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So this arrived 
Pinball info
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Vectrex Fans?
- Thread starter myPinballs
- Start date
The Vectrex is hands down my favourite console - there's nothing else like it!
I've repaired a fair few of these, the most I've had at one time was 16! I've got five left which I plan on installing a new cloned PCB in at some point.
I've repaired a fair few of these, the most I've had at one time was 16! I've got five left which I plan on installing a new cloned PCB in at some point.
I was planning on cloning the logic PCB myself but someone recently released one for sale.
Here's a link
http://www.vectrexmulti.com/order2.html#!/Vectrex-Console-Repro-PCB/p/304570213/category=0
Still no sign of a cloned power board yet, I might clone it myself when I get a spare minute.
Switched mine on the other day and I only get the dot in the middle of screen. Any ideas?
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I’m just fixing the one I bought this week at the moment which had this issue. The white dot in the middle means the logic board is not outputting any screen data and the processor has most likely crashed. Could also be lack of power to the logic board. I’ll update here as I go. Repairs require a full and I mean full disassemble!!
Reminds me of when you turned the TV off when I was a child
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So this is what I am starting with. Time to take it apart and have a detailed look at the main cpu board with the scope. Took the back off and checked the voltages into the cpu board first and they were all fine
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Diassambly pics
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Cpu Board Testing and checking of reset, clock signals and E signals and other address/data lines
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So, after some investigation i worked out that the cpu board was booting up ok but then looked like it was crashing after about a second. The processor looked to be running ok. All address and data lines pulsing on the rams and rom. The output pins on the pia never pulsed, so guessed the program was starting and running to a point t then bombing out after. I swapped the pia chip as was easy to try (socketed) no difference. I also thought maybe was a ram issue so fixed some 2114's over the old ones (handy test trick) no difference. Then decided to checksum the rom.
Bingo. So data from around address 0x1000h on the rom was bad. This is the upper half of the rom, as its a 8x8k rom (2764 size)
Burned a new one. Took awhile to find this international 'bios' rom.
Also cleaned up the cpu board and did a cap change on it, inc the tant caps.
No issues with the board quality and changing parts.
Retesting with the new rom in, i could see pulsing on the pia and also out to the dac and video circuits. Here's a scope of the blank line which i think is for the z axis (whether the beam is on or off possibly)
So, looked promising. But needed to clean and reassamelbe everything before i could test properly
Bingo. So data from around address 0x1000h on the rom was bad. This is the upper half of the rom, as its a 8x8k rom (2764 size)
Burned a new one. Took awhile to find this international 'bios' rom.
Also cleaned up the cpu board and did a cap change on it, inc the tant caps.
No issues with the board quality and changing parts.
Retesting with the new rom in, i could see pulsing on the pia and also out to the dac and video circuits. Here's a scope of the blank line which i think is for the z axis (whether the beam is on or off possibly)
So, looked promising. But needed to clean and reassamelbe everything before i could test properly
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Spent today, cleaning up the rest of the parts. Mostly case parts and the tube etc. Wanted to reassemble and test the machine with the repaired cpu board and test before doing a cap change on the power/crt chassis board
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And
Fair play Jim, I wish I had your talents. Loved Minestorm. Those pcb’s came up great
Great work!
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Thought I’d have a look at converting a repro SNES controller to work with my new functional vectrex. Thinking of making a new PCB to go inside the housing. What to do with the upper l and r buttons though?
could be an interesting small project. You can still get the moulded 9 pin d type cables to. Seen a few articles on using other controllers so should be possible
These repro controllers are pretty cheapo but the cases are ok
could be an interesting small project. You can still get the moulded 9 pin d type cables to. Seen a few articles on using other controllers so should be possible
These repro controllers are pretty cheapo but the cases are ok
The VecAdapt that I got from a guy in Australia maps a megadrive pad to a vectrex controller connector so definitely doable mate 
in your case it would be built into the controller rather than a separate box.
in your case it would be built into the controller rather than a separate box.
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Yeah I’m thinking a new PCB inside a cool SNES case will be pretty good. The original controller design is pretty simple toThe VecAdapt that I got from a guy in Australia maps a megadrive pad to a vectrex controller connector so definitely doable mate
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The VecAdapt that I got from a guy in Australia maps a megadrive pad to a vectrex controller connector so definitely doable mate
So, controller buttons. 4 fire buttons and some other projects have added an auto fire on button 4? Whats the scoop on the 4 buttons?? Do most games use all 4 or only 1 or 2?. Thinking i could add a small micro controller ic in there to handle some auto fire options which could be enabled and disabled using the centre snes select button. Also could have some different auto fire options like std rapid fire, long pulse, short pulse etc etc
Joystick buttons (up down left right) seems fairly easy to map over with some resistor divider circuits.
What do you think?
You def need 4 buttons Jim.
Some games use button 4 for fire.
Some games use button 4 for fire.
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Yeah i wasn't saying have less than 4 buttons as the snes controller has 4 anyway, just wanted to know if button 4 was best for auto fire ?
I'll check which button (or buttons) my VecAdapt allows you to set autofire on as I can't remember
There's a toggle switch for it but I haven't used it for a while.
Jim @myPinballs just done a bit of testing with mine and in Minestorm, button 4 is shoot. With autofire off you have to press the button each time for a single shot but with it enabled you can hold down button 4 and it will fire as fast as the game can manage. It's not a true autofire in that you still have to press button 4 to shoot but it does shoot a lot quicker than the standard controller can keep up with. I think it affects all 4 buttons when enabled as the thrust seems way faster than normal too (hard to tell if it makes any difference to warp)
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Thanks, great infoJim @myPinballs just done a bit of testing with mine and in Minestorm, button 4 is shoot. With autofire off you have to press the button each time for a single shot but with it enabled you can hold down button 4 and it will fire as fast as the game can manage. It's not a true autofire in that you still have to press button 4 to shoot but it does shoot a lot quicker than the standard controller can keep up with. I think it affects all 4 buttons when enabled as the thrust seems way faster than normal too (hard to tell if it makes any difference to warp)
So, lets see what these are like!! Created today
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Made a cartridge pcb that should allow multicart roms and all other sizes via dip switches power led as well
power led as well
Awesome Jim!Made a cartridge pcb that should allow multicart roms and all other sizes via dip switches
View attachment 135956
Anyone got the image for the multicart Rom at all??
EDIT : This looks interesting... http://www.vectrex.hackermesh.org/index.php/en/mvbd-mvmc-3/introduction-mvbd-mvmc
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Yep that is cool. The one I’ve designed takes upto a 27c512 rom currently which gives 16 4K games or 8 8k games or 2 32k games etc. it’s got flexibility not to limit the multi rom to a specific game size
probably expand it to use a 27c080 rom eventually for more storage but organising into smaller sets might be better, don’t know yet. Sometimes a massive single list gets confusing
Will make them available if anyone wants one plus maybe we should come up with a master list of cool games. Some of the lists just seem like everything possible and every variation! Should be a fairly cheap little card to make.
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Update on the SNES vectrex controller project
