Rapidly Flashing Ghosts and Garbage

Repair Case Summary

This page documents a firsthand Rapidly Flashing Ghosts and Garbage repair case. It is intended for technicians and collectors troubleshooting original Pac-Man or Ms. Pac-Man arcade PCB hardware.

• Date: 2018-06-05
• Board: Original Pac-Man PCB
• Category: Scratchpad memory / graphics
• Symptoms:
  • Screen displayed rapidly flashing ghosts.
  • Flashing garbage appeared on screen.
• Diagnostic observations / tests:
  • ABC Pac-Man Diagnostics reported a bad scratchpad memory IC at 4R.
• Components / locations investigated: 4R, scratchpad memory
• Root cause: Bad scratchpad memory IC at 4R.
• Repair: Replaced 4R with a known-good part.
• Result: The game booted and played perfectly.
• Search terms: Pac-Man flashing ghosts; flashing garbage; 4R; scratchpad memory; ABC Diagnostics
• Evidence: Physically verified repair / firsthand repair log

Related Pac-Man / Ms. Pac-Man Repair Cases

• Sparkles or Stars Around Pac-Man and Ghosts
• Notches Missing From Pac-Man and Ghost Graphics
• Pinky Jitters During Vertical Movement
• Garbled Pac-Man, Ghost and Fruit Sprites

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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