A cart that doesn't work?

[fredJ]

So it has happened to me again. A cart that doesn't work.
The second of many hundreds I have tested.

After cleaning it very thorough (yes I know how to clean it), even heating a little bit (worked once in the past) , still only white or grey image. Sometimes purple.

I opened it up, it looks very clean inside. Seems it had been opened once before, because there is damage to the cart and you can see wrinkles on the top label. It is a Konami game where the label extends of the top. I cleaned it inside too with electronic cleaning fluid (yes this is the proper cleaning fluid, etc).

The game happens to be Akumajou Densetsu so it has a value.

Most things inside are the big chips that I can't replace. There is one orange thing though, I think it is a capacitor ? It says 16V.

Any expert have any idea what could have happened and what to do ?? Or is it just throw away.

[133MHz]

Check the circuit board traces in the vicinity of the edge connector with a multimeter - they turn very thin in that point and easily corrode if the cartridge wasn't stored in ideal conditions.

If they check out good, time to test every other trace running on the board. Only if every trace has perfect continuity suspect of a bad ROM or mapper chip.

[Drakon]

I had the same thing happen.  My 15$ rockman 2 cart from ebay ran for the longest time.  One day it died, I took it apart, farted with it, and the cart randomly revived.  Then a year or so later it died again but this time it didn't come back.  I imagine maybe the memory mappy kicked the bucket since the traces were perfect looking.  I wound up taking a 5$ 720 nes cart, removing the 720 maskrom, taking the rockman 2 maskrom out of the dead rockman 2 cart, and soldering the rockman 2 maskrom into the 720 cart.  Worked like a charm.  Here's the worklog:

http://consolemods.freeforums.org/rockman-2-revival-t65.html

Obviously the maskrom wasn't the problem.  The problem could have been the ram chip or the mmc memory mapper but it was just easier taking out the maskrom and sticking it into a compatible nes cart to fix this.

*edit*

akumajyou densetsu oh f#ck.  Don't think there's any donor carts you could use to revive that.

When my rockman 2 died first thing I did was swap the cap but that changed nothing.

Also if you're going to throw it away I'll buy it off of you for a few $ if you want.

[fredJ]

I used the multimeter and there seems to be some oxidation in the middle of the cart that stops the current.

Don't know how to clean it, but I scraped the circuits with a small screwdriver and it has improved. But it takes a long time. I'll get back with my progress later.

[jpx72]

You can try to track the corroded traces to a point where it is possible to solder some extra wire = repair the broken trace. Just be cautious when soldering directly on the connector contacts (the bottom of the PCB which sticks to the console connector) because they tend to fall off/peel off (!) from the soldering gun heat.

[2A03]

akumajyou densetsu oh f#ck.  Don't think there's any donor carts you could use to revive that.

Esper Dream 2 and Madara can be used as donors since they also used the VRC6.

[RegalSin]

The Japanese, Tiny Toon Adventures 2 also used the VRC7, chip built in. Use that for a donour instead.

[jpx72]

The Japanese, Tiny Toon Adventures 2 also used the VRC7, chip built in. Use that for a donour instead.

NO, VRC7 is completelly different from VRC6, that won't work.
http://wiki.nesdev.com/w/index.php/VRC6
http://wiki.nesdev.com/w/index.php/VRC7

Madara is a good choice though, it's the cheapest of the VRC6 carts. But don't forget to switch A0 and A1 lines.

[Da Bear]

Well...

fredJ handed over the cartridge to me to see if I had better luck getting it working again.
The cardtridge appearently had some sever beating since the board itself was cracked and therefore the traces where broken.

Big image -> http://www.gnys.se/da_bear/famicom/DSC_9216-Redigera.jpg



This is what I ended up with, and guess what!? It's working like a charm now

[fredJ]

Thank you Bear

Yes I noticed the cracks too. Someone must have been upset with it. Nice job fixing it.

[jpx72]

Great soldering work Da Bear! Hopefully the broken board won't crack more when inserted to the cartridge slot again.

[Drakon]

haha cracked board?  That's never a good thing.  What's preventing that crack from growing larger?

[Da Bear]

lol cracked board?  That's never a good thing.  What's preventing that crack from growing larger?

Me and my silky smooth hands

[Drakon]

lol cracked board?  That's never a good thing.  What's preventing that crack from growing larger?

Me and my silky smooth hands

I meant from regular use

[Da Bear]

Surely it could crack more. But does it matter? I'm the only one who's going to use it.