Ms Pacman - controls not working/etc

ThomasM

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Hi - I picked up a battered Ms Pacman and have been restoring it. Stripping it down, getting ready for cosmetics, etc.

As I've started gettin into the wiring, the game wasn't playing. Not playing blind, but voltage seems correct all the way to the edge connector. Getting power to the marquee lights. Getting power to the board, and the monitor. Voltage reading fine.

I put in a 60-1 and it was playing blind (no control input, just sound) - basically the intro music to the iCade menu screen.

I hooked up an LCD screen to the 60-1 and now I've got visuals. And I've still got sound. But no control input - joystick or buttons, don't work.

I now need to start tracing out the wires to try and track down this issue - but I thought I'd post it here if anyone has any immediate reaction to these symptoms?

I also, btw, have the coin door mechs dis-connected. I'm pretty much a newbie here, but what am I missing? Seems like something fundamental here.

Thanks!
 
First, it sounds like you need to turn off dip 2 so you can use the games monitor.

And you may have the pac edge connecter on backwards.
 
Thanks - checked both of those. I had dip2 on the 60-1 hooked up both ways - i threw the 60-1 just to check the controls/monitor. And then hooked it up to the LCD so I could confirm the controls, etc.

Also checked the edge connector because I did think of that - I'll check again, but I'm pretty sure it's all good - and given that I'm getting sound, means that part of the board is sending sound to the speaker through the harness. Weird right?
 
I think my next course of action is to just trace the wires and do a connectivity test from the edge connector down to the buttons/joystick. I guess I can also test connectivity 'through' the edge connector to see if there is any break there?

I also wonder if anyone else has seen these symptoms - could it be some other type of open circuit or voltage irregularity?

Thanks
 
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