Need someone to test and critique Jaguar Prototype cartridge PCBs

[rayik]

I played with the board for a couple of hours.

 

To get the board ready to test:

• Cut 34B and 35B so they were not tied to vcc
• Bridged 34B and 35B with wire
• Added two 0.1uf capactitors to C1 and C4 (not really needed)
• Socketed all three chips (hi, low, eeprom)
• Checked solder joints for sockets with multimeter
• Installed hi / low eproms of a rebooteroids beta
• Installed original eeprom

Could not get a game to boot. One time only, I had the jag cube boot screen come up ok followed by a black screen. Any other time it booted, it went straight to red screen. I did notice it was very sensitive to position. Tilting the board forward or backwards a little would change whether it would even boot. Sometimes when the jaguar would not power on (no red light), pulling the cart out a little would allow it to power on (red light).

 

Cleaned the cart edge connectors with a fiberglass pencil to make sure no corrosion. No change in boot up behavior.

 

When I take the hi / low eproms and install them on a known good original board, the game boots up no problem every time. Pushing the board backwards or forward has no effect. The game boots and keeps running fine.

 

My guess is that it is a combination of thinner traces and lack of a beveled edge on the board causing intermittent contact(s) with the cart port.

 

Photos of what I did are attached.

 

****EDIT

 

@Wyluli Wolf - let me know if you want the board mailed back to you. I'll just take the eproms out.

[+madman]

Nice effort, rayik.

[Wyluli Wolf]

I played with the board for a couple of hours.

 

To get the board ready to test:

• Cut 34B and 35B so they were not tied to vcc
• Bridged 34B and 35B with wire
• Added two 0.1uf capactitors to C1 and C4 (not really needed)
• Socketed all three chips (hi, low, eeprom)
• Checked solder joints for sockets with multimeter
• Installed hi / low eproms of a rebooteroids beta
• Installed original eeprom

Could not get a game to boot. One time only, I had the jag cube boot screen come up ok followed by a black screen. Any other time it booted, it went straight to red screen. I did notice it was very sensitive to position. Tilting the board forward or backwards a little would change whether it would even boot. Sometimes when the jaguar would not power on (no red light), pulling the cart out a little would allow it to power on (red light).

 

Cleaned the cart edge connectors with a fiberglass pencil to make sure no corrosion. No change in boot up behavior.

 

When I take the hi / low eproms and install them on a known good original board, the game boots up no problem every time. Pushing the board backwards or forward has no effect. The game boots and keeps running fine.

 

My guess is that it is a combination of thinner traces and lack of a beveled edge on the board causing intermittent contact(s) with the cart port.

 

Photos of what I did are attached.

 

****EDIT

 

@Wyluli Wolf - let me know if you want the board mailed back to you. I'll just take the eproms out.

 

Thanks for checking that out ryak! That is right along the lines of what I was thinking as well. I'll see what I can do to remedy and order a new batch.

No need to send the board back to me. I have a few extra's and if Hurricane Irma hits us I may not have any use for it anyway!

[TXG/MNX]

Are you gonna release the schematic/pcb file

 

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