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[REPAIRED] Violent Storm boots but not showing test screen

Tailsnic Retroworks

Tailsnic Retroworks

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Hi. I have an original Konami's Violent Storm which doesn't shows the rom ram test screen.

The game is entering the test and the whatchdog makes its reset correctly, but I can't see anything in this screen (all black). I know there is something broken in the board that makes it reset, but I can't see the test screen characters. The test screen is working.

All the customs' pins are checked and well soldered.

Does anyone know where to begin? I have the fear if it's the 055555 custom, which is the priority graphics encoder.
 
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I suggest reflowing the legs on the 055673 and 055555 customs - if you're lucky, there's just a loose connection.
 
ShootTheCore said:
Well, you can probe the output lines on the 055555 to see if the chip is processing and outputting data. @caius documented his repair of Metamorphic Force (which runs on the same hardware) with a failed 055555 here:
https://caiusarcade.blogspot.com/2021/05/metamorphic-force-repair-log.html
Click to expand...
They have activity, dear god, xD. So the 055555 it's working.

Maybe the board doesn't pass the test because the 055673 custom is broken, which is the sprite generator and is associated with 4 masks.

The masks at 17K, 19K, 20K and 22K (sprites masks) present no activity at all. They only have activity in the inputs and outputs in the first boot, but not in the next reboots. Something is odd.

EDIT: replaced the 055673 custom with another from Run & Gun board and still the same result.
 
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Hi!!! Good news!!! Changing the 055555, I have image and now the board boots, but now the sprites are completely disappeared. The mask rom test says 17K, 19K, 20K and 22K are bad with 0000 value. I have changed both 053246A and 055673 for making sure it's not the masks, but anything has changed. Do those masks need any IC before the customs? It's for testing them
 
Those four ROMs are indeed the sprite ROMs so something is up with how all four are being accessed. If you have a logic probe, can you check and see if the CE and OE lines are getting enabled on those ROMs? Something might have happened to the Enabling circuit.
 
ShootTheCore said:
Those four ROMs are indeed the sprite ROMs so something is up with how all four are being accessed. If you have a logic probe, can you check and see if the CE and OE lines are getting enabled on those ROMs? Something might have happened to the Enabling circuit.
Click to expand...
My logic probe broke a few days ago, so I'm waiting for another.

I have also bought a fully working VS Net Soccer for trying another 055555 custom, because the donor one I used came from a broken rusty Superstars and I don't know if it really works.
 
Final update!!!! Completely repaired.

It had the 055555, 053246A and 055673 customs completely broken.

The "nothing on screen" error was caused by 055555. The "any sprite lost" error was caused by 055673. By changing those from a fully working board, there was still another error, sprites full with bars. Changed 053246A and fixed everything!!!!

In resume, I was using 055673 customs that where broken, because the donor boards didn't boot so I couldn't know if they really worked, so using them from a fully working donor board was the key.
 
ShootTheCore said:
Ugh, bad luck that you had three bad customs on that board. Glad you got it sorted out. Enjoy the game!
Click to expand...
Many thanks!!! Today I will post the reparation on my twitter account. The board came from an arcade place in a town next to my hometown, and was badly saved 13 years after the closement.

I almost forgot, is the Japan version (JAC), so ohhhh yeaaahhh
 
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Cool, it was marvellous if u could post pics about fix proccess
 
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