Today I’ve uploaded the latest version of my BINman software.
This version is v4.3.2 and has had some rewrites and a few extra features added.
First is the ability to deinterleave the bytes of a file into nibbles.
Second feature added can be found under the “Special” menu. It was added as a request from a user. This swaps the nibble values from one byte and the adjacent byte then deinterleaves that file. For example an original file of: “12 34 AB CD” will output two files, one containing “13 AC”, the other “24 BD”.
Its not something I’ve ever had the need for but obviously someone wanted it so here it is.
As usual it can be found in the “Downloads/PC Software” section.
GeneralComments Off on Jaleco ‘JK-03’ reproduction successfully tested
Dec312018
Some time ago I made a reproduction of the Jaleco ‘JK-03’ custom SIL used for inputs handling on some Mega System 1 PCBs but at that time I was not able to test it due to the lack of a proper PCB hence I asked for some volunteers.You can read the post here:
Today I can report the reproduction is fully working thanks to the test carried out from the user ‘Astro X’ of AP forums on his Saint Dragon PCB with missing ‘JK-03’ (actually an hack was installed as workaround) :
I received for repair a quite rare original Spelunker PCB (on Irem M62 hardware).Board is a three stack one made of a top board (which carries most of sound hardware) :
SOUND board
A middle CPU board (specific for each M62 game) :
CPU board
And a bottom VIDEO board :
VIDEO board
The PCB had severe GFX faults, the sprites were only lines vertically stretched all over the screen:
All the sprites circuit lies on bottom VIDEO board which is the same for all games that run on M62 hardware.Looking at Kung-Fu Master schematics I could figure out that data bits from sprite ROMs are fed into the custom marked ‘KNA6034201’ :
Custom ‘KNA6034201’ in DIP40 packageCustom ‘KNA6034201’ schematics
The inputs were all active but most of outputs floating:
So the custom was most likely internally faulty.Luckily I have done a reproduction of this component some time ago.You can think of it like a 24-bit parallel to serial shift register:
I removed the custom and installed the reproduction:
‘KNA6034201’ repro
The sprites were back but not perfectly as they were lacking of lines and misplaced too:
Sprites not yet perfect…
The sprite line buffer consists in two 2k x 8-bit static RAMs (Toshiba TMM2018 used here) :
Sprite line buffer
Probing them revealed on both a floating address line (pin 1, A7) :
Address lines are generated by the surface mounted custom ‘KNA6074601’ :
Custom ‘KNA6074601’
Its pinout/implementation from Kung-Fu Master schematics :
I had no other choice than replacing this part so I asked the owner to look for a donor board.He found and sent me a Vigilante PCB which carried the ‘KNA6074601’ on bottom board :
Vigilante donor board
I removed the faulty one and soldered the spare back :
Got from Portugal this Out Zone PCB, actually a low-budget korean version :
At visual inspection the board lacked of two 6116 SRAMs (but sockets were installed)
After fitting them I powered the board up and I got the usual black/white wavy striped screen but no boot into game, 68000 main CPU got stalled right after :
Multiple could be the reasons, in particular this Toplan hardware requires the sound circuit to be running otherwise the whole system can’t be initialized.A Z80A rules the sound system :
Z80A audio CPU
When I did piggybacking on it I got a ‘SUB CPU ERROR’ message on screen :
Once removed the IC I had confirm that it was really bad.With a good Z80 the board successfully booted into game but sprites were all blocky (it seems this is a common issue of this hardware…)
Sprites data are stored in four 1Mbit 28 pin MASK ROMs :
Sprite MASK ROMs
Devices were soldered in on my board and not socketed like usual so I was forced to remove all of them for dumping.Two of them gave different CRCs at each reading :
Specifically the ones marked ‘ROM1’ @1B and ‘ROM4’ @1L :
Faulty 1Mbit 28 pin MASK ROMs
I replaced them with two 32 pin 1Mbit non-JEDEC EPROM devices.All seemed fine but while playing the game I noticed some sprites (like explosions) had lines through :
Looking at hardware I figured out that the sprite line buffer is made of four 6116 (2k x 8-bit) static RAMs:
Probing them with a scope revealed some dead outputs of the one @12L :
On the right no activity on some data lines of 6116 SRAM @12L Good signals on the left for comparison
The chip failed the out-of-circuit testing:
Installing a good RAM chip finished the job.Repair accomplished.
