My CPC464 is having really strange timing issues: It keeps going slow/fast at random intervals and when in games with lots of mode-switching sometimes the screen gets all glitchy.
Here's a video showing what's wrong with it using Barbarian as an example.
broken amstrad? - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKD-YBcPYsI)
Isn't there a program that test the hardware?
Not that I know of, and if there is, does it come on cassette?
I'm guessing at a broken z80 or gate-array.
Or just the INT pin with a bad contact on either the GA or the Z80, which are both on socket ?
How would a b0rked Z80 or gate array cause this though?
Quote from: Gryzor on 15:12, 14 March 14
How would a b0rked Z80 or gate array cause this though?
Mode change / music / keyboard scan are usually IRQ based. If you miss some IRQ the code is waiting for, it's like a time stretch from the code point of view.
GA issue the IRQ, Z80 receive it. You may add the PPi as well for the VSYNC polling.
Ahhh groovy! Thanks!
Are those easy/cheap to replace? Or should I put it up on eBay for spares/repair and buy a replacement at my earliest convenience?
So I had a quick inspection of my Amstrad just about an hour ago, and in the process re-seated the Z80 and re-seated the heatsink on what I think was the gate array.
So far, Barbarian loaded up without issue and played perfectly for 20 minutes, had a short game, then let the music run for a while. Seemed to be completely behaving!
I'm loading up Monte Carlo Casino now, to see if there's any display glitches as i know uses a lot of mode-switching tricks, of which there were none!
EDIT:: Talk about horrible luck! My CTM644 monitor made a horrible smoke smell and the display has gone to shit. I think it's going to need re-capping.
That's pretty much cut short my amstrad gaming outside of emulators for a good long while.
Quote from: Devlin on 22:27, 27 March 14
So I had a quick inspection of my Amstrad just about an hour ago, and in the process re-seated the Z80 and re-seated the heatsink on what I think was the gate array.
So far, Barbarian loaded up without issue and played perfectly for 20 minutes, had a short game, then let the music run for a while. Seemed to be completely behaving!
I'm loading up Monte Carlo Casino now, to see if there's any display glitches as i know uses a lot of mode-switching tricks, of which there were none!
EDIT:: Talk about horrible luck! My CTM644 monitor made a horrible smoke smell and the display has gone to shit. I think it's going to need re-capping.
That's pretty much cut short my amstrad gaming outside of emulators for a good long while.
that's bad, but you can use a scart cable and an external power supply.
worse if the gate-array had broken.
Quote from: arnoldemu on 10:30, 28 March 14that's bad, but you can use a scart cable and an external power supply.
worse if the gate-array had broken.
Been looking into that, fairly cheap to sort out (roughly £25 at my estimate) but it'll have to wait until I have some proper spending money to hand since everything is going on living expenses atm.