Konami X-Men Sound Chip Repair Problems - Plays Sounds At Incorrect Cues (2024)

Our X-Men has had sound chip issues for some time.

Today I finally decided to attempt using the pxlmod repro chip and get it fixed.
I mean, look how bad the original one from our game was...

Predictably, I f*cked up.

There was a bridge connection by capacitor c8 which caused the 5v line from pin 1 to smoke. Necessitating white wire #1.

While clearing the short on the 5v line, I rechecked everything and noticed that the connection to the opposing pin was not connected. Must have screwed up the trace while clearing C8's. I know, I'm bad.

So, white wire #2.

This let the machine boot, but it came up weird. All the tests passed, but it was now playing some sound cues in the wrong spots. Like static instead of dialog, or "X-MEN" when storm uses her power.

At least the static and stereo issues have gone away. yaaaaaaay. Take a listen.

Is this audio module shot? Is our board shot? What could be the cause of this playing at the wrong cues?

Fixed it. Loose connection on one of the other legs of the custom.

When I was measuring it with the continuity tester, it was coming back fine because the tip of the probe was pressing down enough on the leg to make contact.

Anyway, Seems fine for now.

You are one of the few that accomplished swap out with out bricking pcb.

Not to rub this in your face or in any negative connotation but there is a blurb on auction,

"For a professional, high quality installation service, please contact IREPAIRSEGA's website !"

I have done hundreds of these. If you add the original ones I refurbed the number is approaching a thousand.

irepairsega said:

You are one of the few that accomplished swap out with out bricking pcb.

Not to rub this in your face or in any negative connotation but there is a blurb on auction,

"For a professional, high quality installation service, please contact IREPAIRSEGA's website !"

I have done hundreds of these. If you add the original ones I refurbed the number is approaching a thousand.

Click to expand...

Lol yeah, I've visited your site... I just try to do repair work myself if I can. Huge chunk of the fun for me.

I had done the swap before without problems, just not the actual customs salvage from one chip to the next. Figured I'd try my hand at that and... Well... Live and learn I guess. I figure if I did this again, I'd probably do a better job of it.

Howver, I highly doubt I'll ever do another one. I don't think we'd ever get rid of the six player X-Men, and we don't care for any other Konami games with similar chips.

FWIW I used the method of taping tinfoil to the back of the PCB with slits for the pins of the custom, and then heat gunning it with a little tension until the custom fell out.

Then I cleaned up the PCB with a desoldering gun.

Try to stay away from any type of hot air when it comes to pcb rework. There is no need for any type of hot air equipment needed for pcb rework with technology out there now. All hot air does is damage components, weaken sub straight both internally and externally with lifted traces. If I am able to quickly remove small SMD that are going to be replaced, I may use directed hot air but more and more its rare for me to do so. I have or have had every manor of rework equipment and its rare I use hot air for anything anymore aside from heat shrink. When it comes to SMD, if you care about the pcbs you are working on or intend on reuse of parts removed, use only ChipQuik or the like. I remove 368 pin fine pitch SMD from Sega M2B/C with ChipQuik. No damage to sub straight and no damage or bent pins on IC. Its the only way to go now.

For removing the hybrids now about three months ago I started using a new method. There is zero signs that IC has ever been removed from pcb. No heat damage of any kind, no missing pads on pcb. I lift the top part of legs from hybrid. Then with a dental pic, I gently pry the bottom contacts to hybrid. Then just lift old hybrid pcb off legs. Then its simply pull the severed legs out with an iron from the top and remove old solder. This results in zero heat or physical damage to anything important and only takes a couple minutes.

irepairsega said:

When it comes to SMD, if you care about the pcbs you are working on or intend on reuse of parts removed, use only ChipQuik or the like. I remove 368 pin fine pitch SMD from Sega M2B/C with ChipQuik. No damage to sub straight and no damage or bent pins on IC. Its the only way to go now.

Click to expand...

Interesting.

I got a sample of that ChipQuik stuff years ago when they were giving samples away for free. But I've never used it. Some combination of being scared of SMT work, and not really needing to do any SMT work, and not wanting to buy any more equipment to do SMT work.

My eyes now such that I need like +3.0 readers just to work on through-hole stuff any more... stuff I used to do with unaided vision. So the magnification problem is no longer an excuse--I need it to do anything. Maybe I should bite the bullet and get up to speed with doing some SMT stuff...