Suicided Alien syndrome - Fixable?

low.blow

n00b
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Nov 22, 2006
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A friend's Alien Syndrome died. How hard is it to fix? Can the cpu/encryption chip be replaced with a cracked one?
 

Pas

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Mar 4, 2007
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You just have to replace the encrypted roms with unencrypted roms (epr10806, 10807, 10808, 10809) and then replace the epoxy covered 68000 chip (unless you have one of the rare ones with the z80 as the epoxy block...then replace it instead).

Easy work if you have roms, a rom burner, and a 68000 chip sitting around. I have been waiting to get my hands on an alien syndrome board...if they happen to want to sell it rather than fix it let me know.
 

werejag

Galford's Poppy Trainer
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never worked on one but it could be interesting to do
 

Pas

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They are prity simple...last one I worked on everything was socketed...just burn a few roms and take them in and out. I have seen a few System16 boards that had the cpus soldered in though which would make it a little more interesting...but not much.
 

Pas

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werejag said:
the z80 cpu /68000 chip can be reprogramed?

No you just replace it with a normal (non custom) one and it works with the decrypted roms. I still have one 68000 chip left over from my scavanging days but I am keeping it around just in case I ever find an alien syndrome board of my own. There was also a pre-system16 version of alien syndrome without encrypted roms or a suicide battery...but finding one of those is prity tough anymore...at least on the CPS suicide battery it wasnt epoxied into a chip setup which ment you could change it....the system 16 stuff, well once its gone you can "repair" it with a new cpu (either sound or main) and some roms but you cant just replace the battery to make it simple. The Z80 ones are nice in a way though because even if the battery dies you can still play it until you find another cpu or get around to repairing it as everything but the sound will work.
 

low.blow

n00b
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Nov 22, 2006
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21
Thanks for the info Pas. I'll ask him what he wants to do. At least it's not a total loss! Werejag, I'll pm you if he wants to try and get it fixed. Thanks all.
 

werejag

Galford's Poppy Trainer
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never done one before but i have the skills. ill have to do some research on what roms to get images of.
 

Pas

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werejag said:
never done one before but i have the skills. ill have to do some research on what roms to get images of.

No need to research...the roms that need replacing are in my post above...there are four of them that are encrypted. Here is a zip with the needed files to make it really easy for you. And you will need a 10 MHz MC68000 chip to replace the CPU.
 

werejag

Galford's Poppy Trainer
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May 3, 2005
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2,626
well im all set now i see. i cant wait to fix it. so ill have some experience with this board type after that.

love learning new boards
 
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