Re: Star Wars Matrix errors...

I've included my post from RGVAC below but my solution to these problems
was tweaking my voltage up to around +5.1. NOTE: I still have an
unresolved problem with my boards but I get *NO* errors from any of the
self tests or diagnostics!

Troubleshooting Star Wars: what I've learned, what I still need to figure
out
==============================================================
In article <702hsl$egc$1@nnrp1.dejanews.com>, I wrote:
>
> I did run the self test and here is what I got on the third screen (this
section needs fixed size text!):
>
> MATHBOX TESTS
>
> NO DIVIDER ERRORS
>
> MATRIX ERRORS
>
> A 00FF
> B 0000
> NNNF FNNN 55FF C 19FF
> NNNF NFFF 55FF D 0BFE
> NNNF NFFN 2AFE
> NNNF NFNF 2AFE

Finally a little light of knowledge burns in the great darkness.

If you get MATRIX ERRORS (like above), you really need to look at the
Troubleshooting Guide
(http://www.gamearchive.com/video/manufacturer/atari/vector/tech/starwars_t
ro
ubl shooting/starwars_troubleshooting.html) to interpret them. In
particular, there are a couple of paragraphs just after test 20 I've
included
below that helped me.

==START====================================================================
=
The Mathbox Tests self-test as described in Chapter 2 in the Operators
Manual, performs Hardware Diagnostic Test 15 through 20. The
Mathbox Tests display will show the option switch setting of any test that
fails to produce the correct results.

The Mathbox Tests self-test will also run the following additional tests
which cannot be run from the Diagnostic Mode, but can give useful
information
about a malfunctioning PCB. If one of these tests fails, the letter of the
test will be displayed along with the data that failed.
==END======================================================================
=

So underneath MATRIX ERRORS, the left 3 columns have NOTHING to do with the
right 2 columns! The rows on the left side correspond to the
troubleshooting
tests 15-20. So if you have info displayed to the left of the A (column
4),
test 15 failed; info displayed to the left of B (column 4), test 16 failed;
etc. In my case (above), tests 15 and 16 passed (thus nothing displayed in
those 2 rows next to A and B) but tests 17-20 failed.

The left 2 columns show the dip switch settings (dips 8-1 left to right,
N=on
and F=off). So NNNF FNNN is test 17 in the troubleshooting diagnostics.
Why
they didn't use zeroes and ones like I've seen in most other places Atari
displayed dipswitch settings is beyond me. The right column of the left
side
(column 3) is the result that particular test computed. Look at the
trouleshooting guide for the expected result.

The right 2 columns show results for 4 additional tests described in the
troubleshooting guide below test 20 (tests A-D). Again, you will only see
something displayed here if they failed and the right column is the
computed
result. Look at the trouleshooting guide for the expected result.

Clay Cowgill <ClayC@diamondmm.com> on 01/12/99 12:53:52 PM

Please respond to vectorlist@mcfeeley.cc.utexas.edu

To: "'vectorlist@mcfeeley.cc.utexas.edu'"
      <vectorlist@mcfeeley.cc.utexas.edu>
cc: (bcc: Franklin Bowen/MD/CheckFree)
Subject: Star Wars Matrix errors...

Hi all,

Do any of you happen to know how to read Star Wars matrix errors? I
don't have a manual with me and am trying to remote-diagnose a sick CPU
board. Any ideas what:

> MATRIX ERRORS
>
> NNNF FNFN FFFF A FFFF
> NNNF FNNF FFFF B 0000
> NNNF FNNN FFFF C FFFF
> NNNF NFFF FFFF D FFFF
> NNNF NFNF FFFF E FFFF
>
Is pointing at?

-Clay
Received on Tue Jan 12 12:57:54 1999