Coleco Adam keyboard and printer issue.

[Glen's Retro Show]

My Coleco Adam works in CV and Adam mode. 2 issues however.

1. Printer head keeps banging to tbe left. I stopped his for now but pulling the powee to the drive head motor..

2. Keyboard gives red power light..but not 1 key works on the keyboard..

 

Any ideas?

Thanks everyone

[NIAD]

The printer head constantly "banging" to the side means that the system has lost track of the print head position. The usual culprit is the micro switch on the left inside of the printer case that the print head contacts to let the system know where it is. So with the power off, pop the lid off, slid the print head all the way to the right to give yourself room to clean the micro switch with De-oxit or 90% + Isoprophyl Alcohol. Sometimes the thin metal that the print head makes contact with is bent from age and you need to gently bend it back into place. If this doesn't fix the issue, follow the wire(s) from this switch to were they join other wires and plug into the controller board, looking for frays or crimps.

 

Try plugging the keyboard cable into the left side Adamnet Port under the system power connector OR try another Adamnet cable.

 

If these remedies don't work, it's probably an issue with the controller boards in each device.

[Glen's Retro Show]

Thanks, i saw the microswitch..will give a clean.

 

I,hear one can make,a,keyboard cable..i will have a look around and look for pinouts

 

Thank you sir

[Milli V]

Here is the keyboard information

 

http://smartbasic.net/2015/11/24/replacement-adam-keyboard-cable/

 

Thanks, i saw the microswitch..will give a clean.

I,hear one can make,a,keyboard cable..i will have a look around and look for pinouts

Thank you sir

[Glen's Retro Show]

I think I found the issue I got the keyboard to work a little bit I dismantled the Adam computer took out the ColecoVision board cleaned it up took out the Adam board cleaned it up pulled out the chips clean the sockets put it back in and the machine's acting weirder than before and if I play with the connector that attaches the coleco Adam motherboard to the ColecoVision motherboard I can get some things to work on that not I must have a bad connection here I'm trying to clean the contacts right now

[Glen's Retro Show]

Have the ColecoVision part working again playing with the ground wire near the video 5 pin din and the large black connector that connects the two motherboards together the atom itself if I get to that mode still doesn't accept key presses I have a feeling it's not the keyboard maybe it's some grounding issue somewhere

[Milli V]

Have the ColecoVision part working again playing with the ground wire near the video 5 pin din and the large black connector that connects the two motherboards together the atom itself if I get to that mode still doesn't accept key presses I have a feeling it's not the keyboard maybe it's some grounding issue somewhere

 

Try:

 

1. look at keyboard plug and computer plug, make sure none of the wires are crossed or bent out of place

 

2. plug keyboard in left side to adam net - eliminate the possibility of bad front connector.

[Glen's Retro Show]

Yes i tried both adamnet ports...snd pins ok. Now isnt the joystick used as a numberpad.. Both work in cv mode..nothing in adam mode..maybe adam mb issue? Ground? Mb interface cable?

[NIAD]

I,hear one can make,a,keyboard cable..i will have a look around and look for pinouts

The ADAMnet Cable is really just a standard phone cord that you can buy anywhere... but it's Reversed / Twisted instead of Straight through. So what you are looking for is an RJ12 6 CONDUCTOR REVERSED/TWISTED cord. I provided a link to a cable wholesaler for an example of what's available and pricing. I am not sure of the maximum length that you can use, but I alwats stuck with 7' or less.

 

http://www.showmecables.com/category/Telephone-Line-Cords.aspx?q=&pg=1&ps=15&fq={attr_type1_sm:RJ12}&fq={attr_pinout_sm:Reverse}

[NIAD]

Yes i tried both adamnet ports...snd pins ok. Now isnt the joystick used as a numberpad.. Both work in cv mode..nothing in adam mode..maybe adam mb issue? Ground? Mb interface cable?

Could all be signs of a dying ADAM Logic Board... I hope this is not the case.

 

Yes, the keypad on the controller(s) can be used as a numeric keypad for some of the Coleco apps such as SmartWRITER.

[Glen's Retro Show]

Crap..i hope not

[Milli V]

Crap..i hope not

Well I am selling a very nice one

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/222150790446?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

[Glen's Retro Show]

Yes, looks very nice but would love to save this guy

[Glen's Retro Show]

Okay I downloaded from Atari age website Ackley Co Adam test ROM and the keyboard does work it doesn't work however when in the typewriter mode if there's a problem with the printer itself will it not type on the screen? And since the keyboard doesn't work I can't even say that the word processor mode but in the test cartridge the video and audio tested perfectly the ram tested perfectly test ROMs work perfectly and the keyboard work perfectly the printer right now itself I know it does not work I need to disassemble it just weird the keyboard is working perfectly fine it's just not working in the word processor or the typewriter mode

[NIAD]

That is some very good new.... as far as for the Memory Console and the Keyboard.

 

The Printer is the issue with all your ills with the system. If the Printer can not complete the startup procedure, this causes all kinds of conflicts with the recognition of OTHER Adamnet devices like the Keyboard.as well as with the proper loading into memory of the Electronic Typewriter Mode/SmartWriter.

 

The reason the Adam Test Cart works with recognizing the Keyboard, etc. Is because the polling of the Adamnet devices (in this case the Printer) does not cause the system to hang because pulling the Cartridge Reset loads in the ColecoVision BIOS (called OS7) and the Adam Test Utility cart ignores errors at starup.

 

So hopefully you can fix the Printer and if not, you can remove all the connections between the Power Supply and the Printer Logic Board in the Printer and just use it as a system power supply. You will lose the ability the print things out, but that's a small price to pay for an otherwise function system.

[Glen's Retro Show]

Great..this is what i thought..so thank,you..yes disassembled the printer..cleaning rhe left aide switch..was covered in gunk.. Morad there's a thin black plastic covering that goes all the way across the roller right under the printhead somehow it must have melted and glued itself to the actual paper roller took some time but I was able to peel it off and now the paper roller Canal flow freely I think once I finish cleaning this micro switch the printer I think it's going to fire up OK and then if what you said is correct if you do it up properly now and I'll be able to get into the word processor I'll post pictures a little bit later the whole machine was very dirty but after complete disassembly Dawn soap and Magic Eraser the thing looks almost brand new almost no yelling not even sure I'll bother with a retrobrite more so because I know it could damage the metal labels in fact I was able to save all the paper ones except for under the keyboard that when I tried to remove and that one stuck better than I thought and it tore but did take a photograph of it first so I can always print up a copy thanks everyone for your help

[Milli V]

because I know it could damage the metal labels in fact I was able to save all the paper ones except for under the keyboard that when I tried to remove and that one stuck better than I thought and it tore but did take a photograph of it first so I can always print up a copy thanks everyone for your help

 

You can remove the labels with a hair dryer and patience - On FaceBook I have some pix on how this is done:

 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/115531017844/

[+lawdawg710]

Are there any replacement labels either made by someone here or maybe some originals? I have tried to look and couldnt fine any!!!

[NIAD]

Are there any replacement labels either made by someone here or maybe some originals? I have tried to look and couldnt fine any!!!

Send PBoland a PM wirh your requests/needs.

[+lawdawg710]

NIAD, ty I will do that!!!