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Static Garbage Screen Caused by Z80 Socket
Repair Case Summary
This page documents a firsthand Static Garbage Screen Caused by Z80 Socket 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 / CPU socket
- Symptoms:
- Screen full of static garbage.
- Board would not boot.
- Pressing on the Z80 caused the garbage to shift and clear momentarily.
- Diagnostic observations / tests:
- A known-good Z80 processor was installed, making the original Z80 socket suspect.
- Components / locations investigated: Z80 processor socket
- Root cause: Faulty original Z80 socket.
- Repair: Soldered a new Z80 socket onto the PCB.
- Result: The board booted normally.
- Search terms: Pac-Man garbage screen; static garbage; Z80 socket; pressing Z80 changes screen; CPU socket; no boot
- Evidence: Physically verified repair / firsthand repair log
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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