Question Help with an N64 board: no video/audio output, no Everdrive64 LED activity

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Hi Everyone,

I'm a recommended installer for the N64Digital HDMI kit, and a customer had donated a board that they had initially tried to install the N64Digital to, rather unsuccessfully. There was solder splash everywhere, and bridged pins on several different chips. The RAM chips were also partially lifted, due to the top shield being forcefully removed without unscrewing the heat sinks.

I cleaned up all the stray solder and undid the bridges, and reflowed the RAM. I had to desolder the RCP to clean out the bridges underneath and solder it back on.

I also cleaned the cart connector and jumper pak connector.

Besides a handful of vias that are filled with solder (but no obvious shorting that I can detect under a microscope), the board looks pretty clean now.

With a jumper pak/expansion pak in (known to be working) and an Everdrive64 2.5 cart plugged in, turning on the console only produces a very dim red LED output out of the Everdrive and not the full boot sequence with the LED blinking and shining brightly during its initiation sequence.

The N64's LED does turn on, but there is absolutely no signal being output (composite cable, known to be working, zero issues with 240p incompatibilities etc.)

Could anyone please help me to troubleshoot this board? I'd much rather try to save it than have it be a part-only board.

Thanks so much!

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Gman

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I dont have the answer but you should definitely include some good photos if you want feedback
 

ShockSlayer

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Did they turn it on while it was in that previous state? If so it's probably toast. With no cart in, I think you can turn it on and feel the chips - if they heat up too fast it's probably unusable now.

The LED turning on just means that the 3.3v line exists/isn't shorted, it's not any kind of "things are okay" LED, which is why it still works even with no cart, etc.
 
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Thanks for the response!

I am pretty sure they powered it on while it was in this state, unfortunately…no obviously excessive heat from the chips is being generated.

I do have a spare board I can harvest parts from if there is anything that might be worth swapping out, unless the shorts caused practically *everything* to fry, in which case it’s truly not worth the effort…
 
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