Dead USB memory, the regulator is dead? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: hitech95
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 21, 2015, 07:28:33 am
content: The other day I got to experience to see what happens if you connect a usb storage device into a usb of a public PC. I don't know what happened, it's just dead. Nothing, not even hot, I did a quick test on the usb and I found that GND and 5V were reversed O.o.I think that the regulator is dead, but there shouldn't be any protection device? (I don't know, a diode for example?)I would try to replace the component, but I cant find it. The label on SMD chip is nearly useless. (63R1)What do you think happened? it died just the regulator or also the controller and the memory?Why would I want to know why it died, simply it has less than two months, is virtually new. It is also a Kingston, hoping for quality and not in poor chip. (25EUR for 16GB)

author: singapol
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 21, 2015, 08:25:01 am
content: Was there a plastic cover/enclosure for this usb drive? If not , just a bare pcb you probably damaged it by ESD ( electrostatic discharge) from your hands/body. So it was dead before you plugged into the socket?

author: amyk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 21, 2015, 08:30:07 am
content: Fake Kingston? That flash part#, FT16B08UCM2, only appears in two other sites on the Internet and one of them claims it could be fake:http://blog.pclover.org/%E9%87%91%E5%A3%AB%E9%A1%BF-dt-100g3%E8%AF%84%E6%B5%8B%E9%87%8F%E4%BA%A7/The flash ID there, 0xADDE14A7, suggests it's a remarked/fakedHynixpart.

author: hitech95
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 21, 2015, 08:37:26 am
content: There was the box, of course to take pictures I had to-open it... was cast.Quote from: amyk on October 21, 2015, 08:30:07 amIt 'was bought by an Italian chain of stores, the box was original, I remember that I had trouble opening it. (It has a sheet of plastic in paper Package).

author: hitech95
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 23, 2015, 02:56:00 pm
content: I found the datasheet for the controller (not exactly my model but the "advanced" one). It seems to run at 3.3V.Now I just need to know the pinout of the regulator. Some idea?

author: kfitch42
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 23, 2015, 03:15:04 pm
content: Quote from: hitech95 on October 21, 2015, 07:28:33 amIn my limited experience, Kingston and quality don't go together.To clarify, what is your goal here:1) To get data from the USB drive?2) To have a working USB drive?If your goal is (1), then you might be best served by buying a second drive that is as identical as you can find, and swapping the flash chip. This would require some soldering, but should be doable with even a crappy soldering iron and minimal skill. Get some solder wick and watch some videos on "drag soldering".If your goal is (2), then I fear the cheapest option (depending in part on how much you value your time) is to buy a new drive and toss the old one.On the other hand, if your goal is to learn something about electronics while trying to fix this... then let's dig in!The first step in finding the pinout of the regulator would be to buzz out which pins are connected to which USB pins. If there is a voltage regulator on there it should have one pin connected to +5V on the USB connector, and another connected to GND, and very few other pins. One of the other pins would be the 3.3V output that is going to the VCC pin on the controller and the flash chip.

author: hitech95
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 25, 2015, 12:52:30 pm
content: Quote from: kfitch42 on October 23, 2015, 03:15:04 pmThe purpose is to understand what could have happened, the data is not important.I would learn that's all.The regulator has 5 pins, I found the mass. I do not know, however, which is the output and input. (I do not have a professional multimeter) also it seems to be a kind of pins "enable".In reference tothisfigure, 1 and 3 are at 5V, 2 is mass. 5 is perhaps the output. 4 is NC

author: kolonelkadat
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 25, 2015, 01:56:51 pm
content: Quote from: hitech95 on October 25, 2015, 12:52:30 pmwithout knowing anything about the part, this is the pinout i would suspect1-Vin2-gnd3-enable4-nc or adjust5-Vout

author: hitech95
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 25, 2015, 04:06:16 pm
content: Quote from: kolonelkadat on October 25, 2015, 01:56:51 pmI had assumed too.Then I proceeded to unsolder the regulator ... (I have a bad equipment and I broke some traces). Nevertheless I gave 3.3V on the condenser after the regulator and magically the drive work, read and write as it always has done.I'll buy a regulator, a pair of cap. I'll make a small board and i'll glue it on the pcb, remount the box and I have a functioning drive.I'll send an email to Kingston. They could put a diode there is a lot of space on the board...