SYSTEM-18 Black Screen question

[SMD88]

I have a SYSTEM-18 board that came with no ROM board or security module. I have a Shadow Dancer and Jp Alien Storm ROM board, but they are stock.

When I put a regular 68000 in to test the boards, I get a blank screen. Do these boards give just a black screen if there is no working security 68000? I am just hoping there is no issue with the motherboard. I thought that Shadow Dancer partially worked with a regular 68000....

I have ordered chips to burn the decrypted ROMs for both boards, but they will take at least a fortnight to get here. I also ordered a ROM set to burn Moonwalker. I won a Bloxeed recently, which I am planning to use with the Moonwalker ROMs as it has the MCU, I really hope I don't end up with only one motherboard working, heh. If I do, I will just keep crossing my fingers for the S18 (and S32!) multi!

 

[SMD88]

I think I found some trace damage. Three traces coming from the custom at the top of the board next to the ROM board. Will post pictures.

I am hoping I can repair the traces underneath the board because those tiny traces from custom are far too fine for me. Hopefully somebody that knows this board will have an idea as to which pins connect from the custom underneath as I do not have a schematic.

 

[SMD88]

Some photos of the custom I was referring to. It looks like it has been reapired, not very well.

If you zoom in to the pins, you will see what I am talking about. Specifially where 3 thick, green traces are connected to the chip.

Have not checked continuity as I have "lost" my multimetre.

Edit: There is also a scratch mark that runs from that area through quite a lot of traces Hard to tell if it has cut anything though. I may run wires from the 3 legs with the bodgy repar jobs straight to tye end of the traces. There are solder points there. One of the legs where the repair is also appears to be broken.

 

[ShootTheCore]

Those three lines look like they were previously damaged and then repaired. You'd definitely want to use a multimeter to test for continuity on them to make sure that they were repaired properly.

As for the blank screen, the System 18 platform originally used encrypted CPUs which means that a ROM board with original game ROMs won't boot unless you have the corresponding special CPU that goes along with it. You have to replace a few of the game ROM chips with EPROMs programmed with decrypted code to get the game to boot with a standard 68000 CPU.

The decrypted ROM sets are available here:
http://www.pinballzone.com/tech/fd1094/index.htm

 

[SMD88]

Those three lines look like they were previously damaged and then repaired. You'd definitely want to use a multimeter to test for continuity on them to make sure that they were repaired properly.

As for the blank screen, the System 18 platform originally used encrypted CPUs which means that a ROM board with original game ROMs won't boot unless you have the corresponding special CPU that goes along with it. You have to replace a few of the game ROM chips with EPROMs programmed with decrypted code to get the game to boot with a standard 68000 CPU.

The decrypted ROM sets are available here:
http://www.pinballzone.com/tech/fd1094/index.htm

Thank you for the reply!

I have the ROMs for the Shadow Dancer and Alien Storm boards on the way from HK. I was just not sure if it was a dead black screen or not without the nasty encrypted CPU. I thought SD did boot to garbled graphics but was not sure.

The ROMs (along with a set of Moonwalker and Revenge of Death Adder ROMs ) and programmer I need to get my S16B multi working has been here since the 27th and is apparently STILL sitting in Sydney, grrrrr. Really starting to piss me off.

As soon as I locate my DMM, I will check those traces. I should have a working Bloxeed tomorrow, so I will swap the board and security CPU and see if it boots. Really hoping this otyer mother will work as I wanted to give Moonwalker its own board due to the MCU.

 

[AlxUnderBase]

@SMD88

Those three lines look like they were previously damaged and then repaired. You'd definitely want to use a multimeter to test for continuity on them to make sure that they were repaired properly.

You may try to check the continuity of that traces first and the go further with testing the rom boards

 

[SMD88]

Continuity is good on all three traces

 

[SMD88]

The decrypted ROM sets are available here:
http://www.pinballzone.com/tech/fd1094/index.htm

Are the ROMs on that page the regular ROMs that still need an MCU or are they no MCU versions?

My set of Moonwalker ROMs gave me a black screen, it has an MCU burnt. When I went to try the Monwalker board again withought the MCU, I had the bent pin issue from the other thread I made.

Also, does Alien Storm have an MCU as well? I only bought a ROM board (no CPU) of it a few years back so was unsure. I did see a post asking for Apocalypse's no MCU version.