Repair Log - Hydro Thunder

kcarpenter

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Location
Leander, Texas
Picked Up a dead Hydro thunder for $25 complete.

Checked on the Computer, No beeps - Dead..

Replaced Power Supply (bad) and CMOS battery. defaulted CMOS values.
Now it attempts to boot, but hangs with the 6 beeps error code.

Time for a PCI video card to see what it is doing.

Gets to the point where Hydro.exe loads and transfers control, then errors with the 6y beeps,. From what I read it sounds like a video card (great)

Pick up a 12MB Voodoo2 card.... Time to burn the image for Hydro thunder security bypass.

Errors out when loading... Picky ass computer.. Had to futz with the HPA and set it, then reburnt image..

Put new video card in and.... 6 beeps... Damn..

Time to start looking at the serial comm to Diego board.

Get out the scope and look at RX TX lines from computer - See that its trying to communicate to Diego Board.

DS14185WM is suspect on Diego..Poke around with scope and the signals don't look right on the out put side of chip..

Replace the DS14185 And.... No Joy.

Poke around some more..

Looks like there is a little PWM circuit to derive the negative voltage for the DS14185.. And it looks like its not working...

Run a Bypass with -5V from the PC power supply to the DS14185 and Success!! Computer now communicates with the Diego asnd Boots.. Greeted with the Hydro Thunder Screen!!

Now to order the MAX765 chip that derives the PWM circuit. $6.21!!! pricey..

Now I wonder what in hell happened to take out the serial buffer chip? - voltage regulator goes out first then takes out the DS14185?

Let you know what else I find.

Ken
 
Ghostnuke,

There was a thread about the Diego Board and the small Voltage converter circuit for RS232 - voltage?

I can't seem to find that.

Learned a lot about hydro thunder from all the other posts I read though

Very informative.
 
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