Panasonic 3DO FZ-10 issues

[ScoreAddict]

Well, I got me another candidate to fix! Kinda like the 3DO, it's not very common (especially on this side of the pond).

It's an US-variant (120V) FZ-10 where some IDIOT forced 240V on the power-board. (Thus killing the big capacitator in the process and obviously more.) While the power-board is working fine (once) again there are a number of issues.

If I power the console up, the red light comes on, but the screen will only show a black screen - never the 3DO-logo. Interestingly, if a disc is in the drive it will boot and seemingly load - to a certain degree. Though the screen will remain black and after a while the loading will stop.

There's no (further) damage to be seen on the main-pcb and the power-pcb is working properly - I tested it with my other FZ-10.

Any idea how to approach this?

Pictures are available if needed!

Thank you!

[Niku-Sama]

i'd probably start by checking the other caps on the board and if there are any fuses, it almost seems to be output related with the loading thing your talking about but a playstation will do the same thing even when no ones home. its almost as if theres a pattern to how the disc first spins up and it does it automatically before any of the rest of the system gives the drive any further commands. so it sounds like the drive is good if its doing its thang when you pop a disc in.

so it could be that power is flowing but no ones home.

but yea sheck the rest of the caps, check for shorts and signal starting from the a/v out on back twards the cpu and video encoders and any fuses there may be on the way down

[ScoreAddict]

Hi Niku-Sama!

Thank you for the advice, highly appreciated! :)


i'd probably start by checking the other caps on the board and if there are any fuses

OK. Will do!


it almost seems to be output related with the loading thing your talking about but a playstation will do the same thing even when no ones home.

"No one's home"... this could also mean that one of the main ASICs is a goner and the drive unit is running on a separate controller circuit! I'm not sure how well protected the main-pcb is against over-voltage-issues.


its almost as if theres a pattern to how the disc first spins up and it does it automatically before any of the rest of the system gives the drive any further commands.

As I said, maybe this would even work the same way if one of the more important chips has been toasted.


so it sounds like the drive is good if its doing its thang when you pop a disc in.

I've tested the drive-unit with my other FZ-10 and it's fine. No damage there.


so it could be that power is flowing but no ones home.

Worst case scenario - brain dead. Although I'm wondering, why the loading cycle - which would also mean data caching - is still working to such a degree. Maybe a controller damage further along the way?


but yea sheck the rest of the caps

I'd replace all the caps, the console is 20 years old, never a bad idea and not expensive.


check for shorts and signal starting from the a/v out on back twards the cpu and video encoders and any fuses there may be on the way down

Yep. Way to go. As I said, I've found no visible damage on the main-pcb (yet), so maybe it's only a fuse or diode.

[ScoreAddict]

All capacitators have been changed, no difference. :(

[Niku-Sama]

Hmm. I'm thinking at this point you have a spare shell, drive and powerboad.
Do you have and know how to use and o-scope?

[ScoreAddict]

Hmm. I'm thinking at this point you have a spare shell, drive and powerboad.

Pretty much. ;)


Do you have and know how to use and o-scope?

More or less. Any suggestions where to start?

[Niku-Sama]

I might get some pin outs and check the main cups with the o-scope and see if there's any signal coming off of what your testing, would be tedious and time consuming. I personally wouldn't do it but I don't know how badly you want this thing to work