I can haz plan nao!

[unixronin]

As recently reported, vorlon (my Athlon64/Win2KPro gamebox and writing/accounting machine) is currently down due to a BIOS upgrade that failed in a non-recoverable manner.  I filed a tech support ticket with GigaByte, but according to their support site they haven't even read the ticket yet, much less responded to it.

So, after doing some research, I have a plan.

The BIOS on my motherboard is in 4-megabit 32-pin PLCC flash memory chips that look ... well, precisely like these, actually.  (This photo is even from a K8N board just like mine — not actually mine, because my camera won't focus close enough for macrophotography without a macro lens, and I don't own one).  GigaByte evidently decided to solder them directly in place to save the cost of sockets.

Now, it should be immediately apparent that neither desoldering nor soldering these is going to be much fun.  Except that, well, they're hosed already ... and I can buy new ones online, already programmed with an updated BIOS for my board.  That means I don't care about preserving the existing chips.

So.  I order a set of replacement flash BIOS chips (ten dollars plus shipping), and a pair of these 32-pin surface-mount PLCC sockets (fifty cents each plus shipping).  I cut the leads on the existing PLCCs, throw them away, and individually remove the left-behind leads.  Then I solder the sockets in place of the PLCCs (which I can do MUCH more easily than soldering on new PLCCs because I have direct access through the socket to the solder pads), snap the new BIOS chips into the sockets, and ... everything should be fine.  As long as I don't screw up the soldering or damage the board.

If all goes well, I'll end up with a better board, with socketed BIOS as it should have been in the first place, for a total cost to me of around $25.  Sure, it'll void the warranty on the board ... but the three-year warranty expired almost a year ago anyway, so I don't really see that as a problem.

Comments

[ithildae.livejournal.com]

Be very careful about heat to the board. Modern circuit board technology deposits copper onto mylar, which is then glued to a board. Mylar will take wave soldering, but can easily melt when exposed to a high-watt point source of heat, like a soldering pencil. I have the touch about 90% of the time. It takes lots of patience to work the board without destroying it. Good luck!

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

That is a very real concern. Fortunately, I have a secret weapon.

[ithildae.livejournal.com]

Which shall, of course, remain secret?

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

Well, more of an open secret. :) My "secret weapon" is named DJ Delorie, and he fabs his own circuit boards at home and has far, far better soldering equipment than I do...