Atari Asteroids Arcade PCB repair. Only (almost) PCB issues.

[@GadgetUK164]

Excellent work! Incredible this one still has all of its original chips!

[@javisub120.]

Muy buen trabajo! 👍👍

[@wegi9621]

Fantastic work!

[@marcopantanetti4053]

Very nice repair for a very nice game, thanks for sharing Frank!

[@HeyBirt]

I bet arcade boards really got beaten up back in the day being large and not typically having skilled technicians working on them. Very nice that this one had all original chips.

[@iz8dwf]

They added that wire to make it run despite the burnt pads, then it was probably retired and substituted with newer games. These cabinets would stay powered-on for many hours everyday.

[@Shmbler]

Learned how to repair edge connector traces today. This will come in handy one day 🙂

[@AlessioCosenza]

I know that board!! Awesome work!!!

[@iz8dwf]

E ci credo :D

[@petesapwell]

Lovely job Frank, I’ve encountered this problem with Asteroids Deluxe, I wonder if they had a reason for not having a solder mask? I can think of a good one.

[@iz8dwf]

The reason is probably that no soldermask means a cheaper PCB. I'm working right now on some italian clones of Cinematronics' games, no soldermask on both sides... A nightmare sometimes.

[@douro20]

Can't get wooden clothespins?

[@iz8dwf]

we have wooden ones too, but I prefer to leave them for clothes :)

[@notgeekenough5670]

Awesome work! how is that you re able to test it with the osciloscope (when the game is displayed), do you use de probes and, do to it being vector genereted graphics, it runs as its just the signal input or it have the option? Thank you so much! some day i ll make my own vector monitor!

[@iz8dwf]

Thank you! Yes, "vector" game means it has X,Y and Z outputs. X and Y have a voltage proportional to position so if I use two probes on X and Y outputs and switch the oscilloscope to X/Y mode, the trace will show the game's output position. However, without the Z signal the trace will be illuminated even when the position is "traveling" between different objects.

[@douro20]

I'd like to see a kit for Computer Space. The nice thing about that game is that every logic chip used is still being made. I would probably do the diode ROM using surface mount diodes.

[@iz8dwf]

Well, I'm way too young to have seen any real "Computer Space" game. And probably it was never imported to Italy anyway. Yes, it would be a nice thing to replicate!

[@petesapwell]

The Pokey sadly is no longer made, although there are FPGA ones in the pipeline.

[@douro20]

​@@petesapwellI was talking about Computer Space which was made long before such chips were made. The entire thing is made up of 7400-series logic chips, and the ROMs for the on-screen characters are made up of discrete silicon diodes.

[@iz8dwf]

@@petesapwell Luckily Asteroids needs no Pokey :) They used one on Missile Command though.

[@tomaskozeluh2211]

Hello dear friends here, please is some way to buy asteroids or star castle pcb other than ebay. On ebay there are only offers from the US and no one from EU. I am from Czech republic EU.

[@iz8dwf]

Hello, I'm sorry but I don't know any other place other than swaps with other collectors. I stopped buying boards myself because of too high prices on ebay since a few years.

[@tomaskozeluh2211]

@@iz8dwf Thank you for your reply, I appreciate it. These vector arcades are such an incredibly rare item.