Mushi BL now working, no help needed now!!

Strider77 · Post by **Strider77** » Wed Feb 18, 2009 4:59 am

I just got the board today in the mail and it didn't work right off. The lone LED on top would come on but it would go dim then bright back and forth with nothing happening on screen. Then it started to work after a bit.

But now while I was playing it it shut down. Now that main LED comes on, then the cluster of LEDs toward the jamma harness one LED comes and constantly flahes on and off.

If you have the PCB in hand with the jamma harness on top it's the right most LED.

EOJ · Post by **EOJ** » Wed Feb 18, 2009 5:06 am

Oh, that doesn't sound good. Sorry to hear that. Maybe something weird with the voltage of your supergun? What kind of supergun are you using? Is the JAMMA connector on the PCB clean? If you have other SH3 PCBs and they work fine, then it's something wrong with the PCB. In which case you're pretty much screwed. You can probably get it fixed, but it will cost you over $300 to do so (plus you need a contact in Japan to send it to CAVE).

Strider77 · Post by **Strider77** » Wed Feb 18, 2009 5:10 am

all the other PCBs work fine ect.

EOJ · Post by **EOJ** » Wed Feb 18, 2009 5:12 am

On my Futari BL PCB the LED next to the SH3 chip lights up for a few seconds, then two LEDS light up near the JAMMA connector (and stay lit for as long as I'm playing). None of them blink or flash, ever.

Strider77 · Post by **Strider77** » Wed Feb 18, 2009 5:17 am

Yeah this sucks in a big way, the only other thing i have ever dropped this much cash on is my car, but even that was split into 2 payments. This sucks so bad.

I looked over the board and it shows signs of repair. There are some areas with flux all around them. I have see no connections like these on ANY of my other 3 SH3 boards. I also notice a resister that is in a odd place and has lots of flux around it... not the same as any of the other boards.

EOJ · Post by **EOJ** » Wed Feb 18, 2009 5:24 am

You can try contacting Tops (www.tops-game.jp). They've acted as the middleman for me when I had to get a SH3 PCB fixed. It'll run you about $300, but it's better than having a $1000+ paperweight.

EOJ · Post by **EOJ** » Wed Feb 18, 2009 5:25 am

Strider77 wrote: I looked over the board and it shows signs of repair. There are some areas with flux all around them. I have see no connections like these on ANY of my other 3 SH3 boards. I also notice a resister that is in a odd place and has lots of flux around it... not the same as any of the other boards.

Could you take a picture of this?

Here's a pic of my MFBL PCB, for reference:

Strider77 · Post by **Strider77** » Wed Feb 18, 2009 5:55 am

EOJ · Post by **EOJ** » Wed Feb 18, 2009 5:58 am

That's normal. The back of my PCB looks exactly the same.

The earlier SH3 PCBs, like Ibara and Mushi, were on slightly different boards, and thus might not have this stuff that's on the later SH3 boards.

Strider77 · Post by **Strider77** » Wed Feb 18, 2009 6:01 am

the little red pointer shows the odd resistor. it has alot of flux and is also crooked.

odd thing is it will boot if left sitting on after a while.... sometimes.

EOJ · Post by **EOJ** » Wed Feb 18, 2009 6:05 am

Hmm. Well, it should be noted that ALL Futari BL PCBs had to have some chips reprogrammed, thus resoldered, as they are all reprogrammed Futari 1.0 or MMP PCBs. So this is likely what you see on your PCB. Maybe they didn't do a great job on yours though.

Strider77 · Post by **Strider77** » Wed Feb 18, 2009 6:43 am

Well I guess it has to be repaired then.

SinHo · Post by **SinHo** » Wed Feb 18, 2009 7:41 am

Sorry to hear that you have put up quit a lot of money for a non working PCB. But then I have to ask you, did you buy the game as working (stupid question, but quite important)? If so, you should first and foremost contact the seller.

Post by **system11** » Wed Feb 18, 2009 1:14 pm

I'd also try it on a different setup if you can, before you write it off.

emphatic · Post by **emphatic** » Wed Feb 18, 2009 2:21 pm

Tried going into the service menu and run a memory check? Also try to reset to default/factory settings. I don't know if a bad NVRAM will cause blinking LEDs, but I would try that if I were you.

majors · Post by **majors** » Wed Feb 18, 2009 4:09 pm

Strider77 wrote: odd thing is it will boot if left sitting on after a while.... sometimes.

Left on but not working, then later you reset it works? Like it needs to warm up? Or does it just magically boot up after 10 minutes. Maybe BL version are just too powerful for you Americans.

robivy64 · Post by **robivy64** » Wed Feb 18, 2009 5:25 pm

I doubt Cave desolders the flash to reprogram boards. I'm pretty certain they can reprogram boards via JTAG without physically modifying the board. That would be like going around the world just to cross the street. It would not make much sense.

EOJ · Post by **EOJ** » Wed Feb 18, 2009 6:00 pm

robivy64 wrote:I doubt Cave desolders the flash to reprogram boards. I'm pretty certain they can reprogram boards via JTAG without physically modifying the board.

They definitely desolder in order to reprogram boards. rtw mentions this on world-of-arcades.

robivy64 · Post by **robivy64** » Wed Feb 18, 2009 7:23 pm

That doesn't make the information correct. Nobody knows for certain, I just think it seems unlikely.

EOJ · Post by **EOJ** » Wed Feb 18, 2009 9:08 pm

I've had numerous SH3 boards serviced by CAVE to be upgraded to bug-fixed ROM versions. They always come back with chips that show clear signs of being resoldered. I don't know how much clearer it can get than that.

Strider77 · Post by **Strider77** » Thu Feb 19, 2009 12:44 am

I'd also try it on a different setup if you can, before you write it off.

I've tried it in 2 cabs and one supergun.

It will boot SOMETIMES after being left on, this is not always though and even then it will cut off after the boot. I have managed to beat it twice though.

Tried going into the service menu and run a memory check? Also try to reset to default/factory settings.

I did after the 1st time it came up and it said it was ok.... also is there a way to reset the settings without a boot up? What do the dips do?

emphatic · Post by **emphatic** » Thu Feb 19, 2009 1:25 am

Strider77 wrote:
Tried going into the service menu and run a memory check? Also try to reset to default/factory settings.
I did after the 1st time it came up and it said it was ok.... also is there a way to reset the settings without a boot up? What do the dips do?

I suppose the dips do nothing. So, if you power your board up and hold the service button, no service menu either? Just black nothingness?

Strider77 · Post by **Strider77** » Thu Feb 19, 2009 3:19 am

nothing.... the power LD comes on, then it goes off and the the 1st LED out of the cluster of 5 LEDS keeps blinking.

if I leave it on for along time it sometimes boots.

sven666 · Post by **sven666** » Thu Feb 19, 2009 12:46 pm

I SERIOUSLY hope that you have spoken to the seller already?

there is obviously something wrong with this board, if you bought it from a company i suggest you have them swap the PCB for a working one, if you bought it privatley you should start negotiating a refund!

Strider77 · Post by **Strider77** » Thu Feb 19, 2009 7:05 pm

he offered a refund, but I asked if I have it sent for repair and it's not fixable then I'd like a refund. then he told me the shop he got it from would probably fix or replace it for free, so i asked him to have it done and send it back.

no compromising at all. I think i should have it sent to cave for repair then have the repair bill split in half. this sounds fair to me.

Halloween Jack · Post by **Halloween Jack** » Thu Feb 19, 2009 7:27 pm

Strider77 wrote:he offered a refund, but I asked if I have it sent for repair and it's not fixable then I'd like a refund. then he told me the shop he got it from would probably fix or replace it for free, so i asked him to have it done and send it back.

no compromising at all. I think i should have it sent to cave for repair then have the repair bill split in half. this sounds fair to me.

Strider77, as I've already asked several times before - please send the kit back to me asap and I will provide a full refund, no problem at all.

The board has worked faultlessly on my Egret 2 for 3-months, with not a murmur of a problem.

If the PCB proves to be faulty, I will liaise with the vendor and arrange for repair or replacement - it is only 3-months old afterall.

The most important thing to me is to ensure that you are fully reimbursed, but I do need you to return the kit asap.

I cannot offer you any more than that.

Thanks

HJ

Halloween Jack · Post by **Halloween Jack** » Thu Feb 19, 2009 7:33 pm

sven666 wrote:I SERIOUSLY hope that you have spoken to the seller already?

there is obviously something wrong with this board, if you bought it from a company i suggest you have them swap the PCB for a working one, if you bought it privatley you should start negotiating a refund!

I think you've hit the nail on the head sven666, I can't ask the company to swap or repair the board, unless Strider77 agrees to send it back to me in return for a full refund.

I'm asking that Strider77 doesn't contact Cave directly, because it will compromise my ability to appeal to the company - particularly if it does transpire that the board is beyond economical repair.

HJ

SinHo · Post by **SinHo** » Thu Feb 19, 2009 7:43 pm

Halloween Jack wrote:
Strider77 wrote:he offered a refund, but I asked if I have it sent for repair and it's not fixable then I'd like a refund. then he told me the shop he got it from would probably fix or replace it for free, so i asked him to have it done and send it back.

no compromising at all. I think i should have it sent to cave for repair then have the repair bill split in half. this sounds fair to me.
Strider77, as I've already asked several times before - please send the kit back to me asap and I will provide a full refund, no problem at all.

The board has worked faultlessly on my Egret 2 for 3-months, with not a murmur of a problem.

If the PCB proves to be faulty, I will liaise with the vendor and arrange for repair or replacement - it is only 3-months old afterall.

The most important thing to me is to ensure that you are fully reimbursed, but I do need you to return the kit asap.

I cannot offer you any more than that.

Thanks

HJ

Sounds like the seller takes full responsibility for this, that is golden star in my book

caldwert · Post by **caldwert** » Fri Feb 20, 2009 12:48 am

I would try adjusting your voltage. I've seen some Cave boards work at voltages that nothing else requires. Same thing for Battle Bakraid.

Strider77 · Post by **Strider77** » Fri Feb 20, 2009 3:06 am

I have ESP Galuda 2, Ibara, Mushi 1, and several other cave boards and they don't have an issue with the voltage on my supergun.

I tried it in a US raiden fighters 2 cab then a japanese namco candy cab, all giving the same issue.

Would this rule out a voltage issue?