So the task is to figure out what is causing this error and preventing the boting of my ereader.
It is plausible that a broken and shorted substrate could pull down a voltage somewhere and cause the error seen, so we cannot eliminate that fully yet. However, it is far more likely that either the chip itself is faulty or that some support component or power supply circuitry for it is faulty.
The chip is from Texas Instruments and is well documented (
http://www.ti.com/product/TPS65185/technicaldocuments).
There is a data sheet (
http://www.ti.com/lit/gpn/tps65185) and a guide on understanding undervoltage conditions (
http://www.ti.com/lit/pdf/slva769), which might give me some clues as to how to proceed. In addition, they seem readily available on Ebay for just a few kopecs.
I should add that I am no electronics engineer and will take a while to understand these documents. Anybody who knows more than me or has any tips and tricks on how to proceed is welcome to chip in.