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

[mrmeval.livejournal.com]

To solder that socket in is a bitch. Notice the plastic web in the bottom? Use small side cuts and carefully cut the plastic material at the thin points and remove the center piece. It's close to the metal don't snip that.

Keep the center piece. You can then pick the small connection pieces out because the material the socket is made from is brittle when thin.

This will allow you to get a fine soldering iron into that space and solder the surface mounted leads down. I recommend fine 2% silver solder and liquid flux.

I can do it and not get solder on the part of the pin that touches the chip. It is delicate work. Use magnification.

Clean the flux from the area with an acid brush and 90% or better alcohol. Take your time. Be careful as static will cause this to burst into flames. Use small amounts for that reason. If you have non-flammable spray flux remover, sweet, it's expensive.

Drop the piece you cut out back into the socket, stick in the chip and you're done.

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

Does the center of the base even need to be there? It's not like the bottom of the PLCC is going to touch the board, even if there was anything in either place to potentially short.

[mrmeval.livejournal.com]

It may or may not. There is one style that seems to let the chip sink down too far and may make it difficult to extract. There is another style that does not seem to have this problem. I just put that piece back in because vendors have been known to fuck with us and change the specification on a part, keep the same part number and release a supplement six months later.

If you have an adjustable hot air gun it will help. Masking tape will help protect any components near them and it will also keep them on the board. Good quality masking tape.

Oh, you *need* an extractor. If you do it wrong the socket will crack and it's trivially easy to do.

I'm not sure about the 2nd one, I've never seen one or seen it used.
The one I have a work is the first. It works well.

Spendy (http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?Detail&name=K293-ND)
not so spendy (http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?Detail&name=A2139-ND)