In theory the ROM chip could be replaced; as I recall the Intel 2716 eeprom chips were pin compatible with those mask ROM chips used in the Atari. The ROM image can be found online easily enough so if you buy a chip and burn it, you could swap out that dead ROM for a working eeprom. Here's the chip you'd need.
2716 EPROM Memory - Jameco Electronics
You need to double-check the image size, though, as some of the games got big enough that you would need a 2732 chip. Later games even went as high as a 2764 chip, but if I recall correctly, you had to have some bank switching hardware in order to use the larger memory, as there weren't enough address lines for more than a 32 kbit chip. I don't see any extra hardware on your circuit board so that's not the case with your chip.
Of course, you need a programmer for that too, so while it would be theoretically possible to make a replacement chip to fix your game, we've quickly gotten to the point where it's not economically feasible once you factor in the part and the programmer. But if you're so inclined, it would be an interesting exercise.
Back in the late 70's when the Atari came out, I was one of the first to build an adapter cartridge that had a ZIF socket where I could swap chips in and out to play various games. Myself and friends would rent games from the video store, copy them onto disks and burn them into the plentiful chips that were readily available to us.
댓글 4개
Gary, have you confirmed that the Asteroids chip is the only one that isn’t working?
shingle 의
yes, I have around 40 games and it's the only one I can't get to work. Some I had to clean the pins with an eraser to get working. This is the only one.
Gary M Dobis 의
@garymdobis as @chrisgreen already pointed out, it is absolutely plausible that this is an issue with the ROM chip itself. I would (and really just for completion sake, Either desolder the ROM and then after cleaning the legs, resolder all of the connection. Corrosion and Tin Whiskers could then be excluded from this as well and it will be conclusive that the ROM has failed (after only 40 plus something years :-)).
oldturkey03 의
@oldturkey03 I think I will give that a try since I only just got my soldering station 2 weeks ago and need practice anyway. Thanks for the advice.
Gary M Dobis 의