Preparing a Hikaru BGA Chip for Re-installation

[Ace`]

If you put down a good flux they will tin just fine, flux is magic. I did a few more Naomi 1s recently, moving on to Naomi 2s with bad BGA next.

 

[GeekMan1222]

Here's an idea.
If they all go pop, can we just create a better pcb?
Maybe just ship the chips and get a new hikaru back.

unfortunately to reverse engineer that board would be a nightmare. Plus the board it self is not bad it was bad execution when installing the parts to the board. The solution is to remove the chips tin and reball/solder them to the board correctly however that alone is alot of work and theres like what 8 of those BGA chips?

 

[Mitsurugi-w]

If you put down a good flux they will tin just fine, flux is magic. I did a few more Naomi 1s recently, moving on to Naomi 2s with bad BGA next.

Yeah flux is great but sometimes flux isnt enough. The oxidation needs to be removed first or nothing will stick. Flux can do it sometimes but I've had to call in other methods before.

 

[RepairGuy95]

What other methods work for you?

 

[Mitsurugi-w]

I had one that jad such bad oxidation that I had to use actual copper tarnish remover like for copper pots etc.

 

[GeekMan1222]

scratching/etching the surface with a glass fiber pen may prove useful too. Gotta make sure its a good fiberglass pen not some amazon crap. Ask me how i know

 

[LemonC]

Hello.

I would like to ask about the BGA chip issue on the Sega HIKARU board.

Has there been any new information or progress regarding this problem?

If I were to buy a working board, would it be a good idea to enter the test mode on site and run the full ROM test first?

Also, after confirming that the board is working, would it be safe to carefully disassemble the metal PCB case/cage afterward?

I understand that these boards are very fragile, so I would like to handle it as carefully as possible.

Thank you.

 

[Ace`]

Some more BGA fun, this time a Dimm board. Exact same issue as Hikaru where it was never soldered properly from the factory.

All the balls still on the board.

Pads aren't even tinned, hardest part was getting them to take solder but with a bunch of flux they finally cleaned up.

After reattaching the chip and replacing the flash tsop with a preflashed one (as it was on v1.02) it's back up and running.

 

[Mitsurugi-w]

Wow. The bad caps era also had a bad BGA era.

 

[MetalliC]

unfortunately to reverse engineer that board would be a nightmare.

AFAIK this has been already done, one person hired chinese firm to RE Hikaru PCB, and it has been done, all the layers.
I have all the files, but idk if I'm allowed to share them...

 

[Ace`]

Did they do Naomi too? some schematics for Naomi would be very handy.

 

[GeekMan1222]

AFAIK this has been already done, one person hired chinese firm to RE Hikaru PCB, and it has been done, all the layers.
I have all the files, but idk if I'm allowed to share them...

Thats actually wild