Closed New board: The VIC-II² - PAL/NTSC switch board for Commodore 64

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I need to replace some of the round pin headers on my mod as I clumsily managed to break some when removing the mod to check something. Could you let me know the part numbers for the male pin headers and the female sockets so that I can order some replacements. Thanks :)
 
Oh, those headers...

Oh, those headers...

I need to replace some of the round pin headers on my mod as I clumsily managed to break some when removing the mod to check something. Could you let me know the part numbers for the male pin headers and the female sockets so that I can order some replacements. Thanks :)

Yes, those headers are GREAT for more cleanly fitting into a variety of sockets, but since they are machined rather than cast, they are less forgiving after being bent. Looks like Peri gave you a link that should get you replacements, but a quick note that it's probably better to SNIP the old headers off and THEN de-solder the remaining post... that way you don't have to pump so much heat into the old C64 PCB, which can lead to delamination of the pads and traces.

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I have just substituted the relay for another, just the relay connected to those TP, and it works! Thank you! :D

Finally I found it slightly cheaper to buy the replacement from Digi-Key than from Mouser -at least from by location. I also checked Farnell, eBay and RS-Amidata, and found Digi-Key was the best option (Pole retailer TME is even cheaper, but they are out of stock for this product).

Again, thank you for this board, it's great :D

Glad you got resolution on this! It's rare those relays have issues, but they can. In terms of sourcing from DigiKey rather than Mouser, yes that is always a challenge when developing an easy-to-follow Bill of Materials. Many people prefer the one-stop-shop for the bulk of the parts, but for those who know how to shop around for better deals, kudos!

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Hey, for those in this thread who HAVE completed and installed the VIC-II Squared, knowing what you know now, how would you answer the following questions:


  • If a pre-built VIC-II Squared existed, would you have purchased it instead, even though it still meant you would have to modify you C64 motherboard?
  • Did you install Lumifix? Was it useful?
  • How much did having an external toggle switch bother you? What would you prefer instead?
  • How often do you actually USE the VIC-II Squared to run/play "foreign" format games or demos?

- Sean
 
Hey, for those in this thread who HAVE completed and installed the VIC-II Squared, knowing what you know now, how would you answer the following questions:


  • If a pre-built VIC-II Squared existed, would you have purchased it instead, even though it still meant you would have to modify you C64 motherboard?
  • Did you install Lumifix? Was it useful?
  • How much did having an external toggle switch bother you? What would you prefer instead?
  • How often do you actually USE the VIC-II Squared to run/play "foreign" format games or demos?

1: I probably still would've bought the kit. It wasn't all that hard to assemble and having a desoldering gun made the process nearly painless.
2: I installed it and wound up putting it to work immediately as I had very nasty jailbars after I finished my install. The jailbars also weren't helped by the fact that I got a 6569R1 which isn't the best VIC-II revision out there.
3: It didn't really bother me, though I would've preferred a lower profile switch rather than a big toggle switch. My breadbin already had S-video and dual mono audio jacks installed so adding another hole wasn't a big deal.
4: It's opened up a whole new world for me as I can now finally play PAL C64 games the way they were intended. I leave my breadbin set to PAL mode most of the time now, and I'm even considering modding my 64C to be a PAL-only system because of this experience.
 
I made a mistake and followed the directions on the video for my 250425 board, the guide wasn't listed on the video directly so I clipped the power to the wrong pins (which I found out later).

When plugging it in the first time I heard the buzzing of the relays. I unplugged immediately and checked my wiring work. I rewired my plug to see if that was the issue. It wasn't. I went and decided to dig deeper, finally getting to this forum post.

Once I put the clips on the right switch pins I put the board back in and turned it on. Black screen.

I checked that all the connections from the external board were connected to the C64 motherboard, no problems there. Once I confirmed that I swapped out the board for the original NTSC VIC-II and the original crystal. Powered on fine.

My assumption is I fried a relay by following the video. How do I verify if the relay is truly dead?

I have attached pictures of the board for anyone interested in seeing the board itself. I don't think I did anything wrong with it but I could be mistaken.

Thanks!

P.S. You'll also notice the pins for the 40-pin are not the original - I sadly soldered that one to the wrong spot on the motherboard and had to remove it. I replaced it with ones I had available. They make contact so that isn't an issue.
 

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Hi Chris, you don’t mention which mode gave a black screen. I’ll assume both.

If only PAL didn’t work it’s possible your monitor doesn’t support PAL or your PAL VIC-II chip may be faulty.

If neither mode work:

It’s unlikely the relays are fried as they are quite robust, but anything is possible. This is the product if you want to try replacements. https://www.mouser.co.uk/ProductDetail/653-G6SU-2DC5

You may have snapped off the PAL/NTSC switching legs. There's more than just the VIC and the crystal needed to make it all work of course.

I hope these ideas get you up and running. Best of luck!
 
Both are black screen when I switch, so this is why I doubt its the chips. As far as the switching legs, they path correctly from the blue board to the C64.

I can desolder the crystal and test the PAL chip as well and ensure it still works.

What else could I have damaged by putting the leads on the wrong voltage (I assume 9V AC)? This way I can better troubleshoot.

Thanks!
 
New board: The VIC-II² - PAL/NTSC switch board for Commodore 64

See my penultimate paragraph above.

From what you have said I agree it is not likely to be the vic chips.

I am going to bet that it is a wiring or connection issue either on the VIC-II² or where it connects to the motherboard. Triplecheck absolutely everything.

And as I said I can’t rule out relays as being faulty, it is just unlikely. If your above checking results in nothing then perhaps try new relays.

Good luck!
 
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Just a curious thought, was there a revision to the blue board? I know some of the VIA holes (for like the crystals and a few other items) are very tiny, not the normal VIA size. I am going to concentrate my efforts that way next.
 
K, I checked both chips and both crystals, they are fine. This leads me to believe the lumafix chip is bad, maybe one of the caps or pots? Just black screen however I switch it. Do you think the pots for lumafix are too low and I need to crank them up?

Do you have a board schematic or map that I can follow to trace each with my meter to see where each goes? Thanks!
 
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New board: The VIC-II² - PAL/NTSC switch board for Commodore 64

I believe the board should still work even if Lumafix is bad. However if you simply remove the entire Lumafix circuit you can test that has it isn’t required for the board to operate. It’s optional.

If you haven’t turned the trim pots yet then you’re definitely doing it wrong [emoji6] they should always be adjusted as they aren’t factory configured for C64.

Schematics are at http://perifractic.com/shop

If you wish to try replacement for suspected blown chip: https://www.mouser.co.uk/ProductDetail/Texas-Instruments/SN74LS14N/?qs=fvkeCqCHl3BcDzVDMymKLg==

Edit: I still have a hunch your issue is in where the PCB connects to the C64. Those pins can be hard to get into the headers and hard to see to be sure they’re in place.
 
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I will use the schematic to diagnose the issue. Thank you! I will tune the trim pots as well.

Just in case you are right, do you have the link for the pins you used for the board itself? I saw the link you had for the female pins for the C64 but not the male equivalent. Thanks!
 
Oh I didn't see that, awesome! Ordered, gets here tomorrow. Going to continuity test the board the entire way and see if anything is borked.

You think there would be an issue if I powered this on my bench with 5v DC (away from the Commodore) to test the switching states?

Thanks!
 
Good Evening,

I am interested in buying 2 ready to go boards (250425/250466 motherboard version). Thank you :)

Hi Kevin, we don't provide ready made boards only kits, and these are linked in the first post. Maybe someone here can help you out and manufacture them for you. Good luck!
 
So I recently bought two switch kits and happy to say that my meh skills was enough to get both kits together in working order.
4ROSux9.jpg LR5R3H2.jpg
Since I had replaced the RF Modulator with the replacement one that Commodore4ever sells, I used the hole that was for the RF channel select switch.
 
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