Quote:
Originally Posted by qlob
Uh-oh...... I did drop it (not enough to damage the screen, though. Interestingly enough, it was the exact same circumstances to cause the drop as the ones that caused me to go from a K2 to a K3), maybe I disconnected the MMC or something........
|
Modern devices use lead-free (RoHS) solder that is very brittle.
I have had chips and connectors pop loose from circuit boards after dropping. Touching the connections up with lead-based solder fixes them, after removing excess solder from solder-bridges using solder wick. A low temperature soldering iron (just enough to melt the solder) helps to protect the board and the chips.
But with BGA chips such as used in the kindles (including the mmc), you need to "bake" it to reflow the solder. The problem is that there is a fine line between hot enough to reflow the solder and hot enough to damage the chips. There are videos showing how to do that with notorious MicroSoft gaming consoles, in which they used expensive thermal cameras to monitor and control chip temperature.
Damaged screens can start with little or no visible damage, with a growing screen substrate crack over time. Perhaps you lucked out there. I have a working K3 that needs a screen. Amazon's "half-price" replacement offer was a lot more than I paid for it originally, so it sits waiting for a screen.
