Stepping outside my usual 8-bit and 16-bit microcomputers to diagnose a broken NEC PC Engine.

Special thanks to PCBWay for sponsoring this video. https://www.pcbway.com/

I start by checking the power and voltage regulators before moving on to reflow the ribbon cable connections. After testing a few capacitors out of circuit, I use an oscilloscope to probe the RAM and data bus, working through the schematics to isolate the fault. The process ultimately points to a bad CPU, which unfortunately halts this specific repair.

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If you'd like to help keep the lights on (and the tools plugged in), my Patreon is the best way to do it. Patrons get ad-free early access to videos, behind-the-scenes updates, and entry to a super secret Discord channel — plus my sincere gratitude, which is worth roughly what you'd expect.

▸ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/morefunmakingit

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I also have another channel called More Fun Making It, where I build things from scratch instead of trying to coax life back into them. Same shed, different end of the workbench.

▸ More Fun Making It: https://www.youtube.com/@MoreFunMakingIt

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There's also the Retro Hardware Discord, where people who enjoy this sort of thing gather to talk about it. It's better than it has any right to be.

▸ Retro Hardware Discord: https://discord.gg/ChH726tbbF

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