Archive of the former Yahoo!Groups mailing list: Homebrew PCBs

i stupid guy have got the empty cartridges today.
i wanted to try it out instantly if it works.
there is a pcb which is connected to the print head and to the main board by flexible wires.
this was in the way of the copper board desk. so i holded it up by hand (didn't fix it on other position
until now. when the head moved (very fast!) it pulled it out of my hand and it did fall down.
as murphey's law prescribes it did exactly fall on a metal screw which shorted some pins out.
there was this "smell" you know, the smell of the hell for anyone having killed some electronic gear
this moment.

now the printer always says black cartridge is missing.
i exchanged the flexible wires from the black with that from the color cartridge (surprisingly they seem
to have the same pinout. it sows up that the section on this controller board for black is damaged.
it is all smd, all more or less non standard ic.

i think i may repair it, but a new printer (also of this kind) would cost nothing (1 or 2 eur at ebay).
but i would have to get it.

it was really stupid to drop the board.
and it was really stupid of the board to exactly hit this screw with the right contacts.

the bad thing is i can't tell which ic is kaput (no optical hints).
i also can't tell exactly which pins where shorted.

but i may exchange the ics from the black/color side (clearly separated).
but this are 13 pieces ea. and in worst case i would have to desolder/solder all 26.
all nice tiny smd.. which fun!

i see i have to get the soldering equipment near the tv / or vice versa.

i only wanted to say my results may take some time to get ready... sorry about that.

regards
stefan