What Kind of RAM Is This?

[Nerfinator]

The photo is of a memory module that is going bad in a TiVo. I know it's the one in the picture, because when I power up the TiVo I get the green blinking light of death but when I heat up this specific module (there are a total of 4) it will come back to life. Turn it off and let it cool and back to the green blinking light of death. My question is, does anyone recognize the company that makes this module? I'd like to assume that I could get a DIMM and desolder one from it and solder it in place of this one to replace it.

As always, thanks in advance, I really appreciate it!
https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resi...nt=photo%2cjpg

[Nerfinator]

Re: What Kind of RAM Is This?

Ok, so it's a Micron module. Any idea what the numbers on it mean though?

[tibd]

Re: What Kind of RAM Is This?

MT46V32M16 – 8 Meg x 16 x 4 banks



Before desoldering one from some other DDR module try to run your soldering iron over the pins of the specific one you're thinking defective. It might be a cold joint specially its working when reheating.

[Nerfinator]

Re: What Kind of RAM Is This?

Good idea tibd, I did that twice and still no joy, but when I heat it up with a heat gun it powers up every time. There are a few small smd caps by the module as well, I ran the soldering iron over those as well, but I might remove them instead and test them, there is only 3 or 4 so it's not a big deal, only problem is I have no idea what voltage or uF they should be.

[tibd]

Re: What Kind of RAM Is This?

Good idea tibd, I did that twice and still no joy, but when I heat it up with a heat gun it powers up every time. There are a few small smd caps by the module as well, I ran the soldering iron over those as well, but I might remove them instead and test them, there is only 3 or 4 so it's not a big deal, only problem is I have no idea what voltage or uF they should be.

Leave those caps alone, if they were bad then reheating wont do the trick. Try to replace the chip.

[Nerfinator]

Re: What Kind of RAM Is This?

I think this is going to be a bust. I don't have any micron dimms and this is going into a 1st gen TiVo that has the 4 modules soldered to the board. It's a different story if I could just desolder a 128mb chip and put it in it's place, but I doubt that'll work.

[Nerfinator]

Re: What Kind of RAM Is This?

Ok, so I found a board with the right chips on it, replaced the suspected DIMM and the Tivo does the same thing, blinking green light, heat up the chip and the light goes solid and the Tivo works.

Ideas? I don't see anything wrong in the area of the chip I replaced.

I think I'm going to reflow the side of the two other dimms closest to the suspected dimm in case it's a cold joint along one of those instead.

[FrugalBob]

Re: What Kind of RAM Is This?

Nerfinator,
I have the exact same symptoms with a TiVo Series 4 with Lifetime service. It is the end chip closest to the SATA drive connectors on the motherboard. I heat it up with a heat gun or soldering iron and it will boot and operate fine until it powers off. It will fail with flashing green light every time if it isn't heated up. Did you ever find a resolution?