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PCB troubleshooting

General tips​

Any of these problems can cause a variety of "just not working right" errors in a circuit. Familiarize yourself with these troubleshooting checks and do them regularly.

  • Are the batteries installed and wired to the board correctly? Make sure the "+" and "-" wires are going to the right places.
  • Turn the PCB over and check all solder joints. A majority of problems are caused by insufficient or errant soldering. Familiarize yourself with what a good joint looks like in the Adafruit Guide To Excellent Soldering.
  • Is the chip all the way in and in the right orientation? Its dimple should match the footprint outline on the PCB.
  • Do the batteries have enough power? The two batteries should have a total voltage of 2.4 to 3 volts. If the game seems like it's restarting a lot as you play it, that's a good sign the batteries need replacing.
  • If there’s buzzing, check for any metal scraps stuck to the speaker.
  • If the buttons are touchy or behaving weird, check to see that their switches are inserted all the way and perfectly flat against the PCB.
  • If you're hearing an unwanted hum from the speaker when the game isn't being played, verify C1 cap is soldered well. It may also be from noise added by long wires, so do use the recommended wire lengths in this guide.
  • If the volume or difficulty trimpots aren't behaving as expected, check to see that they're both in the right place and not swapped.