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mogwai
Account closed
Registered: Mar 2005
Posts: 5 |
SID burn protection
I am planning to build a SID protection card in order to prevent more SIDs for travelling to silicon heaven.
goto80 and I was discussing the problem and he asked me to build something for him since he was burning so many SIDs during his performances.
Anyway, the reason for posting this topic in this forum is that I need as much information as possible regarding what is causing the problem. So I was wondering if you could give your stories about when you toasted your SIDs.
My guess is that it is caused by ESD. Since the C64 design is using a serial resistor connected to a transistor follower design on the audio output it is probably not caused by excessive current so my only theory right now is ESD when connecting the audio. However it is only a theory and I need as much input as possible.
If you have any nighttime horror stories about the time when your SID passed away, then please tell me. I need as much detailed info as possible regarding what you did, which cables were connected, to what, in what order or if you didn't do anything and it was just dead one morning etc.
Looking forward to your stories.
P.S. Sorry, accidentally placed the question on the coding forum. Don't know how to remove it. Reposting under general discussions.
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Frantic
Registered: Mar 2003
Posts: 1646 |
In my case fried SIDs was always an effect of fiddling with the audio out/video port. There have been no instances of fried SIDs while simply using a machine.
Perhaps no news really, but still..
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ready.
Registered: Feb 2003
Posts: 441 |
Googling I found this:
http://www.goldmine-elec-products.com/prodinfo.asp?number=G15396
I ordered some pcs. As soon as I test them I'll post the results here.
Also it would be interesting to read what GOTO80 did to kill all those SIDs. Other big SID killers around?
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Frantic
Registered: Mar 2003
Posts: 1646 |
Well, mr Goto played live a lot and thus connected/disconnected the video port cable a zillion times, connecting it to all kinds of soundsystems. |
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linde
Registered: Jul 2006
Posts: 47 |
alih, how exactly did you do it? I've been too paranoid about breaking the SID to connect my 64 to anything else than the TV so far, but this seems like a good solution. |
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Oswald
Registered: Apr 2002
Posts: 5086 |
back in the days been connecting my c64 to our amplifier with a pair if wires, plugging their plain metal ends into the pins through the din connectors at both ends for ~3 years. (so I could rock turbo outroun, and etc. on the big speakers:) it did no harm. oh, btw that also includes the times until I figured out & learned mostly by trial and error that which wire goes where :) |
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Mindcooler
Registered: Nov 2006
Posts: 28 |
I fried the sid chip in my C128D by shorting the wires from the AV port. |
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goto80
Registered: Jan 2002
Posts: 138 |
Mogwaiii! I wish I could remember what I did all those times I broke the SIDs. Here are some ideas:
* unplugging the a/v-cable while C64 on (doh!)
* plugging it into powerful soundsystems, but through mixers
* uncareful packaging for flights (cold temperature in the airplane luggage room, airport handling in general)
* too much magnetic fields in the air (when the c64 is accompanied by shitloads of electronic devices, big soundsystems, etc)
* humanoid magnetic storms in me resulting from stun guns (!?)
* foreign voltage issues (should be ok in europe, right? but i dont know shit about electricity)
* humidity in the air?
Funny thing is that the machine I have used for the most amount of gigs, never broke down. The SX-64! I haven't been very nice to it either, but also never took it on a flight.. It seems to be the choice for us hardcore executives, after all! |
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Devia
Registered: Oct 2004
Posts: 401 |
Goto80: You most likely had the SX grounded with the rest of the stuff you connected it to. - if not, this is something you should do in the future!! ;-)
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mogwai
Account closed
Registered: Mar 2005
Posts: 5 |
Thank you for all the input. |
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ready.
Registered: Feb 2003
Posts: 441 |
Here is my sort of technical explanation why a SID chip might fail due to plugging/unplugging with C64 and audio input device ON.
When you plug in/unplug the jack the positive wire (channel A) might touch the ground of the audio input device and this might be seen as a short at the C64 audio output.
P.S.: I switched the Channels A/B on the amplifier side, but it does not affcet the explanation.
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