39 replies to this topic

[5-11under]

A post from boxpressed expounding on the virtues of contact cleaner:

http://www.atariage....__fromsearch__1

Even if it's not your final or best solution, it's a great place to start.

[coleconut]

How should I approach a keypad that returns the wrong value? I have several but for instance 1 controller that works perfectly except pressing the 0 returns 6.
Looking at the schematic, and I dont read them well, and I'm not up on the vernacular, but it looks to some degree logical to me that the 6 closes one specific circuit and the 0 closes the same circuit plus another one so this 2nd circuit is not closing. Ok great, then what should my approach be? The resistor, traces? Nothing seems obvious by just eyeballing it.
Any help appreciated.

[coleconut]

Any tips on re-inserting the ribbon cable on a controller? I've done it several times and each time it took me eons of time and a lot of frustration. Any tips?

[adamcon]

coleconut, on Fri Nov 25, 2011 11:11 PM, said:

Any tips on re-inserting the ribbon cable on a controller? I've done it several times and each time it took me eons of time and a lot of frustration. Any tips?

VERY VERY carefully using 2 hands, slide the cable into the slot. I have used a needle nose pliers to push in also.

[adamcon]

coleconut, on Fri Nov 25, 2011 11:07 PM, said:

How should I approach a keypad that returns the wrong value? I have several but for instance 1 controller that works perfectly except pressing the 0 returns 6.
Looking at the schematic, and I dont read them well, and I'm not up on the vernacular, but it looks to some degree logical to me that the 6 closes one specific circuit and the 0 closes the same circuit plus another one so this 2nd circuit is not closing. Ok great, then what should my approach be? The resistor, traces? Nothing seems obvious by just eyeballing it.
Any help appreciated.

Aw David !!!! SHAME !!! Appears you have a controller with slip on wires to the control board.. They are notoriously brittle and break easily. Take more controller apart in order to match it to this controller; this will probably show a couple of wires switched or just plain off. Get it working and either solder the wire onto the correct position or carefully crimp the end down a little, not much or it will break and you WILL have to solder the clip onto the trace.

[coleconut]

adamcon, on Sat Nov 26, 2011 6:36 PM, said:

coleconut, on Fri Nov 25, 2011 11:07 PM, said:

How should I approach a keypad that returns the wrong value? I have several but for instance 1 controller that works perfectly except pressing the 0 returns 6.
Looking at the schematic, and I dont read them well, and I'm not up on the vernacular, but it looks to some degree logical to me that the 6 closes one specific circuit and the 0 closes the same circuit plus another one so this 2nd circuit is not closing. Ok great, then what should my approach be? The resistor, traces? Nothing seems obvious by just eyeballing it.
Any help appreciated.

Aw David !!!! SHAME !!! Appears you have a controller with slip on wires to the control board.. They are notoriously brittle and break easily. Take more controller apart in order to match it to this controller; this will probably show a couple of wires switched or just plain off. Get it working and either solder the wire onto the correct position or carefully crimp the end down a little, not much or it will break and you WILL have to solder the clip onto the trace.

No this is a controller with soldered wires no clips. And if the red wire was not making a cicruit, then I would assume #, 4, 8, 5, and 9 which also use the red wire wouldnt work, but they do. The only glitch on the entire keypad is 0 returns 6.

[adamcon]

coleconut, on Sat Nov 26, 2011 6:53 PM, said:

adamcon, on Sat Nov 26, 2011 6:36 PM, said:

coleconut, on Fri Nov 25, 2011 11:07 PM, said:

How should I approach a keypad that returns the wrong value? I have several but for instance 1 controller that works perfectly except pressing the 0 returns 6.
Looking at the schematic, and I dont read them well, and I'm not up on the vernacular, but it looks to some degree logical to me that the 6 closes one specific circuit and the 0 closes the same circuit plus another one so this 2nd circuit is not closing. Ok great, then what should my approach be? The resistor, traces? Nothing seems obvious by just eyeballing it.
Any help appreciated.

Aw David !!!! SHAME !!! Appears you have a controller with slip on wires to the control board.. They are notoriously brittle and break easily. Take more controller apart in order to match it to this controller; this will probably show a couple of wires switched or just plain off. Get it working and either solder the wire onto the correct position or carefully crimp the end down a little, not much or it will break and you WILL have to solder the clip onto the trace.

No this is a controller with soldered wires no clips. And if the red wire was not making a cicruit, then I would assume #, 4, 8, 5, and 9 which also use the red wire wouldnt work, but they do. The only glitch on the entire keypad is 0 returns 6.

DUDE, that is a wierd one. Just possibly you must use that controller without using the 0 key. It has to be a miswire, jumper crossing over another trace, or just a minor elec glitch somewhere. As long as it works, you may just not be able to pause a game or two

[coleconut]

adamcon, on Sun Nov 27, 2011 6:40 PM, said:

DUDE, that is a wierd one. Just possibly you must use that controller without using the 0 key. It has to be a miswire, jumper crossing over another trace, or just a minor elec glitch somewhere. As long as it works, you may just not be able to pause a game or two

I suppose I will try to reflow some solder joints that I have narrowed down as being possible offendors. This is just an example of one controller with one issue. I actually have several others where pressing one or more keypad button returns the wrong value, I might learn something to pass on to the gang.....or destroy them

[evg2000]

Do any of the controllers work? Is it possible the system itself and not the controllers?

[Mark_Coleco]

If you narrowed it down to not being the CV controller IC's, meaning you have working controllers that actual work properly, you may want to give this a read:
http://www.theadamre... Controller.htm

[channelmaniac]

I'll be updating the instructions and kits I have on my site for the Dual BIOS mod... There are issues with some brands of EPROMs if you tie an address line directly to ground where they are sourcing the current to float the line high and the chips will get finger blistering hot then fail. The power and ground lines should connect each with a 220 to 330 ohm resistor.

Upper most address line
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Switch ------------- 330ohm------- ground
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330ohm
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+5v

Edited by channelmaniac, Mon Nov 28, 2011 12:19 AM.

[coleconut]

Mark_Coleco, on Sun Nov 27, 2011 11:22 PM, said:

If you narrowed it down to not being the CV controller IC's, meaning you have working controllers that actual work properly, you may want to give this a read:
http://www.theadamre...0Controller.htm

Ok I was calling them resistors but looks like they are diodes. One blown diode on the board would result in the behavior I am seeing (or a solder joint needing reflowing). Thanks for this link.

[coleconut]

evg2000, on Sun Nov 27, 2011 11:20 PM, said:

Do any of the controllers work? Is it possible the system itself and not the controllers?

I have a whack of controllers. In testing them, some work flawlessly, some need just a cleaning, and others the keypad is not 100%. My question is to do with the latter. I use a joystick test utility on my ADAM to test these things. Looks like it is either a bad solder joint or one blown diode in the matrix as per another message link to a doc on the subject. I think I will try scavenging from another controller in worse shape to see if that helps.

[5-11under]

Just noticing there was no mention of adding a pause switch to a ColecoVision. Minimal instructions here. Also includes an untested way to disable the Atari expansion module even if it's plugged in:

http://www.atariage....-module-switch/

Edited by 5-11under, Mon Nov 28, 2011 2:20 PM.

[adamcon]

coleconut, on Mon Nov 28, 2011 12:15 PM, said:

evg2000, on Sun Nov 27, 2011 11:20 PM, said:

Do any of the controllers work? Is it possible the system itself and not the controllers?

I have a whack of controllers. In testing them, some work flawlessly, some need just a cleaning, and others the keypad is not 100%. My question is to do with the latter. I use a joystick test utility on my ADAM to test these things. Looks like it is either a bad solder joint or one blown diode in the matrix as per another message link to a doc on the subject. I think I will try scavenging from another controller in worse shape to see if that helps.

David, found this site while perusing the net and it shows the controller specs and diagrams. MAYBE this will help ya!! http://www.colecovis...k/technical.htm