Re: Bricked it....
Posted: Wed Dec 04, 2013 10:06 pm
Experimenting today with a experimental GPS board that quit working a couple of years ago. I had the board in the attic connected to a GPS antenna. The GPS board talks via RS-232, TTL, USB and Bluetooth.
Before it quit working totally; it was working intermittently. That said one day I decided to replace it and while looking at it the mini USB power input fell off of it.
I tested it again afterwards with a direct 5VDC to the board; but the LED's only indicated that the 5VDC was up on the board but the 3.3 VDC led wouldn't come on and the GPS wouldn't start.
Today I looked at it again and didn't see anything wrong with it. I was going to try using the hot air workstation on it but decided to try something else.
I googled baking a circuit board and decided to give it a try.
I baked the board at some 485 F for maybe 5 minutes. Note this is a last resort "fix".
It worked and I have a working development GPS board again.
BTW the "baking" the circuit board thing is very low on the WAF scale. The weather was nice such that I did open all of the windows on the main floor of the home due to the somewhat toxic gases. Today you do not see or smell anything different in the kitchen.
Before it quit working totally; it was working intermittently. That said one day I decided to replace it and while looking at it the mini USB power input fell off of it.
I tested it again afterwards with a direct 5VDC to the board; but the LED's only indicated that the 5VDC was up on the board but the 3.3 VDC led wouldn't come on and the GPS wouldn't start.
Today I looked at it again and didn't see anything wrong with it. I was going to try using the hot air workstation on it but decided to try something else.
I googled baking a circuit board and decided to give it a try.
I baked the board at some 485 F for maybe 5 minutes. Note this is a last resort "fix".
It worked and I have a working development GPS board again.
BTW the "baking" the circuit board thing is very low on the WAF scale. The weather was nice such that I did open all of the windows on the main floor of the home due to the somewhat toxic gases. Today you do not see or smell anything different in the kitchen.