(Topic ID: 108116)

Firepower speech disappeared

By jedi42

9 years ago


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Topic Stats

  • 26 posts
  • 10 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 9 years ago by Schwaggs
  • Topic is favorited by 4 Pinsiders

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#1 9 years ago

After some great help from the forum, I got a Firepower pin working that I had acquired. After fixing, we had been playing it for 3 weeks with no issues, and during a game the speech suddenly stopped. When it happened, both the sound and speech stopped mid-game, but could faintly hear some sound if I turned the volume level all the way up.

- checked the pot, and if I turned it up a bit, the sounds came back, but no speech

As I was reading posts and schematics, it seems that in order to have speech the option switches both have to be turned on. When I looked at mine, one was on, but the other was not. If that is the case, how was I getting speech for the last month? Switching them both to on did not enable speech.

In one of the posts, it sounded like IC3 on the speech board could be the problem, but also says to replace it as a last resort.

The schematics for the sound and speech boards says to check for data and speech clock activity. Am I to assume I cannot do this without an oscilloscope?

Any advice?

#3 9 years ago

The 1uF cap looks ok visually, but not sure how to test it properly.

The cable looks pretty good, seems tight and nothing odd happens when I squeeze of jiggle it.

I was also reading about the pot, and that I should test it. I tried to read the resistance with a DMM, but it only read a constant 3.89, and no change when I spun the dial. I am wondering if i am testing this properly, as it seems to work during powered testing because when I spin during the sound test, it can eliminate the sounds when I turn it all the way towards where speech should be. I assume you just test on ohm setting on the two terminals and spin dial (with power turned off)?

#6 9 years ago

OK, checked the pot (the 3 legs threw me, as it looks like it only has two), and the resistance is good - went up and down smoothly.

I had re-seated the roms on the speech card yesterday, no change and the ribbon cable seems good (tight and clean).

When I looked, it was switch 1 that was off, but all the sounds and speech worked. From playing around, switch 1 doesn't seem to do anything (although in the schematics it says both need to be on for voice to work, and that it should flip between sounds and chimes). Anyway, checked IC10 at pin 15, and checks out as Schwaggs posted.

#10 9 years ago

OK, Here are results of tests:
switch 1 ON - 3.7v
switch 1 OFF - 4.8v

Pin 19 (IC10) - when speech supposed to play in diagnostic - .35v
Pin 19 (IC10) - when sounds play in diagnostic - .02v

Pin 39 (IC10) - when speech supposed to play in diagnostic - 2.4v
Pin 39 (IC10) - when sounds play in diagnostic - 4.8v

I wondered about replacing IC3 based on previous posts. I ordered one in case, but will be a couple of weeks before I get them. Any way to test it?

I also just checked for voltages (I don't have a logic probe) on the pins suggested in the firepower.com schematics, which all showed some voltage readings except for the IC1 pin 9 (speech clock activity).

And no speech at all, not even faint.

#16 9 years ago

Looks like I will try to find a logic probe to go much further. I am pretty confident the pot is OK, as the resistance test shows a gradual increase/decrease. Doesn't look like I can get a logic probe locally, so may have to order on-line and wait.

3 weeks later
#18 9 years ago

OK, got the logic probe. As per the above posts and the schematic of the sound board, I have found the following:
Pin 39 on SB IC10 - pulses during time when voice should occur (OK)
Pin 12 on SpeechB IC1 - pulses during time when voice should occur (OK)

Pin 19 on SB IC10 - pulses during time when voice should occur (OK)
Pin 9 on SpeechB IC1 - pulses during time when voice should occur (OK)

Pin 3 on SpeechB IC1 - pulses during time when voice should occur (OK)
Pin 7 on SpeechB IC3 -NOTHING during time when voice should occur

So, I am to assume that IC3 needs to be replaced (which is what I had guessed before the testing from the posts I read)?

#20 9 years ago

Pin 1 of IC3 (speech board) pulses when speech should be heard.

Pin 7 of IC2 pulses during sounds. Nothing during speech.

Any way to test the 2 capacitors you mentioned?

3 weeks later
#25 9 years ago

Update on repair, it was indeed the IC3. After debating whether I would screw up the board by trying to solder, I practiced on an old board and took the plunge and dropped a new one in, It now works like a charm. Thanks for everyone's help!

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