Nix McRetro
Oh dear!
My Sega TeraDrive Model 3 power supply has given up.
It may have been dead for a while without me noticing because the machine had mostly been sitting on a shelf looking tidy.
The Model 2 still worked, so I swapped modules and stripped the machines back to minimal configurations to narrow the fault down.
Aren’t I just an amazingly good technician? ;)
With this particular Model 3 power supply installed, the rear speaker buzzed immediately at power-on and the machine produced no usable display or POST.
That still doesn’t tell us which component inside the power supply failed, only that swapping the PSU moved the fault with it.
The next stage will be investigating the supply itself.
Mains-voltage warning: power supplies can retain dangerous voltages even after being unplugged. Do not work on a live mains supply unless you are qualified and equipped to do so.
I mentioned in the original post that I’d been zapped before and survived. That is an argument for being more careful, not evidence that doing it is safe.
Anyway, here are some useful links to helpful software:
- Amstrad Mega PC dd image
- HDD Raw Copy Tool for an easy way to duplicate CF cards for the XTIDE or XT-CF-Lite ISA cards.
- XTIDECFG (r588)
- XTIDE ide_xt r588, compiled to play nicely with CF cards and show the attractive boot menu.