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

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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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