Where do you get chips for the vector boards ?

Do you vector guys still buy AM6012PC from eBay / UTSource, and are there any advantages to using AM6012PC over a replacement like DAC312HP which is more readily available (other than price)? I'm about to replace the Y-out components on a Tempest and was eyeing https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/analog-devices-inc/DAC312HPZ/DAC312HPZ-ND/1649689, assuming it's a suitable replacement for AM6012.

Thanks,
William

Spaeth says "yes". LOL

https://forums.arcade-museum.com/showthread.php?t=26992
 
Do you vector guys still buy AM6012PC from eBay / UTSource, and are there any advantages to using AM6012PC over a replacement like DAC312HP which is more readily available (other than price)? I'm about to replace the Y-out components on a Tempest and was eyeing https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/analog-devices-inc/DAC312HPZ/DAC312HPZ-ND/1649689, assuming it's a suitable replacement for AM6012.

Thanks,
William


Yes, it's a substitute, but IMO it isn't worth paying 3x as much, when you can get the ones from China for $4-5 on ebay. Most people here have been using the China ones for some time (myself included), and nobody has reported any issues.
 
Spaeth says "yes". LOL

Yes, it's a substitute, but IMO it isn't worth paying 3x as much, when you can get the ones from China for $4-5 on ebay. Most people here have been using the China ones for some time (myself included), and nobody has reported any issues.

Thanks to you both. I have a 5-pc order on eBay from hkutsource. I don't have a scope/logic probe, so if replacing the Y-out line from the DAC forward doesn't address my voltage problem, I'll be posting a separate thread. I will probably be posting a separate thread anyway, since this is a bit of a new world to me.
 
Last edited:
I just had to order some parts..

AM6012 can be substituted by DAC312HPZ ( per the MH Build BOM )
LF13201 can be substituted by the NJU201AD ( from a vector mail list, NJU201 subed DAG201 ) DAG211/NJU211 will need a jumper.

No substitution for MC1495L ... AD does make a similar device ( AD633 ) , but how long will it be before we need to design our own? How often do these parts actually fail?

I have some on order now, i have a small stack of Vector Boards i am fixing, so will confirm.
 
I just had to order some parts..

AM6012 can be substituted by DAC312HPZ ( per the MH Build BOM )
LF13201 can be substituted by the NJU201AD ( from a vector mail list, NJU201 subed DAG201 ) DAG211/NJU211 will need a jumper.

No substitution for MC1495L ... AD does make a similar device ( AD633 ) , but how long will it be before we need to design our own? How often do these parts actually fail?

I have some on order now, i have a small stack of Vector Boards i am fixing, so will confirm.


Those parts are all already known and confirmed subs.

However it hasn't been a huge issue so far, as 201's are still available, and 6012's and 1495's are still obtainable from China. I repair vector boards full time, so I order them regularly, and have had no issues.

That may change someday (in which case we can find or build alternate ways of creating these circuits), but for now it isn't really a problem.
 
Those parts are all already known and confirmed subs.

However it hasn't been a huge issue so far, as 201's are still available, and 6012's and 1495's are still obtainable from China. I repair vector boards full time, so I order them regularly, and have had no issues.

That may change someday (in which case we can find or build alternate ways of creating these circuits), but for now it isn't really a problem.

Yeah, i spent an hour hunting for the information, i just started with Vectors, so information is scarce honestly, I primary fixed MCR & Atari Raster, but i just started with Vectors as a local collector needs a good Vector Tech.. so, for someone who has been "fixing" them for year, of course they know.. but for someone who doesn't know, this was a tip.
 
I just bought some TL084's from China off Ebay.seller worldchips I received them yesterday and wile they are labeled as TL084 they test in my Chinese IC tester as LM324/LM2902. It seems the TL084 and the LM324 are sometimes compatible but wonder just how compatible? Anyone had any experience either way.
The first picture is my old stock and the other is the new ebay IC.
 

Attachments

  • DSC07790.jpg
    DSC07790.jpg
    551.2 KB · Views: 26
  • DSC07794.jpg
    DSC07794.jpg
    548.6 KB · Views: 24
TL074's are jfet input devices, LM324s are not. The input bias current is about 30,000 times higher on a 324, 100nA vs 30pA so if the circuit is dependent on the very high input impeadance you can't substitute a 324. That being said I would question how accurately the tester is able to see the difference.
 
TL074's are jfet input devices, LM324s are not. The input bias current is about 30,000 times higher on a 324, 100nA vs 30pA so if the circuit is dependent on the very high input impeadance you can't substitute a 324. That being said I would question how accurately the tester is able to see the difference.

I agree these testers are far from 100% accurate so I guess the only way to find out for sure would be to test them on a working board the next time I need one.
I did change the batteries in the tester as they were low and even entering the TL084 direct it tests my old stock TL084 as OK and the new TL084 as Fault so I guess it's still possible the IC's are mislabeled.
 

Attachments

  • DSC07811.jpg
    DSC07811.jpg
    547.5 KB · Views: 10
  • DSC07806.jpg
    DSC07806.jpg
    547.3 KB · Views: 10
I agree these testers are far from 100% accurate so I guess the only way to find out for sure would be to test them on a working board the next time I need one.
I did change the batteries in the tester as they were low and even entering the TL084 direct it tests my old stock TL084 as OK and the new TL084 as Fault so I guess it's still possible the IC's are mislabeled.

Read bobkat's comments regarding opamp testing with those "cheap" IC testers. :)

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/chinese-ic-testers/

"I also found that there seems to be a bug in the TTL test/ID routines. Several LS and HCT types will both ID and test as the opposite family. If you try testing them in the proper family it will fail, but test it on the other family and it will pass. My experience has been that it seems that the best way to use this device is to first use the auto-search function to have it ID the chip and then test with the type it gave you.

There were a few Op Amps that were like this too. Where they would ID and test as a slightly different number than what the actually are. And several analog types that aren't in the short list of chips for analog testing will actually test under other numbers. So, with the analog chips too, for best results you'll want to ID the DUT first and then test with what it thinks it is.

For analog chips it mostly tests a few common types of Op Amps & comparators. It will also test a few common types of display driver and interface chips as well. But, this is mostly a digital logic tester."
 
Read bobkat's comments regarding opamp testing with those "cheap" IC testers. :)

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/chinese-ic-testers/

"I also found that there seems to be a bug in the TTL test/ID routines. Several LS and HCT types will both ID and test as the opposite family. If you try testing them in the proper family it will fail, but test it on the other family and it will pass. My experience has been that it seems that the best way to use this device is to first use the auto-search function to have it ID the chip and then test with the type it gave you.

There were a few Op Amps that were like this too. Where they would ID and test as a slightly different number than what the actually are. And several analog types that aren't in the short list of chips for analog testing will actually test under other numbers. So, with the analog chips too, for best results you'll want to ID the DUT first and then test with what it thinks it is.

For analog chips it mostly tests a few common types of Op Amps & comparators. It will also test a few common types of display driver and interface chips as well. But, this is mostly a digital logic tester."

Thank's for the link. That might explain whats going on. I still like that cheap tester as it seems to work on almost everything I have tested so far with a few exceptions.:)
 
I wouldn't expect a cheap tester like those to be able to tell between a TL084 and LM324, as they're functionally the same from the tester's perspective, and can be substituted in a lot of our arcade cases. So what you're seeing is not really anything out of the ordinary.
 
Back
Top Bottom