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General Category => Technical support - Hardware related => Topic started by: WacKEDmaN on 19:13, 22 August 22

Title: yet another dead CRTC? or GateArray?
Post by: WacKEDmaN on 19:13, 22 August 22
so i was hooking up ps2 board i made..i pulled out all the big ics from their sockets before i started..
when i powered up after soldering on the ps2 board and replacing the ics, it wouldnt boot...
..then i noticed i put the CRTC in the socket wrong and missed by one pin  :picard:
..so i put that back correctly in place and booted up...
i got the boot message ...but the sync is all off...ive tried reseating all the other chips..and even removed/desoldered the ps2 adapter board, but the sync is still off...

does this look like CRTC? ...or could i have possibly done the GA in?
 :picard:
Title: Re: yet another dead CRTC? or GateArray?
Post by: Bryce on 08:18, 23 August 22
You'll have shorted several pins to ground and possibly fed 5V into some CRTC outputs, so it's most likely that you fried the CRTC.

Bryce.
Title: Re: yet another dead CRTC? or GateArray?
Post by: WacKEDmaN on 16:27, 23 August 22
thanks for the confirmation Bryce...
yeah..i shifted left by one pin.. :picard:

yay onto my 3rd CRTC! 

ok so one more question for ya @Bryce 
i must use the 'S' part and not the 'R' part correct (S is 3.7mhz R is 3mhz) on the HD6845 correct? or can i get away with the 3mhz max version?
Title: Re: yet another dead CRTC? or GateArray?
Post by: Bryce on 17:46, 23 August 22
You can use either (as Amstrad did).

Bryce.
Title: Re: yet another dead CRTC? or GateArray?
Post by: WacKEDmaN on 18:27, 23 August 22
thanks Bryce..
that makes it a bit easier to source
Title: Re: yet another dead CRTC? or GateArray?
Post by: WacKEDmaN on 05:30, 26 September 22
well... i got the replacement CRTC today....
and..CPC is doing exactly the same thing...  :picard:
ive swapped over the ROM from the 6128 basic1.1 to the original 464...with no change...
ive swapped all the RAM chips out...same results...
ive swapped the Z80 out for another...no change..
i CANNOT run any diagnostics from the Lower Rom Board...just black screen or garbage..
USIFAC does detect at all either...


its looking like the Gate Array is toast  :picard:
the logic chips shouldnt do this right?
edit: ..the 74LS153s could be causing this.... ill try swapping them out...
Title: Re: yet another dead CRTC? or GateArray?
Post by: WacKEDmaN on 06:52, 26 September 22
swapped out the 74LS153s same symptoms...

its really looking like the GA :(
Title: Re: yet another dead CRTC? or GateArray?
Post by: WacKEDmaN on 02:09, 10 October 22
so new gate arrays arrived today (from here https://www.icompplus.com/en/integrated-circuits/32243/40007-ic-dip-40-1030173) they all look brand spanking new!

but.... the issue remained the same......

turns out it was the effing GBS8200... the geometry got all screwed up... i defaulted it, and now its running fine...SMH (i dont get why lower rom board or usifac werent being detected tho...lower rom board working fine now..but usifac having power issues (i need thicker wires on CPCs power switch!))
im f..ckin hopeless!
Title: Re: yet another dead CRTC? or GateArray?
Post by: eto on 08:19, 10 October 22
Do you have the GBS Control mod? That's highly recommended as the GBS will only unleash it's full CPC potential with it. Many things will just not properly work without the mod.


Title: Re: yet another dead CRTC? or GateArray?
Post by: WacKEDmaN on 09:45, 10 October 22
Quote from: eto on 08:19, 10 October 22Do you have the GBS Control mod? That's highly recommended as the GBS will only unleash it's full CPC potential with it. Many things will just not properly work without the mod.



yeah i do have an esp8266 setup easy to remove....i was having issues with it on first power up tho... it wouldnt display until i logged into the web page and changed a few settings (and some settings wouldnt save)... i pulled it when soldering up the ps2 adapter to the cpc... thinking the gbs8200 would just work like normal on testing the ps2 adapter.. but it was all screwed up (ive never seen it do that before with or without the mod)
...that and the fact i didnt socket the CRTC properly made me think one of the chips failed
...i dont know why i didnt check the geometry on the gbs8200..SMH

re-soldering up the ps2 adapter board to the bottom of the cpc board tonight...
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