Now, I seem to
remember that on 80 column PETs, the 2K video memory is
made up of 4 1K*4 chips and that alternate characters are stored in each
pair of chips (one pair of chips stores all the chracters in odd-numbered
locations on the screen the other pair the characters in even-numbered
locations). That would explain why you have problems with alternate
characters.
Hmm... I didn't know about the even-odd interleave, but that'd be easy
to check against the schematics.
Well, I'd not bet my life on it (it's been some years since I've been
inside a PET 8032), I am farily sure I've rememebered that correctly. It
was something a little odd that stuck in my mind.
And you guessed it,. Those RAMs are 2114s, a chip
well-known around here
for failing in oadd ways.
Exactly. In a PET, it's much more likely that a 2114 has failed than
a bus buffer or similar IC.
In _anything_ it's more likely a 2114 has fialed than just about any
other compoennt.
I've lost count of the number of 2114's I've replaced. But I rememeber
fixing an HP37201 HPIN extender, HP82163 video interface, TRS-809 Model 3
with video problems, CBM 8050 all by replacing 2114s.
If you don't ahve much test gear and beleive iin lucky-dip
troubleshooting, go for those chips first ;-)
-tony