Mele S1 doesn't spin drives

[budm]

Re: Mele S1 doesn't spin drives

Check the DCV (measure between the two legs of the caps) of those filter caps in those red boxes (SMPS) to see what you get.
Notes: the one on the far right next to SATA connectors may not be for SMPS.

[Per Hansson]

Re: Mele S1 doesn't spin drives

Why would you assume I replaced it with "something and hope for the best", given the board pics posted above?

Original: Leaguer 105C 25V 100uF
Replacement: PET 105C 25V 100uF

12VDC Power Adapter output current ripple showing 0.03v at idle measured by Multimeter AC setting.

It looks like if there is no access to a board schematics, useful advice is shrunk to none, despite it can possibly be traced from the photos, and specialists would definitely understand what different sections of the board do, and where to measure specific voltages as asked above. I'm afraid, generic suggestions won't do any good in this case.

Oh I'm so sorry master, Obviously you know what you are doing and don't need our help.
Since you replaced the Leaguer capacitor with a PET capacitor.
To make a car analogy you replaced the blue car with another blue car.

http://www.paullinebarger.net/DS/Leaguer/

Maybe you should ask yourself if it's somehow likely that the cap you used as a replacement did not have the same ESR or Ripple as the original and therefore the board no longer works after replacement.

P.S: The name of the new car "PET" it might actually refer to the brand of paint on it.

[mike_sanders]

Re: Mele S1 doesn't spin drives

@ Per Hansson

Sorry, I'm not an electronics tech.

Original: Leaguer 105C (M) AG-series 25V 100uF
Replacement: CI(a) - logo, PET 105C 25V 100uF

You may be right about ESR and Ripple, and also the original AG series cap measured 125uF in DMM, so it appears good, will put it back and see what happen. Can't find any info about AG-series on the web.

The replacement green color cap is likely generic, can't find company info by logo. PET is sleeve material.

EDIT: replaced the cap with the original one. Still no video or UART output, while UART terminals are tested Tx 0.6v, Rx 3.6v .

[mike_sanders]

Re: Mele S1 doesn't spin drives

Since the thread discussed various (ir)relevant things, I wanted to recap the problem:

- MeLE S1 media center worked OK one night, but can't spin up any internal drives next day and hanged showing desktop after booting firmware OK. It's designed to work with and without HDDs, playing web content
- HDDs tested OK. Rebooted the player without HDDs - same result. Reinstalled factory firmware - bootloader hanged at launching FW as seen on HDMI and analog screen, can't show desktop
- re-inserted power plug - by error into (my) outside female connector leading to UART port used to test FW mods. A spark seen. Reinserted to power connector - same result, bootloader hangs at starting FW seen on screen
- disassembled player to erase EEPROM and reinstall FW. Found no UART output, suspect - UART circuitry damage due to hooking 12v power plug btw Tx and Rx by mistake
- tried to boot - still on-screen seen bootloader starts and hangs at launching FW. Reinstalled FW again - same result
- measured cap voltages and resistance on-board. One suspect cap with low resistance replaced. Result - no analog and digital video now. Placed the original cap back - still no video or UART output. Suspect: bootloader & BIOS (if used) now can't start, nothing to send to screen
- under power CPU, RAM, SATA, LAN, USB chipsets are warm as normal, Toshiba EEPROM chip on the back is cold (it might always been)

Cap voltages:

1. 25v 100uF 5v
2. 25v 100uF 5.75v
3. 25v 10uF 2.90v
4. 25v 100uF 6.55v
5. 25v 10uF 6.55v
6. 16v 470uF 13.8v
7. 25v 10uF 6.55v
8. 25v 10uF 2.90v
9. 25v 100uF 13.8v
10. 16v 470uF 5.80v
11. 25v 100uF 13.8v
12. 25v 100uF 3.68v 36 Ohm
13. 25v 100uF 1.18v 27 Ohm

12VDC original Power Adapter output current ripple showing 0.03v at idle measured by DMM in AC mode.

Found on another forum: "A similar MeLE player RTD1185DD based - doesn't boot beyond bootloader. Advice: check power 3.3V; 1.0V; 1.8V (5 & 12V not used by this CPU)". Where should I check these values on this particular board?

Some relevant components:

a. ST C4558 Op. amp
b. MP1484EN mosfet
c. Will WPM9435 mosfet
d. CG0WA power ic 6-pin
e. AT88SC crypto chip
f. AB1CB 5-pin
g. Sonix SN8P250 rc oscillator
h. CU0WB 6-pin
i. AB1CB 5-pin
j. HY0C 5-pin
k. Toshiba ND2452 NAND Flash
l. Eon F10-100GIP serial flash

Other:

- CPU RTD1185DD
- NANYA 1115 (NT5TU64m16GG-AC) RAM
- RTL8211D LAN
- GL850G USB 2.0 Hub Controller Genesys Logic
- JMS551 USB 3.0 to 2-port SATA II Controller
- JMS390 chipset multiplier


Note: some chipset marks are unclear, so some models above might be wrong, but I doubt so. Couldn't find some chip datasheets.

[mike_sanders]

Re: Mele S1 doesn't spin drives

Check the DCV (measure between the two legs of the caps) of those filter caps in those red boxes (SMPS) to see what you get.
Notes: the one on the far right next to SATA connectors may not be for SMPS.

Which cap should I measure in the far right box, probably its of different type, can't find electrolytic axial ones? That circuit appears to power the device Front Panel mounted small board and buttons & connectors (LED, Power button, Copy button, Flash Card port, USB2.0 port - all work OK, I reinstalled FW from it earlier confirmed OK on screen), also possibly powers EEPROM and another small flash chip (BIOS?) on the back of the main board. Doesn't seem relevant to SATA data ports, while 2 SATA white power ports are on the opposite board side.

Higher resolution board images linked (click to enlarge):

Front & Back

[CapLeaker]

Re: Mele S1 doesn't spin drives

those to SMD chip caps on the far right in the far right box.

[mike_sanders]

Re: Mele S1 doesn't spin drives

Got it!

SMD cap voltages

14. 3.7v
15. 5.7v
16. 6.0v
17. 0v
18. 0v
19. 0v
20. 0v
21. 6.7v
22. 0v
23. 1.2v
24. 1.2v
25. 1.2v
26. 3.7v
27. 0v
28. 1.4v
29. 1.4v
30. 1.4v
31. 3.7v

Some caps with 0v are so tiny, its hard to reach them and press firmly, so some of these might actually have some voltage.

[CapLeaker]

Re: Mele S1 doesn't spin drives

nope... that was meant for the FAR RIGHT BOX! At the others we want the electrolytics.

[mike_sanders]

Re: Mele S1 doesn't spin drives

The electrolytic caps voltages were given twice already in this thread, not sure why you didn't comment on these before.

As to SMD cap voltages, I measured all such caps in the outlined boxes, as I don't know who needs what. I need a working player for sure.

[mike_sanders]

Re: Mele S1 doesn't spin drives

Got reply from factory: "No replacement boards available" from them or their Service Centers in China. The only hope now is to fix it with your help guys, since a tech shop in my town said they don't know how to fix it. I need a 2-bay player, and there are none AFAIK offered on the market now.

[CapLeaker]

Re: Mele S1 doesn't spin drives

look at the Xtreamer Pro.

[mike_sanders]

Re: Mele S1 doesn't spin drives

I don't think they are sold anymore, and they're quite obsolete hardware wise to pay another $200+ shipping. Besides I hope collective genius of this site will find some directions to fix this unit... at some point. Can't believe, no-one knows how to repair media players. They have price point higher than many other devices people ask for help with here. I've seen video showing young Chinese girls at Mele designing these complex boards packed with chipsets, not just assembling or checking parts. Based on hits, many people would be interested to learn here how to repair media players. Shops in our town said they simply never did it, so have no experience.

[CapLeaker]

Re: Mele S1 doesn't spin drives

Been thinking on the UART. Came to find out that is coming from the RTD1185. So that main ic is toasted for sure if you put 12v to the rx tx lines. Once that's is fixed you can look again at the HDD issue

[mike_sanders]

Re: Mele S1 doesn't spin drives

Your sense of humor is truly unsurpassed. However, you are wrong - imagine that! The key is to read attentively this post. It says that after I managed to stupidly put the plug into the wrong spot, the CPU still worked as usual, resulting in FW update progress shown on screen and finished with "Updated OK" message. The player kept showing pic any time I tried to boot, just can't complete boot, and the same was happening even before reinserting power plug. So I don't think Mele girls hooked UART directly to CPU. And duration of impact matters.

Edit: In fact if you look on higher resolution images linked above, the traces show UART is hooked to CPU through a chain of resistors and other components. One of these may be toast or not. When bootloader can't start from flash, there might be nothing to send to UART. I don't think these boards have BIOS, so hardware is ID'd by bootloader and kernel at boot.

[CapLeaker]

Re: Mele S1 doesn't spin drives

Easy to say for you. So fix the UART then already if you know how to.
There is always something to send at the UART. Even if it is just a little something, like one character at every boot. This way I unbricked quite a few devices.
Right now you are the one with the board and I am done with this jazz.

[mike_sanders]

Re: Mele S1 doesn't spin drives

If I could fix it on my own, wouldn't be here. But replacing CPU requires specialized BGA Reflow equipment. I tried to reflow some laptop GPU chips before, and they never worked beyond 2-3 days.

Cost of this at repair shop comes close to a new player cost, if they have BGA station at all. I posted all voltages asked for, all part numbers & specs - and get no substantive comment on voltages at all. By the same token I can say: "buy a new device, or you're ungrateful and I'm out of here".

Can ship the board to you, if you can fix it - how about that? As to fixing UART - that may help to erase EEPROM and re-install bootloader & FW, but might not help to read EEPROM if voltage is low. What components should I check to fix UART, apart from replacing CPU that is out of pocket? There seems to be JTAG port too on the board, not sure how to use it and what's the pinout?

[mike_sanders]

Re: Mele S1 doesn't spin drives

Check the DCV (measure between the two legs of the caps) of those filter caps in those red boxes (SMPS) to see what you get.
Notes: the one on the far right next to SATA connectors may not be for SMPS.

I checked the voltages and posted with part numbers and specs a few days ago as you asked. It was quite an effort on my part to find all the specs and illustrate the data on photos. May I kindly ask you to comment on the voltages you requested? Did I upset you with anything at all?

[budm]

Re: Mele S1 doesn't spin drives

I checked the voltages and posted with part numbers and specs a few days ago as you asked. It was quite an effort on my part to find all the specs and illustrate the data on photos. May I kindly ask you to comment on the data you requested? Did I upset you with anything at all? I agree to be a bad guy and "ugrateful" or anything else, if that can help to fix the board. But how YOU giving no reply on your own request I fulfilled makes ME ungrateful?

Well, I have full time job + volunteer job every Saturday so I do not have the time to answer all the questions to EVERYONE. The reason I asked you to check those Voltages are to find out if those sections have dead circuit or not, and it will also help for other people that are also trying to help you troubleshooting the board. Some of those Voltages I expect to see 3.3V, 1V, 1.8V as you have said what the Voltage for running the IC should be but the readings are not exact of what they should be. Since we do not have the diagram of the board and no other board we can use to do the comparison readings of the Voltages on the board, then next thing to do will be getting the spec sheet of the ICs to to find out what the VCC pins are so you can check the Voltages, that is what we or I do when I do not have the diagram, the spec sheet of the IC will usually give the application circuit on the how the IC is used.
BTW, did you see how much effort I have to put in to give people helps in troubleshooting the problem? Your board is hard to make virtual PCB for reverse engineering.

[mike_sanders]

Re: Mele S1 doesn't spin drives

Easy to say for you. So fix the UART

Still working on UART trace, but no tight schematics like this.

[mike_sanders]

Re: Mele S1 doesn't spin drives

did you see how much effort I have to put in to give people helps in troubleshooting the problem? Your board is hard to make virtual PCB for reverse engineering.

I did "scan" the forum and that's exactly why I asked you to help. Often its not only a matter of effort but rather background and qualifications. I also put plenty of effort to revive this board, yet the progress is "limited".

But I managed to find most of chipset spec and linked here with hi-reso images here. Finally found RTD1185DD CPU Datasheet, so now hopefully most things are in place. It confirms on page 19 spec voltages I posted above. What should I test next given no replacement board anywhere?

Also, as per datasheet, there're 2 UART I/O, so is there a 2-nd UART access on the board?