Atari 2600 Cartridge Connector Replacement
The cartridge connector of the Atari 2600, J200, is a 24-contact edge connector, two rows of twelve, under a plastic housing whose tabs push open the dust covers of Atari's own cartridges.[1][2] Worn or dirty contacts give games that crash or glitch when the cartridge is touched. Atari found the green connector fitted to early 2600s very unreliable after many insertions and replaces it when a console misbehaves as the cartridge is wiggled (tech tip 1).[3][4]
The steps apply to the six-switch CX2600 and the four-switch CX2600A. Ben Heck notes that the connector is the same from below on every model of 2600.[5]
Symptoms
[edit | edit source]- With a game running, tapping lightly on the top (label side) of the cartridge makes the game glitch or crash. Best Electronics then cleans or replaces the connector.[2]
- A game that sometimes does not work in a console with a green connector (tech tip 1).[3]
- Vertical lines on the screen: Atari's checklists list J200 together with the three LSI chips and the address and data lines.[6]
- Cartridges that are hard or impossible to insert, because one or both of the plastic tabs beside the slot is missing. The tabs open the dust cover on the older Atari cartridges.[2]
Before replacing the connector, look into the slot: Best Electronics expects two rows of twelve gold contacts and treats bent, greasy, corroded, green or displaced contacts as the cause of games not working. Clean them first as in Atari 2600 General Maintenance, and clean the cartridge's own contacts.[2]
Tools and parts
[edit | edit source]| Part | CX2600 | CX2600A |
|---|---|---|
| Connector | C010806 (printed "12/24") | C015902 (printed "12/14") |
| Cartridge socket | C010314 | C015573 |
| Dust cover | C010776 | C010776; dust cover assembly CA011824 |
| Pad | C010812 | C010812 |
| Complete cartridge socket assembly | CA010808 | CA015796 |
The numbers and descriptions are as printed in Atari's parts lists.[1]
- A desoldering iron or pump. Ben Heck uses a desoldering iron and notes that the connector's long pins heat easily.[5]
- A soldering iron and solder, a Phillips screwdriver and needle-nose pliers.[7]
Procedure
[edit | edit source]Opening the console and removing the shield
[edit | edit source]- Open the console and take the board out as in Atari 2600 Power Supply Circuit Repair#Opening the console.[7][8]
- Four-switch CX2600A: bend up the four tabs round the metal shield with needle-nose pliers and remove both the top and the bottom of the shield.[7]
- Six-switch CX2600: remove the six screws from the bottom of the motherboard's metal case and the two screws that hold the board to the top of the case, and lift the board out.[8]
Removing the connector
[edit | edit source]- On older consoles a plastic housing is fixed to the connector; unscrew it from the back or leave it on the connector. Keep its tabs: they open the dust cover of the older cartridges.[5]
- Turn the board over. Put the desoldering iron on each of the 24 pins in turn and draw the solder off. Keep the removed solder in a small container so that no beads are left loose on the board.[5]
- Pull the connector off the board.[5]
Fitting the new connector
[edit | edit source]- Fit the new connector in the same position and orientation, with all 24 pins through the board.[1]
- Solder all 24 pins and check for bridges between neighbouring pins.
- Refit the plastic housing if it came off, and check that both tabs are present.[5][2]
Reassembly
[edit | edit source]- Four-switch: refit the bottom and top of the shield and bend the four tabs back.[7]
- Six-switch: when the board goes back into its casting, push C220 and C239 away from the J200 shroud (tech tip 17), put L200 and the "chicklet" capacitors back under the casting's shroud (tip 15), and on boards of revision 8 or lower check the insulating dot over the trace under the upper left corner of J200 (tip 6).[3]
Testing
[edit | edit source]- Insert several cartridges, including an older Atari cartridge with a dust cover, and check that each runs. Tap the cartridge lightly while it runs; the game should not glitch.[2]
- With Atari's Diagnostic Test Cartridge, check that no vertical lines appear and run the colour bar test for at least ten seconds.[9]
Related pages
[edit | edit source]- Atari 2600
- Atari 2600 General Maintenance
- Atari 2600 Troubleshooting Guide
- Atari 2600 TIA, 6507 and 6532 Replacement
- Atari 2600 and 2600A Field Service Manual
References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Atari, Field Service Manual FD100133 Rev. 02, Section 8 parts lists, pp. 8-2 and 8-7: J200 parts, connector (12/24), socket, dust cover and pad.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Best Electronics, "What to look for when buying a used or third party reconditioned Atari 2600 / 2600A / 2600Jr console", tips 9 and 10: the cartridge guide tabs, the two rows of twelve contacts and the tap test.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Atari, Field Service Manual FD100133 Rev. 02, NTSC technical tips at the back of the manual: tip 1 (green J200), p. 7-1; tip 6 (left paddle failure, the dot over the trace), p. 7-2; tips 15 and 17 (reassembly into the casting), p. 7-4.
- ↑ Atari, Inc., Video Computer System Field Service Manual, Domestic Model 2600/2600A, FD100133 Rev. 02, "2600 Model Modifications", p. 3-2: if the unit has a green J200, insert a cartridge and wiggle it; if the unit shows intermittent problems, replace J200. Hosted as File:Atari 2600 and 2600A Field Service Manual.pdf; see Atari 2600 and 2600A Field Service Manual.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 Ben Heck, "How do I re-wire the cartridge slot?", The Atari 2600 VCS Portables Site: desoldering the 24 pins, the plastic housing on older models, and the tabs that open older cartridges' covers.
- ↑ Atari, Field Service Manual FD100133 Rev. 02, Section 5 symptom checklists, logic failures, pp. 5-2 and 5-5: vertical lines.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Vintage Gaming and More, "Atari 2600 4 Switch Tune Up Kit Installation Guide": tools, opening the four-switch console and removing the top and bottom of the shield.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Vintage Gaming and More, "Atari 2600 6 Switch Tune Up Kit Installation Guide": getting the six-switch motherboard out of its case.
- ↑ Atari, Field Service Manual FD100133 Rev. 02, "Color Bar Test", p. 3-9.