Troubleshooting Your N64

Includes but not limited to: SNES, Genesis, Sega CD, PlayStation 1, Nintendo 64, Dreamcast, Game Gear and I guess the Virtual Boy.

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Gamelver
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Post by Gamelver »

G-force wrote:Does this sound like the symptoms of a "sleeping" N64?
Outputs video, but it's nothing but black. No sound output at all as far as I can tell. Heatsink gets warm just like normal.

I tried all the above mentioned steps, with different games and with different expansion and jumper packs.

I only barely brushed it with my hand (after just touching ground also!) and it just stopped working. I'm thinking that it's just one stupid component thats giving me all this suffering, but I've no clue what it is.
check the 7805 line....make sure 5V is being outputted, and then trace that to various spots to make sure there isn't some kind of component that's fried....

I'm pretty sure that the 5V line is for video/sound :|.....if the heatsinks are getting warm, that indicates something's happening, meaning it's most likely functioning, except for video :P.
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ShockSlayer
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Re: Troubleshooting Your N64

Post by ShockSlayer »

Gamelver wrote: -Um, perhaps try replacing that red LED...I'm not sure if it's an importnat part of the power circuit, but try anyway, if you're still stuck.
Nope its not. I removed it and confirmed this.
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Turbo Tax 1.0
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Post by Turbo Tax 1.0 »

Skyone wrote:My favorite is when your ground wire or 12v line touches the 3.3v line. I think you can jump a fuse, but hell, it sucks.

Nice job anyways.
anybody know where exactly this little fuse is? im gonna need to find it :(

i think my 7.2 volt line and my 3.3 or ground touched, it happened relatively wuickly and only while i was moving a wire around, i seriously hope its not fried the portable was basically done :(

its not fried if the led goes on right? :?
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vskid
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Post by vskid »

Turbo Tax 1.0 wrote:
Skyone wrote:My favorite is when your ground wire or 12v line touches the 3.3v line. I think you can jump a fuse, but hell, it sucks.

Nice job anyways.
anybody know where exactly this little fuse is? im gonna need to find it :(

i think my 7.2 volt line and my 3.3 or ground touched, it happened relatively wuickly and only while i was moving a wire around, i seriously hope its not fried the portable was basically done :(

its not fried if the led goes on right? :?
Thats exactly what happened to mine, is there any hope of it still being alive?
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Turbo Tax 1.0
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Post by Turbo Tax 1.0 »

im really hoping its just "asleep"
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Gamelver
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Post by Gamelver »

well, first of all, I don't think there are any fuses directly on the board of the N64. The fuses and protection were in the AC adapter for it, so there was no need for it on the actual board.

and the N64 is probably dead :(.
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Skyone
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Post by Skyone »

You may be able to replace something, right? As long as any of the chips (CPU, GPU, RAM) aren't dead, there is hope yet.
blackbox_dev
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Re: Troubleshooting Your N64

Post by blackbox_dev »

ShockSlayer wrote:
Gamelver wrote: -Um, perhaps try replacing that red LED...I'm not sure if it's an importnat part of the power circuit, but try anyway, if you're still stuck.
Nope its not. I removed it and confirmed this.
Did you try another LED with it though?
I'd imagine right now you wish you were a cuttlefish...
ShockSlayer
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Re: Troubleshooting Your N64

Post by ShockSlayer »

iam7805 wrote:
ShockSlayer wrote:
Gamelver wrote: -Um, perhaps try replacing that red LED...I'm not sure if it's an importnat part of the power circuit, but try anyway, if you're still stuck.
Nope its not. I removed it and confirmed this.
Did you try another LED with it though?
Hello double post.

No, there's no point, but if done wrong, you might fry the LED. :P
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Turbo Tax 1.0
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Post by Turbo Tax 1.0 »

i wired up a new N64 today and it was working fine, up until i wired up the DC-DC, i wired it exactly like i did last time and the game would start up and then stop at either the N64 or Nintendo screen, on Donky kong and Fzero. ive tried a few different games and took my inductor out of the wiring, and now when i turn it on i get the wavy lines. do you think my N64 is fried? or maybe just something wrong with the cart slot? :?


oh and the led still goes on
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blackbox_dev
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Post by blackbox_dev »

Maybe it's not getting enough amperage?
I'd imagine right now you wish you were a cuttlefish...
Turbo Tax 1.0
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Post by Turbo Tax 1.0 »

thats probably it, i ahd been testing it with the same battery for awhile and the PSone wall adapter only outputs 2A(is this to little?)
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Gamerdude
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Post by Gamerdude »

I know this doesn't fit here but where are you suppose to wire up the ESD wrist strap to. Do you hook it to the board you are woking on or just ground it to the ground and if so how do you do this.
vskid
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Post by vskid »

Gamerdude wrote:I know this doesn't fit here but where are you suppose to wire up the ESD wrist strap to. Do you hook it to the board you are woking on or just ground it to the ground and if so how do you do this.
Ground it to ground, like the case of most things with metal cases, it should have the extra ground prong and be plugged in. Or most metal pipes, if you work in a basement or bathroom. :)
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timmeh87
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Post by timmeh87 »

if you ground it to the ground of what you are working on, you are setting up a circuit for static discharge right through everything on your board. which is exactly what you are trying to avoid
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