bottom edge.

I checked voltages at the connector and they seemed to be there, so I pulled the board and took it home to my test bench. There was a problem with the socket for one of the pokeys, so I replaced it. Built a JAMMA adapter for it and the game comes up and runs fine on the bench. Take it back to the machine and still get the gray screen. Hitting start doesn't do anything (no sound), so I assume it's still dead. I get 5.13 at the chips and 9.9 at the 10.3 test point. Not sure why it's not running if the voltages seem to be good?
 
Is that a good clean 5VDC on the PCB, or does it have some nasty AC ripple riding on it?

EDIT:

Also, it looks like there's a RESET/ line at pin 10 of the main edge connector. Is something pulling that line down and holding the CPU in reset?
 
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Also, it looks like there's a RESET/ line at pin 10 of the main edge connector. Is something pulling that line down and holding the CPU in reset?

Not sure what you are referring to, but there is nothing on pin 10, nor a RESET line, that I can see:

http://www.crazykong.com/pins/Crystalcastles.pin.txt

When I tested on my bench, I only connected the ground, +5, +12, and video lines. I did not connect the sense lines (since they are connected to the +5 and ground on the board), so unless there is a problem with the sense line?

Since it worked on my test bench, I could apparently throw a switcher in and be done, but I'd rather not...
 
There's a power-on reset circuit tied to the +12V (which IIRC is just the unreg +10.3V from the brick. I think it's labeled incorrectly on the schematic.). If the +12V sits too low, the board will never start.

With power on, do a voltage check between the GND on the power brick and GND on the main cpu board. If the GND on the main board is floating against the GND on the brick, then the main board might not be seeing enough of the +10.3V to come out of RESET.

Check the voltage of the RESET too. There should be two test lugs on the board. Measure both.
 

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Well, if the board works on a switcher without that RESET line, couldn't I just disconnect it as long as the +10.3 is present on the board?
 
Not sure what you are referring to, but there is nothing on pin 10, nor a RESET line, that I can see:

Well, if the board works on a switcher without that RESET line, couldn't I just disconnect it as long as the +10.3 is present on the board?

Certainly. That's what I was suggesting in post #3.
But I thought you said there was nothing connected to it?
 
Certainly. That's what I was suggesting in post #3.
But I thought you said there was nothing connected to it?

I was referring to the pinout. I don't recall if the cab has a wire there or not...
 
Replaced the ARII with a known working one and the game now works. I kept the original for later repair...
 
Replaced the ARII with a known working one and the game now works. I kept the original for later repair...

Well, after running for a couple months (probably continuously), it went back to the gray screen. Brought the PCB and ARII home. Board works fine on the bench, although I get that same gray screen for a few seconds before the game starts up and runs fine.

I checked the edge connector, and it has only the wires found on this pinout listing:

http://www.crazykong.com/pins/Crystalcastles.pin.txt

So - there is no RESET signal coming to the board. I'm not sure if this is necessary, as it worked before, after I swapped out ARII's, and on my bench.

Anyway, I'm taking another ARII out, along with a switcher just in case the new ARII doesn't help...
 
CC does have a power-on reset circuit. You might try jumpering the RESET test lugs on the board and see if that looks the same as the gray screen you're seeing.

IIRC the +12V on the POR circuit is mislabeled - it's actually the unreg 10.3V. If that voltage is good at the board, you might try replacing Q2 and/or CR1.

There is a RESET input on P20 but I think it's unconnected.




Well, after running for a couple months (probably continuously), it went back to the gray screen. Brought the PCB and ARII home. Board works fine on the bench, although I get that same gray screen for a few seconds before the game starts up and runs fine.

I checked the edge connector, and it has only the wires found on this pinout listing:

http://www.crazykong.com/pins/Crystalcastles.pin.txt

So - there is no RESET signal coming to the board. I'm not sure if this is necessary, as it worked before, after I swapped out ARII's, and on my bench.

Anyway, I'm taking another ARII out, along with a switcher just in case the new ARII doesn't help...
 
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