[Adrian] There are many retrocomputers, so he uses an RGB to HDMI converter to run modern monitors. Specifically, it has a box that uses a programmable logic chip to read various RGB signals and sends a Raspberry Pi Zero to run the HDMI output. Of course, that sounds great until something goes wrong.
A converter that worked stopped working because of a bad board with a programmable logic chip. Unlike retrocomputers, these boards have slightly smaller surface mounting components. A slight analysis suggests that some chips are not receiving pin input.
The Xilinx device has 5V-tolerant input and [Adrian] Suppose that the 5V input inputs may be fried which can happen if the pin has 5V and the device is not powered. The plan was to remove the bad chip and replace it with a new one.
With the advent of SMD devices, the Xilinx chip isn’t particularly small, but it can be a bit of a challenge if you’re more accustomed to working on computers from the 1980s. [Adrian] Lots of flow and hot air has been used to move the part wisely. We covered the adjacent components with Captain tape to avoid taking more than we wanted.
Another idea is that if you are sure that the part is bad, sometimes it is easier to cut all the lead, dispose of the chip and then remove each pin one by one. Although he got it. We can clean the pads before reselling them, however [Adrian] Only fresh solder has been added and it worked but the extra solder made it difficult to install new chips.
It has tried a few times, but perseverance is the key. Fortunately, the board was of high quality and took up a lot of heat as well as parts. If you are a fan of SMD, you can find out [Adrian’s] The journey is inspiring. It helps that he has a great microscope. In the end, it worked despite having some issues with video capture that caused some confusion in color.
This is not a tutorial on SMD work, but it is a first time diary. If you want something more instructive, check out [Bil Herd’s] Post or, spend an hour with [Moto Geek].