Another repair case, plase help if you can

About original Memotech hardware.
laios
Posts: 15
Joined: 09 Apr 2014 15:13
Location: Athens Greece

Re: Another repair case, plase help if you can

Post by laios »

Hi to all
Ok I had a major progress (thought not end yet ,due to my fault), I'll try to show my progress with couple photos ,perhaps will
help some fellows to resurrect their mtx's
First of all a big Thank you to Mr. Andy Key he send me one of his memorycards and testcard rom , which was a definitive help.
ok I done was in order :
I removed the "SPAIN" piggyback ROM , think that was indifferent but I just mention it
then the memocard arrived I plugged it and replaced the PAL with the 3_0 GAL now at every startup I had this screen:

Image

not the best but some improvement over the black screen , I plugged the keyboard , and I noticed I had reset , Ctrl G bell , and cursor movement , corrupted characters but characters.Andy guide me to the VRAM chips , and I remembered that hadn't checked continuity in
the tracks of VRAM and yes I had discontinuity in A6 of leg 13 of one chip (was stupid enough to buy low quality sockets)
repaired the track and have this screen
Image
ok so indeed something to do with VRAM , Andy had mention about the dis-coperitive behavior of Video Processor for several
ram chips due to timing the chips I had on are AM9016FPC mentioned somewhere in primroebank.net as checked replacements
all from NOS stock checked as working chips in my socketed ZX spectrum , a totally random move I replace the 2 bottom chips
with 2 ITT 4116 2N and YESSS
Image
that's curious , we usually prefer all the chips to be the same.
something made the difference but what ?



and now the unhappy end I had already the TIP transistor and regulators on a separate heat sink for better heat dissipation
to put it back in the case I had to replace the heatsink with a smaller one , on the transfer I put wrong way the bolt insulator
of the TIP , make a short circuit , blow the fuse , and now has a nice black screen with continuous tone , and go again from start
Martin A
Posts: 802
Joined: 09 Nov 2013 21:03

Re: Another repair case, plase help if you can

Post by Martin A »

Great work getting thee system up and working again. Hopefully the 2nd fix will be a lot easier.

Just unplugging a chip and plugging it back in again can fix some problems caused by poor contacts.

As long as the Vram chips meet the required spec, they dont have to be the same. One of my MTX's currently runs with 7 4116's and one modified 4146 for video ram.

http://primrosebank.net/computers/mtx/p ... mavram.htm
laios
Posts: 15
Joined: 09 Apr 2014 15:13
Location: Athens Greece

Re: Another repair case, plase help if you can

Post by laios »

Quick question
I took some voltage measurements and I have +12 +5 but -1.5 instead -5
same across ZD1 , is this a zener problem ?
User avatar
1024MAK
Posts: 757
Joined: 24 Dec 2012 03:01
Location: Looking forward to summer, in Somerset, UK

Re: Another repair case, plase help if you can

Post by 1024MAK »

When they fail, zener diodes normally go short circuit. What do you have on either side of resistor R60 (1k ohm) {don't get confused with R62, the board markings are not very helpful}. Or you can test on D16 or D18 anode leads.

If the voltage on D16 or D18 anode leads is heathy (about -12V) and R60 measures 1 k ohm (test with the power off), either ZD3 (5V1) has failed "partly" short circuit, or one (or more) of your 4116 video DRAM chips has failed and is/are dragging down the voltage.

See these pages from Dave's site: MTX Power Supply Details, Memotech MTX Power Problem

Mark
:!: Standby alert :!:
“There are four lights!”
Step up to red alert. Sir, are you absolutely sure? It does mean changing the bulb :!:
Looking forward to summer in Somerset later in the year :D

Not as many MTXs as Dave! :lol:
laios
Posts: 15
Joined: 09 Apr 2014 15:13
Location: Athens Greece

Re: Another repair case, plase help if you can

Post by laios »

Voltages look ok
ZD3 replaced but was ok anyway , voltage across the diodes were 12V I can't figure exactly how to measure -5V
At some point I got screen with white vertical lines (I have seen that before) sometimes with blue background but never stable
screen , I made the mod with 4164 chips that work with 1 voltage thinking that if the problem is in -5v or 12v ..
nothing changed and after a while one chip start to overheat , I removed it but have no other to replace it.
so change back to 4116 at some point I got again the black screen with just a short beep at power on.
Also the TIP transistor gradually raise heat, something drains power but what ?
I'm very disappointed now I really don't understand what gone so very wrong , is it possible to be the video daugther board ?
vram sockets were checked and checked again no short circuit there what else to check ?
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