[1000mp] MP CAT DEAD

[Mike Gilmer]

"Nearby lightning" has a habit of blowing out ports
with long cables connected to them (serial, LAN, etc.)
 It's a good reason to unplug stuff.

"Normal" soldering equipment *can* be used to replace
larger surface mount devices like lots of the ones in
the MP.  You do need a pretty fine tip. I believe the
MAX232 part is a rather large surface mount part.  

To remove a part with pins:
1) Cut each of the device's pins with a fine pair of
cutters, then remove the part.
2) Remove the leftover pin stubs, one at a time, with
a soldering iron.

A surface mount resistor/cap (no pins) can be removed
be heating both ends up equally - either by using two
soldering irons, or more likely, one iron which you
move from end to end on the device over and over until
they both flow. Lift part off with tweezers.  (You
seem to need three hands so you have to be fast!)

If you have a leadless chip, well, you're on your own.

The new part can be put in by:
1) Carefully clean up the solder pads with solder wick
so there is minimal solder left on them (no blobs)
2) Place a dot of molten solder on a corner pad (let
it cool if you want) - say on pin 1
3) Hold the new device with tweezers, and locate it in
position on the board
4) Heat the corner pad and matching pin, being sure to
hold the device in the right orientation. Check
alignment of the diagonally opposite pin.
5) Remove heat. Let cool.
6) If it is lined up properly, you can now solder the
rest of the pins. If not, go back to 4).

Mike N2MG


> -----Original Message-----
> A local but not direct lightning strike blow out my
CAT last 
> summer but I don't have the soldering equipment to
remove a 
> surface mount chip.  Good luck on finding the
problem.