• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

Electronics guys / EEs...quick help needed

Page 2 - Seeking answers? Join the AnandTech community: where nearly half-a-million members share solutions and discuss the latest tech.
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.
Click to expand...


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
Click to expand...

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
 
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.
Click to expand...


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
Click to expand...

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
Click to expand...


why do people think surface mounting is hard😕 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😉
 
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.
Click to expand...


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
Click to expand...

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
Click to expand...


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
 
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.
 
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.
Click to expand...


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
Click to expand...

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
Click to expand...


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
Click to expand...


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


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
Click to expand...

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
Click to expand...


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
Click to expand...
Hot glue?

:laugh:

Good luck with that.

I do believe it is a a 4700pf tantalum capacitor.
 
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
 
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.
 
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.
 
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
Click to expand...


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


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.
 
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.
Click to expand...


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
Click to expand...

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
Click to expand...


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
Click to expand...
Hot glue?

:laugh:

Good luck with that.

I do believe it is a a 4700pf tantalum capacitor.
Click to expand...


"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
 
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.
 
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
Click to expand...


Anyone?
Click to expand...

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?????
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top