san fransisco rush - alcatze and extreme issues

Shift_ME

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before I get roasted for not using "search". I did, many may times :)
So heres the background, I have 4 rush machines, 2-rush the rock, 2 rush extreme.
1 of each work.
two confusing issues one for each machine.

1st - rush the rock.
Problem: game plays, boots and runs no problem, but the streering is "loose", meaning I turn the wheel and it barely turns the game.

What I've tried :
- swaped out the steering I/o, made no difference, throwing the "bad" one in the working machine and the steering has no issue.
-checked potentiometer, 5k yada yada, reads almost perfect. swapped a known good one in, same issue, barely turns the car when driving.
-power supply (thinking what the heck), swapped it out on a working machine and even turned it up a bit, again no difference.
-went into calabration and it reads 1024 to -1024 which is the same as the other and when do the test feedback the feedback is fine.

Any thoughts?

2nd problem
Other machine rush extreme.
powers up and plays no issue.
go into linked game, and on first car works no problem, but next time it "sometimes" reboots the game, thinking it may have to do with the cat5 cable link on the pcb? anyone ever heard of this, I did turn up and swap out power supplies but made no differennnce.

any thoughts?
 
On problem 1 have you ever done a calibration? also have you just tried turning the POT not connected to the steering wheel? (AKA: pot in hand and try to steer the game)
It really sounds like your WAY out of calibration somehow.
 
yeah same issue when I try turning just the potentetiameter. I found the screen but I thought the calabration was just automatic?
IE fo into the control setting, hold the test button and it runs, there is no true calabration where you make it how you want is there? or am I missing something?
 
On problem 1 have you ever done a calibration? also have you just tried turning the POT not connected to the steering wheel? (AKA: pot in hand and try to steer the game)
It really sounds like your WAY out of calibration somehow.

The force feedback is supposed to calibrate the wheel at bootup... it automatically goes in to the calibration, force feedback takes over and kicks the wheel back and forth to the maximums then it moves on to loading the game.

If your force feedback ISN'T kicking the wheel left and right at bootup... there is a problem... you can MANUALLY do it yourself however to get the game to boot up.

If it IS calibrating... what is it registering at? I get 1024 / -1024 with mine...
 
yup force feedback is kicking in load. reading exactly the same as yours. 1024 and -1024.

that's why I'm so confused. steering on my one game is perfect, but on the other is just crap. but both are calibrated the same, could it be in the HD? guess I could swap them and see.......
 
i think the force feedback board may have an issue reading good pots. i have an issue where my rush the rock goes into a steering shake when driving straight. i've changed out the pots without any success. i may try a cap replacement on the steering board.
 
I have that issue as well, but I have a good steering board and swapped it in and the same result with the shake, wondering if maybe its in the HD itself.....
 
Usually problems with the hard drive present as the game just not loading... basically like any hard drive... when they go, they go... and when they're gone, they just don't load.
 
are any of the steering controls related to the actual PCB chips aor are they all controlled via the I/O board for the steering?
 
The force feedback board does NOT read the pot.

The force feedback is only for the force feedback.

There is a ADC (analog to digital converter) on the mainboard that samples the pot for the wheel. I know, as I had two non working boards, one with a car stuck in reverse (which I think is a problem in a large QFP custom I/O chip), and one with no steering. I carefully removed the ADC from the stuck in reverse board and put it in the board with no steering and it fixed it.

BUT.... if you are getting full range of readings on the calibration.... don't replace the ADC.... as unless it is failing shortly after calibration, it doesn't sound like the ADC.

Sadly, I've not found anyone with schematics for this game. I think only Atari authorized service places had access to the schematics..... so if you have a friend who works (or worked) in an Atari authorized service location.... please see if you can get the schematics for us all :)
 
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