Stargate settings issue

tom7790

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Hello,
I have a Stargate machine that's been very touchy for some time to use. I recently corrected the famous "131" ram issue by replacing all of my ram chips with 4116's. The remaing issue I have is that the machine will not allow me to change the settings as in number of ships, free play, smart bombs etc forcing me to play with 13 ships and numerous smart bombs. Upon start up, I get the "all systems go" message but then it follows with a RAM 32 error message on the screen (not the LCD display on the board where the 131 message was) at which time I advance out of with the internal coin door button. I cannot find anywhere what this error message is (same as 132 on the LCD?)
Does anyone know what this error message is and how to force the desired settings (3 ships)?
Can anyone tell me what the other 2 coin door buttons are next to the advance button?

Thanks, Tom
 
Same as LED 1-3-2

High score reset
Advance
Manual (UP) / Auto (DOWN)

You need to be in manual to make adjustments to the settings IIRC
 
is being in manual done by one of the 3 buttons on the coin door? Can you tell me which one it is? I believe I tried adjusting the settings with these buttons in various positions but I'll certainly try again if I know which it is for sure. My advance button is the farthest on the left against the door itself.
Also, the LCD display inside the cabinet is 0, shouldn't that read 132 if there is one on the monitor?
 
I just verified that my last attempt at changing the settings it was in the manual mode (middle switch in the coin door). Any other suggestions?
 
If you are not seeing the 1-3-2 flash on the 7 segment LED on the ROM card, but it appears on the screen, that may be the undocumented CMOS RAM error message. Basically it is telling you that there is an error in the CMOS that holds the settings.

If you have the coin door open and press the advance button you will either go into the bookkeeping screen (manual button up) or into the diagnostic screens (manual button down). IIRC the order of the diagnostic tests is RAM, ROM, CMOS. You may want to go into the diagnostic screens and advance through the RAM and ROM test and see what the CMOS test has to say.

ken
 
Ken

well after running the diagnosis you suggested, I recieved another RAM error (24 on screen, 0 on the LCD) as well as CMOS error and write protect error message, is it safe to say it's a bad CMOS chip? The game works except that I cannot adjust anything (has 13 ships, 13 smart bombs etc) or clear high scores. And I've attempted this with the center coin door button in manual mode..........any further suggestions would be appreciated.
 
That sounds like there may be some addressing issues issues with the MPU board. It is hard to say exactly what is going on. It might be as simple as recrimping the ROM board cable or it may mean chasing the addressing errors through the chips.

Whenever there are RAM issues that wander around, I look at the ROM cable first. Then look for corrosion on the pins of the chips around the crystal. After that it usually becomes a game of hide and seek through the chips.

ken
 
I replaced the CMOS RAM chip and the machine now starts up with the message factory settings restored and the ability to adjust everything. All is well.
 
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