pcb issues?

arcade5jim

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Hi all, I am a novice at knowing whats going on with my game so I was just wondering if it looks like the edge connectors are bad on this board or just repaired. I am also assuming this chip needs to be replaced but was just looking for a little advice.
 

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The edge connectors have "mounds" of solder on them. They didn't get like that themselves--someone put that solder there. Likely in an attempt to "improve" the connection between the PCB edge and the connector that plugs onto it. This is a short-sighted solution. The "proper" fix is the replace the pins and/or housing; not to modify the PCB edge at all. The PCB edge should remain flat, level, and fully coated.

It's pretty easy to fix solder mounds like that. Just heat them up with the iron biefly, then wipe it away with a rag. That usually leaves a nice level solder-coated strip.

Then look at the connector that plug here... you may find some badly deformed pins.

Regarding the IC... it has corroded legs. It very well may work just fine. However, the corrosion is making a bit of a mess on the PCB. I'd replece it and try cleaning up the mess, even if it is just a cosmetic thing.
 
Hi all, I am a novice at knowing whats going on with my game so I was just wondering if it looks like the edge connectors are bad on this board or just repaired. I am also assuming this chip needs to be replaced but was just looking for a little advice.

The edge connector was repaired and not very well/good.

The chip looks like it had something spilled on it and it flowed to the resistor nearby. If the board was off when this took place, it will NOT need to be replace and only cleaned and tested. If the board was ON, it WILL most certainly need to be replaced.

Murphy's Law would indicate it was on at the time.

The board should have had some kind of copper plate or something better than solder to fix the conductor. Many times a tech. will use what ever is on hand fix until they can fix it later and later never comes. I am guilty of this but I fix them right before selling them unless sold as parts.
 
Which PCB do you have and what problem is the PCB having?

The edge connector looks it has been field repaired. It could have happens because the mating pin didn't make a good connection. Sometime you can just replace the pin. Sometime you have to replace the whole connector due to the fact the pin is not removable.

The edge connector could have been repaired because that way because the connector started to burn due to a poor connection.

The chip looks like someone used Old fashion solder and didn't do the extra step to clean off the flux ( Brown stuff /Pine oil based) Cleaning it might off might be hard to do. That type of flux remove has been ban for a while.
 
thanks for all the great info. The board in question is for pole position, the game boots with a blue screen or scrambled graphics, i am assuming it is a board issue.
 
I would start by desoldering that chip, cleaning up the liquid spill, then installing a new chip in that spot.

As for the edge connector issue... being a PP board it's most likely burnt under the solder blobs. Rewire the board by using the test points to bring the +5v and ground to the board instead of the edge connector. It's a common way to bypass a poor design by Atari where the edge connector can't handle the current draw the game needs over time.

RJ
 
I don't want to hijack the thread, but I just got a PCB that someone ground off the plating on both side of the edge connector (top/bottom all pins). Are you saying I could just resolder them?

I figured the only way to fix this was something like this:
http://www.therealbobroberts.net/pace.html

I didn't know that resoldering even a pin or two was a good idea. (I guess only if it is super flat and gets good contact.)
 
You wont be able to solder them back on, solder will not stick to the PCB material, you will have to epoxy metal strips onto the PCB and connect those up.
 
thanks for all the great info. The board in question is for pole position, the game boots with a blue screen or scrambled graphics, i am assuming it is a board issue.

Okay, a pole position board that explains the solder on the edge connector. Typically a poor connection plus the current draw will start to burn the edge connector. The simple fix is to jump the connector and solder directly into the board.

Some have gone and replaced the tin type board edge connector with a gold edge connector.
While this will work, it's an expensive route that prevents most from using that solution.
http://www.circuitrework.com/guides/4-6-2.shtml

Other have used silver loaded solder to create a better contact. While this works a high content silver solder takes a hotter soldering iron and it won't look as nice due to the silver will oxidizing turning it black. Lucky, Silver oxide is still very conductive. While there is paint on silver called Silver print. There is just not enough silver in it to carry current well.

Pole position board are known to have broken traces, It seems that one of the general typical fixes is to press down or reinsert the IC chips on the board on arcade machines. Since the traces are thin on this game without removing the board and pressing or reinserting the chips with out support on the board will bend a board enough to break the traces underneath.

As for the brown stuff/ flux. if you surround the chip with rolled up paper towels and use a heavy flux remover all that brown will wash away. and get absorbed by the paper towels.
 
thanks for all the great info. The board in question is for pole position, the game boots with a blue screen or scrambled graphics, i am assuming it is a board issue.
i would bet you have some burned up resistors on your ar-2 boards. edge connectors need to be replaced on both boards and possibily the sense mod done to your ar-2 boards. i would address the solder by removing it all and repairing it with copper tape. check to see if your battery leaked all over the board too.
 
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