Focusrite Scarlett Solo 3rd Gen component identification

[speggio91]

Hi everyone,

I'm trying to repair a Focusrite Scarlett Solo 3rd Gen audio interface that was accidentally exposed to 12V on the USB-C VBUS line instead of the normal 5V. A component marked as U1 on the PCB has completely blown up together with the capacitors C17, C15.

From the teardown video linked below, it's indicated that U1 is a voltage regulator (switcher) with 6 pins. Unfortunately, the original part on my board is so damaged that I can't make out any markings or identify it.

Video Link: https://youtu.be/8onqBc5iTB4?si=KHtU772wsproFGZy&t=633

Does anyone has a similar audio interface to analye? Also, if it's not possible to identify the exact component, are there any common 6-pin voltage regulators that could work as a replacement for this circuit?

Additional Info:
-U1 is located on the VBUS line, likely stepping down USB 5V to a lower operating voltage.
-The damage seems confined to U1, as there are no visible shorts elsewhere on the board (so far).

Thanks in advance for any help or guidance!

[speggio91]

Hi everyone,

I wanted to follow up and share the good news. I successfully repaired it! Hopefully, this post will help others who might face the same issue.

After reaching out to Focusrite technical support, I was amazed by their pro-repair approach. They provided me with the correct U1 replacement free of charge and even shared the values of the destroyed capacitors so I could replace them properly.
Here are the details of the replaced components:

-U1 (VBUS voltage regulator) – Replaced with STEP DOWN CONVERTER SYNCHRONOUS 1A MP2141NGTF ADJUSTABLE "MPS"
-C15 (Blown capacitor near U1) – 100nF, 50V, 10%, X5R, 0402 (value provided by Focusrite)
-C17 (Blown capacitor near U1) – 10µF, 16V, 20%, X5R, 0603 (value provided by Focusrite)


After replacing those, I discovered U4 (another voltage regulator) was overheating and also the main CPU (U2) had several pins that were shorted to ground.

I contacted the Focusrite technical support again and they sold me a pre-programmed replacement U2 and a U4 at a fair price (17 £).

These are the components:
-U2 (Main CPU, XMOS processor) – Replaced with XU208 QFP64, pre-programmed
-U4 (Step-down converter, overheating after repair) – Replaced with MP2181, 1A synchronous step-down converter


After carefully soldering everything back and running tests, the interface is now fully functional again!

If anyone experiences repairs with Scarlett products, I highly recommend reaching out to them first, they are incredibly helpful and willing to assist.

Thanks again to everyone for reading this! If you have any questions about this repair, feel free to ask.

Cheers