I'm trying to repair a v1.6 MB in which a modchip install went wrong.


Can someone please comfirm that the third pin from the left connects to the hole then the right hand side of the resistor.

I don't suppose anyone has any high res pics of the MB or closeups?

Thanks in advance.

The "hole" is called a Via (Vee-uh) and is used to connect the traces on the top of the board to the ones on the bottom, or in this case, to one somewhere in the middle of the board or it goes nowhere. From what I can tell it doesn't connect to anything in the middle of the board, so repairing just the top part should suffice. IC leg to Right side of the Resistor. If it does go somewhere though, not sure it does, you'll need to jumper a wire back there to that spot.

Thanks for the great pics. I fixed the connection but I has not fixed it. ("Christmas Lights")
I'm having trouble with a broken trace going from the hole circled in green in between the LPC shown here:


The trace is broken in the direction of the arrow. The only point of contact at the next hole is now part way through the board. I can run a wire around the board to the other side as the nvidia chip is covering the hole. Does anyone know where this trace may lead on the other side of the board? (ie from under the nvidia chip and out from one of it's sides.)

Are you saying the trace is ripped from Via to Via? or something different? If your next closest spot disappears under the nVidia chip then you can pretty much kiss it goodbye, cause that's where it ends. A real pic of this spot would help determine this as well.

What blind monkey was messing around in there anyway? Neither of these spots need to be messed with for a modchip install.


EDIT: Just looked on a board that has the chip removed and that Via goes to a joint for the chip and that's it. If you can get a pic of the damage maybe we can figure something else out though.

If that Via (hole - noob speak) goes directly to the nvidia chip then all I can do is try my best to repair what is left of the via. Which is a x-section of the via - so like drilling down the point of a needle! (steady)

I think I managed it but obviously it was not a strong contact. I'm sorry for the lack of pic for this one but I've lent my cam out. The 1st was an old pic. I'll put one up tmw.

Here's my 1st repair though. It bypasses the via which is not used?

What were the boot symptoms before the repair? FRAG, dead, other? and then after that first repair? same or different?

Is that wire attached to the leg of the IC there solid? It doesn't look to be that ideal of a connection form the pic, but that's just a guess since I'm only looking at it from one angle, no offense to the soldering job intended, just checkin I'd trim the end of the wire at the Resistor as well, it looks to be over far enough to where it can touch that other Via and it shouldn't.

Symtoms havent changed even if I put the mod chip back on. Before I got it the guy who tried to mod it (xecuter 2.6) wired LAD0 to a via on the top of the board that was going to I think the 6th pin in from the left. So would it be the Xyclops chip that has blown?

There was no way to solder from the IC to the resistor without it being solid. I just tried to make sure the pins did'nt contact.
Yeah I was going to say there is no connection between the repair wire and the next via. It looks a bit dodgy from that angle and could be better but with the tools I have and my shaky hand I thought it was best left.

Hard to say what might have gone if it was wired up wrong, maybe nothing. Since you still have that open connection that goes to the MCPX chip you'll have to get that squared away first, since it could be causing the FRAG.

The post above is incorrect, so please ignore it.

Moderator edit: It's gone now.



The spot RDC has shown is correct, but it goes to the LAD0 rebuild point.
That point I've indicated below is critical if your doing the LPC restore from the bottom.







That's the LAD0 point as mentioned above.
Your going to have to add a wire to the repair you've already made, and join it to the LAD0 point on the LPC bus. Either from the top or bottom. Hopefully that should fix it.
Please let us know how you get on.
Regards,
DarkMatter

Which is why I also said...

I had a sneaky feeling it went somewhere else, and now I know where.
Gun jumper.

Hi guys/gals. Sorry for not posting ealier but I've been very stressed and busy with preping for interviews this week so I've had no time to comment for look at the MB.

But I've repaired the broken trace and the thing is still flashing xmas lights. (on/off 3 times then flasing green/red). Would this be a dead Xyclops chip?
If so where can I get one?

I've tried the xbox with the mod chip installed but I will try again using the alternate LAD0 point.

Other than this I can't see any more damage.

I've not got my cam back yet but mto V3 'll do for now.
This is the LAD0 rebuild point which has been drilled out after the top of the via was ripped off.


You can see copper which is in the middle of the board. Should this be connected to this via?

This is my trace repair.




I've noticed a connection between these 2 points but I can't trace it. But I don't suppose it'd make a difference as I must have a good contact with my repair.

Just noticed this blob of solder connecting these 2 points too. I thought that the trace ran under the blob to the via so it was not causing any harm.

The Copper trace in the middle of the board shold not be connected to that Via.

The measurement I get here on my boards, and they all have the MCPX removed so you'll want a double check off someone with a full board, is 20k between the points you're measuring. Again, that could be different on a board with the MCPX in it.

Yes that solder blob should be removed, as should any solder that doesn't look "normal" on the board, check, double check, then check again.

I get 19.5K between those points.

The blob of solder was not actually connecting the 2 points I mentioned earlier but I removed it anyway. Picture angle really makes all the difference with this.

What chip/component failure causes xmas lights? I can't find anymore broken traced mistaken connections.

Made mistake

That sounds about right, still like to have another with a full board compare it though, just to be safe.

I'd have to say better than 75% or so of the components on the board would give you the 3 strikes and FRAG symptom if they failed, so it's really hard to pinpoint. Being that it was a botched modchip install, I'd have to say the MCPX or the Xyclops is probably shot, but it could really be just about anything. Solder bridge somewhere, bad solder joint, ESD.

That LAD0 point (at R7P4) on the bottom there has a trace in the middle of the board that goes running to the MCPX, check and make sure you have continuity between these points as well as to that 3rd leg of the IC where ya started the repair.

Not to step on RDC's toes, but there are some high res & highlighted pics on my site if you want.
members area has the gallery.
TOP


BOTTOM


Like colors go together. Pin in question is the orange one.
-nB

Hey networkBoy, how goes? Been awhile since the EvolutionX forums ay? (RDCXBG)

So this line hits 2 spots on the MCPX then? I checked on a couple of boards and it seems they're connected, the single orange spot (under the MCPX) on your bottom pic to the single Via on mine, near C6R13, can you confirm this?

Had to use Red on mine, Orange blended in with my pic too much.