arcade card duo not working!

geise · 04/21/2007, 11:43 AM

Well I recently got my turbo duo sound fixed and started rocking out all my old games. Well I have every single "original" arcade game produced, and was starting to play them again. I play them on a US Duo with the Kisado converter and Arcade Card Duo. I have now been having issues with these games. The biggest problem is trying to play Sapphire. The game loads fine but when the first level starts the sprites are just blocks. My ship looks fine but everything else is a blocky mess. Fatal Fury 2 seems ok, but that's the only game that plays fine. I tried cleaning the Arcade Card Duo and the Kisado converter but have had the same results. I tried some pc-engine Hu Card games and they all play fine with the converter. Anyone else ever have this problem that uses the same set up as me? Any help would be greatly appreciated. I'm guessing it might be time to get another Arcade card Duo. Thanks for any help.

grahf · 04/21/2007, 11:50 AM

The Arcade cards are really finicky to bad connections. Even though it may seem clean, clean it again. I had the same exact symptoms as your describing when I first got my Arcade card. And thats on a Duo-R without a cart adapter.

You probably need to use a mildly abrasive cleaner.

nat · 04/21/2007, 03:12 PM

You can also try fine sandpaper, or a metal nail file. These work well for me. Be sure to clean off any filings before use, of course.

FWIW, I'm sure your Arcade Card is fine.

If you still have problems after further cleaning/sanding the issue is your Kisado.

I have a Kisado that one day became a victim of the same problem that plagues toaster NESes: after years of inserting and removing carts, the contact pins eventually bend to a position where they don't make contact properly with carts anymore. Manifestations of this problem are exactly what you describe in addition to you being able to insert and remove carts from the Kisado more easily than you should. Unlike the NES, where you can simply replace the 72-pin connector inside the console with a more robust version, I don't know of any similar fix for the Kisado. I've never tried to take apart a Kisado but from previous inspection I recall determining such an operation would be extremely messy. I think the thing is just glued together.

My solution was to take a large matchbox and cut a piece of cardboard from the thin outer casing with the exact same dimensions as a HuCard. Make sure the cardboard is less than 1mm thick. Insert your cart into the Kisado so that the cardboard is underneath and flush with the cart on all sides. This will lift the cart just enough to make perfect contact with the pins in the Kisado.

As an aside, this technique can also be used on Kisados that don't have the "NES syndrome". This makes the contact between the converter and the cart much more reliable and eliminates the issues that occur when you bump or nudge the converter while playing. In fact, you can use a converter as a mini diving board in the middle of a game without your game crapping out with this technique if you so desired.

This solution is not elegant, but it is functional and works well.

geise · 04/21/2007, 06:25 PM

Ok it's now working! Thanks for the suggestions. Yesterday before I posted I was using an eraser on the AC Duo and on the converter, and also tried rubbing alcohol and still nothing. I thought it was the Arcade Card Duo, but it was just the front part of the Kisado Converter that needed cleaning. Once I tried some small grit sandpaper on the converter and popped it back in it's working like a charm. Thanks guys for the help!

chop5 · 04/21/2007, 09:43 PM

i have a question the search engine cant answer. Will the arcade card pro work on a modded duo?

termis · 04/22/2007, 02:40 AM

Quote from: chop5 on 04/21/2007, 09:43 PMi have a question the search engine cant answer. Will the arcade card pro work on a modded duo?

From what I read, yes.

But the pro version is about 2-3x more expensive, and I hear some SCD games have slight sound glitches with them (i.e. Rayxanber III). Though I don't know if that glitch surfaces for Duo + Arcade Card Pro setups.

So unless you already have a pro card, or have multiple systems (a Duo/SCD-ROM2 AND a briefcase system), just go the for the Arcade Card Duo version.

chop5 · 04/23/2007, 02:12 AM

ah i see,thanks. I have a pro card so i saved me some dinars from buying the arcade card duo. So the arcade card pro is like the king of all the system cards. The big honcho.

termis · 04/23/2007, 03:42 PM

Quote from: chop5 on 04/23/2007, 02:12 AMah i see,thanks. I have a pro card so i saved me some dinars from buying the arcade card duo. So the arcade card pro is like the king of all the system cards. The big honcho.

I suppose you can say that, though you still need a couple other cards if you want to play every damn PCE game out there.

1. System Card 1.0 for Altered Beast. AB has problems with 2.0 and 3.0 cards, so I'd assume it has the same problem on the arcade card. Can anyone verify this?
2. GameExpress Card for unlicensed GameExpress games. -- I understand that this card will ONLY work with Duos or Super-CDROM2 system. It won't work with the briefcase system, since it uses the extra 2Mbit RAM on the Duo/SSCD-ROM2 system (like the Arcade Card Duo).

NecroPhile · 04/23/2007, 05:09 PM

You are correct thumpin_termis. You may now have one cookie.

termis · 04/23/2007, 05:52 PM

Seldane · 04/23/2007, 06:09 PM

A funny picture.

schadenfreude · 02/15/2017, 12:00 AM

I hate to bump a ten-year-old thread (!), but I'm having the same problem as the original poster, though I'm using a Duo R and thus don't have a converter between the Arcade Card and my system.

At first, Sapphire gave me the "Please insert Arcade Card" screen, but after scrubbing the card with fine sandpaper a bit, now when the game loads, I get blocky graphics. I sanded with fine grit sandpaper and cleaned the contacts with alcohol several times — and of course cleaned up the mess and moisture after each session — but I always get the same result. And Sapphire is an annoying game to test too because I only know the test fails after a new game begins, which is almost a minute from turning on the system!

I am wondering if anyone else has any "new" ideas about how to fix this. The only other thing I've tried is putting something underneath the card to prop it up a bit and make better contact with the contacts in the system, but the result is the same. Oh yeah, I should note the only other card I use in the system is an Everdrive, and it works every time I insert it.

SignOfZeta · 02/15/2017, 12:29 AM

Did you clean the system?

schadenfreude · 02/15/2017, 01:11 AM

Ah, nah, you got me. I haven't cleaned the system slot yet because the Everdrive always works. But I might as well clean it to rule out that possibility. I'll work on it tomorrow night. Are the suggestions in this thread the best to follow? Your suggestion sounds cool, but I'd like to use stuff I have lying around the house.

Keith Courage · 02/15/2017, 04:31 AM

You should also try backing the card out of the slot slightly before turning on the system. 50% of every Arcade card DUO I've tested has required this even after a good cleaning. Not sure if they are just an odd shape or what.

LostFlunky · 02/15/2017, 10:59 AM

Quote from: Keith Courage on 02/15/2017, 04:31 AMYou should also try backing the card out of the slot slightly before turning on the system. 50% of every Arcade card DUO I've tested has required this even after a good cleaning. Not sure if they are just an odd shape or what.

This is what I was going to say... generally have to back the Arcade card out (on my TGCD) till it bumps against the lock.

SignOfZeta · 02/15/2017, 03:29 PM

Quote from: schadenfreude on 02/15/2017, 01:11 AMAh, nah, you got me. I haven't cleaned the system slot yet because the Everdrive always works. But I might as well clean it to rule out that possibility. I'll work on it tomorrow night. Are the suggestions in this thread the best to follow? Your suggestion sounds cool, but I'd like to use stuff I have lying around the house.

My solution costs less than $15. Think of how much you've saved by never paying for a game and put $15 into perspective. You can use the same supplies to clean every other machine you have an Everdrive for for probably the rest of your life.

If the cleaning device is too thick it will mess up the slots, too thin and it won't be effective. If you use regular sandpaper for woodworking etc it will deteriorate and get junk in the system. If you use anything besides contact cleaner for electronics you risk residue or rapid reoxidation.

It should be said that Arcade Cards do fail, seemingly more than any other cards, and the nature of their failure is not understood AFAIK so it's possible that this is your issue. I think failed ACs are usually just dead though, not buggy.

Good luck.

schadenfreude · 02/16/2017, 01:26 AM

Alas, I've wiggled it around every which way and pulled it out to where it just hits the lock plastic chip and then turned on the system, but the result never changes. I cleaned the system contacts a bit by putting some alcohol on the end of the Arcade Card, but again, same result.

Since my only other HuCARD is an Everdrive, I am wondering if its added thickness pushes it closer to the contacts in the system and thus makes it work every time I insert it. I wish I had another game card here to verify this theory. What's interesting is that Sapphire boots, meaning that the system reads the card, though not well enough to use its memory after the game boots. I'm assuming that the system checks for contact on, say, one of the pins of the card to verify that the card is in the slot, but uses all the pins when a game is playing — and once the game boots, it fails to access the card through these other pins, causing the glitching graphics. Or it's possible that all the pins are making contact, but the Arcade Card itself is fried.

I'll check out my local hobby stores this weekend for some scrubbing equipment and also open up the system to see what the contacts look like on the inside.

csgx1 · 02/16/2017, 12:24 PM

I have a Arcade Duo that does the exact same. I've never got it to work properly on any of my systems after trying every trick mentioned. It seems that my card is slightly curved, so that might be a sign its been damaged. I haven't messed with it in years since I also have a Arcade Pro.

geise · 02/24/2017, 01:14 PM

Wow! Necrobumping! It was actually an issue now with the way the Kisado Converter handles the large meg HuCards. It is the way the contacts sit in relation to the converter. I had a 2nd AC Duo card and it did the same thing with the converter after a while. Like the converter pushes to much on the contacts over time and wares them down. It happens with populous and SF II CE. I have to put some small piece of paper to "lift" the card and make contact with the kisado converter. Then it works like a champ. Every other HuCard works perfect.

@schadenfreude

Do what I mentioned about using something under the card to lift it up a bit. I know it's annoying but it works. It's worth it to play Sapphire that's for damn sure.

majors · 02/24/2017, 05:04 PM

I had once a Duo that would play Hu's but not work with the ACD 100%. I would have missing grafx and empty squares when it played ACD games. I went through all of the OP's routine only to find out that one pin on the card slot had been pushed out. Must not have been needed for regular HuCard games, but needed for ACD. I was able to push back in the missing pin/wire to the card slot but the piece going to the PCB had snapped so I used wrapping wire I soldiered to complete the connection. Worked after that.

schadenfreude · 04/30/2017, 01:22 AM

Sorry for the late reply, dudes. Since my last post, I've been busy Dreamcasting and Xboxing and doing other sacrilegious activities. Time to expiate for my sins?

I picked up this project again by gradually placing more and more torn-up sheets of paper about the size of the Arcade Card underneath the card, then inserting it. Each successive iteration, the game continued to fail with the same glitching issues — until finally, the game booted! I played three credits with no issues, but on the fourth credit, the game loaded its glitchy self once again. I swear I didn't touch or move the system while playing, so this must be some weak thread of a connection I'm holding onto.

I opened up the system and looked at the pins in the HuCard slot, and none of them look bent. Is it easy to remove the metal shield covering the pin cartridge to get a closer look? I removed the two screws on the left and right of the metal shield, but it feels really sturdy in there. I watched a YouTube video of someone removing it with ease, but pulling on it feels like I'm going to break it.

780racer · 04/30/2017, 01:56 AM

Is the huey getying hot while playing with the bad sprits? I had a arvade card that would get super hot and had those geapgical issues. Ultimately trashed it after trying everything I could. I then bought a different arcade card and worked great. Not sure if same issue but worth asking.

schadenfreude · 04/30/2017, 10:50 PM

Nope, it's as cool as a fan, man. One would think that paper stack would catch fire at some point, but alas.

Groover · 05/07/2017, 04:45 PM

I have an Arcade Duo card as well. It works on all Arcade games I have but not PCEWorks Sapphire. It worked sort of one time and then glitches out on level 3 and now I can't get past the loading screen. I thought it might be the disc and got another one. same deal. I'm running on a Duo-R. Maybe it is the card or the Duo-R.

I'm not sure if cleaning the pins is it but I will try it. Anyone else have similar issue in the past?

Gypsy · 05/07/2017, 05:29 PM

Quote from: Groover on 05/07/2017, 04:45 PMI have an Arcade Duo card as well. It works on all Arcade games I have but not PCEWorks Sapphire. It worked sort of one time and then glitches out on level 3 and now I can't get past the loading screen. I thought it might be the disc and got another one. same deal. I'm running on a Duo-R. Maybe it is the card or the Duo-R.

I'm not sure if cleaning the pins is it but I will try it. Anyone else have similar issue in the past?

Are the other games you are playing (that work right) retail discs or burns/pressed booties? Could be relevant.

Also maybe tried a cdr of Sapphire and see how that goes?

Groover · 05/07/2017, 06:02 PM

Quote from: Gypsy on 05/07/2017, 05:29 PM
Quote from: Groover on 05/07/2017, 04:45 PMI have an Arcade Duo card as well. It works on all Arcade games I have but not PCEWorks Sapphire. It worked sort of one time and then glitches out on level 3 and now I can't get past the loading screen. I thought it might be the disc and got another one. same deal. I'm running on a Duo-R. Maybe it is the card or the Duo-R.

I'm not sure if cleaning the pins is it but I will try it. Anyone else have similar issue in the past?
Are the other games you are playing (that work right) retail discs or burns/pressed booties? Could be relevant.

Also maybe tried a cdr of Sapphire and see how that goes?

My other arcade card games are retail. They all play. I also have other PCE Works games thanks to Bernie. They also all work. I don't use CD-Rs on my Duo-R.