In the latest video from 8 Bit Doodads, Greg shared an update on the progress of repairing a Commodore 128. While not as much was achieved as hoped, the small steps forward were still satisfying. With plans to dive deeper into the project soon, more progress can be expected in the near future.
The focus of the video was on three Commodore 128 units, and Greg started with the third one in line. In a previous episode, he had encountered a major issue: a damaged socket on the motherboard. The chip’s legs had been cut off and resoldered in an attempt to make a larger socket fit, a repair choice that didn’t sit well with Greg. Initially overlooked, this makeshift fix required replacing the socket, with the possibility of needing a new chip. Greg considered sourcing an old chip or creating a new one, though this would require further modifications to the case.
After removing the faulty socket and replacing it, the machine powered on, showing some signs of life. However, the results weren’t ideal. The character round appeared, indicating some functionality, but not enough for a fully working system. Since the chip seemed likely to be beyond repair, Greg shifted focus, temporarily abandoning the 128-mode for testing in 64-mode. Using a standard Commodore 64 cartridge, the machine booted up with no keyboard connected, confirming that the 64-side was operational.
Testing continued with a 128 diagnostic cartridge, but the sad state of the chip prevented full diagnostics from running correctly. Greg noted that they couldn’t make further progress until a new character round was produced. Opting to make one himself, he discovered improvements but still encountered issues—likely due to either a bad ROM or a corrupt image. The ROM used for testing was pulled from another project, adding to the uncertainty. With a new chip already in hand, Greg planned to burn the correct ROM next time and hoped to have better results.
Click Here to watch Triaging 3 Commodore 128s Part 1
