Stargate Ram 3-4 Error Message

Robotron Jon

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 10, 2008
Messages
10,647
Reaction score
164
Location
California
Problem:

I keep getting a rug pattern and RAM 3-4 error message.

Background:

This Stargate has switching power supply and upgraded RAM.

Reflowed header pins.

Reseated all RAM chips and mixed them up to see if there is a bad one - still getting same message.

Ideas:

Could it be a broken trace at 3-4?

Any thoughts appreciated.

Thanks.
 
Flex the ribbon cable to the ROM board and see if it changes or goes away...
 
It may be the addressing chips. If you have a logic probe check to see that pin 14 is pulsing.

ken
 
Thanks for the info....

I double checked 3-4 and there were two pins going into the same socket. Fixed it and now it works. Ribbon cable seems fine.

Two other problems now...

1) Monitor seems to be struggling with power, picture seems a little jumpy when starting the game cold.

2) No sound but I can hear a Korean radio station playing through the speakers. When I turn it up full blast I can faintly hear the game sounds along with the Korean radio station. I wonder what could be causing this. I live not far from a radio tower but I don't recall this ever happening before. I suppose since it's the middle of a weekday, when I rarely have the games on, there could be RF issues.

Let me know your thoughts. Thanks for the help as always...
 
Sound issue was due to a short in the wiring harness where it connected to the switching power supply.

Fluttering issue was due to the RAM problem. Seems like the chip is not making clean contact with one or more pins at 2-4.
 
Reseated the RAM chip and it looks good to go. Some of the legs were a little bent and perhaps this created intermittent issues.

The wiring harness connector to the switcher is still a bit touchy. Some pins probably need to be replaced.
 
That issue on mine seemed to be the flexible cable. I ended up replacing that ribbon cable with a new one from Bob and the flaky RAM errors went bye byes.
 
Back
Top Bottom