Who Dares Wins cart only working once?

Prophet (2220)

05-03-2019, 22:34

I bought a cart of Who Dares Wins (MSX2) at the Nijmegen fair, and while it initially worked once it stopped functioning ever since. I opened up the cart to have a look at the board but can't find anything that's off. Even inserting the board directly without casing does not make the game work, so I think something stopped working, but I wouldn't know what. Any ideas?

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By Samor

Prophet (2220)

05-03-2019, 23:55

For the record, the MSX will just boot normally when I have the cart inserted , there's not even a lock up or other "attempt", it does absolutely nothing now. Simply put, it's like there's no cart inserted at all.

By meits

Scribe (6571)

06-03-2019, 02:09

Other cartridges do work?

By nikodr

Paladin (750)

06-03-2019, 07:52

Take a multimeter in continuity mode and check or follow the path of the goldeb plates.is there a broken trace somewhere?i think thats what i woukd do first. Sometimee its a broken trace somewhere or oxidation in a copper trwce that breaks it off.

By Samor

Prophet (2220)

06-03-2019, 10:01

@Meits yes, no problems with other carts.

By Eugeny_Brychkov

Paragon (1232)

06-03-2019, 11:21

Samor wrote:

I bought a cart of Who Dares Wins (MSX2) at the Nijmegen fair, and while it initially worked once it stopped functioning ever since.

Ask developer/seller on what to do now. This is complex device and I suspect the cause is not an electrical issue.

By Guillian

Prophet (3528)

06-03-2019, 11:52

Sorry to hear the cartridge does not work.
I test the cartidges twice: after programming the ROM and after finishing the packaging.

Some questions:
Have you inserted the cartridge when the computer was on?
Have you inserted the cartridge without the case before the fail?

Checking the hi-res pictures I can see some scratches on the connector that could mean there was a short-circuit in the slot signals (the computer slot pins connected two cartridge connector pads) In that case the FGPA is probably damaged.

Opening the cartridge voids the warranty. But send the PCB to me and I'll have a look to try to find what happened.

By Samor

Prophet (2220)

06-03-2019, 13:01

- I inserted the cart when the msx (a zemmix neo, by the way) was off
- I only opened the case after it kept failing

Only thing I noticed the cart is a very thight fit and I might have applied too much force removing it (I tried not to).

No problem about the warranty. I'll send you the pcb and maybe I can buy another one from you. Where can I find the address info?

By Guillian

Prophet (3528)

06-03-2019, 16:19

Send me a PM for details

By hamlet

Scribe (4106)

06-03-2019, 17:05

Samor wrote:

Only thing I noticed the cart is a very thight fit and I might have applied too much force removing it (I tried not to).

The Zemmix is a beast when it comes to plugging or unplugging a cartridge.

By Samor

Prophet (2220)

06-03-2019, 18:18

Yeah, and Matra cartridge cases (not this one) are actually a few mm's too wide to fit.
I found a solution though, slot expander to the rescue...