Super Nintendo. Frozen Title Screen
Ok everybody I'm testing the forum, let's see what we got here. If it's just plain broke, no harm done I picked up two SNES replacement consoles untested for $35 bones, no big loss.
So the console in question is cosmetically very nice, no yellowing, corners are nice, yada yada. I hook it up, original AC adapter and I'm rolling with the RF switch as I don't currently own any A/V cords. Time to test it out. Pop in Sim city (cause that title screen is sweet right and bam "Sim City" shows up. So I'm thinking SCORE!.....uh oh, don't count your chickens before they hatch, SMH. Damn... Nothing after that no "Sim City" lifting gracefully followed by sweet sounds, no rolling city skyline, NOTHING. Just "Sim City" on the screen with a black background. Try a reset, ok maybe she just needs a lil reboot. Nope, froze on the title screen again. Damn, power off power on maybe? Nope, froze again. So ok ok let me make sure my carts not acting up. INTRODUCING the tried and true SNES console that works like a champ. Pop in Sim City and sure as I knew it would beautiful music with a rolling skyline. Cartridge is fine. No need to check controller ports as you don't have to press start or any other button for that matter to get that sweet title screen to play.
So help me out anybody and everybody who might have a clue. Cartridge is fine, power supply and RF work fine. Im thinking maybe it's a pin connector issue but (forgive me if my lingo is wrong) it seems more like a "loading" problem? Like the SNES doesn't want to boot the game up. I dunno. If you guys can help me I sure would be great-full. BTW tried another cart and same thing won't load past the very first title screen that appears. No music either.
Thank you for your time.
-skinny
So the console in question is cosmetically very nice, no yellowing, corners are nice, yada yada. I hook it up, original AC adapter and I'm rolling with the RF switch as I don't currently own any A/V cords. Time to test it out. Pop in Sim city (cause that title screen is sweet right and bam "Sim City" shows up. So I'm thinking SCORE!.....uh oh, don't count your chickens before they hatch, SMH. Damn... Nothing after that no "Sim City" lifting gracefully followed by sweet sounds, no rolling city skyline, NOTHING. Just "Sim City" on the screen with a black background. Try a reset, ok maybe she just needs a lil reboot. Nope, froze on the title screen again. Damn, power off power on maybe? Nope, froze again. So ok ok let me make sure my carts not acting up. INTRODUCING the tried and true SNES console that works like a champ. Pop in Sim City and sure as I knew it would beautiful music with a rolling skyline. Cartridge is fine. No need to check controller ports as you don't have to press start or any other button for that matter to get that sweet title screen to play.
So help me out anybody and everybody who might have a clue. Cartridge is fine, power supply and RF work fine. Im thinking maybe it's a pin connector issue but (forgive me if my lingo is wrong) it seems more like a "loading" problem? Like the SNES doesn't want to boot the game up. I dunno. If you guys can help me I sure would be great-full. BTW tried another cart and same thing won't load past the very first title screen that appears. No music either.
Thank you for your time.
-skinny
Comments
-skinny
To clean the console's card-edge connector's pins, you could start by soaking a soft cloth with isopropyl alcohol, wrapping one layer of it around a credit card, and inserting and removing it from the connector several times. Again, isopropyl alcohol is only marginally effective as a contact cleaner, but it is a good start.
An even better cleaning method is to take the console apart and scrub the card-edge connector's contacts with a toothbrush dipped in isopropyl alcohol. You do need the proper security bit to take the console apart though.
For something more effective than isopropyl alcohol, get some actual contact cleaner, such as DeoxIT or oxalic acid. The only problem with using oxalic acid (or cleaning products that contain oxalic acid as its active ingredient, such as Bar Keepers Friend or Brasso) is that you need to rinse off the residue (on the other hand, isopropyl alcohol and contact cleaners such as DeoxIT don't need to be rinsed off), and this is a problem with an SNES because its card-edge connector is soldered to the motherboard if I remember right, so rinsing it off without getting the motherboard wet can be tricky. Getting the motherboard wet isn't the end of the world, but you would need to make sure it is thoroughly dry before powering it on, as water is an electrical conductor and can cause random short circuits if powered on while wet. When you hear about electronic devices being ruined by getting wet, it is because they were powered on when they got wet, or powered on before being completely dry. Water in and of itself doesn't damage electronics as a rule; in fact, there are plenty of arcade operators that clean their arcade gameboards and monitor chassis in the dishwasher.
If a thorough/proper cleaning of the contacts doesn't solve the issue, then you have a failed component, probably on the motherboard, though unless you've confirmed that your power supply is working properly in another SNES, it could be causing the problem as well. Incorrect voltages can cause all manner of issues with computer hardware. With a console there is more to getting the proper voltages than just having a properly working external power supply though, because unlike with arcade machines, a console's external power supply doesn't feed the motherboard the voltages it needs directly; it just gives it e.g. +9 volts AC or DC and then internal components transform that into the lower voltages that the chips call for, such as +5 VDC.
Pinpointing a failed component isn't usually an easy thing to do, and there is no standard approach or easy way to explain how to do it. It generally requires testing equipment (such as a logic probe and/or oscilloscope, and of course a general purpose multimeter), and schematics are helpful too, so you can know how the circuitry/logic is supposed to function. A couple of methods can be tried which don't require any special knowledge. One is to feel the chips while the console/cartridge is powered on, looking for ones that are unusually hot (some of them will be warm, which is normal). Another method is to piggyback spare known-good chips of the same type onto various chips on the motherboard. The idea being: when you piggyback a working chip onto a non-working chip, it creates a parallel path to the working chip, which will make the game function properly, or at least alter its faulty behavior. Then you know you need to replace that particular chip. RAM chips and TTL logic chips are the most common culprits in cases of freezing, resetting, and graphical and audio glitches/corruption (most common after "dirty" contacts and improper voltages, that is).
The first thing to try whenever you have issues with any cartridge-based console is to clean the cartridge contacts and the console's card-edge connector contacts. It sounds like your cartridge's contacts are clean enough, as the cartridge works fine in a different SNES, but it still wouldn't hurt to clean them with e.g. a Q-tip dipped in isopropyl alchol (not the most effective method of cleaning, but it is a good start).
To clean the console's card-edge connector's pins, you could start by soaking a soft cloth with isopropyl alcohol, wrapping one layer of it around a credit card, and inserting and removing it from the connector several times. Again, isopropyl alcohol is only marginally effective as a contact cleaner, but it is a good start.
An even better cleaning method is to take the console apart and scrub the card-edge connector's contacts with a toothbrush dipped in isopropyl alcohol. You do need the proper security bit to take the console apart though.
For something more effective than isopropyl alcohol, get some actual contact cleaner, such as DeoxIT or oxalic acid. The only problem with using oxalic acid (or cleaning products that contain oxalic acid as its active ingredient, such as Bar Keepers Friend or Brasso) is that you need to rinse off the residue (on the other hand, isopropyl alcohol and contact cleaners such as DeoxIT don't need to be rinsed off), and this is a problem with an SNES because its card-edge connector is soldered to the motherboard if I remember right, so rinsing it off without getting the motherboard wet can be tricky. Getting the motherboard wet isn't the end of the world, but you would need to make sure it is thoroughly dry before powering it on, as water is an electrical conductor and can cause random short circuits if powered on while wet. When you hear about electronic devices being ruined by getting wet, it is because they were powered on when they got wet, or powered on before being completely dry. Water in and of itself doesn't damage electronics as a rule; in fact, there are plenty of arcade operators that clean their arcade gameboards and monitor chassis in the dishwasher.
If a thorough/proper cleaning of the contacts doesn't solve the issue, then you have a failed component, probably on the motherboard, though unless you've confirmed that your power supply is working properly in another SNES, it could be causing the problem as well. Incorrect voltages can cause all manner of issues with computer hardware. With a console there is more to getting the proper voltages than just having a properly working external power supply though, because unlike with arcade machines, a console's external power supply doesn't feed the motherboard the voltages it needs directly; it just gives it e.g. +9 volts AC or DC and then internal components transform that into the lower voltages that the chips call for, such as +5 VDC.
Pinpointing a failed component isn't usually an easy thing to do, and there is no standard approach or easy way to explain how to do it. It generally requires testing equipment (such as a logic probe and/or oscilloscope, and of course a general purpose multimeter), and schematics are helpful too, so you can know how the circuitry/logic is supposed to function. A couple of methods can be tried which don't require any special knowledge. One is to feel the chips while the console/cartridge is powered on, looking for ones that are unusually hot (some of them will be warm, which is normal). Another method is to piggyback spare known-good chips of the same type onto various chips on the motherboard. The idea being: when you piggyback a working chip onto a non-working chip, it creates a parallel path to the working chip, which will make the game function properly, or at least alter its faulty behavior. Then you know you need to replace that particular chip. RAM chips and TTL logic chips are the most common culprits in cases of freezing, resetting, and graphical and audio glitches/corruption (most common after "dirty" contacts and improper voltages, that is).
Wow thanks for the detailed advice. The cartridge contacts have been cleaned thoroughly with the q-tip alcohol method. I have the security bit and have opened both the cartridge and the console. The freezing console is actually completely apart. I know hold a bare motherboard. I was able to remove the pin connector and clean it and the part soldered to the motherboard. I swapped all parts that didn't require de-soldering ( sound box, pin connector and control ports ) with the good console and it would still freeze at the title screen. The only thing left is the actual mother board. I want to believe that replacing a chip like you said would fix it. But that seems pretty advanced, for me anyway. I'm not afraid of the solder work I've done some before but I just wouldn't even know where to start, what chip to replace exedra. Also the power supply is the original AC adapter but as I only have one working SNES I can't test it on another working SNES. I could replace the whole mother board for $35 witch isn't do bad but I feel like its a less than $5 part holding it back. Thanks for your time.
Originally posted by: skinnygrinny
I could replace the whole mother board for $35 witch isn't do bad but I feel like its a less than $5 part holding it back. Thanks for your time.
Maybe even less than that. If is a bad RAM or logic chip causing the problem, those are often ~$1 parts.
Also, the SNES motherboard is newer than the classic arcade motherboards that I usually work on here at home, and as such, all the chips on it are surface-mount rather than through-hole. This is like the PCBs we made in the PCB factory I worked at. Surface-mount ICs are much trickier to replace than through-hole ICs are, and they are also trickier to do the piggyback thing with.
At the factory we had an assortment of square and rectangular IC-removal tips in various sizes for our Metcal soldering irons, which would heat all the legs on the surface-mount IC simultaneously, allowing you to then slide it off the board. Our regular soldering tips had a fine point, which is good for soldering the new surface-mount chip in place.
I don't even know how readily-available those SNES motherboard chips are; I know that at least some of them were custom designed and manufactured for Nintendo, and the only place to find replacements is to swipe them from another SNES motherboard.
Also, it sounds like you've used the same power supply with your working SNES, so that rules it out as being the problem (no need to find another working SNES to test it on). I mentioned the power supply because I thought you may have had a separate one for each SNES, and perhaps hadn't tried swapping them around.
Originally posted by: skinnygrinny
I could replace the whole mother board for $35 witch isn't do bad but I feel like its a less than $5 part holding it back. Thanks for your time.
Maybe even less than that. If is a bad RAM or logic chip causing the problem, those are often ~$1 parts.
Also, the SNES motherboard is newer than the classic arcade motherboards that I usually work on here at home, and as such, all the chips on it are surface-mount rather than through-hole. This is like the PCBs we made in the PCB factory I worked at. Surface-mount ICs are much trickier to replace than through-hole ICs are, and they are also trickier to do the piggyback thing with.
At the factory we had an assortment of square and rectangular IC-removal tips in various sizes for our Metcal soldering irons, which would heat all the legs on the surface-mount IC simultaneously, allowing you to then slide it off the board. Our regular soldering tips had a fine point, which is good for soldering the new surface-mount chip in place.
I don't even know how readily-available those SNES motherboard chips are; I know that at least some of them were custom designed and manufactured for Nintendo, and the only place to find replacements is to swipe them from another SNES motherboard.
Also, it sounds like you've used the same power supply with your working SNES, so that rules it out as being the problem (no need to find another working SNES to test it on). I mentioned the power supply because I thought you may have had a separate one for each SNES, and perhaps hadn't tried swapping them around.
Thanks for all your help. I really appreciate your time. Your right about those chips as well. I just don't have the tools necessary to remove them, at least at my skill level, I feel I would end up burning the mother board. Damn you know it's probably a fairly easy fix with the right tools and parts. I mean the console is powering on and the game boots up it just doesn't want to load past that point. Tis a shame as I now have three SNES that do the same thing, seems like a popular problem. If the chips are difficult to find other than via another motherboard I might as well buy a working motherboard as it wouldn't make much scence to purchase another faulty one.
One thing that seems odd is, like I said before, if I remove the "SVHC-SOUND" box from the working SNES it acts exactly the same. Freezes at the title screen. I've tried swapping that part but it doesn't fix the problem on the faulty SNES and the working SNES will work with any of the "SVHC-SOUND" box from the faulty consoles.
Thanks for your time.
At worst, you can find a working SNES with a badly yellowed case and perform a swap.
For sure
http://www.nintendoage.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=8&threadid=50159
Originally posted by: skinnygrinny
One thing that seems odd is, like I said before, if I remove the "SVHC-SOUND" box from the working SNES it acts exactly the same. Freezes at the title screen. I've tried swapping that part but it doesn't fix the problem on the faulty SNES and the working SNES will work with any of the "SVHC-SOUND" box from the faulty consoles.
That's interesting. In this picture - http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5f/SNES-CPU-RGB01_01.jpg - are you referring to the metal box in the lower left-hand corner which is labeled ...
M E210315 SHVC-LC
742T-A
...?
If so, based on the results of your swapping tests, the box itself isn't bad, but its connection with the motherboard could be bad. That is the RF output box, and it is soldered to the motherboard if I remember right, and it's screwed down. How did you remove it to swap it around? Did you desolder it?
If that box is the problem (or its connection to your motherboard is the problem), then you should get a set of A/V cables for the multiport output and see if that makes a difference. You can still get the official ones from Nintendo's online store, though they are kind of expensive ($15.95).
You can get aftermarket ones for just a couple/few dollars.
Also, you could try reflowing that box's solder joints (4 of them lined up in a row if I remember right; they are just through-hole solder joints).
Originally posted by: skinnygrinny
One thing that seems odd is, like I said before, if I remove the "SVHC-SOUND" box from the working SNES it acts exactly the same. Freezes at the title screen. I've tried swapping that part but it doesn't fix the problem on the faulty SNES and the working SNES will work with any of the "SVHC-SOUND" box from the faulty consoles.
That's interesting. In this picture - http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5f/SNES... - are you referring to the metal box in the lower left-hand corner which is labeled ...
M E210315 SHVC-LC
742T-A
...?
If so, based on the results of your swapping tests, the box itself isn't bad, but its connection with the motherboard could be bad. That is the RF output box, and it is soldered to the motherboard if I remember right, and it's screwed down. How did you remove it to swap it around? Did you desolder it?
If that box is the problem (or its connection to your motherboard is the problem), then you should get a set of A/V cables for the multiport output and see if that makes a difference. You can still get the official ones from Nintendo's online store, though they are kind of expensive ($15.95).
You can get aftermarket ones for just a couple/few dollars.
Also, you could try reflowing that box's solder joints (4 of them lined up in a row if I remember right; they are just through-hole solder joints).
Check this out
That's the part I was referring to. If I remove that box from the working SNES it will act the same way. Freeze at the title screen. That is simply a plug in part. I think your theory of a bad connection between the part and the mother board is the problem not that the mother board and/or the part is bad, as I have used that part from the freezing console on the working one and it had no affect on the working console. It still worked.
That's what the mother board looks like without the "SHVC-SOUND" box. I did not de solder anything. There is a plug through pinned on the mother board, as you can see, that that "SHVC-SOUND" box plugs into. Maybe this plug is bad?
That board is toasted, buy a new SNES. I wouldn't waste my time, even if you find the problem, it will have more later on from all the calcium and crap on it.
Does this motherboard look "toasted"?
Guess what it does (drum roll) ..... Freezes at the title screen. If I wanted to buy a new console I would but I'm trying to solve what seems like a fairly simple fix. Although I don't have a whole lot of expertise in this field I have worked on engines and been around mechanics aka technicians my whole life. I have a bit of problem solving skills albiet mostly part swapping I have diagnosed and fixed a few things before.
If that box is giving you issues on other SNES consoles that work just fine, that's your issue then Something inside of that box isn't functioning properly. That's my guess, and I'm sticking to it! haha
Sorry the any of the "boxes" work on the working SNES.
I say clean it, the game, do it again if you already did, and maybe even run a test (PowerPak Samba, The Lion King) and see if the PPU HDMA bug could be causing it, that may be all that is wrong. And it can't easily be fixed. But I don't believe Sim City has a HDMA bug, that game should be about the same time as PPU2's came out.
Sorry I don't know what the ppu hdma bug is. My bad. As far as the cart goes (this isn't my first rodeo) it's clean. Works fine. I have tested other carts as well, they do the same thing.
Originally posted by: skinnygrinny
Check this out
That's the part I was referring to. If I remove that box from the working SNES it will act the same way. Freeze at the title screen. That is simply a plug in part. I think your theory of a bad connection between the part and the mother board is the problem not that the mother board and/or the part is bad, as I have used that part from the freezing console on the working one and it had no affect on the working console. It still worked.
That's what the mother board looks like without the "SHVC-SOUND" box. I did not de solder anything. There is a plug through pinned on the mother board, as you can see, that that "SHVC-SOUND" box plugs into. Maybe this plug is bad?
Yes, the results of the swapping tests you've done suggests that the box itself is fine, but there may be a bad connection between it and the motherboard. I would start by reflowing the motherboard plug's solder joints.
Also, I have no idea what that "SHVC-SOUND" box is even for; my SNES doesn't have it at all, nor does it have the plug for it on the motherboard. There are quite a few other board layout differences between yours and mine too. That's why I assumed you were talking about the RF output box. Mine looks like the one in the Wikipedia link I posted in my previous post. My SNES is the original U.S. version like this - https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/31/SNES-Mod1-Console-Set.jpg/1024px-SNES-Mod1-Console-Set.jpg. What version is yours?
ETA: I did a search and here's a thread about the two different motherboard revisions of the SNES - http://atariage.com/forums/topic/166714-very-interesting-find-while-modding-snes-consoles/. They both look the same from the outside.
Originally posted by: skinnygrinny
Check this out
That's the part I was referring to. If I remove that box from the working SNES it will act the same way. Freeze at the title screen. That is simply a plug in part. I think your theory of a bad connection between the part and the mother board is the problem not that the mother board and/or the part is bad, as I have used that part from the freezing console on the working one and it had no affect on the working console. It still worked.
That's what the mother board looks like without the "SHVC-SOUND" box. I did not de solder anything. There is a plug through pinned on the mother board, as you can see, that that "SHVC-SOUND" box plugs into. Maybe this plug is bad?
Yes, the results of the swapping tests you've done suggests that the box itself is fine, but there may be a bad connection between it and the motherboard. I would start by reflowing the motherboard plug's solder joints.
Also, I have no idea what that "SHVC-SOUND" box is even for; my SNES doesn't have it at all, nor does it have the plug for it on the motherboard. There are quite a few other board layout differences between yours and mine too. That's why I assumed you were talking about the RF output box. Mine looks like the one in the Wikipedia link I posted in my previous post. My SNES is the original U.S. version like this - https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/.... What version is yours?
ETA: I did a search and here's a thread about the two different motherboard revisions of the SNES - http://atariage.com/forums/topic/166714-very-interestin.... They both look the same from the outside.
lol I read that same thread before starting this one. Yours is actually the later version, I believe the board I have is the "original" I may be wrong. Still it doesn't solve this problem. I think maybe the plug that is soldered to the board for this "SHVC-SOUND" box may be going bad, but that other mother board I have looks almost brand new and it also freezes at the title screen. My diagnosis my be a complete goose chase and the fact that "unplugging" that "SHVC-SOUND" box is a misguiding lead. I dunno man. I could try A/V cables like you said, after that try reflowing that plug but it looks really clean on the one motherboard.
Originally posted by: skinnygrinny
lol I read that same thread before starting this one. Yours is actually the later version, I believe the board I have is the "original" I may be wrong. Still it doesn't solve this problem. I think maybe the plug that is soldered to the board for this "SHVC-SOUND" box may be going bad, but that other mother board I have looks almost brand new and it also freezes at the title screen. My diagnosis my be a complete goose chase and the fact that "unplugging" that "SHVC-SOUND" box is a misguiding lead. I dunno man. I could try A/V cables like you said, after that try reflowing that plug but it looks really clean on the one motherboard.
Yes, your board is the original version. I just looked at a spare SNES that I have (beat up and yellowed; it works fine but I don't use it), and it is the original version like yours. I've never even had that one apart; I got it for free and I stuck it in a box years ago to keep as a spare.
If unplugging the SHVC-SOUND box from your working SNES exactly replicates the problem with your non-working SNES, then that's a fairly strong lead. It isn't 100% conclusive obviously, because it is entirely possible that there are multiple things that could go wrong with an SNES and result in that exact same issue.
Here is my understanding of what's going on so far; correct me if I'm wrong:
1. You have at least 2 SNESs, one of which works while the other one freezes at the title screen.
2. Swapping the sound box from the working SNES to the freezing SNES doesn't fix, nor even affect, the problem.
3. When the working SNES is powered on without its sound box installed, it does exactly the same thing as the freezing SNES.
4. When the sound box from the freezing SNES is swapped into the working SNES, the working SNES continues to work fine.
If that's an accurate summary of what's going on, then we know that the freezing SNES's sound box is fine, because it works when tested in the working SNES. We also know that not having a sound box installed is at least one possible cause of this sort of freezing issue, so it follows that not having a proper connection between the sound box and the motherboard is also a possible cause of the freezing issue. So the first thing to suspect is the sound box's plug on the motherboard. It could of course be something else, perhaps further down the line in the audio circuitry.
One way to test the sound box's plug on the motherboard is to use your multimeter and test for continuity between each pin on top of the motherboard and its corresponding solder joint on the underside of the motherboard. If you get good continuity between all of those pins and their solder joints, then start testing for continuity a little further down the line. For example, place one probe on one of the plug's pins, then on the underside of the motherboard find the pin's corresponding solder joint and follow its trace to the nearest pad it's connected to, and place your other probe on that pad. Continue doing this until you determine whether or not all of the plug's pins have good continuity with their solder joints and with the nearest pads that each one should be connected to.
If unplugging the SHVC-SOUND box from your working SNES exactly replicates the problem with your non-working SNES, then that's a fairly strong lead. It isn't 100% conclusive obviously, because it is entirely possible that there are multiple things that could go wrong with an SNES and result in that exact same issue.
Here is my understanding of what's going on so far; correct me if I'm wrong:
1. You have at least 2 SNESs, one of which works while the other one freezes at the title screen.
2. Swapping the sound box from the working SNES to the freezing SNES doesn't fix, nor even affect, the problem.
3. When the working SNES is powered on without its sound box installed, it does exactly the same thing as the freezing SNES.
4. When the sound box from the freezing SNES is swapped into the working SNES, the working SNES continues to work fine.
If that's an accurate summary of what's going on, then we know that the freezing SNES's sound box is fine, because it works when tested in the working SNES. We also know that not having a sound box installed is at least one possible cause of this sort of freezing issue, so it follows that not having a proper connection between the sound box and the motherboard is also a possible cause of the freezing issue. So the first thing to suspect is the sound box's plug on the motherboard. It could of course be something else, perhaps further down the line in the audio circuitry.
One way to test the sound box's plug on the motherboard is to use your multimeter and test for continuity between each pin on top of the motherboard and its corresponding solder joint on the underside of the motherboard. If you get good continuity between all of those pins and their solder joints, then start testing for continuity a little further down the line. For example, place one probe on one of the plug's pins, then on the underside of the motherboard find the pin's corresponding solder joint and follow its trace to the nearest pad it's connected to, and place your other probe on that pad. Continue doing this until you determine whether or not all of the plug's pins have good continuity with their solder joints and with the nearest pads that each one should b
Wow thanks for all your time and help. You are understanding the problem and diagnosis perfect. I'm going to try the multimeter when I get some time. Again thank you very much. Also this is both good and bad lol. I put the good looking motherboard back together and it works now!!! So I'm thinking maybe it just needed that "sound box" removed and re installed to restore a good connection? I dunno I'm going to try and post a video soon. Thanks again!
Originally posted by: skinnygrinny
I put the good looking motherboard back together and it works now!!! So I'm thinking maybe it just needed that "sound box" removed and re installed to restore a good connection? I dunno I'm going to try and post a video soon. Thanks again!
Yeah, that's not uncommon. It is the same reason that reseating socketed chips will sometimes fix a problem. Reseating socketed chips and plugs is always one of the first things to try when having issues with an electronic device. So many problems come down to bad connections.
Originally posted by: skinnygrinny
I put the good looking motherboard back together and it works now!!! So I'm thinking maybe it just needed that "sound box" removed and re installed to restore a good connection? I dunno I'm going to try and post a video soon. Thanks again!
Yeah, that's not uncommon. It is the same reason that reseating socketed chips will sometimes fix a problem. Reseating socketed chips and plugs is always one of the first things to try when having issues with an electronic device. So many problems come down to bad connections.
I just want everyone to know that both SNES work now. I took apart each SNES down to the motherboard. Only removing plug in parts and small hardware, I never used a solder gun for anything. I cleaned every remove able part and connection along with anything that looked as if it might need cleaned. Using a toothbrush and 91% alcohol. It worked the first time on the cleaner motherboard however I had to disassemble and reassemble the dirtier of the two motherboards before it would work. Almost like I had to disconnect and reconnect the parts a few times before a connection would be made between the two. Even then the dirtiest of the motherboards only works 75-80% of the time. It will still show a frozen black screen sometimes. After a few quick flicks of the reset button it always fires up.
Thank you everyone for your time and help with this thread. I really appreciate all of it. If your SNES is freezing at the title screen this is what I did to fix mine.
Thank you
Originally posted by: skinnygrinny
I put the good looking motherboard back together and it works now!!! So I'm thinking maybe it just needed that "sound box" removed and re installed to restore a good connection? I dunno I'm going to try and post a video soon. Thanks again!
Yeah, that's not uncommon. It is the same reason that reseating socketed chips will sometimes fix a problem. Reseating socketed chips and plugs is always one of the first things to try when having issues with an electronic device. So many problems come down to bad connections.
Hey I think I need to replace a video ram chip lol. The snes I put back together plays past the title screen now but as soon as you start a game the backgraond graphics are totally scrambled. Thanks for all your advice btw.