ZX81 rebuild

Discussions about Sinclair ZX80 and ZX81 Hardware
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Andy Rea
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Re: ZX81 rebuild

Post by Andy Rea »

Cool stuff, us mad soldering iron weilding maniacs have to make do with whatever space we find ourselves in :lol:

Regards Andy
what's that Smell.... smells like fresh flux and solder fumes...
Lardo Boffin
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Re: ZX81 rebuild

Post by Lardo Boffin »

Another day another issue... :cry:

So the zeddy works perfectly when connected to my Chroma - lovely picture.

I have fitted a ZX8 (with the extra bit to keep the picture going) but cannot get it to work! I have fitted about 15 of these now (maybe more) so I have a reasonable level of skill in tuning them. But I cannot get this one to tune.

I can tell it is outputting some kind of signal because my telly says ‘No signal’ if I turn to the extremes of the adjuster pots. The no signal message goes if I turn back to a normal settings.

I can only assume I have damaged it during fitting? The zeddy still works fine via the Chroma so the zeddy is ok.

The back. No obvious gaffes?

EAA709B5-D10B-4477-AACB-DBBD4F845EEA.jpeg
The top.

51213BA2-435A-4C36-B61E-DE075BCDEA3F.jpeg

Please ignore the heatsink. It is how the ULA arrived. :D

I could of course remove it and just use the Chroma but I really want to complete this zeddy!
ZX80
ZX81 iss 1 (bugged ROM, kludge fix, normal, rebuilt)
TS 1000 iss 3, ZXPand AY and +, ZX8-CCB, ZX-KDLX & ChromaSCART
Tatung 81 + Wespi
TS 1500 & 2000
Spectrum 16k (iss 1 s/n 862)
Spectrum 48ks plus a DIVMMC future and SPECTRA
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mrtinb
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Re: ZX81 rebuild

Post by mrtinb »

Lardo, are you planning to get in the World's Book of Records with owning most ZX81s?
Martin
https://zx.rtin.be
ZX81, Lambda 8300, Commodore 64, Mac G4 Cube
Lardo Boffin
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Re: ZX81 rebuild

Post by Lardo Boffin »

mrtinb wrote: Thu Jul 12, 2018 9:33 am Lardo, are you planning to get in the World's Book of Records with owning most ZX81s?
Would it help my case if I said I don’t actually know how many I have? :oops:

Its probably less than 10. To be fair I did refurbish and sell quite a few over the last couple of years.
ZX80
ZX81 iss 1 (bugged ROM, kludge fix, normal, rebuilt)
TS 1000 iss 3, ZXPand AY and +, ZX8-CCB, ZX-KDLX & ChromaSCART
Tatung 81 + Wespi
TS 1500 & 2000
Spectrum 16k (iss 1 s/n 862)
Spectrum 48ks plus a DIVMMC future and SPECTRA
Lardo Boffin
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Joined: Sat Nov 26, 2016 2:42 am

Re: ZX81 rebuild

Post by Lardo Boffin »

I removed the ZX8 and tried it again with my test rig ZX8 and got a picture so the zeddy is fine. Before removing it I tried it tuned to the same position as the test one but got nothing. This is why I think I broke it. :(

Will buy a few more and try and be more careful this time.
ZX80
ZX81 iss 1 (bugged ROM, kludge fix, normal, rebuilt)
TS 1000 iss 3, ZXPand AY and +, ZX8-CCB, ZX-KDLX & ChromaSCART
Tatung 81 + Wespi
TS 1500 & 2000
Spectrum 16k (iss 1 s/n 862)
Spectrum 48ks plus a DIVMMC future and SPECTRA
Lardo Boffin
Posts: 2160
Joined: Sat Nov 26, 2016 2:42 am

Re: ZX81 rebuild

Post by Lardo Boffin »

Clearly this zeddy hates me. :)

I switched it on today with a view to finishing it off (ZX8-CCB basically) and got nothing on screen.

Following the pin tests used last time all was ok except for Z80 pin 4 having a fast pulse not a slow one. Does this suggest what the issue may be?
ZX80
ZX81 iss 1 (bugged ROM, kludge fix, normal, rebuilt)
TS 1000 iss 3, ZXPand AY and +, ZX8-CCB, ZX-KDLX & ChromaSCART
Tatung 81 + Wespi
TS 1500 & 2000
Spectrum 16k (iss 1 s/n 862)
Spectrum 48ks plus a DIVMMC future and SPECTRA
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1024MAK
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Re: ZX81 rebuild

Post by 1024MAK »

Pin 4 is address line A14. If you are not getting the expected signal here, the Z80 CPU is not executing the normal code in the ROM. Either the ROM is faulty, the RAM is faulty, the Z80 is faulty, the ULA is faulty (yeah, could be any of the chips) or if the problem is intermittent, there is a poor connection (socket/pin) or dry solder joint on one of the important lines (which is most of them). Less likely, but still possible is a hairline crack in a PCB track.

Just remind me, did you use sockets for all the chips? If yes, have you tried all the chips in another machine? And have you tried different chips from a known working machine in this Zeddy?

If yes to the above questions, then I would suspect a dry solder joint as the most likely problem.

Mark
ZX81 Variations
ZX81 Chip Pin-outs
ZX81 Video Transistor Buffer Amp

:!: Standby alert :!:
There are four lights!
Step up to red alert. Sir, are you absolutely sure? It does mean changing the bulb :!:
Looking forward to summer later in the year.
Lardo Boffin
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Re: ZX81 rebuild

Post by Lardo Boffin »

Thanks - all the chips are socketed. The ULA, Z80 and ROM are all taken from working zeddies but I have not swapped the RAM out. Will check that next!
The problem is constant and the board was working before I tried to fit the ZX8-CCB. Something I have done loads of times now so probably got over confident and broke something...
ZX80
ZX81 iss 1 (bugged ROM, kludge fix, normal, rebuilt)
TS 1000 iss 3, ZXPand AY and +, ZX8-CCB, ZX-KDLX & ChromaSCART
Tatung 81 + Wespi
TS 1500 & 2000
Spectrum 16k (iss 1 s/n 862)
Spectrum 48ks plus a DIVMMC future and SPECTRA
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1024MAK
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Location: Looking forward to summer in Somerset, UK...

Re: ZX81 rebuild

Post by 1024MAK »

Well, there is no harm in double checking by trying the chips in a known good board, AND trying the chips from a known good board in this Zeddy ;)

Mark
ZX81 Variations
ZX81 Chip Pin-outs
ZX81 Video Transistor Buffer Amp

:!: Standby alert :!:
There are four lights!
Step up to red alert. Sir, are you absolutely sure? It does mean changing the bulb :!:
Looking forward to summer later in the year.
Lardo Boffin
Posts: 2160
Joined: Sat Nov 26, 2016 2:42 am

Re: ZX81 rebuild

Post by Lardo Boffin »

I have tested this with a full complement of known working chips. Well, the 16K RAM chips are all NOS from a reputable supplier and I don’t have another zeddy with a 16K mod to test with so I am assuming at least one of the four I tried would have been working.
If I remove the RAM chip and fire it up with a RAM pack should it work? Assuming it is working of course.
Not really sure how this could have got a dry joint etc. as it was working fine before trying to fit ZX8. The obvious culprits would be pins 16, 34 and 40 on the underside of the ULA as this is where the board was attached but they are visibly ok and have perfect continuity from the pin to the top of the socket. I also tested every other pin on the ULA in this way.
I don’t mind saying that at this stage it is a little soul destroying. To have had it working and then cock up it up somehow. Argh.
I am kind of tempted to de-solder it back to the dark ages and try again but that is a lot of time I don’t have.
I will reflow the solder on the main four sockets and see if that makes any difference. :cry:
ZX80
ZX81 iss 1 (bugged ROM, kludge fix, normal, rebuilt)
TS 1000 iss 3, ZXPand AY and +, ZX8-CCB, ZX-KDLX & ChromaSCART
Tatung 81 + Wespi
TS 1500 & 2000
Spectrum 16k (iss 1 s/n 862)
Spectrum 48ks plus a DIVMMC future and SPECTRA
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