Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education All rights reserved Except as permitted under the United States Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher ISBN: 978-0-07-184830-5 MHID: 0-07-184830-4 The material in this eBook also appears in the print version of this title: ISBN: 978-0-07-184829-9, MHID: 0-07-184829-0 eBook conversion by codeMantra Version 1.0 All trademarks are trademarks of their respective owners Rather than put a trademark symbol after every occurrence of a trademarked name, we use names in an editorial fashion only, and to the benefit of the trademark owner, with no intention of infringement of the trademark Where such designations appear in this book, they have been printed with initial caps McGraw-Hill Education eBooks are available at special quantity discounts to use as premiums and sales promotions or for use in corporate training programs To contact a representative, please visit the Contact Us page at www.mhprofessional.com McGraw-Hill Education, the McGraw-Hill Education logo, TAB, and related trade dress are trademarks or registered trademarks of McGraw-Hill Education and/or its affiliates in the United States and other countries and may not be used without written permission All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners McGraw-Hill Education is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book Information contained in this work has been obtained by McGraw-Hill Education from sources believed to be reliable However, neither McGraw-Hill Education nor its authors guarantee the accuracy or completeness of any information published herein, and neither McGraw-Hill Education nor its authors shall be responsible for any errors, omissions, or damages arising out of use of this information This work is published with the understanding that McGraw-Hill Education and its authors are supplying information but are not attempting to render engineering or other professional services If such services are required, the assistance of an appropriate professional should be sought TERMS OF USE This is a copyrighted work and McGraw-Hill Education and its licensors reserve all rights in and to the work Use of this work is subject to these terms Except as permitted under the Copyright Act of 1976 and the right to store and retrieve one copy of the work, you may not decompile, disassemble, reverse engineer, reproduce, modify, create derivative works based upon, transmit, distribute, disseminate, sell, publish or sublicense the work or any part of it without McGraw-Hill Education’s prior consent You may use the work for your own noncommercial and personal use; any other use of the work is strictly prohibited Your right to use the work may be terminated if you fail to comply with these terms THE WORK IS PROVIDED “AS IS.” McGRAW-HILL EDUCATION AND ITS LICENSORS MAKE NO GUARANTEES OR WARRANTIES AS TO THE ACCURACY, ADEQUACY OR COMPLETENESS OF OR RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED FROM USING THE WORK, INCLUDING ANY INFORMATION THAT CAN BE ACCESSED THROUGH THE WORK VIA HYPERLINK OR OTHERWISE, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM ANY WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE McGraw-Hill Education and its licensors do not warrant or guarantee that the functions contained in the work will meet your requirements or that its operation will be uninterrupted or error free Neither McGraw-Hill Education nor its licensors shall be liable to you or anyone else for any inaccuracy, error or omission, regardless of cause, in the work or for any damages resulting therefrom McGraw-Hill Education has no responsibility for the content of any information accessed through the work Under no circumstances shall McGraw-Hill Education and/or its licensors be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, punitive, consequential or similar damages that result from the use of or inability to use the work, even if any of them has been advised of the possibility of such damages This limitation of liability shall apply to any claim or cause whatsoever whether such claim or cause arises in contract, tort or otherwise This book is dedicated to my parents, for putting up with their young son’s taking apart everything in the house, even though it scared them to death; to my brother, for providing me with a steady stream of broken items to fix and the encouragement to figure them out; to Greg, for sharing countless happy teenage hours fiddling with circuits, projects and walkie-talkies; to Rick, for always believing in and promoting my talents; to Rob, for teaching me new ways to think about natural phenomena; to Cousin Jerry, for some of my earliest guidance in electronic exploration; and to Alvin Fernald and Tom Swift, Jr., whose fictional technological exploits kept me spellbound through most of my childhood and made me believe anything was possible with a handful of transistors and the know-how to make them wake up and do something About the Author Michael Jay Geier has been an electronics technician, designer and inventor since age six He took apart everything he could get his hands on and soon discovered that learning to put it back together was even more fun By age eight, he operated a neighborhood electronics repair service that was profiled in The Miami News He went on to work in numerous service centers in Miami, Boston and Seattle, frequently serving as the “tough dog” tech who solved the cases other techs couldn’t At the same time, Michael was a pioneer in the field of augmentative communications systems, helping a noted Boston clinic develop computer speech systems for children with cerebral palsy He also invented and sold an amateur radio device while writing and marketing software in the early years of personal computing Michael holds an FCC Extra-class amateur radio license His involvement in ham radio led to his writing career, first with articles for ham radio magazines and then with general technology features in Electronic Engineering Times, Desktop Engineering, IEEE Spectrum and The Envisioneering Newsletter His work on digital rights management has been cited in several patents Michael earned a Boston Conservatory of Music degree in composition, was trained as a conductor, and is an accomplished classical, jazz and pop pianist and a published songwriter Along with building and repairing electronic circuitry, he enjoys table tennis, restoring antique mopeds, ice skating, bicycling and banging out a jazz tune on his harpsichord Contents Foreword Acknowledgment Introduction CHAPTER 1 Prepare for Blastoff: Fixing Is Fun! Repair: Why Do It? Is It Always Worth It? CHAPTER 2 Setting Up Shop: Tools of the Trade Must-Haves A Good Place to Work Digital Multimeter ESR Meter Oscilloscope Soldering Tools Desoldering Tools Hand Tools Magnifier Clip Leads Swabs Chemicals Heatsink Grease Heat-Shrink Tubing Electrical Tape Small Cups Internet Access Nice-to-Haves Digital Camera Power Supply Testers, Signal Generators and Meters Isolation Transformer Stereo Microscope Bench Vise Hot-Air Rework Station Hot-Melt Glue Gun Magnet on a Stick Cyanoacrylate Glue Component Cooler Spray Data Books Parts Assortment Scrap Boards for Parts Wish List Inductance Meter Logic Analyzer Spectrum Analyzer BGA Rework Station CHAPTER 3 Danger, Danger! Staying Safe Electric Shock Physical Injury Your Turn Electrical Damage Physical Damage You Fixed It! Is It Safe? ATE: Always Test Everything! CHAPTER 4 I Fix, Therefore I Am: The Philosophy of Troubleshooting Why Things Work in the First Place Products as Art If It Only Had a Brain The Good, the Bad and the Sloppy Mistakes Beginners Make That’s How It Goes History Lessons Initial Evaluation Use Your Noodle: Case Histories CHAPTER 5 Naming Names: Important Terms, Concepts and Building Blocks Electrical Concepts Circuit Concepts Signal Concepts Building Blocks CHAPTER 6 Working Your Weapons: Using Test Equipment Digital Multimeter ESR Meter Oscilloscope Soldering Iron Desoldering Tools Power Supply Transistor Tester Capacitance Meter Signal Generator Frequency Counter Analog Meter Contact Cleaner Spray Component Cooler Spray CHAPTER 7 What Little Gizmos Are Made Of: Components Capacitors Crystals and Resonators Crystal Clock Oscillators Diodes and Rectifiers Fuses Inductors and Transformers Integrated Circuits Op Amps Resistors Potentiometers Relays Switches Transistors Voltage Regulators Zener Diodes CHAPTER 8 Road Maps and Street Signs: Diagrams Hooked on Tronics Call Numbers Good, Not Bad and Miserable Schematics Once Upon a Time… Amplifier Stage Switching Power Supply Push-Pull Audio Amplifier Mega Maps Give It a Try Radios CD and DVD Players Keep Reading But I Ain’t Got One! Your Wish Is Not My Command: Case History CHAPTER 9 Entering Without Breaking: Getting Inside Removing Outside Screws Separating Snaps Removing Ribbons Pulling Wire Connectors Layers and Photos Opening a Shut Case Receivers and Amplifiers VCRs, CD and DVD Players TVs and LCD Monitors Turntables Video Projectors Portable DVD Players with LCD Screens MP3 Players PDAs Smartphones and Tablets Camcorders Digital Cameras Laptop Computers pico, defined, 358 pictorial, defined, 358 pictorial diagrams, 163, 165 piezoelectricity, defined, 358 pin basing, 244 defined, 358 pinch rollers, 333 PIV, defined, 358 pixels, 298 defined, 358 stuck pixels, 301–302 plasma TVs, 298, 299 how to fix, 300–301 See also flat-panel displays and TVs plastic-melting irons, 16 playback problems, 292–293 polarity, 67 defined, 358 polarized, defined, 358 polarizers, 338 poles, 152 position-sensitive intermittent problems, 227 potentiometers, 147–149 pots See potentiometers power supplies, 23–24, 115 connection, 116–117 current, 118 defined, 366 exposed power supplies, 34 finding, 209–213 linear power supplies, 26 problems, 283 switching power supplies, 26, 34 voltage, 117–118 power surges See electrical stress power transistors, defined, 358 preamplifiers, defined, 366 precision, 8 probes, electrical damage from, 37 problems, 48–49 automotive-related, 261–263 ballast, 342 capacitors, 55 charging, 312–313 clamp and spindle, 292 condenser microphones, 263–265 connections, 50–51 display, 313–315 door, 290–291 drives, 315 electrical stress, 52–53 heat stress, 51–52 infant mortality, 49 intermittent, 226–228 keyboards, 317 lamps, 341–342 laser, 293–295 LCDs, 267–270 light tunnels, 343–344 lithium batteries, 270–271 mechanical wear, 49 output stage, 283–284 overheating, 342–343 physical stress, 54–55 playback, 292–293 power supplies, 283 pushbuttons, 265–267 small-signal, 284–285 solder joints, 51 startup, 310–311 tracking, 336 products as art, 45 pull-down resistors, 144 defined, 359 pull-up resistors, 144 defined, 359 pulse trains, defined, 359 pulse-width modulation See PWM pushbuttons, 265–267 push-pull, defined, 359 push-pull audio amplifiers, schematic diagrams, 178–181 PWM, 70, 158, 277 defined, 359 Q quasi-complementary, 179, 282 quiescent current, defined, 359 R radio frequency (RF), defined, 359 radios, schematic diagrams, 181–183 rails, defined, 359 rainbow effect, 338 real-time sampling, 13 reassembly ATE, 259 closing a device, 259 common errors, 253–254 fixing broken latches, 256–257 getting started, 254–255 layers, 257–258 reconnecting ribbons, 255–256 snaps, 258–259 receivers opening, 198 See also audio amplifiers and receivers rectification, 68 rectifiers, 29, 132–133, 230 defined, 359 markings, 133 out-of-circuit testing, 134–135 symbols, 133 uses, 133–134 what kills them, 134 rectify, defined, 359 reflow soldering, 250 relays, 149, 150 markings, 150 out-of-circuit testing, 151–152 substituting, 242 symbols, 149 uses, 150 what kills them, 151 remote controls, 319 conductive paint kits, 324 dangers, 321 how they work, 319 how to fix, 321–324 is it worth fixing, 321 replacements, 324 stick-on contacts, 324 using graphite to fix, 324 what can go wrong, 319–321 repairing electronics, reasons to learn how to, 2–3 resistance, 66, 79–80 defined, 359 resistors, 143–144 connecting across points, 37 markings, 145–146 out-of-circuit testing, 146–147 substituting, 242–243 symbols, 144 uses, 146 what kills them, 146 resolution, 12 resonance, 73 defined, 359–360 resonators, 129, 130 markings, 130 out-of-circuit testing, 131 symbols, 130 uses, 130 what kills them, 130–131 Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS), 17 reversed polarity, 38, 53 rework stations, defined, 360 ribbon connectors, 195–196 fixing broken latches, 256–257 reconnecting, 255–256 release latches, 39, 40, 196 ripple, 276 defined, 360 rise time, 70 defined, 360 RoHS, 17 defined, 360 root-mean-square (RMS), 79 rotating head drum, 331 RTV, 255 S sampling, 12 defined, 360 saturation, 73 defined, 360 sawtooth waves, 71 defined, 360 schematic diagrams, 163, 164–166 amplifier stage, 171–175 call numbers, 168–169 CD and DVD players, 184–186 complex schematics, 181 push-pull audio amplifiers, 178–181 quality of, 169–170 radios, 181–183 reading, 170–171 SDR, 184 superhets, 183–184 switching power supplies, 175–178 symbols, 166–168 working without a schematic diagram, 186–189 schematics defined, 360 See also schematic diagrams SCR, 177 defined, 360 scrap parts, 30 screwdrivers, 19 screws, 257–258, 259 SDR, 182 defined, 360 schematic diagrams, 184 segmented LCDs, 267–270 selectivity, 181 defined, 360 semiconductors, defined, 360 series, 67–68 defined, 360–361 series pass transistors, 75, 158 defined, 361 servos, 71, 75 defined, 366 shields, defined, 361 shocks, 33–35 short circuits, 68 defined, 361 finding, 84–85 shotgunning, 233 shunts, defined, 361 signal concepts, 69–72 signal generators, 24, 120 signal processing circuits, finding, 214–216 signal tracing, 230–232 signals, 69 defined, 361 silicon-controlled rectifiers See SCR sine waves, 69, 70 defined, 361 single-pole, double-throw See SPDT sinks, defined, 361 SIP resistor packs, defined, 361 sled, defined, 361 sloppiness, 46 slow-blow fuses, 135 small-signal problems, 284–285 smart batteries, 308–309 smartphones, 324 dangers, 325 how they work, 325 how to fix, 326–327 is it worth fixing, 325 opening, 202–203 what can go wrong, 325 SMD, 238, 361 SMPS, defined, 361 SMT defined, 361 installing, 247–248 S/N, defined, 361 snaps, 195, 258–259 SNR, defined, 361 software-defined radio See SDR solder, 16–17 solder joint problems, 51 solder wick, 17–18 soldering irons, 14–16, 110–113 damage from, 39 source, defined, 361 SPDT, 291 speakers, symbol, 168 spectrum, defined, 361 spectrum analyzers, 31 spring-loaded solder suckers, 18 square waves, 70 defined, 361 stages, 69 defined, 362 startup problems, laptop computers, 310–311 static charge, 39 stereo microscopes, 27 stiction, 305 stripping old boards, 30 subcarriers, defined, 362 substituting parts, 239–246 substrates, defined, 362 suckers, 115 superheterodyne defined, 362 schematic diagrams, 183–184 surface-mount devices See SMD surface-mount technology See SMT swabs, 21 sweep rate, 12 switch mode, defined, 362 switchable 10X/1X probes, 14, 15 switchers See switching power supplies switches, 152–153 switching lines, 329 switching power supplies, 26, 277 dangers, 278 defined, 366 and electric shocks, 34 how they work, 277 how to fix, 278–279 is it worth fixing, 277–278 schematic diagrams, 175–178 what can go wrong, 277 switching voltage regulators, 75 defined, 366 symbols, 166–168 sync, defined, 362 T tablets, 324 dangers, 325 how they work, 325 how to fix, 326–327 is it worth fixing, 325 opening, 202–203 what can go wrong, 325 tape-based camcorders See camcorders T-con boards, 301, 302 test points, 229 testing, 41–42 thermal intermittent problems, 226–227 thermal runaway, 342 defined, 362 thermistors, defined, 362 thin-film transistors (TFT), 298–299 through-hole parts, 235–238 installing, 246–247 throws, 152 time constants, 127, 172 defined, 362 timebase, 104 time-delay fuses, 135 timing control (T-con) boards, 301, 302 tools alcohol, 21 analog meters, 25–26 bench vises, 27 BGA rework stations, 31 bulbs, 18 capacitance meters, 24 chip quik, 18–19 clip leads, 20–21 component cooler spray, 28 contact cleaner spray, 21 cutters, 20 cyanoacrylate glue, 28 data books, 28 desoldering, 17–19 digital cameras, 23 digital multimeters, 8–9 electrical tape, 22 ESR meters, 9 frequency counters, 25 hand tools, 19–20 heat-shrink tubing, 22 heatsink grease, 22 hemostats, 20 hot-air rework stations, 27 hot-melt glue guns, 27 inductance meters, 30–31 isolation transformers, 26 logic analyzers, 31 magnet on a stick, 28 magnifiers, 20 naphtha, 21–22 needlenose pliers, 20 oscilloscopes, 9–14 parts, 29–30 plastic-melting irons, 16 power supplies, 23–24 screwdrivers, 19 signal generators, 24 small cups, 22 solder, 16–17 solder wick, 17–18 soldering irons, 14–16 spectrum analyzers, 31 spring-loaded solder suckers, 18 stereo microscopes, 27 swabs, 21 transistor testers, 24 vacuum pump desoldering irons, 18 workbenches, 5–8 See also Internet access tough dogs, defined, 362 traces, defined, 362 transducers, 214 defined, 363 transformers, 67, 137–139 transistor testers, 24, 118–119 transistors, 153–155 house numbers, 156 markings, 156 out-of-circuit testing, 157–158 substituting, 243–245 symbols, 155 uses, 156 what kills them, 156–157 trimpots, 148 troubleshooting, 43–44 tuned amplifiers, 73 turntables, opening, 199 TVs See flat-panel displays and TVs U undervoltage, 38 See also electrical stress unipolar, 282 unobtainium, defined, 363 V vacuum pump desoldering irons, 18 vacuum-tube voltmeters See VTVMs varactors, 74 variable attenuator, 94 VCRs, 327 cleaning, 334–335 dangers, 331 how they work, 328–330 how to fix, 331–336 is it worth fixing, 330–331 opening, 198 stuck tapes, 331–334 tracking problems, 336 what can go wrong, 330 vertical input, 10 VGA, 363 via, defined, 363 vibration-sensitive intermittent problems, 227 video, defined, 363 video graphics array See VGA video processing problems, 344–345 video projectors, 337 ballast problems, 342 blobs in the image, 345 color wheel problems, 344 dangers, 340 DLP dots, 345 how they work, 337–338 how to fix, 340–345 is it worth fixing, 339–340 lamp problems, 341–342 LCD lines, 345 light tunnel problems, 343–344 opening, 199–200 overheating problems, 342–343 rainbow effect, 338 video processing problems, 344–345 what can go wrong, 338–339 yellow LCD, 345 voice coils, 136, 293 defined, 363 voltage, 117–118 voltage offset, 95 voltage ratings, 35 under- or overvoltage, 38 voltage regulators, 75, 158–160 voltage-controlled amplifiers (VCA), defined, 366 voltage-controlled oscillators (VCO), defined, 366 volt-amps (VA), defined, 363 volt-ohm-milliammeters See VOMs volts, 66 defined, 363–364 VOMs, 8, 25–26 VTVMs, 25–26 W watts, 66 defined, 364 Watt’s law, defined, 364 waveforms, 10, 69 why things work, 44 wick, 114 workbenches, 5–8 X X-sustain, 300 Y Y-sustain, 300 Z zener diodes, 38–39, 160–162, 230 defined, 364 substituting, 245–246 zener voltage, 38 Zener voltage, defined, 364 zero crossings, 120 zero-beat, 121 zeroing function, 83 Z-sustain, 300 ... Chapter 2: Setting Up Shop: Tools of the Trade • Necessary items, from hand tools to test instruments, and how to buy them Must-haves, nice -to- haves, and expensive goodies to dream about • How to select a workbench and set it up, and where to put it... childhood and made me believe anything was possible with a handful of transistors and the know -how to make them wake up and do something About the Author Michael Jay Geier has been an electronics technician, designer and inventor since age six He took apart everything he could get his hands on and soon... Capacitors Crystals and Resonators Crystal Clock Oscillators Diodes and Rectifiers Fuses Inductors and Transformers Integrated Circuits Op Amps Resistors Potentiometers Relays Switches Transistors