Spadgy's new CPS2 woes!

[spadgy]

Poor poor me! Well... kind of

I bought a working CPS2 game (A and B board for Japanese Progear) from a reputable a trustworthy seller I know to be decent. Anyway, when I finally got my Supergun the CPS2 didn't work. I blamed myself for separating the A and B board, assuming I'd damaged the A board.

So I got a second A board/Mobo, and still I have the same problem. When I turn on the power I just get a plain colour screen, fan whirring, nothing else. Basically as if just a A board on it's own is plugged in. So, some questions to help deduce the root of the problem.

1) With a working CPS2 and Supergun, when you plug in just the A board (No B board), do the A board's test and sound buttons make anything appear on screen? I ask as when I do this nothing happens. Could it be I have two faulty mobos?

2) When a B board (game board) suicides (I have been told it has many years left before it needs another battery change) how do you know?

3) Finally, is their a chance my supergun (Which works fine with Jamma games like Ibara) just won't work with CPS2? It is a Arcade Heaven supergun, identical to the Raven Games SGs I think. It's running through scart into a UK old-style back projection telly. The telly does both 50 and 60 hz.

Any advice or help? I WANNA PLAY PROGEAR!

[iatneH]

When you say plain coloured screen, what's the colour?

I had this problem with one of my superguns, with a black screen and whirring fan. I think my problem was that the power supply I used did not supply enough current, as I changed the power supply and now that particular gun works with CPS-2.

[Dave_K.]

I hope its a supergun problem, as that sounds exactly like a board which suicided (just a plain colored screen).

How do you know the battery had several years left? Did the previous owner recently change it?

[Ozymandiaz1260]

I have three different CPS2 boards that do that occasionally, and if I turn the cab off and smack the top of the board it fixes itself
You might give it a try.

[spadgy]

I hope its a supergun problem, as that sounds exactly like a board which suicided (just a plain colored screen).

How do you know the battery had several years left? Did the previous owner recently change it?

I do hope you're not right. It was only change in the last couple of years

[spadgy]

When you say plain coloured screen, what's the colour?

I had this problem with one of my superguns, with a black screen and whirring fan. I think my problem was that the power supply I used did not supply enough current, as I changed the power supply and now that particular gun works with CPS-2.

Weirdly, one mobo gives me a green screen, and the other a blue screen, without any RGB fiddling on my behalf!

[system11]

Check your +5v...

If it's not that, then test it on someone else's setup, but it does sound rather like a case of suicide.

Probably worth mentioning the decrypted ROMs for Progear are now out in the wild, but I'd be returning that board, you paid for it working and it (sounds like it) isn't.

[spadgy]

Check your +5v...

If it's not that, then test it on someone else's setup, but it does sound rather like a case of suicide.

Cheers bloodflowers...

So that would involve adjusting the power supply in the SG? Christ! Not sure how that works! I've been inside it before, so I'll at least check what v it is set to...

[system11]

With most Superguns you can't adjust them - especially ones using PC supplies which is why I always say people should use proper arcade supplies instead.

The absolute best solution though would be to find a friend locally with a cab. Edit: you're in London, I'm sure there's someone!

CPS2 games also have a strange resolution, if your TV is one with picture processing it could even be working fine but confusing the hell out of it (try inserting a credit about half a minute after turning it on, you'll hear if it's alive).

[spadgy]

Thanks again... it is a fairly cheap SG with what looks like a PC power supply...

I'll try tricking my TV too!

So... Any lovely locals in London, or East London particularly who could let me test my Progear on your SG? Any Casino regulars maybe? I'll buy you a beer, or even give you some new PS3 or 360 game I've blagged for work if I have one spare at the right time!

Actually, I'm off to play Street Fighter IV at Capcom HQ tomorrow for a press event. Maybe they can help!

[iatneH]

I thought power from PC PSUs should be quite clean and stable.... I was using a DVD player PSU in my supergun before which wasn't working with Progear, but it worked after I replaced it with a PC PSU.

But good idea about putting in the credits and starting gameplay to check the audio. I know I've done that before while testing my superguns but I didn't think of it this time.

[Skykid]

Spadgy, I dunno mate!

Sounds funny: which other boards have you run successfully on your gun?
Mine doesn't have an option to adjust the voltage (its pretty old) but it runs progear ok. Mine doesn't support -5 volts on the 5th Jamma connect thos, so no sound on Rastan etc.

I'm going to be in London on the Easter weekend - If you can't get a fix by then I can help you out by lugging my supergun down from Brighton for you (you can buy me a beer!) but I'd need to find out if we could go to CEX to use a TV to test it with. I can ask Rupert if he's working on the day.
At least then we'll be able to establish if the game actually works

Let me know how you get on in the meantime.

[Ozymandiaz1260]

Do you not have any friends with CPS2 boards that you can borrow to see if your SG works with them?

[spadgy]

Do you not have any friends with CPS2 boards that you can borrow to see if your SG works with them?

I don't have any friends with anything arcade like! Getting there now I frequenting Casino more and more though.

Sky Kid... Can you guess where I am Easter Weekend? Down Brighton way!

Thanks though mate. The offer is truly appreciated!

[Ozymandiaz1260]

Getting there now I frequenting Casino more and more though.

Do you know the management there? Maybe they'd let you bring your board in and test it on one of their cabs if you asked really nicely...

Also, I was being serious when I said give it a little smack, it really does work for me. I don't know if I have something loose in my boards or what...

[Ex-Cyber]

I thought power from PC PSUs should be quite clean and stable....

That's not necessarily the issue. Most modern PC PSUs are built to handle tons of current on the 12V rail(s) and relatively little on the 5V or 3.3V rails, because the major power-hungry components in a modern PC have their own regulators that typically take 12V. Older hardware in general (whether it be an arcade PCB, PC, etc) is more likely to draw a lot directly from 5V or 3.3V.

[Skykid]

Sky Kid... Can you guess where I am Easter Weekend? Down Brighton way!

Boy, that's awful timing! lol!

I'm definitely down in London from the Friday through til the monday night. If you're around Tuesday morning still, you're welcome to come over and we'll set it up at my place?

[tyranid]

Well if you have access to an EPROM burner you could always burn the suicide tester as it does sound most like suicide but you would have to be pretty unlucky for it to go twice. If I happen to be down in London sometime soon I could always drag down a known working A/B board but as I live an hour away on the train I doubt it will be soon

[spadgy]

Fixed!

I got in Phoenixed, and it works.

It was clearly suicide all along!

[ASK]

Fixed!

I got in Phoenixed, and it works.

It was clearly suicide all along!

Clocking in at 1 year, 8 months. Did you just get it fixed now?