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Taito F3 ENSONIQ correct voltage calibration

Tailsnic Retroworks

Tailsnic Retroworks

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Hi. I have in possesion many games of the different board revisions that exist, so I have been making tests about sound.

First of all, there are these board revisions. All of them have the same components with different encapsulation formats, but the ENSONIQ V5-V6 revisions differ:
- Orange (ENSONIQ ESPR5)
- White (ENSONIQ ESPR6)
- White old cartridge model (ENSONIQ ESPR6)
- White new cartridge model (ENSONIQ ESPR6)

ENSONIQ ESPR6 chips come with a tantalum capacitor between pins 2 and 47:

20240212_222442.png


PXL_20240212_203020439.jpg


I have been testing and gathering information, and I can say what are the correct voltages in the different ENSONIQ revisions.

In the ENSONIQ V5 revisions, you have to adjust the voltage pot to archieve 4.3V aprox. measuring the value between pins 2 and 47. Full tested on Light Bringer orange board. This game was highly problematic with superior voltage values. Other users have checked this issue also on Arabian Magic and Gunlock.

In the ENSONIQ V6 revisions, you have to adjust the voltage pot to archieve 4.6V aprox. measuring the value between pins 2 and 47. Full tested on 2 problematic games in the 12 Taito F3 white motherboard cartridges model I have:
- Darius Gaiden Extra
- Kaiser Knuckle

Also this configuration works perfectly on White normal boards like Taito Cup Finals or Top Ranking Stars.
 
Hi! :)
I did'nt understand everything :S

The ESP chip must be on Socket ?

So you have to unsolder it to put it on a socket ?(?(???
I have ESPR6 ENSONIQ yellow label with a tantalum capacitor between pins 2 and 47

20240327_031412.jpg

Thanks :thumbup:
 
chacal231077 said:
Hi! :)
I did'nt understand everything :S

The ESP chip must be on Socket ?

So you have to unsolder it to put it on a socket ?(?(???
I have ESPR6 ENSONIQ yellow label with a tantalum capacitor between pins 2 and 47

20240327_031412.jpg

Thanks :thumbup:
Click to expand...
Not at all. You don't have to socket anything. Only you have to measure voltage when powered up between pins 2 and 47, and with the pot near the jamma adjust it.

Your board is a White cartridge one, so has ESPR6 ENSONIQ and tantalum capacitor. It's normal
 
Hi! :)

so here is the news I calibrated the +5 volt as indicated for the ENSONIQ ESPR6 version. :thumbup:

I still have no sound X/, when I increase the volume of my speaker I hear a hissing sound at normal volume, but no SoundFX or music.

I wanted to know how to test the ENSONIQ ESPR6 to see if it didn't burn ?(?

THANK YOU :thumbup:
 
Does one remove the tantalum to check the voltage on v6? Then reinstall?
Or do you check it with it installed?
 
yes,
they are card systems they all work perfectly with the factory settings of the voltage potentiometer........
 
On my poti there is still a big glue ball, seems to be decades old, so I assumed the voltage to be correct. And when I read about yours having 5.12 V I was sure the ensoniq must work.

Still I have one weird sound issue:
When I play Darius Gaiden everything works 100% including sound.
When I play Arabian Magic everything works but after a few seconds a hammering sound appears and stays in addition to the "normal" sound and music.

Can it still be that voltage is too high? And where do the 4.6 Volt come from @Tailsnic Retroworks mentioned?
 
every ensoniq needs its own personal voltage, which is set and sealed at the factory (glue bal).

if it is adjusted, the ensoniq can be destroyed very quickly.
but then it is completely dead,
so your problem comes from somewhere else........
 
yes, I think so, too. already checked some ICs (TDA1543 etc.) but still nothing. will have to look further and leave the poti untouched and glued. thanks anyways!
 
This post is a bit old but I couldn't find more information for my problem. A couple of weeks ago I got this pcb from Arabian Magic and I noticed that the ensoniq 5701 chip and the ensoniq 5510 chip are burned and it seems that the previous owner adjusted the potentiometer, thinking it was the adjustment for the volume level and I think That is the reason the chips will be damaged in addition to a polyester electrolytic capacitor. Now looking for some junk pcb that has these chips, I found one for sale but I see that my ensoniq chip is espr5 and the donor pcb has an espr6. Would there be a problem if I use the espr6 chip instead of the espr5?
 

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I'm lost. Please help.

This is a Bubble Symphony combo.

My Capacitor legs broke and this is the ESP chip...

  1. How do you tell the revision of the main board? Mine Just Say New F3 Mother (Japan)
  2. What is the value of the capacitor, 22uF 16V?
  3. The board, incl. sound, seems to be working fine. Why?
  4. Does the polarity matter?

I desoldered the capacitor legs (for now), ready to order a replacement...
 

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@RenierD The tantalum capacitor is 22uF 16V (or more voltage, no problem). You have to set it in the polarity as my photo in the first post.

The Taito "old" boards doesn't have 2 extra TTLs on the upper-left corner, near 2 PALs. Taito "new" have them.

Repairing ENSONIQ sound on Taito F3 is a real pain in the ass. So much components to check
 
I think theres a solid state newer version of the ensonic that can be swapped on in place of these but I havent tried it myself.
This chip, and sync and how hard the caps are to desolder to replace are the downsides of the F3.
Fresh caps help sync quite a bit.
 
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