I killed my TurboGrafx-16

[FiftyQuid]

Hi everyone, I need your assistance in troubleshooting my possibly dead TG-16.  I may have killed it, but the short story is my TG-16 no longer works.  I refuse to admit defeat on this.  The TG-16 MB is not complex, so the fix must be eluding me.  One side of the MB consists of the HUcard slot, and solder.  The other side is laced with components.  So where do I start troubleshooting?

The HUcard slot looks good.  I've tested the connectivity from the inside of the HUcard slot to the MB.  None of the pins are broken, all connectivity is good.  The fuse looked good, but I tested it anyway, it passes.  The fuse is good.  Visually there are no burns, bad solder points, or broken connections.  It has to be something right in front of me, but I just can't see it.

The only thing I can't test are the IC's.  I can test to see if they are getting 5V power, but that's pretty much it.  The pins are pretty tight and I don't want to power up the MB and short anything out while measuring voltage.  I have to assume they are okay.

The TG-16 sits in a TG-CD docking base.  Always has.  I insert a game and the TV stays blank (white).  I tried another HUcard and it's the result is the same.  So the TG-16 either just fried two HUcards or something is wrong with the TG-16.  There is no video or sound.

I would like to eliminate the TG-CD docking base from the equation.  I was thinking of plugging the power supply from the base directly into the TG-16, and then using an RF adapter for it.  Unfortunately I don't have a TG-16 RF adapter.  Questions;

1) What RF adapters work with the TG-16?  I don't mind going out and buying one either.
2) Are there any Test Points on the TG-16.  I didn't see any obvious TP# labels on the MB.
3) Are there any schematics available around here?

Thank you for your time.

[Duo_R]

Is this system modded? Have you cleaned the hucard slot?

[CGQuarterly]

Make an AV cable for it and plug it into the expansion port.  I have a how-to on my website.  I'm on my ipad right now though and I'm too lazy to post a link.  Cgquarterly.com, features, do-it-yourself gamer.  Something like that.

Have you checked the caps?  Have you checked the voltage coming out of the AC adapter?  Cleaning the slot is also a good suggestion.  Maybe there's a bent pin in the slot.   Do CD games work?

Edit:

http://www.cgquarterly.com/articles/tg16_cable.htm

[FiftyQuid]

Is this system modded? Have you cleaned the hucard slot?

I tried to mod it.  It didn't work so I reverted back to factory default.

Caps look good.
Haven't tried a CD game.  The slot doesn't work, so I assumed a system card wouldn't.  The CD-ROM does get power though.  This shows me the CD-ROM is getting power and that the AC adapter is working.

Visually, the HUcard slot looks fine.  I don't see any bent pins.  HUcard slides in nicely.

Taking a look at your website now...

[EDIT] I'll definitely do this.  It'll eliminate the docking base.

[Duo_R]

Check the hucard pins, you attempted to mod it? How did you revert back using wires or did the pins for back in?

[BlueBMW]

A nintendo or sega genesis RF adapter should work... as far as a power supply... DONT use a Nintendo one hehe.  I'm trying to think of what other systems were compatible.. I keep thinking Genesis 1, but I might be wrong.

[turbokon]

Sega ac plug works. So you have continuity from the solder joints on the other side of the mb to the pins to hucard slot?

[FiftyQuid]

Check the hucard pins, you attempted to mod it? How did you revert back using wires or did the pins for back in?

I used wire.  Connectivity is good.

I have a Nintendo RF adapter I can try.  For the power supply I can just use the TG-CD docking station AC adapter no?  It should be the same amperage.

Yes, I have connectivity from the pins in the HUcard slot to the underside of the MB.

[fsa]

I had a similar issue with a Genesis where the rf did not work so I quickly did the av mod and it was all good. I hope that's the case with yours.

[FiftyQuid]

I had a similar issue with a Genesis where the rf did not work so I quickly did the av mod and it was all good. I hope that's the case with yours.

I'm using AV cables now.  I'm going to try the RF just to make sure it works.

[FiftyQuid]

I used the AC adapter off the TG-CD to power the MB.  I found my Nintendo RF adapter and connected it up.  TV was on channel 3.  Powered it up with Keith Courage inserted.  Nothing but a white TV screen again.     On a whim, I switched the TV to channel 4 and flipped the 3/4 switch on the MB.  Same shitty result.

Even though I've measured the connectivity from the MB to the HUcard slot a million times, I figured why not a million and one times?  So I pulled Keith Courage out just enough so I could see the gold/brass pins on the HUcard card.  Grabbed my multimeter and went from pin to pin on the actual Keith Courage HUcard and the component side of the MB.  Everything passed again. 

A few notes... I'm testing connectivity using an old Radio Shack VU (needle) type multimeter.  There is no "tone" telling me connectivity is good.  I have the multimeter set to measure resistance.  If there is resistance then the needle measures all the way to the right.  If there is no resistance, then the needle doesn't move.  The reason I bring this up is because if I measure pin 6 on the HUcard slot and 7 on the MB, there is resistance measured.  It's not as high a reading if I measure properly (matching up the pins), but there definitely is some resistance there.  Is this normal?  I'm assuming so because I can measure pin 1 and go from 1-38 on the back of the MB and there is resistance measured between all of them.  The highest measurement is always when the pins match (pin 1 on the HUcard to pin 1 on the component side of the MB).

I'm at a complete loss as to what the problem is.  This sucks. 

[allyourblood]

Is this system modded? Have you cleaned the hucard slot?

I tried to mod it.  It didn't work so I reverted back to factory default.

Unless I missed it somewhere, are you saying that the system stopped working immediately after reversing the modification? How far into it had you gotten? What elements were cut or desoldered?

[BlueBMW]

Let me dig through my stuff... I might have an extra spare TG16 board that's good.

[ApolloBoy]

I'd suggesting picking up a new multimeter, that old analog one isn't going to do you much good for testing continuity.

[FiftyQuid]

Unless I missed it somewhere, are you saying that the system stopped working immediately after reversing the modification? How far into it had you gotten? What elements were cut or desoldered?

I wired up a full region mod.  Completed it 100%.  Went to test it and my TG-16 is dead.  White TV screen, no video/audio.  So I disassembled everything.  Then I started the region mod from scratch again.  Went to test it and had the same results.  Figuring it was something to do with the region mod, I reverted the TG-16 back to factory default.  When I went to test it I had the same results, thus eliminating the region mod chip as the possible offender.  Now I just want to get the TG-16 working again.  However, I can't figure out what the issue is.  Once I do figure it out, I'll try the region mod again.

Please note, this problem was not caused by the region mod chip.  I've done something that I'm not aware of (yet).

Here is the original thread.  I didn't want to bring the region mod thing into the equation because I don't want people thinking it had anything to do with this problem.  It didn't.  Anyway, here is the thread.  Read backwards from here;
https://www.pcengine-fx.com/forums/index.php?topic=10112.msg299835#msg299835

Let me dig through my stuff... I might have an extra spare TG16 board that's good.

No don't.  Not yet.  I was going to send you the MB.  Maybe you can troubleshoot it better than I've been able to do.  Plus I have a line on another one.  I'll let you know soon.

I'd suggesting picking up a new multimeter, that old analog one isn't going to do you much good for testing continuity.

Why not?  It's a perfectly good analog multimeter.  It's never failed me.

[Duo_R]

can we see a pic of the reversal on the region mod?

[soop]

dude, measure the voltage coming out of the expansion bus.  If that's ok, work backwards (though saying that, if the RF doesn't work, it may well be something else entirely.  Maybe you knocked a cap or cut a trace?

[FiftyQuid]

can we see a pic of the reversal on the region mod?

Reposted from the other thread;
/img20130607223637.jpg

dude, measure the voltage coming out of the expansion bus.  If that's ok, work backwards (though saying that, if the RF doesn't work, it may well be something else entirely.  Maybe you knocked a cap or cut a trace?

What pin do I measure on the expansion bus?  I have checked the capacitors, and resistors multiple times.  The caps all look good.  No breaks in the solder or leads.  I thought maybe it was a circuit board cut too, but I've looked very closely at the MB and I don't see any traces that have been cut. 

Some other pictures are located here:
https://www.pcengine-fx.com/forums/index.php?msg=299835

[tggodfrey]

Did you clean all the flux off the board from your soldering?

[soop]

What pin do I measure on the expansion bus? 

Whatever signal you're using, so RGB or Composite.  Should be 5v coming out IIRC.

[FiftyQuid]

Did you clean all the flux off the board from your soldering?

Yeah.  I even when at it with a soft toothbrush afterwards.

Whatever signal you're using, so RGB or Composite.  Should be 5v coming out IIRC.

No, no.  I meant what pin?  As in pin #1 or #2 or #3.  I don't know what signalling comes out where on the expansion bus.

[soop]

ah, right.  IDK if you're using composite or RGB, but this tells you what's what:
http://www.mmmonkey.co.uk/pc-engine-rgb-mod/

[EvilEvoIX]

From My experience, when the wrong Region is selected for a game, it's just a white screen.  I'd check you modding again to be certain.

[FiftyQuid]

From My experience, when the wrong Region is selected for a game, it's just a white screen.  I'd check you modding again to be certain.

I've modded it twice with the same result.  It has been 'un-modded' now and it still doesn't work.  Pretty sure I killed something.

[thesteve]

white screen, typically means that you have lost connection to a card pin, or bridged a solder joint.
as this happened during a region mod, and the TG16 board is low quality chances are there is a break in a trace near where you removed a pin.
its also possible you lost connection from one side of the board to the other

[FiftyQuid]

white screen, typically means that you have lost connection to a card pin, or bridged a solder joint.
as this happened during a region mod, and the TG16 board is low quality chances are there is a break in a trace near where you removed a pin.
its also possible you lost connection from one side of the board to the other

Thanks thesteve, and everyone that has tried to help me.  I am admitting defeat and sending the MB to BlueBMW for diagnostics.  No guarantees it'll be revived, but I've stared at it from every direction multiple times and I'm starting to go blind.

It is going to be shipped out to BlueBMW next week.

[BlueBMW]

We will fix eeet!!

[soop]

We will fix eeet!!

Beamer you are awesome

[FiftyQuid]

We will fix eeet!!

I hope so.  I do not want to be held responsible for the death of an old friend.