MacBook Pro Mid-2014 A1398 Retina LED Controller Connector [First Repair (Disaster)]
Hello All,
tl;dr: minimal electronics experience and my first repair, lifted 8 pads off the laptop display LED controller board when attempting a connector replacement, options are attempting pad repair or jump wiring.
Laptop Model: MacBook Pro 15 Mid-2014 Retina, A1398 MGXA2LL/A
eDP Display: Samsung LSN154YL01-A02, assembly sold as Apple part 661-8310
Soldering Equipment: Hakko FX-888D w/ T-18 tips (Chisel, Conical, Bevel types)
I needed to replace the 30-pin I-PEX Cabline connector (labeled J8300 in the Apple 820-3662 mainboard schematics), on the LED display controller board after a water spill caused pin #1 to burnout. I managed to remove the connector with a heatgun but unfortunately also lifted 8 pads off the pcb. In order to salvage I must attempt replacement of the very small (0.5mm) pads using an available repair kit, or try to jumper the pins without the help of an available circuit diagram. Total replacement of the display is not an option as the cost is too prohibitive, and I want to exhaust every means of repair before giving up.
Here are the missing pads and their names according to the Apple schematics:
Pad# 1 (PPVOUT S0 LCDBKLT) [these four pads appear to control the backlight LEDs]
Pad# 5 (LED RETURN 3)
Pad# 6 (LED RETURN 2)
Pad# 7 (LED RETURN 1)
Pad# 24 (DP INT ML N <3>) [one of the eight DisplayPort pins (comprising four lanes total)]
Pad# 28 (PPV5VR3V3 SW LCD) [these three pads appear to be the +V power input]
Pad# 29 (PPV5VR3V3 SW LCD)
Pad# 30 (PPV5VR3V3 SW LCD)
Looking around online I found a number of pad/trace repair kits, like this one on Aliexpress, and a YouTube video where the repair process is shown. Although normally this method would appear preferable to wire jumping, the very small pad sizes (0.5mm) and traces (~0.2mm) involved might make this process very impractical as a first option. Any advice here is appreciated.
The primary issue with wire jumping is not having the circuit diagrams. Luckily, there's a website with an electrical teardown of an earlier (LG manufactured) 2013 Retina display that looks to be helpful for identifying where the jumper wires need to be soldered. Here are pics of the connector side and component side of the Samsung LED controller pcb.
Mike, on his LG pcb, located the first four pads (#s 1, 5-7) which go to a secondary "12-position dual row 0.4mm pitch board-to-board mezzanine" connector right next to the I-Pex 30-pin connector, seen on the far left of the connector side pic. These locations should be identical on the Samsung pcb, so far so good.
Pad# 24 which is one of DisplayPort pins he located (on the LG LED pcb) going to a group of resistors and caps beside the ParadeTech DP635 LCD timing controller (the first big IC left of center in the component side pic). If this is also the same location on the Samsung pcb, I suppose I must test continuity to every proximate resistor/cap?
The three remaining pads that carry +V power (#s 28-30) apparently go through a 3A/32V fuse (F1) on the component side, but I cannot identify where it is located (perhaps the component which has a "6" or "9" on it below the "SE1223-15" pcb text, left hand side of the component pic?)
Would greatly appreciate help identifying where to jumper these last four pins, as they appear to vary from Mike's LG pcb. Also, wish to ask for advice on correct jumper wire size for such small pins (0.4mm) and components (0201 package resistors). I previously tried to jumper one of the 0.5mm I-PEX pins using 30 AWG solid core Kynar wire, but I couldn't get it to stick and it "felt" a bit large when trying to solder... maybe 34 or 36 AWG magnet wire is preferable? Thanks for everyone's help and suggestions!
tl;dr: minimal electronics experience and my first repair, lifted 8 pads off the laptop display LED controller board when attempting a connector replacement, options are attempting pad repair or jump wiring.
Laptop Model: MacBook Pro 15 Mid-2014 Retina, A1398 MGXA2LL/A
eDP Display: Samsung LSN154YL01-A02, assembly sold as Apple part 661-8310
Soldering Equipment: Hakko FX-888D w/ T-18 tips (Chisel, Conical, Bevel types)
I needed to replace the 30-pin I-PEX Cabline connector (labeled J8300 in the Apple 820-3662 mainboard schematics), on the LED display controller board after a water spill caused pin #1 to burnout. I managed to remove the connector with a heatgun but unfortunately also lifted 8 pads off the pcb. In order to salvage I must attempt replacement of the very small (0.5mm) pads using an available repair kit, or try to jumper the pins without the help of an available circuit diagram. Total replacement of the display is not an option as the cost is too prohibitive, and I want to exhaust every means of repair before giving up.
Here are the missing pads and their names according to the Apple schematics:
Pad# 1 (PPVOUT S0 LCDBKLT) [these four pads appear to control the backlight LEDs]
Pad# 5 (LED RETURN 3)
Pad# 6 (LED RETURN 2)
Pad# 7 (LED RETURN 1)
Pad# 24 (DP INT ML N <3>) [one of the eight DisplayPort pins (comprising four lanes total)]
Pad# 28 (PPV5VR3V3 SW LCD) [these three pads appear to be the +V power input]
Pad# 29 (PPV5VR3V3 SW LCD)
Pad# 30 (PPV5VR3V3 SW LCD)
Looking around online I found a number of pad/trace repair kits, like this one on Aliexpress, and a YouTube video where the repair process is shown. Although normally this method would appear preferable to wire jumping, the very small pad sizes (0.5mm) and traces (~0.2mm) involved might make this process very impractical as a first option. Any advice here is appreciated.
The primary issue with wire jumping is not having the circuit diagrams. Luckily, there's a website with an electrical teardown of an earlier (LG manufactured) 2013 Retina display that looks to be helpful for identifying where the jumper wires need to be soldered. Here are pics of the connector side and component side of the Samsung LED controller pcb.
Mike, on his LG pcb, located the first four pads (#s 1, 5-7) which go to a secondary "12-position dual row 0.4mm pitch board-to-board mezzanine" connector right next to the I-Pex 30-pin connector, seen on the far left of the connector side pic. These locations should be identical on the Samsung pcb, so far so good.
Pad# 24 which is one of DisplayPort pins he located (on the LG LED pcb) going to a group of resistors and caps beside the ParadeTech DP635 LCD timing controller (the first big IC left of center in the component side pic). If this is also the same location on the Samsung pcb, I suppose I must test continuity to every proximate resistor/cap?
The three remaining pads that carry +V power (#s 28-30) apparently go through a 3A/32V fuse (F1) on the component side, but I cannot identify where it is located (perhaps the component which has a "6" or "9" on it below the "SE1223-15" pcb text, left hand side of the component pic?)
Would greatly appreciate help identifying where to jumper these last four pins, as they appear to vary from Mike's LG pcb. Also, wish to ask for advice on correct jumper wire size for such small pins (0.4mm) and components (0201 package resistors). I previously tried to jumper one of the 0.5mm I-PEX pins using 30 AWG solid core Kynar wire, but I couldn't get it to stick and it "felt" a bit large when trying to solder... maybe 34 or 36 AWG magnet wire is preferable? Thanks for everyone's help and suggestions!
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