boogiemanspud
New member
It's me again with Joust problems. I am running off of a switching PS if it makes a difference.
I replaced RAM 38 this morning since they came in the mail. (only replaced the one - does that matter if different brands?) Started the game up and I HAD JOUST!!! It played awesome (after cleaning P2 flap), had sound and everything. After about 4 games I shut it off and went to town. I came back about 6 hours later, turned it on, and no sound. I can get the "awful" sound when I push the test button on the sound board.
I read this post: http://forums.arcade-museum.com/showthread.php?t=80340&highlight=joust+sound and tried what it said.
I actually reflowed all headers on the sound board, reflowed headers on the ROM board. Tried wiggling the wires in the connectors, cleaned contacts with contact cleaner spray.
I tried re-seating the chip on the sound board. Tried what the above post said (grounding the molex on the sound board to simulate the board sending the sound signal. Nothing.
Anyway, is it common for the sound board to just "die" after a few plays?
So does this sound right? I don't really know what to test on here other than what it said above.
I replaced RAM 38 this morning since they came in the mail. (only replaced the one - does that matter if different brands?) Started the game up and I HAD JOUST!!! It played awesome (after cleaning P2 flap), had sound and everything. After about 4 games I shut it off and went to town. I came back about 6 hours later, turned it on, and no sound. I can get the "awful" sound when I push the test button on the sound board.
I read this post: http://forums.arcade-museum.com/showthread.php?t=80340&highlight=joust+sound and tried what it said.
I actually reflowed all headers on the sound board, reflowed headers on the ROM board. Tried wiggling the wires in the connectors, cleaned contacts with contact cleaner spray.
I tried re-seating the chip on the sound board. Tried what the above post said (grounding the molex on the sound board to simulate the board sending the sound signal. Nothing.
Anyway, is it common for the sound board to just "die" after a few plays?
That awful repetitive noise indicates that your sound amp and microprocessor are working on your sound board... so that is a good thing believe it or not.
Its quite possible your sound board is not able to process the instructions given to it by the CPU board. This could be a couple of things...
1. Check your connection from the ROM board to the sound board. There is a small molex cable connecting the two. Unplug it and re seat it... see if that helps.
2. Your PIA could be dead. This is fairly common. The PIA is responsible for taking the sound instructions from the CPU/ROM board and making them known to the sound board microprocessor so it knows what sound to play. Its one of the 40pin ICs on your sound board. Its a Motorolla 6821. You can test to see if the PIA is working by shorting any one of the sound select lines on the sound board (the molex header that the ROM board connection is hooked to) to ground. This simulates a CPU sound instruction. If nothing comes out... chances are its your 6821. If you hear something you recognize... then the problem lies within your ROM/CPU subsystem.
So does this sound right? I don't really know what to test on here other than what it said above.
