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Colecovision expansion module #1 (atari converter ) not working help


Brianeric26

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I bough a colecovision with a expansion module , the colecovision seems to work fine turn on and show the bios colecovision title screen but i dont have controller or games to test it out , but the colecovison expansion module 1 no matter how much i clean the cartridge (defender atari 2600) the expansion module bus or conector it only show noise (or garble grafic idk ) please help how to fix it , plus i need colecovision controllers (someone selling ones cheap ) or how to mod a genesis one to work with it (so it have the 1# button and both fires buttons )

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It would help tremendously to know if the Defender 2600 cart is indeed in working order. More than likely the cartridge is good which means the EM#1 Atari Adapter is bad and you will be bettet off acquiring another one that is tested and working.

 

The one thing to check is that all the contacts on the edge connector are good and go to the extreme with cleaning them:

 

- use an eraser to clean them

- then Deoxit

- then 90% or better Isoprophyl Alcohol

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I have actually had at least one bad EM #1 unit. When attached, all I got was a screen like yours and a buzzing sound. This was over a decade ago… I had saved that unit for a day when I could work on it, but I never did figure it out. Since I used to be able to acquire them for cheap at thrift stores and on Craigslist, I finally just got rid of it.

 

Although it's incredibly easy to fix most 2600 hardware issues, I've not seen a whole lot of info when it comes to performing surgery on the EM #1. Anyone?

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Well i dont know if defender works , but I clean it with ereaser and alcohol everything , the adapter do the same thing with and without cartridge ,and how i can contact with yurkie ? Im not from us im from Puerto Rico and the colocevision stuff is very hard to find , the adapter on ebay are so expensive thats why I want to repair it , and it its posible that the caps are bad they look fine when I open it

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  • 2 months later...

So, today I embarked on repairing my expansion module.

 

Let me share a few tips/things I've discovered about these modules.

 

I have 2, one works and one doesnt. I also have an Atari 2600 for testing too.

So first off, when I power it on I get a blank screen - or if on and off a few times a few lines but no real picture.

 

At first I thought VDP/TIA chip.

 

I replaced the Coleco TIA with the Atari one. Same thing. Put the Coleco chip into the Atari and no picture.

HOWEVER if I put the "Bad" units TIA into the good unit it works.

 

(This tells me the Atari TIA and Coleco TIA are incompatible)

 

So far I have replaced the RIOT chip, and have the same issue.

 

This leaves the processor and 2 transistors.

 

I'll try the processor first, but I am leaning towards one of the transistors, since most likely (Q1)

is probably used in making the composite signal. (Just a guess) I havent traced it.

I've seen little point since the Atari TIA is different than the pinout between the two would be in question.

 

I'll update if I get it fixed or find anything since there is no info out there on these things.

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Ok, so replaced the processor with a known good one and it works. In reality only 3 chips in the module. Problem is the Coleco one is different than the Atari one. So if your's takes a dump, there wont be a replacement. Tried the Atari TIA in the EM1 and no go.

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  • 2 weeks later...

The riot and processor can easily be found on ebay.

 

I started pinning out the Coleco VDP, it is definitely different than the Atari TIA, perhaps even slightly different than the coleco gemini one if they did it correctly. Lumas are different positions.

 

I have no source for the Coleco tia. So if it's dead, i'm afraid you might, have a paperweight.

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  • 1 month later...

I started pinning out the Coleco VDP, it is definitely different than the Atari TIA, perhaps even slightly different than the coleco gemini one if they did it correctly. Lumas are different positions.

 

Did you ever manage to finish pinning out the Coleco 73192 TIA?

 

I found some sources here on AA but they are conflicting, i.e. here and http://kiblitzing.blogspot.ca/2013/08/coleco-gemini-second-encounter.html

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Yes, I did.

There is some ambiguity however for modding it will all work.

Pins of Coleco 73192, Expansion mod 1.

1 - GND 40 - (controllers)

2 - 27 on 6507 39 - (controllers)

3 - RDY - 4700 res 38 - (controllers)

4 - (Sync or LUM2)? 37 - (controllers)

5 - (Sync or LUM2)? 36 - (controllers)

6 - LUM1 - res ladder 35 - (controllers)

7 - LUM0 - res ladder 34 - AB0

8 - NC? 33 - AB1

9 - COL -2 1kohm match 32 - AB2

10 - DEL - Color adjust pot 31 - AB3

11 - Clock signal 30 - AB4

12 - DB00 29 - AB5

13 - DB01 28 - AUD (shorted from pin 27)

14 - DB02 27 - AUD - R25 - pin 36 exp aud out

15 - DB03 26 - 02 - pin 28 6507

16 - DB04 25 - R/W - pin 26 6507

17 - DB05 24 - AB12

18 - DB06 23 - Goes to AUD out thru 1kohm res

19 - DB07 22 - VSS - pin 2 6507 - GND

20 - VCC - +5 pin4 - 6507 21 - AB7

So...

We know there are differences, like Atari pin 4 = Pin 2 Coleco etc...

I dont have a Gemini to look at but if one looks at the resistor ladders on the Atari diagram,

you can see Coleco copied it just on different pins. Thats the best way to differentiate the lumas.

The Gemini uses 8403 or 8402, not sure if they are the same lumas out...

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Yes, I did.

 

Thank you so much for that. I'm on hold at the moment - got a problem with the s-video mod board so until I resolve that I can't continue with trying it in an Exp. Mod. #1.

 

Interestingly, the Coleco 73192 chip I have on my Rev G. Exp. Mod #1 board is numbered 8249. I really hope all these differently numbered 73192 chips don't have different pinouts.

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  • 1 month later...
  • 4 years later...
On 8/2/2016 at 12:41 PM, Brianeric26 said:

Hey guys thanks to all of you that help me specially cdn2a he es the one that literally repair my module , it was a bad cpu I just repalced and now it working thanks to all , its so great that this community exist

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Hi @Brianeric26 congratulations on being able to revive the GEMINI. I ask you please if you can share with me how each of the legs of the Atari TIA are redirected to be able to use it in replacement of the COLECO Owner TIA. I am walking the same path. Thank you so much!

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