Dead 130XE: Two down, three to go

[flashjazzcat]

Observant viewers will recall I killed (or at least stunned) an 800XL the other week after socketing the MMU and OS ROM. After a flying start to the week with a new 65XE (socketed OS ROM and EXTMMU, 320K upgrade all sailed through in a couple of hours), my stock 130XE is now in the same shape as the 800XL. Since it doesn't have a "Mexico" CPU, I deciced to try this wretched MyIDE board in it because it has so far failed to function in anything else. Should've been a simple case of socketing the OS ROM and soldering three jumper wires. Not so: with the socket in place and OS ROM in the socket, the system won't boot. Flickering screen then black. With the OS ROM pulled out I get the old red screen. I've tried several ROMs, checked all the soldering, and continuity tested the whole shebang. All is as it should be.

 

They're dropping like flies in my house: am pretty lost for ideas at the moment. Could a continuity test between the socket pins and the nearest points on the mainboard return false positives???

 

 

 

[Syfo-Dyas]

This makes me not want to try to upgrade my Atari's myself. :/

[Sub(Function(:))]

You are grounding yourself aren't you???

 

If it's anything like my house at the moment I am generating serious amounts of static electricity all the time.

[flashjazzcat]

Well, at least I can offset one failure with a success. I just went over the soldering on the 800XL socket for a third time and the machine finally booted (see other thread).

 

I would absolutely encourage anyone not confident with soldering/desoldering to get someone else to perform upgrades. However - and after a year of upgrading I'm not claiming to be any kind of expert - even the best of us can inexplicably kill systems. I know of a few experienced modders who've wiped systems out on occasion! However, troubleshooting problems like these is all part of the learning process and I would imagine that 90% it's a case of systematic elimination.

 

I'll try the same meticulous reflowing of the 130XE's solder joins tomorrow.

 

Re: grounding. I'm absolutely terrible about that and I got a timely reminder from my friend the other day, who uses a ground lead attached to a mains outlet (carefully wired, naturally). I wouldn't be surprised if I've blown something up with static: time I learned my lesson.

Edited February 6, 2010 by flashjazzcat

[Sub(Function(:))]

Re: grounding. I'm absolutely terrible about that and I got a timely reminder from my friend the other day, who uses a ground lead attached to a mains outlet (carefully wired, naturally). I wouldn't be surprised if I've blown something up with static: time I learned my lesson.

 

I just take off a shoe and sock and grab the radiator with my toes (bit painful at this time of year though)

 

I think Best electronics and Myatari both have a good stocks of spares chips

[Kjmann]

Too Bad you Need a PAL system. I have 2 Socketed 64k XL's.

 

=)

[flashjazzcat]

Well I feel greatly encouraged now that the 800XL has sprung back to life. I actually prefer the XLs for a variety of reasons: the only drawback with this XL that it lacks a RAM upgrade.

 

Best do have a great selection of spare chips, but the problem with the 130XE may be tracing the problem. Could be RAM, or any one of several custom ICs. It had been sitting inactive for weeks since my last experiments with the s-video circuit: I only wish I'd thoroughly tested it to make sure it was still alive before impatiently whipping out the OS ROM.

[R.Cade]

Make sure you are not only checking continuity, but the lack of it. If you have solder bridges or shorts, you'll get the same problems. A short in the wrong place could be catastrophic.

[flashjazzcat]

Yay! The fresh light of day can do wonderful things. I removed the socket from the 130XE's OS ROM socket and carefully tested it with the meter again. One fractionally bent trace right at the barrel wasn't making contact. Patched that, put a new socket in, and the machine's working perfectly again. I'm back up to five machines.

 

As an added bonus, the s-video mod I was working on for the 130XE is absolutely great. It involves putting a doide in the machine and severing all the RF/composite connections. Best I've seen from an XE so I'll write it up and post it later on.

 

 

 

[carmel_andrews]

well, unless all or both xe's have the same issue or problem, can't you cannibalise one of the xe's to get a working xe, just a thought

[flashjazzcat]

This would have been an option if I hadn't already got them all fixed and working.