In an attempt to fix my ailing Zip Chip with bent pins, I broke it. 
The pins were really fragile after being bent, so I attempted to clip them a bit shorter and put it into another socket. Unfortunately I clipped the pins too short and now I get vertical or horizontal bars which, according to the manual, means it's not getting a good enough connection. The Zip Chip will freeze after about 10 minutes of use.
Sigh. So, I'm looking to buy another one.
Post pictures. I can probably fix that easily.
Of the screen or of the chip itself? Or both?
Well, if it's just the pins not making contact, you put new pins on it. If its internal to the module, less likely. If it's a silicon chip, highly unlikely.
Probably both would be a good idea.
(Still have no idea how to attach images. Somehow I uploaded one to the website. Oh well.)
You might be able to mount it in a different socket and then just plug that socket in. Essentially a piggyback socket.
The pins don't look all that bad or short. Hard to tell with the angle.
I do see 9 of them that are shorter than the others.
That's exactly what I did, but it was after I clipped them and piggybacked it in a socket that I got the bars on the screen.
Before you give up, did you try spreading the pins on the new piggyback socket? The processor socket is only good for a few insertions before its spread out. Spreading your pins slightly may improve contact with the socket.
What kind of socket are you using?
Just your average 40 pin socket. I got it at the electronics surplus store. The pins weren't much longer than the now-clipped Zip Chip. The reason I clipped the Zip Chip pins was because two of the pins on the end of the chip had been bent so many times that I was afraid that it'd break if bent just one more time. The pins were way too long to go into the socket I bought, so I clipped them to about the same length as the socket. It then seemed to fit just fine (pops in), but now it gets the bars during the 2 second delay before boot.
Maybe the socket's pins are too short? Which socket should I be using?
I used something nearly identical to this:
http://www.jameco.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10001&productId=112311&catalogId=10001&langId=-1&CID=GOOG&gclid=CKC-r_qF0MwCFReUfgodkLcF7g
Maybe the socket on the mobo is slightly worn and it isn't gripping the zip-chip on all pins or the replacement socket. You can, like said before, try bending the zip-chip's pins with risk of breaking them, or replace the zip chip.
The zip-chip's pins and typical replacement socket's pins are relatively thin compared to those on a regular 6502 or 74LS logic chip. And they might not make any contact unless bent.
Alternately, a new socket, with long enough pins can be soldered to the zip-chip. Or pins on the zip chip can be extended/repaired/replaced. If it's just one or two troublesome pins, a makeshift temporary extension can be made with a bit of foil or wire.
Otherwise, yeh, if the pins have been flexed enough they'll break off sooner or later. Requiring more in-depth fixing.
I was worried about doing any sort of soldering on the Zip Chip itself. I didn't think that any sort of heat would be good for it.
I suppose at this point I might as well try.
However, I'd still like to buy another Zip Chip. Regardless if I can fix this one, I would like to have one in proper working order.
olepigeon,
Zip Chip 4000 and 8000 come up for auction on eBay every once in a while.
The problem is the prices that are being asked for them
are out of this world.
If this is a IIe that you are working on
have you considered getting a Transwarp IIe?
There is at least one that I have seen on eBay this week
and so far the prices are at least half-way reasonable.
Steven
They get listed for like $400 or more. Ridiculous. I'd rather run an emulator at 10x speed
than get gouged on fleabay!
If you're going to do any repairs I'd suggest practicing on a scrap chip first. Break the
pins off and resolder them or re-bond them in place.
I already have a Transwarp, but it's incompatible with Ultima V (practically the only reason I use my //e.) Ironically, Ultima V is "Transwarp aware," but there are documented (and my own first hand dealings with) compatibility problems with the game. It really likes to crash between screen changes and floppy disk swaps, and will eventually corrupt your save game.
Very frustrating.
Well I just looked at a Zip chip and the legs are long. So I would try what everyone was saying that is spread the legs on the socket. See if that works. Then I would try another quality low profile socket with out trimming the legs. I would also try cleaning the socket on the mother board. That would be with Qtip's and compressed air. What you want to do is to pull the cotton slightly to get it to point. Then to twist twirl it around where each pin would go on the M.B. socket. Then some compressed air for any dust or left over fibers.
Take Care
I'll try cleaning it and pushing the pins a bit outward.
Also remember that the Early Zip Chips can Overheat... Mine does...
MarkO
That I did not know. Bad connections, or oxidation causes more resistance which uses more power which produces more heat. How can you tell if you have a earlier Zip Chip? Not sure how you could attach a heat sink to it.
How about adapting one of the little
12VDC fans that they used on the IBM style P1's and P3's?
Steven
That'd make sense why it froze after a few minutes.
I read "somewhere" that the Earlier Ones had a Overheating Problem...
Mine is an early one, because I sent Money to Zip Chip, and didn't receive it for many months.. See My Story here. It runs for a while then friezes. Here is a photo..
Mine looks like a Ceramic Chip with a Fiberglass Cap on the Top.. If I can separate them, without damaging either, I would like to, so I can try some additional Cooling on it...
MarkO
A fan might help, but mine is Capped in what looks like Fiberglass....
MarkO
Mine does the same thing... I didn't know about the Widespread Overheating until the last few years..
I guess I should have subscribed to more Apple Magazines, BITD... Before the Interwebs..
MarkO
Yes. Any increased airflow would help. The more the merrier.
Yes. Any increased airflow would help. The more the merrier.
I'm looking for a defective ZIP-Chip (4mhz Version if possible). If you want to sell yours, im interested.
-Jonas
Don't have one for sale.
I have exactly what you are looking for.
I have tried to get two 4mhz zip chips in recent years and one was completely DOA and the other made my iie behave strange given certain circumstances.
PM sent.
Why don't you sand down the socket so the legs can get in further? well worth to try to make the connectors almost flush to top so all the pins can get in.