PGM single game PCB assembly and troubleshooting
- Thread starter Fluffy
- Start date
xodaraP
Legendary
It fits in a standard shell with sockets on the PROG board but no sockets on CHAR board. That's how I have mine setupI wanted it to fit in the case, damn it. lolYou've also ruled out the other thing I was worried about: sockets
@Frank_fjs turned out to be nothing 
Thought so. I can't see anything else wrong re soldering.
nnap
Grand Master
I had issues on mine where I did not have enough solder on the PAL/GAL/TTLs. I had applied enough to get a nice looking bead on the solder side but for some reason I had to apply more solder and leave the iron on the pin to let the solder flow through the hole to the component side. After that the carts worked fine.
The prog board has enough room for sockets...
Well at some point someone said the boards didn't fit with sockets and it stuck with me. Not really a big deal though, the only person who has to desolder these when they're wrong is me
xodaraP
Legendary
Right so I have more information
I replaced both PALs and tried burning a different PAL file. This didn't help.
I pulled out my PROG board and it has a clear burnt smell. Something or multiple things has/have died. Not sure what because everything looks fine.
It now doesn't even give me a copyright screen and throws a CPU error on the self test screen.
I don't really want to use another PROG board, I used all high quality components on this one too but I think this board is bad.
I replaced both PALs and tried burning a different PAL file. This didn't help.
I pulled out my PROG board and it has a clear burnt smell. Something or multiple things has/have died. Not sure what because everything looks fine.
It now doesn't even give me a copyright screen and throws a CPU error on the self test screen.
I don't really want to use another PROG board, I used all high quality components on this one too but I think this board is bad.
Okay, one option I've been thinking about: I was planning to send out one of the CHAR boards with sockets, so people can test their burned ROMs before soldering them in. I could take one of my test PROG boards as well. They're just laying on my shelf collecting dust anyway...
That would help to eliminate some more variables when people try to bring up their boards. This would require people to send them on once they're done with them.
That would help to eliminate some more variables when people try to bring up their boards. This would require people to send them on once they're done with them.
xodaraP
Legendary
My PROG board is all socketed and all socketed components have been replaced, so it is one of the passives causing the issue. I'm going to replace all of them and test as I go to see where the fault is.
Given the smell, I'm leaning heavily towards a failure on one of the electrolytics, which is surprising given they're Rubycon but it's the only thing I can think of at this stage. I'll get replacements of everything and start replacing.
A power issue would certainly explain both the fault and the burning smell.
Given the smell, I'm leaning heavily towards a failure on one of the electrolytics, which is surprising given they're Rubycon but it's the only thing I can think of at this stage. I'll get replacements of everything and start replacing.
A power issue would certainly explain both the fault and the burning smell.
Mrhide
Legendary
affirmative
xodaraP
Legendary
Sadly too familiar
Interested to see if you have the same burnt smell on your PROG board that I do. I think we may have faulty PCBs
Interested to see if you have the same burnt smell on your PROG board that I do. I think we may have faulty PCBs
I don't, on either Ketsui or Espgaluda. But I do have the same issues
Entirely different boards.
xodaraP
Legendary
I'm going to use my Galuda board and change out the EPROM for Ketsui to see if it works
Kavas
Champion
Happy to report I finally put together my boards finally. Had a kind board member help me program the eeproms, and put them together this past weekend. Espgaluda and DDOJ worked first try no issues. Ketsui gave me garbled graphics. I noticed a slight burnt smell. I realized I placed the GAL in U6 backwards and it burnt the chip. I received a new GAL in the mail today and it booted up no issues! 
Hoping to find some shells for these and cool stickers.
Hoping to find some shells for these and cool stickers. sammargh
Professional
As a follow-up with our social distancing (life changed? 
) in place I figured it'd be a great time to tackle the 20-ish eproms I'd need to investigate and purchased a Xeltek Superpro 610p as I have some Namco System boards I need to fix with Intel flash.
Ketsui:
You were correct in it being either B1 or B2 causing the picture to jump around. Once I removed both chips and ran them through the Xeltek B2 reported as having pin 25 non-functional. New chip flashed and game works again.
DDP3:
This one all-around was a mess and I feel part of it is that I was using the board to test other chips before fabricating them. The program chip reported as having pin 10 non-functional but when replaced everything was still a frozen mess. I checked u5/u6 and the prg/t1& t2 chips on an alternate board which worked fine. This led me to believe the sockets might be at-fault. Started with p1 and no change. U5/U6 and still no change. Finally removed T1/T2 and soldered directly and the game works again (why am I SO bad at these sorts of guessing games)
Either way all 3 games work now! Thanks a bunch for this project!
) in place I figured it'd be a great time to tackle the 20-ish eproms I'd need to investigate and purchased a Xeltek Superpro 610p as I have some Namco System boards I need to fix with Intel flash.Ketsui:
You were correct in it being either B1 or B2 causing the picture to jump around. Once I removed both chips and ran them through the Xeltek B2 reported as having pin 25 non-functional. New chip flashed and game works again.
DDP3:
This one all-around was a mess and I feel part of it is that I was using the board to test other chips before fabricating them. The program chip reported as having pin 10 non-functional but when replaced everything was still a frozen mess. I checked u5/u6 and the prg/t1& t2 chips on an alternate board which worked fine. This led me to believe the sockets might be at-fault. Started with p1 and no change. U5/U6 and still no change. Finally removed T1/T2 and soldered directly and the game works again (why am I SO bad at these sorts of guessing games)
Either way all 3 games work now! Thanks a bunch for this project!
nnap
Grand Master
Great choice in the Xeltec. It is a very reliable burner.