Another dead Mach32 - How to fix, if at all? \ VOGONS

Another dead Mach32 - How to fix, if at all?

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First post, by Jed118

Posted on 2017-04-14, 22:07

Jed118 Offline

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So, today I put my 386 motherboard back in after a cache upgrade and I put my Mach32 which has been with this system for over 15 years and I got the beeps of death. I took it apart, found that the RAMDAC frame was cracked and looked elliptical - I pulled some of the RAM chips and reseated them, same with ROM, and cleaned up the contacts (which looked like they had been removed hundreds of times, perhaps they have) and I noticed a bent pin on the RAMDAC - I may have broken a leg off by taking it out.

How can this be fixed? There's a tiny bit of contact area, I might reseat the chip and try to solder a tiny wire to it directly to the connector leg.

You can see it arcing near the top there:

Is this fixable?

If not, recommendations on cards? I'd like 2MB, preferably a direct replacement, but basically it is a DOS machine with some Windows 3.11 use (I like high res) but I'll consider a powerful 1MB card. Currently I'm looking at a Cirrus Logic 1MB

http://allegro.pl/karta-graficzna-vga-isa-cir … 6777872594.html

What do you guys think?

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Reply 1 of 5, by CkRtech

Posted on 2017-04-19, 08:37

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Was that from the corner nearest a pry slot on the socket? (perhaps extracting the chip bent and broke that pin?) You could solder 30 awg kynar to the pin on the board, socket the chip with the wire hanging out the pull slot, and then solder the other end to the remains of the RAMDAC leg.

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Reply 2 of 5, by Jepael

Posted on 2017-04-19, 11:16

Jepael Offline

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Jed118 wrote:

I may have broken a leg off by taking it out.

Please take a second look if it is broken at all. I can count 21 pins on each side so there are no pins missing, right?

Reply 3 of 5, by goodtofufriday

Posted on 2017-04-20, 22:48

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Looks like just a scratch on the chip. Maybe you didnt align the chip correctly first time around.

If it is broken then it is fixable, just not too easily of youre a novicen

A fixer of things. I also broke those things.

Reply 4 of 5, by chinny22

Posted on 2017-05-02, 20:03

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If it is broken upgrade to a Mach 64?
Neither are that fast in dos, but I'm happy with my onboard VLB Mach64, and as you say does make windows pretty.
Why limit yourself to 2MB? Get a 4MB and have high res and high colour 😉

But do hope your card is ok if its the original

Reply 5 of 5, by Anonymous Coward

Posted on 2017-05-06, 11:12

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The IC seems to be okay. If the socket is bad, that can be replaced if you're willing to do some soldering. I wouldn't throw that card away, it's fairly high end for ISA.

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