Acorn Archimedes A3000 Repair (From Hell)

The last in the current series of Archimedes A3000 repairs from Xavier (Zarchos).

Chapters:
00:00 Intro
01:03 Livestream Footage (Removing Components)
11:51 Fixing (Adding Components)
19:58 Cleaning ICs
21:24 After First Test (Tinning Pads & Traces)
23:34 Removing Chips (Hotair)
29:51 Removing SMD Caps & Resistors
30:58 After Second Test (Bad ROM)
32:20 Fitting Connectors & DIY Keyboard Connector
33:51 Spaghetti Fix Wires (Lots...)
36:25 After Third Test (Almost Fixed)
41:21 LEDs
42:06 Floppy Disk Drive Interface Borked
49:33 Making Sense of the FDD Issue
53:10 Servicing FDD
55:39 OMG - How Many Wires?
1:02:37 Cleaning Rear Connectors
1:05:34 Nearly Complete
1:06:05 Battery Mod
1:08:11 The Other A3000's
1:11:52 Case Stuff
1:14:03 Test Four
1:14:35 Power Switch
1:15:13 Arghhh!
1:16:56 We're Done!

#acorn #archimedes #repair

[GadgetUK]

Note: I should also point out that SparxUK, Dennis van den Broek, PlanC, Rob Taylor have all helped me out in so many other ways in the past - besides supporting me on Patreon. That is very much appreciated and a factor in why these individuals where chosen for some of the last 5 systems. I made it sound like PlanC and Mike Pearman donated something in exchange for the faulty A3000's, and others didn't - that is NOT the case by a long shot, these people are amazing (all of them) and have provided lots of support to the channel over the last few years! **Expanding on Hall Effect Sensors** - the other way those can work is with a sensor that can detect a range of magnetic flux - ie. with an ADC, it may be able to output a range, say between 0 and 255 or -127 and +127 etc. That type are used in triggers on modern consoles, so they can detect how much the trigger is pressed. The nearer the magnet is to the sensor, the more of the change. The type in a FDD like in this video is probably a reed switch or something internal to the sensor, so it just changes on and off with the magnet.

[cowasakiElectronics]

I was an Acorn component level service engineer repairing them under warranty, I would very much have junked that board :-) I never expected people would still be using them 30 years later.

[wjxqigv]

You mention selling it on. Clearly this is a labour of love. If you were to sell it you'd likely be working for 50 pence an hour. The value in this is the knowledge you've shared with all of us. Thank you for this.

[AdamSommer]

You patience is legendary! Great fix, it's so fun to watch someone so skilled get everything working in the end. Have a great one!

[thetechnoshed]

Very pleased to see the culmination of all those live streams back in the middle of the first lockdown. Brilliant work, Gadget!

[bearmatic]

Your knowlegde astonishes me. I understand about 15% of it, but your explanation and troubleshooting is very interesting. Amazing job on this one! Good work, mate!

[doctorsocrates]

Very powerful old acorn computer..you did wonders and well worth the effort.

[runcmd]

One of the most archived repairs I've seen in a long time.. Well done gadget pal.. My form class room was full of these great memories.

[wimwiddershins]

You're one tenacious fella (understatement!!!).
This looked like a parts board at best to me.
Don't forget to sign it or something, a machine fixed by you has collectors value in its own right.

[Maxxarcade]

I've had to work with corroded boards many times, but probably would have lost my mind working on this LOL. I wish I had your motivation!

[rarbiart]

such dedication to component level repair! Kudos!
i thought have seen all when watching Curiousmarc debugging burned PCBs, but this leaves me speechless!

[hadesmcc]

You're a wizard man! I didn't think that would have been salvageable. You're doing the lord's work. :D

[gearsofgames]

You are an absolute beast when it comes to save old hardware from death by corrosion! Amazing work! Your level of patience is truly astronomical! 😄

[GadgetUK]

00:00 Intro
01:03 Livestream Footage (Removing Components)
11:51 Fixing (Adding Components)
19:58 Cleaning ICs
21:24 After First Test (Tinning Pads & Traces)
23:34 Removing Chips (Hotair)
29:51 Removing SMD Caps & Resistors
30:58 After Second Test (Bad ROM)
32:20 Fitting Connectors & DIY Keyboard Connector
33:51 Spaghetti Fix Wires (Lots...)
36:25 After Third Test (Almost Fixed)
41:21 LEDs
42:06 Floppy Disk Drive Interface Borked
49:33 Making Sense of the FDD Issue
53:10 Servicing FDD
55:39 OMG - How Many Wires?
1:02:37 Cleaning Rear Connectors
1:05:34 Nearly Complete
1:06:05 Battery Mod
1:08:11 The Other A3000's
1:11:52 Case Stuff
1:14:03 Test Four
1:14:35 Power Switch
1:15:13 Arghhh!
1:16:56 We're Done!

[blakecasimir]

Just can't understate the immense patience and hard work on your part here Chris. Top work. Someone send this video to Chris Currie!

[xephorce]

what you need my friend is a large ultrasonic cleaner. that and some vinegar, mild soaps or PCB cleaner would take most if not all the crap off the board, even from under the chips from what i have seen. I know they are great for cleaning off flux and other stuff.

[Neffers_UK]

Yet another herculean effort Gadge, Digital Necromancer award for 2021 goes you you mate :D

Edit; Hope you and your Mrs. are doing okay, I hope the recent developments to the pandemic situation have helped a little, if you can actually leave the house for any length of time. Take care.

[Plan-C]

Outstanding repair as usual. Thanks for the upload and thanks for sending the unit my way. Totally blown away! I have learned loads from watching your videos over the years and just wanted to say a thank you by way of a donation to the channel. Thanks for all the help over the years. I think you are right about sun and yellowing. I do a lot of decorating and the old oil based gloss usually goes most yellow (bordering on orange lol) in the darkest rooms.

[davedobbs]

Glad to see the joystick interface came in useful. Not sure if I included one or not, but I've also got a little adapter board that plugs into where the serial port driver chip would go on an a3000, which then allows you to use the 9 pin serial connector on the back as a joystick port if you'd like one of those to have a play with.

[gregdunlap]

An heroic effort - you should definitely be proud of it!