Duo R & RX perform well after Audio CD plays (Only)

Slypty · 08/21/2018, 09:37 AM

Both of these systems (R & RX) have had blood transfusions and brain surgery so I'm happy they're working, with the exception of the reliability of the CD playback.
If I pop in a game it won't boot or will be laggy. I've tried adjusting POTs and replaced them, but even at the finest tuning this is the same result.

So, the weird thing is if I pop in an Audio CD, let it play for a few minutes, then pop in a game, the game will boot like it's brand new. And, odder still I replaced a few laser board caps on the RX just to see if it would do anything, but now Audio CDs won't boot at all. A friend says that this is likely a problematic Sony Chip that organizes the laser data near the bottom right (down from where the laser is.) I'm having trouble being convinced both have the same issue and this isn't something more simple. A full recap seems like too much of an overhaul for what may be a simpler fix. Anybody experience a similar issue?

SignOfZeta · 08/21/2018, 11:41 AM

If it can be "warmed up" to like games I wouldn't be surprised if a capacitance problem was the issue. CDDA reads well if it's mildly f*cked up but games pretty much need every bit to come over in tact.

Define "laggy".

Slypty · 08/21/2018, 08:43 PM

If a game boots, there's just too much time between cut scenes. For example, on one game 3x3 Eyes, the boot screen will come up as NEC, and has a lot of visual JP Kanji that go from scene to scene. Normally these scenes should take a few seconds, but I'm getting a 7-8 second lag. Again, if an audio CD is popped in before booting a game, the game will play with zero lag.

My thought was the same, maybe caps but just seems unusual.

peasoup · 08/22/2018, 01:40 PM

Bad laser? Try a new HOP M3 maybe?

SignOfZeta · 08/22/2018, 04:32 PM

Quote from: Slypty on 08/21/2018, 08:43 PMIf a game boots, there's just too much time between cut scenes. For example, on one game 3x3 Eyes, the boot screen will come up as NEC, and has a lot of visual JP Kanji that go from scene to scene. Normally these scenes should take a few seconds, but I'm getting a 7-8 second lag. Again, if an audio CD is popped in before booting a game, the game will play with zero lag.

My thought was the same, maybe caps but just seems unusual.

"Long load times" is what you mean then. Lag is usually in reference to input/output latency. If a data read doesn't go well it will do it over and over until it gets it right. Audio CDs don't have error correction and it's impossible to hear a few busted samples out of 44,100 per second so audio discs will do better.

I'd make sure the board was really clean and if you don't find anything do all the caps in the CD section and see if you can adjust the pots enough after that to get it working better than it is now. Caps don't fail offten in white Duos but who knows what thing has seen? It's not hard to melt a cap or bend it too far. It could also be the laser.

Wait...just to be clear...we're talking about real pressed discs, right?

thesteve · 08/23/2018, 01:20 AM

a warm up could be a few things, but caps are the most common
all the adjustments effect the CXA1081 and CXA1082 function as those 2 chips work in tandem to lock the laser onto the track and generate a pulse train from the CD
the CXD1167 reads the pulse train and adjusts its speed based on buffering
the NEC chips deal with translation between the core system and the sony chips
any of the 3 sony chips can cause issues and become intermittent (seen many bad)
also some switching supplies can cause read issues (try an old style one)

Slypty · 08/23/2018, 10:01 AM

Quote from: SignOfZeta on 08/22/2018, 04:32 PMWait...just to be clear...we're talking about real pressed discs, right?

Thanks for the lag info, yup not laggy just timing's off as you say. I'm using real pressed discs, if I throw in a burned game I won't get anything. I might do a full laser recap, it couldn't hurt anyways. When I got the RX someone butchered a Region Free mod, so the Hu slot needed replacing as well as the Hu6260 was fried. Pretty sure it had some funky POT issues, the originals originally ran this the laser motor super fast and non-stop. I replaced the POTS and that fixed the constant motor issue, but having the laser run at its' threshold could have burned one of the CX chips.

SignOfZeta · 08/23/2018, 11:09 AM

Man. We've heard about so many mangled systems lately. I'm really depressed. These things are *really* reliable normally!

thesteve · 08/23/2018, 12:34 PM

these things are still quite reliable, we just deal with so many we are bound to see the bad ones
also the age means a few more have failed

to the OP issue, getting nothing on CDR is generally a bad laser
some lasers just dont work at all on CDR and poorly on pressed (or visa-versa)

Slypty · 08/23/2018, 11:44 PM

I bought them in a lot with a Duo, an -R and RX.. all 3 were completely mangled and the seller didn't mention anything, only 'untested.' Rare for that type of lot from Japan.
Same with the Arcade Hu Card in it was busted, overall taken better than a year to get 2 of 3 running.

I tried a different laser today, I bought that pack of 5 off eBay from the HK Game Doctor.. if it's the laser, I've been had.. but I'm not convinced the laser's the issue. I managed to get a game running well after adjusting a few pots again, but when I powered it Off and On again.. the game wouldn't even boot? It went from getting just the boot screen to a fully running game, but failed after reboot.

Slypty · 08/24/2018, 07:54 PM

Off to recap this weekend, will report results.