V9 is driving me mad (Black Screen MXL2)

I have done a couple of hundreds chip's instalation on the PS2, since the arriving of the Neo 2 then Neo4, Messiah 1, etc. Starting on the V3 model. I never had any problem (except normal ones: faulty laser lens, dust on the lens, etc) with the PS2 models before the V9.
But now this V9 is becoming very problematic, i have done 8 chip instalations on this model. In 6 of those consoles i have installed the Matrix MXL2 and in the other 2 i have installed the DMS3 clone (R****R 2 Deluxe). And in 3 of those i am getting the black screen problem. And the symptoms are always the same, the console starts working normaly and after some dics tests or playing it freezes. I press reset, reset is done but all i can get is a black screen. Everything seems to be working, power button, reset button, tv detects the signal from the console. The only thing that is unusual is the fan that starts working only after five seconds or so. When i uninstall the chip from the console the problem remains.
I have read the forum a lot to see if anyone is having the same problem, and seems that the problem i have is a ground bounce problem. How can this be solved ?
I don't think the problem is a bad instalation, because i had checked everything: continuity, bridges, fuses. I solder the B, G, I spots on the VIAS and to see if they are ok i do a continuity test between the points on the chip and the legs of the CD/DVD controler on top of the board where we can solder also the B, G, I.
Also doesn't seems to be faulty chips because one of the chips that was installed on a V9 that was giving me problems, was installed on a V7 and it worked fine.
I contacted my chips suplier and he said that my problem can the be the BA chips, but i never had a BA chip problem with ther early models.

Hope to get some feedback from all you. Tks

This is 100 percent installation error. Make sure you solder very carefully to the VIA's. This happens when you have a cold solder point on the VIA. You should heat up the solder, flux the via and solder a bit to the via. This will save your PS2. I have saved about 10 machines with this syndrome using this technology. I am sure you have the same problem. (of course it will work on V7, as there's no such a beast as soldering to the VIA's...)

regards, Stephen

pS: my suggestion is that you should solder to the controller directly carefully, as bridging the legs will cause much more trouble than the via...

My procedure to solder to the vias is:
- scrap a bit the via points till i get shinning copper
- apply some flux
- heat up the via point with the iron and put a little blob of solder on it
- then solder the wire to it (i'm using kynar 30awg)

But if the problem was the VIAS i wouldn't have continuity between the B, G, I points on the chip and the CD/DVD controler legs or would i ?

Continuity may change during the usage, especially that is the (main) problem with those cold solder points. You can't be sure whether it's ok or not. Anyway I have anther technology to solder to VIA's: I use a test wire, that is stripped long, and there's a lot of solder on its end. Then I can heat not the end of the wire but a bit far from the end, this helps not to overheat the via... (and solder will flow from the wire into the via easily, and will cause a perfect connection)

- scrap a bit the via points till I get shinning copper

- apply flux

- apply a lot of solder to the end of a wire (this is a simple test wire), apply flux to the wire again

- applying this wire with solder on its end to the via, and heat the wire from about 0.5-1 cm of its end (its end is on the via...)

- checking carefully if the wire was connected perfectly

and then I remove this wire, and apply the one that is connected to the mod. That way the soldering is perfect, as solder is already on the via. Your method has ONE problem and that is the cause of your problem. When you heat up the via with the iron and put the little blob of solder on it, that causes the via to disconnect from the other side of the motherboard. (that's why there's black screen) This is what happened to me for the first time when dealing with V9. Since I use the other method (or soldering to the controller) all those problems you are having have gone.

regards, Stephen

I would also recommend permanently connecting the wires (glue or whatever) after you know you have a good connection on the vias as it's easy to break off the wire or via if you catch one of the wires during reassembly.

the problem off blackscreen with the ****** 2 and matrix mxl2 r the cables R + W.
Those 2 should go seperatly over the board and dont cross each other or other wires to the chip and try not to place them over controllers from the mobo.
Ive installed many mxl's and ****** 2's in v9 and have no prob with them.
Regards ironsights

Ironsight: that MAY be the problem when the mod is in. But many people reported black screens' when they removed the mod. So that's not a cable but an installation error. Those problems were always solved by resoldering the via points. Anyway, I doubt that the Matrix is perfect, have seen reports (and personally saw 2-3 machines) about dead V9 with the ****ed up eeprom problem. No bad solderings, as the machines worked for days without any problem. So just take care with the MXL2, as stable the Matrix1 was, I think the guys made some mistakes with the MXL2 in the long rush. Still a good mod, but far from perfect.

regards, Stephen

Next ones i will solder directly to the CD/DVD controler. But in those that are giving me the black screen, i will try to resolder the VIAS, but then how can i check if they are ok or not ?
I thought that the VIA spots beside the board was directly connected to the CD/DVD controler legs on the upside of the board, that's i did a continuity check between the CD/DVD legs and the chip.

As I said I added some extra solder to the via's that connected the upside and downside of the board again, and that is no more black screen. To test it, I powered on the machine, and well, I was happy. old the machine abaout 2 months ago, there has been no problem with it since that. When soldering to the controller directly, be sure you know what you're doing, there you can do much more damage than on the VIA's.

regards, Stephen

What's strange, is that in the past i have done lot's of V4, where we had to solder 7 points on the vias with the messiah1. I always used the same method and i never had any problem. Maybe the V9 version is more fragile than the old ones.

What kind of wire do you use to put solder inside the VIA hole ?