C64 Reloaded MkII: Bluescreen with no text/cursor, with cart the title screen shows and then it crashes.

karaokeninja · 11. April 2018

Hi folks,

Similar to C64 reloaded mk2 board--no text at all I bought a C-64 Reloaded Mk II and when I boot it it goes to a blue screen with border, no text, no cursor. If I put in a cartridge and boot it, it loads the title screen and then crashes to a wall of scrambled text.

I have verified that my VIC-II chip, both CIA chips, and the SID chip are definitely good. I tested them by putting them into my working known good vintage C-64 one by one. The only thing I cannot test for is the CPU, as the CPU is not socketed on my vintage C-64 and I am unwilling to risk damaging a good working C-64 by desoldering the CPU and soldering in a new one.

Using Tera Term I can connect just fine and it successfully identifies all the chips. I ran the memory test and it passed all of them. I tried forcing 60 hz as I am in the US, with an NTSC TV, and using NTSC C-64 chips exclusively. The behavior (blue screen/crashes at title) remains the same.

For the record, I tried it with a single SID as well and saw the same thing.

I used the c64r_mk2_tool.exe tool to successfully update the firmware and the behavior (blue screen/crashes at title) remains the same.

Is it possible that this behavior is a result of a bad CPU? In this youtube video

[Externes Medium: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-GyorqBZIg&t=2s]

, the person who made the video said the blue screen was a result of bad CIA chips. But, again, my CIA chips are definitely good as they work flawlessly on my vintage C-64.

I've attached some pictures showing all this. I also made a video of the behavior I'm seeing and uploaded it to youtube:

[Externes Medium: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1m4NsTYjzA]

Can anyone provide any help?

Thank you!

Shodan · 11. April 2018

In the past my vintage C64 shows the same behavior. The were contact problems with the Kernalsocket ( 901227 ). The pins in the sockets were bent.

I dont think so, that your problem is an faulty CIA-Chip.

dukestah · 11. April 2018

In your video, both CIAs are positioned in the wrong direction.

rayden · 11. April 2018

Indeed, CIAs are both facing in the wrong direction: the notch needs to point to the lever.
Do your CIAs still work flawlessly in your vintage machine?

karaokeninja · 11. April 2018

Hi folks! Thanks so much for your help! I tried the CIAs in my vintage working C-64 and they both worked without a problem. I put them back in the C-64 Reloaded Mk2 in the other orientation like you suggested and that solved the problem! Thank you so much! What I don't understand is why the chips are not in the same orientation they are in the original C-64 and why the image in the C64 Reloaded Mk2 User Guide has the text oriented in a way that suggests the chips are supposed to be the way I had them in there originally. Nonetheless, my C64 Reloaded Mk II works perfectly now. Thank you again!

rayden · 11. April 2018

Great to hear from you that your C64 Reloaded MK II is working perfectly now

But the credit goes to dukestah alone. dukestah: well spotted

dukestah · 12. April 2018

Zitat von karaokeninja

why the image in the C64 Reloaded Mk2 User Guide has the text oriented in a way that suggests the chips are supposed to be the way I had them in there originally.

well, it's a trap and it just kind of jumped at me because I dislike having the label on the IC upside down, but never trust the label anyway, stick to the notch as orientation only, except for one single instance when Commodore produced a batch of SIDs using the wrong orientation

Zitat von rayden

But the credit goes to dukestah alone. dukestah: well spotted

thanks for the flowers

karaokeninja · 12. April 2018

Fair enough, dukestah! Good advice on the label.

And yes, dukestah, thank you again for solving my problem!