black screen

[silentlight]

I have a v5 PS2 with a messiah 2 pro v1.30, motherboard is GH-015. I've had the modchip installed and running for about a month now except that I get sound problems, sometimes the left channel disappears or the volume goes low.

So I opened up my PS2 and checked the Clock wire as charlie_ps2's guide suggests, rewiring it and laying it flat on the motherboard while avoiding crossing over components. This solved the problem somewhat as the sound became more consistent but not 100% perfect, there was still the occasional drop in volume.

So I opened up my PS2 again, this time moving the messiah 2 closer to the alt-clk point (near the bios), now my clk wire is about 1 cm long, resoldered all the other wires to get rid of the wire slack due to the relocation of the messiah 2.

PS2 starts, power and reset buttons are functioning normally but all I get is the black screen, no whirling electrons, no music, nada.

So opened up my PS2 yet again, checked all the wiring with my DMM, also checked all the fuses (as per charlie_ps2's FAQ) for continuity--indefinite beep on each and every one of them so I assume that's good.

But I still get the black screen, what else can it be? Thanks.

[scruffman]

Check to see if u have any bridged any of the legs on your bios chip. (caused by the wire or solder splashed)

[ShadowKnyght]

How did you attach the chip?

The Messiah2 unlike the DUO / Magic / and apple series does not come with an adhesive back - which it why most people whack it over the large ground plane area near where it says attention.

if you stuck it near the bios like I always do there are dangers...

you needed to ensure that what ever you used on the base of the messiah covered it completely so that the little vias on the base of the chip did not contact the resistors and capactiors that you would have stuck it on top of.

Secondly you pretty much have to cover the top of the chip or the area of the metal plate above the chip with electrical tape else you are in danger of the soldered wire ends shorting on the metal shield plate.

Especially if the adhesive used to stick the chip down (i.e. double sided tape) lets go when heated through normal use.

This is one more reason why I prefer not to use the Messiah any more...

no included double sided tape and no onboard crystal.

if this was a DUO or an Apple pro - you would never have had to worry about the clock wire at all and as such would not have had to keep opening the station resulting in this eventual fault...

Only thing I can suggest now is to back out of the install completely and see if you can get the station working again without the chip attached.

[ShadowKnyght]

Oh - also while you are checking for solder splashes etc - make double sure that you have connected all the wires back correctly after you shortened them.

And if you want a look at how an install looks like on one of these stations when placed on the area you described - check out the pictures thread.

[silentlight]

Yeah, right after posting this thread last night, I completely removed the messiah 2 and all its corresponding wires from the PS2's motherboard.

The PS2 starts and even boots PSX and PS2 originals but something is wrong, the electrons in the menu don't whirl anymore, they just stay condensed in one spot like a ball of light. Also if I go to system configuration, the crystals in the background (in star formation) don't move anymore and the ball of light from the non-whirling electrons is still displayed while the spinning transparent cubes in the foreground are spinning as usual (switch display modes using the square button). I might post some pictures if any of this seems ambiguous.

ShadowKnight, I use masking tape to stick the messiah2s on the mainboard, I use it to make my own double-sided tape making sure that the bottom surface of the messiah 2 does not touch anything on the motherboard. I also put tape on top of the messiah 2, covering up the whole chip, likewise with all the solder points on the motherboard. When soldering I usually use my DMM to check for continuity and solder bridges especially on the bios pins, cd/dvd controller and the ntsc color fix.

I've modded 4 PS2s so far with messiah2s and this is the first one that I've damaged and it had to be mine. So sad...

[silentlight]

Forgot to mention that prior to removing the messiah 2 altogether from my PS2, I checked all the wiring, making sure that everything was wired correctly and they seem to be.

Also the only wires I had to resolder on to the PS2's motherboard because of the chip relocation were the ground, 3.3v, ntsc color fix point and the clk, everything else was left intact but cut short and resoldered onto the messiah 2.

[silentlight]

Just an update, I opened up my PS2 again, sprayed the whole motherboard with general flux remover and brushed it with a used toothbrush.

I went away for a while to let it dry, that flux remover stuff really reeks.

I proceeded to test the pins again with my DMM for solder bridges (bios pins and IC involved in color fix point), nothing unusual just like yesterday.

Then I put everything back together. But the problem persists--whirling electrons condensed into a ball of light and star crystals in system configuration remained stationary.

Tested booting original PSX and PS2 games, both of which booted fine--no unusual behavior.

Removed games and went back to the menu, same stationary electrons and crystals...

But at the system configuration screen, I noticed that the time and date were reset and wasn't moving so I proceeded to set them after which the star crystals started moving and the electrons were awhirling once more.

I was overjoyed but skeptical at the same time so I turned the PS2 off and on again, the correct time and date were retained and the electrons were whirling, etc.

I don't get it, is that the specified behavior of a PS2?

[silentlight]

To summarize, I don't know what caused the black screen, it wasn't a wiring problem because I checked all connections with a DMM. Upon removal of the messiah 2 and the corresponding wires from the PS2's motherboard, the PS2 booted normally except with the stationary electrons problem which was fixed by setting the date and time of the PS2 which were apparently reset.

If I had to hypothesize on the cause of the problem, I would have to say that I made a solder bridge on the ntsc color fix point causing the black screen and perhaps also resetting the time and date.

That's the only possible reason I can think of considering how the ground, 3.3v, clk and the ntsc color fix point were the only points that I resoldered on the PS2's motherboard prior to the black screen problem. Also I read a post by charlie_ps2 that a short in the ntsc color fix point will result to a black screen.

Yay, now all I have to do is reinstall the messiah 2, yikes!

[silentlight]

Hmm... Just reinstalled the messiah 2 and I once again get the black screen, what I haven't tried before and tried this time is putting the messiah on sleep mode, the PS2 boots up normally with the messiah on sleep mode.

So in retrospect I don't think it was a solder bridge on the ntsc color fix point afterall, 2 for 2 is more than coincidence. I'm wondering whether the chip is dead or the new longer ground and 3.3v wires are causing the problem. I guess there's only one way to find out but geez, I'm getting a headache from all this soldering. That will have to wait...

Any other suggestions? Or can you have too short a clk wire? Mine's less than a centimeter long.

[ShadowKnyght]

ok....

couple of things if i can remember them all

I did a V4 station last night and also noticed the swirling electrons had stopped or never where moving to start with - but that may be related to the date and time being lost as with the V4 you disconnect the internal battery when you remove the Main board.

The V5 has the battery built in from memory so not sure why it was reset with yours.

The clock wire can be short but should be as thick as possible and kept as close to the MB as possible - even if it is only 1cm long. But for superstitious purposes you could try lengthening it a tad...

I suggest you make sure that your ground and power wires are also as thick as possible.

In reference to my other comments - I was more worried - not about you re-soldering to the MB when you cut the wires shorter but that when you shortened them you re-soldered them to the wrong connection points on the Messiah2

Double check the Messiah wire connections ON the Messiah are correct. Not just the MB ones as from the sounds of it these were left alone.

If using thicker wires on the GND and PWR points does not help, then I suggest that the chip is stuffed and you will need to get a new one.

BTW - Masking tape is not so good for static reasons - same as sticky tape is not good.