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Atari 5200 Console Problem


jatari87

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Hey Folks. So, I just picked up this console. It looks great. Games display great. But, It's got this strange problem I just can't figure out. Now, the problem is not with the controllers, because I've used multiple known, functioning controllers. And the key buttons are 2,6,9,# - Everything else is perfectly great. In Berzerk when I pushed # it shot and changed levels as if you pressed *. When you pressed 9, I thought it functioned normal, but maybe it made the sound as if you pressed 7. In defender, if I pressed 3, it said "1 player EASY" as if you pressed 1. If I pressed it enough, it would give me "1 player Hard" or even "1 player Normal on occasion. Same for 6 : "2 player ...", but I could never get the hard level for 2 player. BUT, all this is meaningless now, because after all this trouble shooting, buttons 3, 6, 9 & # seem all locked up and are effectively dead. Any thoughts or help would sure be appreciated. Thanks.

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If you are sure the controllers themselves are good then the only other option I can think of right off hand is the multiplexer chips. There is one for each port on the 5200. It is the small IC located behind and near the ports. They are prone to ESD similar to the colecovision controller ports and their issues.

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Thanks & Aarggh!!! Before I first put this out here I said, looks like a chip, please don't be a chip. May have to shelve this for the Christmas Holiday, but do tell more if you will be so kind {I've attached photo of motherboard} - My virtual guess/college/6th grader try is that it is those 1st 4 chips of the 5 to the right of that cluster of green things straight above the 1st port of the console. {I apologize for being unknowledgeable here. At a very early crossroad in life, I chose chemical instead of electrical and have been struggling to cope ever since, lol}.

post-48636-0-10412700-1542639033.jpg

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Those are the multiplexer chips I was talking about. There are three of them I believe on the 2-port and 5 of them on the 4port. One chip for each port and I believe they are in the right order already. So the 1 16pin chip behind port one and just to the right is for port one, the one next to it is for port 2..etc...

 

I've had to replace a few of them over the years in other 5200s. As I said, they are prone to ESD it would seem very similar to the CV controller IC chips.

 

Mouser has them in stock. I'd advise that if you do decided to replace them out, put them in sockets for ease in future replacement or troubleshooting.

 

https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Texas-Instruments/CD4052BE?qs=sGAEpiMZZMtxrAS98ir%252bsyyzhQKXP6BbgNfFof9X0tM%3d

 

** UPDATE ** I should have checked...and didn't but sure enough Console5 has the chips by themselves for a cheaper price than mouser and they are the same TI branded chips..

 

https://console5.com/store/cd4052-analog-multiplexer-demultiplexer.html

Edited by -^Cro§Bow^-
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Had a similar problem with one of my 4-port units when I bought it about 16 months ago. Replaced all 5 of the 4052 multiplexer chips at once, just to be safe. Luckily, the chips in mine were all fully socketed so replacement was easy as can be. Problem solved. :)

Edited by DrVenkman
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After seeing how easy sockets could be, I may have to dig this out to check and hopefully bump this thing up the project list. Just curious, as a diagnostic, could I pull out the player 4 chip and put it in the player 1 socket?

Yes...in fact that is what I do whenever I find a controller port not working properly. I find one that is..pull the chip and use it to find exactly which one is at fault. Same thing applies to the RAM chips as well, although I start with a known good chip and start swapping one by one until I find the faulty one.

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NPN and PNP transistors function inversely. I would be surprised if you could swap out a PNP for an NPN in a design. If this is for the 5200 you are having problems with then do you know that this transistor is the issue? Personally I wouldn't randomly start desoldering components in the hopes that you just happen to replace a faulty part.

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NPN and PNP transistors function inversely. I would be surprised if you could swap out a PNP for an NPN in a design. If this is for the 5200 you are having problems with then do you know that this transistor is the issue? Personally I wouldn't randomly start desoldering components in the hopes that you just happen to replace a faulty part.

 

 

transitor isn't the issue. That one I speak of was bent over and the emiter leg had to be resoldered. I'm planning ahead and having my bases covered at the same time. I know it's the 4013 and I've already ordered 10 replacement ones. Funny when 10 is cheaper than 1.

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I replaced the 4013 and now it's getting power and working(ish). I'm gonna replace the power button now because when I plug in the AC it automatically powers on without pressing the power button. This is turning out to be quite the problem solving rebuild. I've ordered a brand new board from Best in the meantime. I'll keep poking at this one just for the experience but after that brand new board arrives I don't see myself tinkering with the old one 'till a boring snowy day comes around over the winter.

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I replaced the 4013 and now it's getting power and working(ish). I'm gonna replace the power button now because when I plug in the AC it automatically powers on without pressing the power button. This is turning out to be quite the problem solving rebuild. I've ordered a brand new board from Best in the meantime. I'll keep poking at this one just for the experience but after that brand new board arrives I don't see myself tinkering with the old one 'till a boring snowy day comes around over the winter.

Can do what I did with my last primary 5200 that worked awesome for nearly a decade and then just up and starting tossing garbage characters on the title screens before locking up and refusing to actually start a game. It has been a nice donor of vintage parts that has kept a colecovision and other Atari systems alive in its after life.

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Can do what I did with my last primary 5200 that worked awesome for nearly a decade and then just up and starting tossing garbage characters on the title screens before locking up and refusing to actually start a game. It has been a nice donor of vintage parts that has kept a colecovision and other Atari systems alive in its after life.

 

That's what I did with the last one! :lol:

 

Between the Colecovision and the 5200 it's hard to decide which one is more prone to failure sometimes. Funny how the 2600, and for the most part the 7800, are built like tanks.

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If you are sure the controllers themselves are good then the only other option I can think of right off hand is the multiplexer chips. There is one for each port on the 5200. It is the small IC located behind and near the ports. They are prone to ESD similar to the colecovision controller ports and their issues.

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