Electronics guys / EEs...quick help needed

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Oscar1613

Golden Member
Jan 31, 2001
1,424
0
0
Originally posted by: dmurray14
Originally posted by: sygyzy
I think you'd be very lucky if just replacing that cap fixes your problem. Even then, it's not an easy fix. Where do you plan on finding that cap? Not Radio Shack, I'm sure. Then you would have to know how to do surface mount soldering.


Why not? I don't need an SM cap if it's temporary. I just need to know how big the cap is and I'll pick up a can one. It's only to recover whats on there. If it doesn't work, too bad, I'm out a couple cents.

Dan

even if you get a regular cap you still have to surface mount solder it. what makes surface mount hard is there is no hole to put the leads thru, so you have the same problem whether you use a cap made for surface mount or not.

but either way, if you tried to swap circuit boards and it didnt work, then you probably fried part of the internal drive controls too
 

Gibson486

Lifer
Aug 9, 2000
18,378
2
0
Originally posted by: Oscar1613
Originally posted by: dmurray14
Originally posted by: sygyzy
I think you'd be very lucky if just replacing that cap fixes your problem. Even then, it's not an easy fix. Where do you plan on finding that cap? Not Radio Shack, I'm sure. Then you would have to know how to do surface mount soldering.


Why not? I don't need an SM cap if it's temporary. I just need to know how big the cap is and I'll pick up a can one. It's only to recover whats on there. If it doesn't work, too bad, I'm out a couple cents.

Dan

even if you get a regular cap you still have to surface mount solder it. what makes surface mount hard is there is no hole to put the leads thru, so you have the same problem whether you use a cap made for surface mount or not.

but either way, if you tried to swap circuit boards and it didnt work, then you probably fried part of the internal drive controls too


why do people think surface mounting is hard:confused: All you have to do make sure the contacts make contact with the thing you are soldering down. Nothing really challenging. Even with a regular cap, you can do it easily, just make sure the pins are not touching anything but the contact. I do this at work all the time. Just remember to watch polarity;)
 

dmurray14

Golden Member
Feb 21, 2003
1,780
0
0
Originally posted by: Oscar1613
Originally posted by: dmurray14
Originally posted by: sygyzy
I think you'd be very lucky if just replacing that cap fixes your problem. Even then, it's not an easy fix. Where do you plan on finding that cap? Not Radio Shack, I'm sure. Then you would have to know how to do surface mount soldering.


Why not? I don't need an SM cap if it's temporary. I just need to know how big the cap is and I'll pick up a can one. It's only to recover whats on there. If it doesn't work, too bad, I'm out a couple cents.

Dan

even if you get a regular cap you still have to surface mount solder it. what makes surface mount hard is there is no hole to put the leads thru, so you have the same problem whether you use a cap made for surface mount or not.

but either way, if you tried to swap circuit boards and it didnt work, then you probably fried part of the internal drive controls too


No I don't. I will hot glue leads onto the solder pads and have the cap outside of the drive (as it wouldn't fit otherwise; this side is pressed up against the bottom of the drive). I will copy my data, peel off the glue, then send it back to the manufacturer.

I really just need to know how to find the capacitance...

Dan
 

Gibson486

Lifer
Aug 9, 2000
18,378
2
0
This is where you can get those caps....good luck finding the exact one;)

http://www.mouser.com/

My company i work for also buys from another company, but the name escapes me now....that company is pretty good and willl et you buy 1 cap for .20 and they will pay shipping.
 

Gibson486

Lifer
Aug 9, 2000
18,378
2
0
Originally posted by: dmurray14
Originally posted by: Oscar1613
Originally posted by: dmurray14
Originally posted by: sygyzy
I think you'd be very lucky if just replacing that cap fixes your problem. Even then, it's not an easy fix. Where do you plan on finding that cap? Not Radio Shack, I'm sure. Then you would have to know how to do surface mount soldering.


Why not? I don't need an SM cap if it's temporary. I just need to know how big the cap is and I'll pick up a can one. It's only to recover whats on there. If it doesn't work, too bad, I'm out a couple cents.

Dan

even if you get a regular cap you still have to surface mount solder it. what makes surface mount hard is there is no hole to put the leads thru, so you have the same problem whether you use a cap made for surface mount or not.

but either way, if you tried to swap circuit boards and it didnt work, then you probably fried part of the internal drive controls too


No I don't. I will hot glue leads onto the solder pads and have the cap outside of the drive (as it wouldn't fit otherwise; this side is pressed up against the bottom of the drive). I will copy my data, peel off the glue, then send it back to the manufacturer.

I really just need to know how to find the capacitance...

Dan


that works too....but that can get messy as hell.....let me try to find that company my job orders from.
 

Pepsi90919

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
25,162
1
81
Originally posted by: FrustratedUser
Originally posted by: dmurray14
What is this component on this hard drive board? It blew out when I plugged the power cord in backwards. Stupid, I know. Is it a fuse?

Text

Thanks,
Dan

Tantalum Capacitor.
not that that's been answered 20 times already.

 

Eli

Super Moderator | Elite Member
Oct 9, 1999
50,419
8
81
Originally posted by: dmurray14
Originally posted by: Oscar1613
Originally posted by: dmurray14
Originally posted by: sygyzy
I think you'd be very lucky if just replacing that cap fixes your problem. Even then, it's not an easy fix. Where do you plan on finding that cap? Not Radio Shack, I'm sure. Then you would have to know how to do surface mount soldering.


Why not? I don't need an SM cap if it's temporary. I just need to know how big the cap is and I'll pick up a can one. It's only to recover whats on there. If it doesn't work, too bad, I'm out a couple cents.

Dan

even if you get a regular cap you still have to surface mount solder it. what makes surface mount hard is there is no hole to put the leads thru, so you have the same problem whether you use a cap made for surface mount or not.

but either way, if you tried to swap circuit boards and it didnt work, then you probably fried part of the internal drive controls too


No I don't. I will hot glue leads onto the solder pads and have the cap outside of the drive (as it wouldn't fit otherwise; this side is pressed up against the bottom of the drive). I will copy my data, peel off the glue, then send it back to the manufacturer.

I really just need to know how to find the capacitance...

Dan
Hot glue?

:laugh:

Good luck with that.

I do believe it is a a 4700pf tantalum capacitor.
 

PottedMeat

Lifer
Apr 17, 2002
12,363
475
126
If you still want to find a close replacement for that capacitor
1. im guessing the yellow one next to it is probably the same value/size so measure the length/width of that one in mm
2. the value is probably '336' so 33 x 10^6 picoFarads equal to 33uF
3. the applied voltage could be anywhere from 5V to 12V ( assuming this is a PATA drive ) so the rating could be 6V or 16V maybe
4. as said before its probably a low ESR tantalum surface mount capacitor
5. get the digikey catalog and flip though the diagrams and find one that seems to fit

but... applying power in reverse is likely to have fried everything on there

good luck
 

RaynorWolfcastle

Diamond Member
Feb 8, 2001
8,968
16
81
That's a cap, you can almost certainly get another one from Digikey. Shouldn't be hard to replace, although it might not solve your problem if other components got damaged at the same time.
 

Benthere

Member
May 4, 2003
124
0
0
just try a 25uf cap, with a voltage rating above 12 and make sure to observe polarity. It's worth a try can't hurt anything now. I don't think the hot glue will work,and it's not that hard to solder to the board. Was the other board you tried identical to this one? If so you most likely have other damage as well.
 

Gibson486

Lifer
Aug 9, 2000
18,378
2
0
Originally posted by: PottedMeat
If you still want to find a close replacement for that capacitor
1. im guessing the yellow one next to it is probably the same value/size so measure the length/width of that one in mm
2. the value is probably '336' so 33 x 10^6 picoFarads equal to 33uF
3. the applied voltage could be anywhere from 5V to 12V ( assuming this is a PATA drive ) so the rating could be 6V or 16V maybe
4. as said before its probably a low ESR tantalum surface mount capacitor
5. get the digikey catalog and flip though the diagrams and find one that seems to fit

but... applying power in reverse is likely to have fried everything on there

good luck


digikey, that's the place. They ship fast too.......
 

Gibson486

Lifer
Aug 9, 2000
18,378
2
0
Originally posted by: Benthere
just try a 25uf cap, with a voltage rating above 12 and make sure to observe polarity. It's worth a try can't hurt anything now. I don't think the hot glue will work,and it's not that hard to solder to the board. Was the other board you tried identical to this one? If so you most likely have other damage as well.


hot glue will work if he is using a regular through hole cap. He just has to make sure that the pins touch the contact.
 

dmurray14

Golden Member
Feb 21, 2003
1,780
0
0
Originally posted by: Eli
Originally posted by: dmurray14
Originally posted by: Oscar1613
Originally posted by: dmurray14
Originally posted by: sygyzy
I think you'd be very lucky if just replacing that cap fixes your problem. Even then, it's not an easy fix. Where do you plan on finding that cap? Not Radio Shack, I'm sure. Then you would have to know how to do surface mount soldering.


Why not? I don't need an SM cap if it's temporary. I just need to know how big the cap is and I'll pick up a can one. It's only to recover whats on there. If it doesn't work, too bad, I'm out a couple cents.

Dan

even if you get a regular cap you still have to surface mount solder it. what makes surface mount hard is there is no hole to put the leads thru, so you have the same problem whether you use a cap made for surface mount or not.

but either way, if you tried to swap circuit boards and it didnt work, then you probably fried part of the internal drive controls too


No I don't. I will hot glue leads onto the solder pads and have the cap outside of the drive (as it wouldn't fit otherwise; this side is pressed up against the bottom of the drive). I will copy my data, peel off the glue, then send it back to the manufacturer.

I really just need to know how to find the capacitance...

Dan
Hot glue?

:laugh:

Good luck with that.

I do believe it is a a 4700pf tantalum capacitor.


"Good luck with that?"

Like I said already, this is temporary, I need it to stay on for 3 minutes while I get the data off. I really don't care how tacky hot glue is so long as it holds up for 3 minutes.

I don't want to solder because I need to send the drive back. And, I'm under the gun because I already got a replacement drive (which I stupidly assumed would be identical).

So one person thinks its 4700pF, another 33uF. Any way to know for sure? I really don't want to order something online though - I'd prefer to pick something up at radioshack. I don't care if it's overkill or clunky - as I said, just needs to work for a few minutes.

Edit: Also, it was on the +5V line if that helps.

Thanks
Dan
 

henryay

Senior member
Aug 14, 2002
293
0
0
It looks like it is the same value as the other hard drive. Maybe the hard drive compnay just got a different supplier for the hard drive.

I can kind of see a 3 on the blown out capacitor. I'll say 33uF too.
 

PottedMeat

Lifer
Apr 17, 2002
12,363
475
126
Originally posted by: dmurray14
Originally posted by: dmurray14
Think I could sub this guy in?

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index...p=&pg=3&kw=capacitor&parentPage=search

Dan


Anyone?

If you're still gonna do this, that will probably work fine, but make sure you remove the old one -> its probably become a short / low resistance bridge.

With the power applied incorrectly ( +12 to +5V Input and +5 to +12V ) I doubt any of the ICs on there still work, not to mention the read/write heads. Anyone know how sensitive they are to uh... unusual power fluctuations?

edit: and how the hell did you put in a drive power connector the wrong way?????