The kits were assembled and tested in a lab with anti-static mads and static dissipative flooring, and were shipped in anti-static bags. Please make sure you're properly grounded before opening and installing the kit, so that all of my precautions don't go to waste!

First, prepare the boardset by removing the parts that are replaced by the kit:

On the sound board, remove the 2 roms from 1H and 1J/K and set them aside. Remove the 6809 at 3K and install it on the sound board daughtercard. (The 6809 will be damaged if it is installed backwards, so ensure that the notch on the IC lines up with the notch in the socket, and the notch in the silkscreen on the PCB.) Also, gently bend testpoints TP1 and TP2 away from each other, so that they won't come in contact with the daughterboard when it is installed.

On the CPU board, remove the 5 EPROMs from 1F, 1H/J, 1J/K, 1K/L and 1M. the X2212 from 1E. Label and remove the 4 bipolar proms from 7H, 7J, 7K, and 7L. Renmove the 6809 CPU from 2C and install it on the CPU daugtercard. Gendly bend down the HALT and CATSTR test points. (/ROM2 may also need to be bent slightly towards /ROM1 for the daughterboard to fit properly.)

*NOTE* If you are upgrading from the earlier competing kit, or an original Atari Empire Strikes back kit, one of the pins or traces on the 7408 at 2K (outlined in blue) may be cut or bent. The boardset *must* be returned to its original state for this kit to function properly.

On the AVG board, remove the EPROM from 1L

Now, install the kit daughterboards onto the PCB.

Start with the CPU board. The CPU daughtercard seats into the sockets at 1F, 1E, and 2C. Place the CPU board (alone) on a flat surface, and align the back row of pins with the back row of the scoet at 1F. Rotate the daughterboard foreward, and seat the pins into the 1F and 1E sockets, and finally into 2C. Some pressure is needed to seat the daughterboard into the sockets, but the pins should all seat properly without damaging the sockets. Run the wires to the 2 daughtercards between U2 and U4 on the daughterboard.

Put the CPU and AVG boards back into the end-board connector, and seat the AVG daughtercard into the empty socket at 1E on the AVG board. The text on the daughterboard should be nearest the end-board.

Reconnect the sound board, and install the sound board daughterboard into the empty socket at 3K. The EPROM should be nearest to the edge of the board, and the notches on the CPU and EPROM should be facing *opposite* directions.

Finally, install the 4 bipolar proms into the CPU board sockets at 7H, 7J, 7K, and 7L.

The 2 long wires coming off the CPU board are for game selection. These should be wired to a normally open MOMENTARY switch, and only a single tap is required to reset the game and switch romsets. (The competing kit used a toggle switch to select the romset, and waited for the game to crash and reset itself via the watchdog when the roms were switched.) The 3-pin jumper between U7 and U11 selects which game will when the game is first powered on. Finally, there is an additional jumper added to switch banks on the non-volatile RAM chip, allowing you to reset scores for a party or other event without affecting your main high score table. "Party Mode" is accessed by shorting the 2 pins with a jumper.

Enjoy the kit and feel free to email me with any questions! Mark Spaeth mspaeth@gmail.com