Vintage Simmons Drums (UK) Users Group

I’ve recently had a couple of SDS-9’s in the workshop. Both exhibiting the same problem, power it up, LED’s light, 7-segment display shows the software version, then nothing, everything blank and not working.

It took a long time to get the first one working, but once I knew what was happening, and found the test ROM, the next one was much easier.

The technical description says that the SDS-9 has a testmode built in. Unfortunately it doesn’t have the full testmode – it does the tests but doesn’t tell you what the fault is if it fails :-( So on boot, the normal ROM does a ROM checksum, RAM check, A/D check, fast interrupt (1KHz clock) check and serial receive check. If any of these fail, it seems to just hang waiting for the test to pass, which never happens!

For the 2nd SDS-9, turned out the fast interrupt from IC1 (555) wasn’t there. The 555 was completely dead, no fast interrupt signal nor sawtooth. Replacing it brought the unit back to life :-)

The test ROM will show you (via the panel LEDs) where the fault is likely to lie, and makes troubleshooting so much easier. Otherwise check that the above bootup tests (ROM/RAM/A/D/interrupt/serial receive) are doing what they should.

Hello,

I am Thierry EPPHERRE from FRANCE and I have redrawn the complete SDS9 schematic from my own

second hand SDS9 some years ago.A very very big work......I also had the faulty ZN427 ADC !

If you need my schematic I can send it to you (perhaps you already have it!),I can also send binaries of sounds and software Eprom.

I will be really interested by your SDS9 test Eprom binarie....I would like to work again on my SDS9 that is not working as well as I think it should (my snare channel is not triggering very well and I had the same issue on another SDS9 I repaired for someone else sme years ago.)

See you soon

Thierry EPPHERRE

I think this post will be of much use to "niners" in the future - thanks 
Phil!

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philmurr@... [Simmons_Drums] skrev den 2015-02-28 19:23:

> I\u2019ve recently had a couple of SDS-9\u2019s in the workshop.Both exhibiting
> the same problem, power it up, LED\u2019s light, 7-segment display shows the
> software version, then nothing, everything blank and not working.
>
> It took a long time to get the first one working, but once I knew what
> was happening, and found the test ROM, the next one was much easier.
>
>
> The technical description says that the SDS-9 has a testmode built
> in.Unfortunately it doesn\u2019t have the full testmode \u2013 it does the tests
> but doesn\u2019t tell you what the fault is if it fails :-(So on boot, the
> normal ROM does a ROM checksum, RAM check, A/D check, fast interrupt
> (1KHz clock) check and serial receive check.If any of these fail, it
> seems to just hang waiting for the test to pass, which never happens!
>
>
> I found on the first SDS-9 that it wasn\u2019t getting an end of conversion
> (EOC) from the ADC IC54.The CPU waits for an EOC before attempting to
> read what\u2019s on the data bus, and if it doesn\u2019t get it, it waits
> forever...Replacing IC54 fixed the problem.
>
>
> For the 2^nd SDS-9, turned out the fast interrupt from IC1 (555) wasn\u2019t
> there.The 555 was completely dead, no fast interrupt signal nor
> sawtooth.Replacing it brought the unit back to life :-)
>
>
> The test ROM will show you (via the panel LEDs) where the fault is
> likely to lie, and makes troubleshooting so much easier.Otherwise check
> that the above bootup tests (ROM/RAM/A/D/interrupt/serial receive) are
> doing what they should.
>