Dead Board With BAD ROM 0 in Test Mode

Repair Case Summary

This page documents a firsthand Dead Board With BAD ROM 0 in Test Mode repair case. It is intended for technicians and collectors troubleshooting original Pac-Man or Ms. Pac-Man arcade PCB hardware.

• Date: 2017-04-07
• Board: Original Pac-Man PCB
• Category: Boot failure / program ROMs
• Symptoms:
  • Board completely dead on boot.
  • Blank screen and no sound.
  • Test mode displayed “Bad Rom 0”.
• Diagnostic observations / tests:
  • The ROM set in the 6E row was a mix-and-match set.
• Components / locations investigated: 6E program ROM row
• Root cause: Fault in the mixed ROM set in the 6E program-ROM row.
• Repair: Replaced the mix-and-match ROMs with a good set of freshly burned ROMs.
• Result: The board booted normally.
• Search terms: Pac-Man dead board; blank screen; no sound; Bad Rom 0; BAD ROM 0; 6E; program ROM; boot failure
• Evidence: Physically verified repair / firsthand repair log

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How to Use This Repair Record

This is a firsthand physical repair case. The same symptom on another Pac-Man or Ms. Pac-Man PCB can have a different electrical cause. Use the documented diagnostic observations and tests to guide troubleshooting rather than replacing a component solely because it repaired this board.

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