Disaster! Characters pull left on ColecoVision with official controllers!

[Jess Ragan]

Shortly after installing an A/V mod on my ColecoVision, I discovered that characters were pulling left in the games Gradius and Penguin Adventure. This only happens with official controllers, like the stock joystick and the Super Action controller. When I use a Sega Genesis controller this is no longer a problem, but without a second fire button or a numeric keypad, it also limits what I can do with this system.

 

I've heard that this is generally an issue with two I/O chips on the ColecoVision motherboard. The chips are easily shorted out, causing issues with controllers. I had similar issues ten years ago when playtesting an Opcode game and finding that the second controller wouldn't function properly. Nothing I tried would fix it, so one has to assume that the I/O chip on that machine was damaged, too.

 

Personally, I'd just chuck the stock controllers in a pit and switch to Genesis controllers exclusively, but without a keypad, that's not really feasible... and if the I/O chips are damaged, there's a good chance those will eventually stop working, too. Is replacing those chips likely to fix the problems I'm having, or could there be other issues I haven't considered? Also, is the chip swap easy to do? I've heard it can be made easier by clipping the legs and desoldering each one... what tools would I need to do this without damaging the PCB?

 

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.

[+-^CrossBow^-]

On 6/23/2024 at 9:15 PM, Jess Ragan said:

Shortly after installing an A/V mod on my ColecoVision, I discovered that characters were pulling left in the games Gradius and Penguin Adventure. This only happens with official controllers, like the stock joystick and the Super Action controller. When I use a Sega Genesis controller this is no longer a problem, but without a second fire button or a numeric keypad, it also limits what I can do with this system.

 

I've heard that this is generally an issue with two I/O chips on the ColecoVision motherboard. The chips are easily shorted out, causing issues with controllers. I had similar issues ten years ago when playtesting an Opcode game and finding that the second controller wouldn't function properly. Nothing I tried would fix it, so one has to assume that the I/O chip on that machine was damaged, too.

 

Personally, I'd just chuck the stock controllers in a pit and switch to Genesis controllers exclusively, but without a keypad, that's not really feasible... and if the I/O chips are damaged, there's a good chance those will eventually stop working, too. Is replacing those chips likely to fix the problems I'm having, or could there be other issues I haven't considered? Also, is the chip swap easy to do? I've heard it can be made easier by clipping the legs and desoldering each one... what tools would I need to do this without damaging the PCB?

 

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.

I only just now saw this. It is quite possible that the controller ICs are the issue. They aren't terribly difficult to replace if you are handy with a soldering iron and have a good desoldering pump for use. The replacement chips can be gotten in kits that come with replacement sockets as well so that in the future, the chips can be replaced out much easier if needed. Additionally. to help mitigate issues with the ICs due to ESD, I would invest is a set of @Ruggers Customs ESD protection boards that you solder to the bottom of the controller port pins.

 

https://console5.com/store/colecovision-controller-chip-repair-kit.html

 

And for extra protection, you can order the ESD protection pcbs to solder to the ports from there as well:

https://console5.com/store/anti-static-d9-joystick-port-esd-set-pair-of-2-static-protection-add-on-pcb.html 

[Jess Ragan]

That's... involved. Plus circuitry can be tough to work with when it's forty years old. I had a ColecoVision prior to this and the chips were practically fossilized to the PCB.

 

I don't know, maybe I'll order this stuff anyway, if it's not too expensive. I don't think the controller chips were, if I recall.

[+-^CrossBow^-]

Applying some fresh solder before trying to remove helps a lot on removal here. You are correct in that over time the solder oxidizes and really stays put on these boards. But again, some fresh heat and mixing in with some new solder helps with this. 

 

I'm guessing you didn't check the links? The cost of the controller IC replacement kit is about $3.30 plus shipping (Shipping would cost more than the kit in this case)

The cost of the ESD protection boards for a set is about $10 + shipping. 

 

 

[CPUWIZ]

8 minutes ago, -^CrossBow^- said:

Applying some fresh solder before trying to remove helps a lot on removal here. You are correct in that over time the solder oxidizes and really stays put on these boards. But again, some fresh heat and mixing in with some new solder helps with this. 

 

I'm guessing you didn't check the links? The cost of the controller IC replacement kit is about $3.30 plus shipping (Shipping would cost more than the kit in this case)

The cost of the ESD protection boards for a set is about $10 + shipping. 

 

 

 

Take a look at ChipQuik, they have a desoldering alloy that stays hotter longer than solder, it is pure magic!  

 

[+-^CrossBow^-]

1 minute ago, CPUWIZ said:

 

Take a look at ChipQuik, they have a desoldering alloy that stays hotter longer than solder, it is pure magic!  

 

I've seen folks use this but I've also heard that you have to make sure you remove all of the old chipquik and solder mix off the board because if you don't, it can actually start to become corrosive? I've never used the stuff myself as fresh solder and my Hakko 300 have always done a more than decent job for me at removing solder off system board components and ICs.

 

[CPUWIZ]

3 minutes ago, -^CrossBow^- said:

I've seen folks use this but I've also heard that you have to make sure you remove all of the old chipquik and solder mix off the board because if you don't, it can actually start to become corrosive? I've never used the stuff myself as fresh solder and my Hakko 300 have always done a more than decent job for me at removing solder off system board components and ICs.

 

 

Solder wick, if there is any left, I also have a 808 and a FR300, a lot of people don't dish out that kind of money. 👍  Still, if you want to remove SMD components, the FR300 isn't going to help you much, at least I can't do it. LOL. My heat stations do a decent job, but with this stuff it is much easier, I find even on DIP parts that are pretty crusty as it cooks the pins just enough.

 

Try one of those mini kits, their flux is pretty good as well.

[CPUWIZ]

Maybe I just broke one too many POKEY legs. 

[+-^CrossBow^-]

On 6/23/2024 at 9:15 PM, Jess Ragan said:

Shortly after installing an A/V mod on my ColecoVision, I discovered that characters were pulling left in the games Gradius and Penguin Adventure. This only happens with official controllers, like the stock joystick and the Super Action controller. When I use a Sega Genesis controller this is no longer a problem, but without a second fire button or a numeric keypad, it also limits what I can do with this system.

 

I've heard that this is generally an issue with two I/O chips on the ColecoVision motherboard. The chips are easily shorted out, causing issues with controllers. I had similar issues ten years ago when playtesting an Opcode game and finding that the second controller wouldn't function properly. Nothing I tried would fix it, so one has to assume that the I/O chip on that machine was damaged, too.

 

Personally, I'd just chuck the stock controllers in a pit and switch to Genesis controllers exclusively, but without a keypad, that's not really feasible... and if the I/O chips are damaged, there's a good chance those will eventually stop working, too. Is replacing those chips likely to fix the problems I'm having, or could there be other issues I haven't considered? Also, is the chip swap easy to do? I've heard it can be made easier by clipping the legs and desoldering each one... what tools would I need to do this without damaging the PCB?

 

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.

Not sure if it is the same issue you are having, but I just saw this post talking about a similar issue with characters not controller properly and they have a noticed broken resistor array near their port 1. Can you visually inspect yours to see if it might have a crack similar to the one in the post?

 

 

[Jess Ragan]

I'll look at it the next time I open my ColecoVision.

[Jess Ragan]

Finally replaced the two controller chips, after ordering replacement 20 pin sockets for the one that threw a pin. I have no idea if it'll work, but I'll have to put the composite video jacks back in place before I can know for sure. What a long, strange, deeply annoying trip it's been!

[Jess Ragan]

Now my ColecoVision won't run Super Game Module games. They freeze during the ColecoVision introduction, and I'm at a loss as to why. Are the controller ports connected to the expansion port? That might explain a thing or three.