Spy Hunter Theme Music Plays Randomly

supertechnoboy

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I've had this issue for a while now, but I've got some more information and I'm also out of ideas. The theme music on my Spy Hunter plays at random intervals, even though the attract music is turned off with the DIP on the SSIO. It typically plays once when I turn the game on, then does not play for 15 minutes or so, then starts playing every 4-10 minutes, sometimes twice in a row. Here is what I know so far:

1. System maintenance menu shows attract music turned off
2. The IC leg connected to the DIP shows 5V when the DIP is off (pull-up resistor is OK)
3. The music only plays when the cable between the SSIO and the Cheap Squeak is connected
4. The big blue filter caps have been replaced with new from Bob Roberts
5. The 5V and 12V pots have been replaced (12V was causing speaker noise)
6. The ribbon cables have been replaced
7. The voltages check good
8. The game plays perfectly (including theme music)
9. The music does not play randomly with a Tron SSIO, but it does not play when it's supposed to either

Any ideas?
 
Let me know if you find out. Mine acts the same. It plays on startup, and then plays randomly, even though I've turned the attract music off.

The theme plays fine (along with other game sounds) when playing the game.
 
So you're saying the music is fine; it just plays randomly when in attract mode when it's not supposed to?
 
I'm gonna guess a power supply issue. Check your +5 and +12v. I'd bet its a tad low, causing the Cheap Squeak Deluxe to reboot randomly. Or, i guess it could be a problem with the CSD itself- does the CDS flash when it plays the music randomly?

Edit - Could also be a cold solder joint, or a bad connection. I'd reflow the pins on the CSD headers and see if that helps as well.
 
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So you're saying the music is fine; it just plays randomly when in attract mode when it's not supposed to?
Correct. Music sounds just fine, but plays at random intervals, even though attract sounds are turned off.
 
This comment isn't going to help, but...I'd kind of enjoy having a Spy Hunter with that problem. :D
 
I'm gonna guess a power supply issue. Check your +5 and +12v. I'd bet its a tad low, causing the Cheap Squeak Deluxe to reboot randomly. Or, i guess it could be a problem with the CSD itself- does the CDS flash when it plays the music randomly?

Edit - Could also be a cold solder joint, or a bad connection. I'd reflow the pins on the CSD headers and see if that helps as well.
I thought it was a power supply issue too, but it only happens when the PCB is connected to the CSD. Voltages are set to 5.1V (at PCB) and 12V (at supply). The light does not flash when it plays. I have wiggled every connection I can find with no effect, but reflowing the pins on the CSD sound like a good idea anyway. Certainly can't hurt.

I wonder if it could be a voltage variation issue between the CSD and PCB, or maybe a floating ground somewhere. The yellow ground strap is connected to the CSD, but the behavior is the same with it disconnected.
 
check your voltage on one of the eproms on the SSIO- 5.1 at the connector may or may not be enough. I'd still reflow the header pins on the CSD - i've seen several with cold solder joints.
If it doesn't flash when the music starts, chances are its not the csd rebooting, and if it only does it when connected to the pcb, its most like a pcb problem.
Ribbon cables?
 
check your voltage on one of the eproms on the SSIO- 5.1 at the connector may or may not be enough. I'd still reflow the header pins on the CSD
Will do. I think I'll reflow the SSIO pins and reseat the SSIO chips while I'm at it.
Ribbon cables?
They had already been replaced when I got the game. I do have a spare original set from a Tron PCB that I could swap in.
 
Update on this old problem--last night I reseated the chips on the SSIO, CPU PCB and Cheap Squeak. I also cleaned and re-flowed all of the header pins on the SSIO, CPU PCB, and Cheap Squeak.

Guess what? Same thing. I guess I'll try replacing the connectors on the power supply PCB, since I have some new ones. This may never be solved.
 
did you check the voltage at a rom yet? mcr games are known for pretty good voltage drops.
I checked it many times a while back, and I remember the voltage at the CSD was several tenths higher than the PCB stack. I set the voltage so the PCB stack was 5.1 (measured at a filter cap on the board), but I don't remember what the CSD was at that voltage. I'll check again.
 
I checked it many times a while back, and I remember the voltage at the CSD was several tenths higher than the PCB stack. I set the voltage so the PCB stack was 5.1 (measured at a filter cap on the board), but I don't remember what the CSD was at that voltage. I'll check again.
5.12 at SSIO filter cap. 5.23 at one of the ICs on the CSD. One tenth of a volt higher.

But more importantly, I have a new discovery! When the music plays, it always starts during the attract sequence when the car wrecks and the truck is bringing a new car. It doesn't do it every time the car wrecks, but the random times it plays are always at this point. This has to be a clue. When the attract music is turned on, is that when it plays? I didn't have a chance to check that today.

EDIT: I just answered my own question in MAME--this is not when the attract music is supposed to play. The attract music is supposed to play when the Spy Hunter title screen comes up.
 
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Or after you've entered a weapons van and received something new seems to turn it on. Then it'll play quite a lot after that until you wreck.
 
sounds like to me you've got a bit of bit rot in some of the roms. If the game plays ok, i'd either turn it off when not playing, or just ignore it.
 
Fixed!

HA HA HA! Problem SOLVED! I've been working on this one for over a YEAR!

Using a logic probe, I was able to tell that the 6821 PIA at U9 (on the CSD) was definitely NOT being commanded to play by the SSIO. The other side of the PIA talks to the data bus, which I don't have a good way to read. I tried shotgunning the PIA since it was cheap, but no effect. This meant that the problem was coming from the digital portion of the CSD for sure. I picked up a different CSD on eBay for $15 + $15 shipping, and swapping the board fixed the problem! If I run out of things to do some day, I might try swapping all of the ROMs to see if that's where the problem originated. Right now though, I'm happy:D
 
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