Develop Bugs

Keyboard ribbon connector on main board

I recently dismantled my BA to work on the LCD. I originally thought it would be necessary to disconnect the keyboard ribbon from the main board, so I removed the tape and black clip from the surface mount connector. However, it turned out I could leave the ribbon in place, so I didn't remove it.
After reassembly, only a few of the keyboard keys now work, and the blue LEDs no longer work at all.
I was careful not to force or twist the ribbon at all as I worked, so I don't think it's damaged, but I haven't been able to make the black clip go back on properly. I suspect this is the problem. I have tried to reseat the clip but without success and the keyboard is still the same.
Can someone please explain the role of this black clip and tape, and their relevance to the electrical connection. And can anyone direct me to a 1000x magnified picture of how the clip is supposed to fit!
Thanks in advance...

Hi there,
I had a similar problem when dissasembling one of my PPC6600 phones. The ribbon is quite dellicate, and I wound up ripping the outer conductor (it is the thicker one, and it happens to power the backlight LED's). Needless to say, I had to use a very fine tip soldering iron and some hair-fine wire to fix the mess. When I got my hands on a scrap one from EBAY (for like, 75 bucks because the ESN was locked out), I pulled the keyboard from it and replaced my hack.
Also, I have added to the WIKI a procedure to take apart the BA. I think you can find that HERE -> http://wiki.xda-developers.com/index.php?pagename=DIS_BA_PICS
Check out the one pic that is big that shows you how to flip up the clip.
The connector you are talking about has a little black (brown?) clip that flips up 90 degrees to allow the ribbon to come out. If you didn't flip it up, you might have been able to remove the ribbon, but tough luck getting it back in. You can stick your fingernail in there where the ribbon goes, and lift up on the clip. It should pop up ad remain connected quite easily. Also, when you re-insert the ribbon, you want to make sure that the two protruding tabs on the ribbon 'seat' fully against the connector before you push the clip back down onto the ribbon.
Have fun!

When I did the work I had already seen your exellent pics (thanks ) and my black clip came right off when I lifted it. So my problem is getting the black clip back on, so that it can be flipped up and down normally again. At no time did I try to remove the ribbon so I don't think it's damaged - but I'm wondering if the black clip needs to go back properly before the electrical connection is good again.
PS to anyone dismantling BA - remember to remove both the SIM and the SD card/blank, as these both jam the cover and prevent removal - shame if someone missed this and snapped something . (I tried to add this info to the page with pics but the Edit button wouldn't let me do it - gives a "page not found" error.)

Hi again,
My phone doesn't have a SIM card (is this a European thing or are there some carriers in USA that use SIM cards?)
Anyhow, I think I remember dealing with connectors like these before and having that clip pop off. There are two little tabs on the clip that have little round buttons on each side of the clip tabs, and these buttons prodtrude off the sides of the clip. They match a slot on the connector part that is surface mounted to your mainboard. So, you have to align the clip properly so that these protruding bumps 'pop' back into the white housing on both sides. Now, if these tabs broke off.... then I guess you're outa luck, unless I guess you find some very thin plastic that you can shove in on-top of the ribbon (underneath the part of the housing where the clip SHOULD have gone), so that it pushes the exposed conductors of the ribbon down onto the connector.
Hope this helps!

Many thanks, this helps a lot by confirming (a) how the clip fits and (b) its role in the electrical connection. This information is much appreciated as it gives me a fighting chance when I next have a go at fixing the thing!
How do you get by without SIMs? Does that mean a phone is forever tied to the one provider and phone number?

yodafreak said:
My phone doesn't have a SIM card (is this a European thing or are there some carriers in USA that use SIM cards?)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's a GSM thing. GSM phones (like the PDA2K or SX66) use SIM cards, CDMA phones (like the PPC6600) don't.

Please help identifying parts

Hi everyone,
I ordered a replacement case for my prophet and of course had to break something and have some extra parts after I thought I had finished.
Where do the small metal and plastic parts go, and do you think it's possible to solder the lead back to the speaker?
Thanks, Robert

the small metal clip goes on the sides, after u remove the plastic middle, u can see them on the inside, there's 6 in total if i remember corectly.
plastic bit is i think, for the stylus 'holder' if u understand me. look where the stylus goes on the inside.
i guess u can solder, is that the new speaker?
hope that helps

bits and pieces
wanwarlock, thanks for your reply.
I think this prophet had already been tinkered with as there is no evidence of the metal clips.
I have tried to solder the leads back to the speaker, but I think I'll need a replacement.
As for the plastic bit, the stylus of course fits through the hole, but there is no groove or hole it would snap into. The only indication of its former place is the fact that it's made of the same transparent violet material as the cover of the IR port.
Any new thoughts?
Thanks, Robert

use the service manual from this thread:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=385944&highlight=service+manual
the black bit according to it is actually the head phone jack holder! hmmmmm
those small clips are so flimsy, maybe you've actually lost em? is yours bought new or 2nd hand. anyway, i guess those clips don't matter cos i think i lost 1 or 2 of them & my prophet is working fine.

[SOLVED] Replace Defy Earpiece

Hit post #11 for a walkthrough on replacing the earpiece.

Funny but kinda looking for serious replies as it is quite important

Nokia AAC-0510 seems working. (Chinese) http://www.itfunz.com/thread-84490-1-1.html

Somewhere on this forum is a link to a Russian blogger who pulled one apart and (apparently) swapped out speakers.

post #157

Just to report back i received the k850i earpiece today and successfully replaced it with the original one from the Defy, works perfectly and no modding at all except flattening the terminals slightly, its a very snug fit but is working fine and is much clearer than the original one in terms of call quality. Maybe the mods could sticky this or something incase anyone else has the earpiece problem. Total cost of repair £1.99 for earpiece and about 30minutes of my time !! much better than sending to motorolla for weeks on end in my opinion.
Cheers
Wizard123

That is great info to know! I am more confident in getting a Defy now knowing I can fix it on my own.
Any guide with pictures for us?

well done wizard123
i hope i will never have to do what you did with your speaker but... who knows?
yes a detailed guide with picture and tools-to-use would be a nice idea - really useful for all the people who void the warranty

A quick question...
What's the waterproofing situation like? Is there a membrane between the earpiece and the outside world or is it built into the Defy earpiece?

No problem guys, i hope you never have the issues but i know it did hit alot of people including me and motorolla claim mines was out of warranty being only 3 months old ?! but hey i dont have time to argue or mess about as i need my phone.
I will try to get some pictures up but in the meantime follow these steps it is so so simple :
1. Remove battery & SIM card
2. Remove the 7 screws from around the phone casing and the 2 silver screws underneath the back cover. ( You will need very small torx bits )
3. Separate the two halfs of the casing, ( very stiff and fiddly but dont be affraid to use a little force )
4. Carefully lift off the 2 connectors on the main PCB board and lift it out ( careful not to lose the yellow rubber washers )
5. Use a small pair of pliers or long nosed pliers to gently grib either side of the earpiece and slowly wiggle side to side untill it comes loose and lifts out ( This takes patience as it is very well glued in but does free off )
6. Take your new K850i earpiece and place into the slot with the two springy copper terminals facing up towards the top of the phone ( you dont HAVE to but i did flatten the terminals a little bit so not to bend the PCB board when you place it back in ) having the springy terminals on these earpieces placed the correct way up creates a very solid connection to the board too unlike the original earpieces which dont have any at all just flat terminals.
7. Return the PCB board back into position and reattach the 2 connectors removed in step 4.
8. Return the casing back into place and install all the screws ( dont forget the 2 SILVER screws FIRST, these hold the PCB board down to the casing and hold the connection solid to the earpiece )
9. Place SIM card and battery back in and boot up your fresh earpieced Defy
Pictures to follow soon hopefully
Cheers
Wizard123
*EDIT*
Have attached some pictures to reference, hope they help

technome said:
A quick question...
What's the waterproofing situation like? Is there a membrane between the earpiece and the outside world or is it built into the Defy earpiece?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There IS a tiny tiny membrane between the earpiece and the casing and does appear that it would still be waterproof but i have yet to test that and not sure if i will as it is a BIG BIG risk lol ( maybe though hmmm )

Thanks for that.
So the membrane stayed with the handset casing through the procedure?
wizard123 said:
*snip*
having the springy terminals on these earpieces placed the correct way up creates a very solid connection to the board too unlike the original earpieces which dont have any at all just flat terminals.
*snip*
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's interesting. Maybe the failures are caused by poor connections in the first place. Perhaps a pre-emptive strike with some electrically conductive paint would save the day. It's claimed to function as an adhesive.
http(remove this bit)://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE-SILVER-PAINT-PINTURA-CONDUTORA-/110660756415?pt=UK_BOI_Electrical_Components_Supplies_ET&hash=item19c3e523bf#ht_1850wt_1062

wizard123 said:
No problem guys, i hope you never have the issues but i know it did hit alot of people including me and motorolla claim mines was out of warranty being only 3 months old ?! but hey i dont have time to argue or mess about as i need my phone.
I will try to get some pictures up but in the meantime follow these steps it is so so simple :
1. Remove battery & SIM card
2. Remove the 7 screws from around the phone casing and the 2 silver screws underneath the back cover. ( You will need very small torx bits )
3. Separate the two halfs of the casing, ( very stiff and fiddly but dont be affraid to use a little force )
4. Carefully lift off the 2 connectors on the main PCB board and lift it out ( careful not to lose the yellow rubber washers )
5. Use a small pair of pliers or long nosed pliers to gently grib either side of the earpiece and slowly wiggle side to side untill it comes loose and lifts out ( This takes patience as it is very well glued in but does free off )
6. Take your new K850i earpiece and place into the slot with the two springy copper terminals facing up towards the top of the phone ( you dont HAVE to but i did flatten the terminals a little bit so not to bend the PCB board when you place it back in ) having the springy terminals on these earpieces placed the correct way up creates a very solid connection to the board too unlike the original earpieces which dont have any at all just flat terminals.
7. Return the PCB board back into position and reattach the 2 connectors removed in step 4.
8. Return the casing back into place and install all the screws ( dont forget the 2 SILVER screws FIRST, these hold the PCB board down to the casing and hold the connection solid to the earpiece )
9. Place SIM card and battery back in and boot up your fresh earpieced Defy
Pictures to follow soon hopefully
Cheers
Wizard123
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great guide there - may well help quite a few people

technome said:
Thanks for that.
So the membrane stayed with the handset casing through the procedure?
That's interesting. Maybe the failures are caused by poor connections in the first place. Perhaps a pre-emptive strike with some electrically conductive paint would save the day. It's claimed to function as an adhesive.
http(remove this bit)://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE-SILVER-PAINT-PINTURA-CONDUTORA-/110660756415?pt=UK_BOI_Electrical_Components_Supplies_ET&hash=item19c3e523bf#ht_1850wt_1062
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes only the earpiece came away from the casing using the method i applied but again i can't swear by the membrane as it could possibly be different with other variants of the phone ( although i doubt it ).
And plus for me atleast, i'd rather have a working phone than a waterproof phone ( just me though )
I am nearly certain its an actual defect with the earpieces because if you blow the earpiece with some canned air it will function for 5-10 seconds before going off again.
I do think there may be a problem with both the connections and earpieces though as the way the oem connections are designed in the Defy for the earpiece contacts are piss poor, excuse my french lol.

Well, I'm sending my Defy in for repair today, after my earpiece started playing-up intermittently over the weekend. I tried to insist on a replacement but Motorola's support team were adamant that a repair is my only option under the terms of my warranty. Ah, well. I've got a spare phone.
That said, I will likely "paint" the earpiece connections upon its return and it's good to know that the K850i part works. I may buy a couple as a precaution.

technome said:
Well, I'm sending my Defy in for repair today, after my earpiece started playing-up intermittently over the weekend. I tried to insist on a replacement but Motorola's support team were adamant that a repair is my only option under the terms of my warranty. Ah, well. I've got a spare phone.
That said, I will likely "paint" the earpiece connections upon its return and it's good to know that the K850i part works. I may buy a couple as a precaution.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That sucks man sorry to hear that, it seems to be not if it will happen but when it will happen with these earpieces, yep motorola sucks for customer support to be fair. I hope your phone comes back ok though, alot of people have had it repair only for it to fail again a few weeks later.

Can I just double check which seller you got yours from as I've had a look on ebay & the three that are for sale look different styles - unless the pics are not of actual items?
Cheers

sp8y said:
Can I just double check which seller you got yours from as I've had a look on ebay & the three that are for sale look different styles - unless the pics are not of actual items?
Cheers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The actual one i used is this one :
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300370841729&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT
There is an actual motorola one that has the same terminals as the original but ( my opinion i would not trust another earpiece from them ) :
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220640434368&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT
I wouldnt worry too much if they look slightly different aslong as they are for the k850i as it will most likely be because they are from different manufacturers
Hope that helps

That's great thanks very much
Might just order one to keep as you never know when it'll stop working.

I had my earpiece replaced by the company, you should really send it to motorola and don't mess around with the device.

Samsung Wireless Charger

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsj3IkyAqEU&feature=related
Give to me.

build your own for around 10-15$
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=28322781#post28322781

I think I like my touchstone better.

Is there any more information for this? costs? rate of charge vs charge over usb/over wall? The video seemed much more of an early preview then anything specific.

punzada said:
Is there any more information for this? costs? rate of charge vs charge over usb/over wall? The video seemed much more of an early preview then anything specific.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is just that.

i read september will bring more info.

I want one so bad, I was really disappointed when I heard it was going to be delayed for who knows when
Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2

Make your own
Buy a TouchStone base and back cover, $12.28 dollars on amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Palm-Pre-Touc...TF8&qid=1341950625&sr=8-4&keywords=touchstone
Take Palm Pre Case apart
Align the four metal circles on the back using the base as a guide
Place pickup coil in the center with the circuit board above it
Place metal foil over the coil as it was before(assuming it came apart in the process)
Tape down using three pieces of scotch tape or one piece of packing tape leaving metal contacts exposed.
Solder wire to the contacts
Add a blob of wire to the other side of the wire and connect to phone (top to top, bottom to bottom assuming the board is above the coil)
Put case together
Done
This works well and by removing all unnecessary plastic, you will get a smaller bump than others get.

ericlmccormick said:
Buy a TouchStone base and back cover, $12.28 dollars on amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Palm-Pre-Touc...TF8&qid=1341950625&sr=8-4&keywords=touchstone
Take Palm Pre Case apart
Align the four metal circles on the back using the base as a guide
Place pickup coil in the center with the circuit board above it
Place metal foil over the coil as it was before(assuming it came apart in the process)
Tape down using three pieces of scotch tape or one piece of packing tape leaving metal contacts exposed.
Solder wire to the contacts
Add a blob of wire to the other side of the wire and connect to phone (top to top, bottom to bottom assuming the board is above the coil)
Put case together
Done
This works well and by removing all unnecessary plastic, you will get a smaller bump than others get.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is there a build video guide on this?

Randomacts said:
Is there a build video guide on this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm pretty sure I've seen picture how to's around here and should be on Youtube. I'm blocked at work, so I can't find it at this time.

[MOD] Wireless Charging For Your Galaxy S3

First off I take no credit for this post I am simply copying it from the Verizon thread all credit goes to android94301, I just wanted to make this information accessible to the users here. I can tell you this works 100% I've been using it on my phone for a couple days and have been very happy works flawlessly in my car as well as at home (FYI I do have the AT&T variant). The link to the original post is:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1877191
His post was:
Here's my 5 minute wireless charging mod. Now new and improved so that NFC performance is not affected at all. I've also posted step-by-step pictures to aid in explaining the hack.
You need to make one decisions before you start, do you care more about using NFC or using a magnetic compass app? The reason for this is that the magnetic sensors are in the bottom part of the phone. If you use magnets instead of metal disks, this will affect the accuracy of the magnetic sensors, so a compass app will not work well. But if you use the metal disks that come with the Palm case, and you do the hack with the coil very low in the phone case, it won't hold through a case, so you may need to build some sort of rest for it. I use NFC all the time, and never use the compass, so decided to go with replacing the metal disks with N42 magnets. Also, this charging mod works fine through most cases, I've tested it with TPU and with the Rock cases. It might not work through an Otterbox, I haven't tested it. Using magnets makes it more likely to work with cases. Alternatively, you could use the nonmagnetic disks, but rig up some sort of support so that the phone would sit in the right place on the charger without depending on magnets.
No soldering, no carving, the only tools you need are a knife, and some scotch tape! Some sort of plastic tool, even a plastic knife is helpful too.
The shopping list is below, and totals about $17-$19 depending on which vendors you buy from. The links below are from Amazon, for simple one-stop shopping. You may want to buy two Touchstones for home and office. I wouldn't try to cheap out and use another AC adapter, as most of the adapters I tried failed to work with the Touchstone base.
Palm Pixi Charging back
Palm Touchstone charger
Palm Touchstone AC adapter (important, most chargers won't work)
Copper Tape
OR
Copper tape from Michael's
50% off coupon for Michaels
If you want to replace the metal disks with magnets, to make the phone hold better to the charger, then buy these magnets from Amazon, or
http://www.amazon.com/Applied-Magnet...s+1/4+1/32
these from ebay: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=190734931794
Total = $17-$19
Time: 5 minutes.
Okay, here's what you do.
Picture 1: Shows the Palm Pixi charging case as you will recieve it. (I recommend the Palm Pixi, not the Palm Pre, as the polarities are reversed on the Palm Pre.) After you get all the parts, gently peel the black tape off the Palm pixi case, (Picture 2 and 3). Then gently and carefully remove the circuit board (Picture 4), the silver metallic tape (Picture 5), the coil (Picture 6), and metal discs. Preserve the silver foil tape, you will need it. You may also want to preserve the black tape.
Next, I show that you can make a template for positioning the coil and discs/magnets by cutting up the Palm Case (Picture 7), and then drilling out holes where the metal discs and the center of the copper coil are (Pictures 8 and 9). I then made a paper template, which is easier to use (Picture 10).
Now here's the clever part of the hack. Put the coil into your Samsung battery cover upside down, as shown in Picture 11. Then fold the L shaped flexible circuit board up as shown in Pictures 12 and 13. This positions it so that you can make an easy connection to the phone using just copper tape. You will run small pieces of copper tape from the top and the bottom power terminals, which are those little square metal terminals shown in Picture 13. (Picture 14 and 14-5). You can then position the discs or magnets. The easiest way to do this is to plug in your Touchstone base, and then lay the back cover on the Touchstone charger. Put your magnets or discs in, and make sure they align with the magnets in the Touchstone base. Note that if you use magnets, you may have to flip them to get them into the right orientation. Use the template you made to check the alignment. Once you get it like the picture, just tape everything down with scotch tape. (Not the terminals.) (Picture 14-5 shows this clearly.) Note that you need to put back in the silver tape over the coil as shown in Picture 14-5, otherwise it won't charge.
Cut the copper tape down to about 1/8 of an inch, and tape two extensions from the charging terminals in the phone. I used a pencil to poke the tape down into the little wells so there was a good contact. Next, lay down the cover and the phone, and tape copper tape to the charging terminals on the charging coil so they will hit the tape on the phone when you close the cover. I folded under the final 1/8 of an inch to make a little lump, to make it more reliable. (Picture 16).
It's useful to check your work with a voltmeter. Place the battery cover with the mod onto the Touchstone base, and check to make sure you are getting 5.5 volts off of the two terminals. Then after you add the copper tape extensions, make sure they are reading the same voltage. If you are not getting voltage, press the tape harder onto the terminals, as the sticky side is less conductive. You could also fold over the copper tape onto the terminals, and scotch tape it down.
Finally put the back onto the phone, and test to see if you get the popup message in Picture 19. If all is good, then you can open it up again and add back the black tape to make it pretty (if you care). (Picture 15). Then should be no real bulge as shown in Pictures 17 and 18.
If it's not working, there are three possible reasons. One, you have a bad connection between the terminals and the copper tape. Check it with a voltmeter. Two, the copper tape that goes into the phone's charging terminals is not making good contact. Fold over a bit of the tape, and gently jam it down into the terminals. (Gently so that you don't break them off!) The third reason is that the tape pieces from the coil are not making contact with the pieces on the phone, see Picture 16 for how the alignment should be. If you are getting the popup repeatedly, then you have an intermittent connection.
Oh, one more thing. Be sure to test this with your phone at less than 100% charge, as it won't work if your phone is 100% charged! I found this out the hard way!
Close the cover and you are done! It sounds complicated, but actually if you just copy the picture, it takes 5-10 minutes.
Here are the pictures, numbered as in the instructions:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/qpymo0x6r...harging Hack
Thank you's appreciated.
A FEW UPDATES: Here are a few updates from clever ideas from our members.
You can use hotglue to attach everything once you are sure of the location.
The disks in the Pixi cover are metal, not magnets. Replace them with magnets for a better hold.
The magnets (and the coil) could go in a case like an otterbox, instead of inside the phone. Then you'd run thin wires into the battery case.
BE aware, the Palm Pre polarities are reversed, so if you use a Palm Pre back, you will have to reverse the polarity.
IF YOU AREN'T GETTING VOLTAGE:
The most common problems are:
1. You are not using a palm charger and cable for the Touchstone. Most chargers/cables won't work, it's better to just use the Palm charger, they cost $4 on Amazon. Are you using the Palm charger/cable?
2. Your copper tape is not making good contact with the little prongs on the flexible circuit board. Try removing the tape and checking voltage on the prongs themselves. Then put the copper tape on firmly, and check the tape for voltage.
3. The coil is not in the right place. You may want to make a template like I suggested to get everything aligned properly. You won't get voltage if the coil is not just right. Use scotch tape to get everything working, then you can use more permanent methods.
4. You used a Palm Pre back instead of a Palm Pixi back, and you forgot that the polarities are reversed on the Pre back.

Link to pics is down
Sent from my SGH-I747

See the original post for a good link to the pictures until the OP fixes his link.

I did this to mine, works great
Sent from my SGH-I747M using xda premium
---------- Post added at 02:10 AM ---------- Previous post was at 02:10 AM ----------
But expect longer charging times
Sent from my SGH-I747M using xda premium

On the subject, I've seen that Verizon has a replacement cover for their GS3 that has inductive charging built in. Anyone know if it's compatible with the AT&T GS3?

gamerzworld said:
Anyone know if it's compatible with the AT&T GS3?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Reportedly, it's compatible with all models of the GS3.