Buying OMAP 4 processors

[Melab]

I want to buy some unsoldered OMAP chips but I have to be a high volume OEM to get them from TI. Is there any other way to get one? It's for a project involving swapping out the chips in consumer electronics devices.

 

[mfenn]

Let's back up a bit. Why do you expect to (a) be able to unsolder and resolder an SoC (that's a hell of a lot of pins) and (b) expect one SoC to be a drop-in replacement for another?

 

[thecoolnessrune]

Unfortunately Mfenn is correct. The industry doesn't support what you are asking. The OMAP 4 has well over 500 pins on it. Human hands are completely incapable of working with these microchips. You would need professional board working equipment (basically a your own board fab).

Normally, development is done on pre-made development kits that have the chips placed on large breakout boards that development is performed in. When the functions are perfected, the real board production process is started with batches of boards being produced until the final revision is reached. These boards are then produced. At no point, does manual soldering of the chip takes place because its impossible.

Because of the way this industry works, there is no way you are going to find these chips in the way you are looking for.

 

[Melab]

Let's back up a bit. Why do you expect to (a) be able to unsolder and resolder an SoC (that's a hell of a lot of pins) and (b) expect one SoC to be a drop-in replacement for another?

AdamOutler over at XDA Developers managed to unsolder and solder a Hummingbird chip. Right now I am only concerned with obtaining a chip.

 

[mfenn]

AdamOutler over at XDA Developers managed to unsolder and solder a Hummingbird chip. Right now I am only concerned with obtaining a chip.

OK, so you have addressed (a), kinda. What about (b)?

 

[Melab]

OK, so you have addressed (a), kinda. What about (b)?

I assume the differences are only limited to silicon revisions and blown fuses. But this still leaves (C) getting the chip in the first place.

 

[mfenn]

I assume the differences are only limited to silicon revisions and blown fuses. But this still leaves (C) getting the chip in the first place.

So do you only want to swap chips from other OMAP 4 devices? Your OP isn't very clear.

 

[RU482]

not sure if this is what you are looking for....I did a search for OMAP 4 on digikey.com
http://www.digikey.com/product-sear...ics/embedded-microprocessors/2556260?k=OMAP 4

 

[Melab]

not sure if this is what you are looking for....I did a search for OMAP 4 on digikey.com
http://www.digikey.com/product-sear...ics/embedded-microprocessors/2556260?k=OMAP 4

Unfortunately, no. Those processors seem to be a part of Texas Instruments' OMAP 35xx range or their OMAP L range.