mask rom repair (Asteroids)

[grobda]

I dont know about anyone else but sometimes on a really old board the odd eprom/mask rom leg is so corroded that it falls off when you pull it out of the socket... you can be as gentle as you like it just gives up. I've had this happen on galaxian and most recently asteroids.

I don't have many spares of the equivalent eproms, plus my programmer wont write to 16's so i have to use 32's and double the image up.

As a result I attempt to give these wounded ICs some surgery - a leg implant.

I start by prepping the patient by using a fine metal file to remove any corrosion, and blu-tack it to the bench;

I then use fine pliers to extract a leg from a IC socket, pushing it up from the bottom;

The socket leg and IC stump are tinned, then the leg is soldered onto the stump;

Attempt to read the chip;

Result;

Interested to hear whether others do this or just bin them as they maybe prone to further failures.

NB; my wellon vp-280 doesnt support 2716s or equivalent mask roms, but if you select a generic 2732 it will read them, you just need to chop off the first half of the image off.

 

[IDCHAPPY]

Surgeon Rick

, excellent mate and not a scalpel in sight

 

[andrew96]

that's good!! I usually use the leg of an old chip and solder it on to the stump, either that or put them in a turned pin socket and just solder the broken pin to the socket so you can then use that to put into another socket so you still can use it and remove the chip and socket complete again if needs be

 

[bbz149]

Done a few my self

I normally cut a leg of an old chip and solder it flush onto the old stump

 

[favouredson]

I have done similar with Namco custom ICs and suchlike but with a 2716 I would just scrap it and use a replacement.

I have plenty of spares and all my programmers handle them.