How to upgrade to 128Mb GUIDE?

MonarchX · 09-28-07, 11:21 AM

I want 128Mb on my Axim. I successfully installed a new digitizer by myself and I do have micro solder skills (providing there IS a guide).

Is there a guide on how to upgrade to 128Mb? I have G3 bootloader which means I have 2x32Mb on my Axim x51v.

bigbop · 09-28-07, 01:22 PM

Believe me - it's not something you can do at home - unless of course, you have a $25000 hot air SMT rework system.
Besides, no semicondictor distributor is going to sell you 2 BGA memory chips. They'll want to sell you a roll of them.

Eric12341 · 09-28-07, 02:43 PM

send ur ppc to pocket pc techs,that's the best way

Mokubai · 09-28-07, 05:16 PM

Bigbop is right, without some serious expensive rework hardware you won't be able to desolder and resolder the BGA memory chips.

I'm looked to as the person to go to for fine-pitch soldering where I work, any TQFP or 0402 scale work and I'm your man but BGA is impossible without, as bigbop says, a minimum of $25,000 worth of infra-red rework station, and possibly an x-ray station to make sure you've done it right.

kadiir · 09-28-07, 07:36 PM

FYI, I used PC Techs for my X50V (I have a 51 now but I haven't gotten around to it, yet) and they did an excellent job - no problems at all.

spunker88 · 09-29-07, 07:11 PM

Originally Posted by bigbop

Believe me - it's not something you can do at home - unless of course, you have a $25000 hot air SMT rework system.
Besides, no semicondictor distributor is going to sell you 2 BGA memory chips. They'll want to sell you a roll of them.

$25000, you may get a little bit of a cheaper price if you send it throught ppctechs. But dont count me to it.

jaycalgary · 10-05-07, 12:15 AM

Do they heat the chips from the top. I ripped a
few chips off the board of a htc vox that was smashed to see how they were soldered. Its just little solder dots under the chip and lots of them!

bigbop · 10-05-07, 10:52 AM

Originally Posted by jaycalgary

Do they heat the chips from the top. I ripped a
few chips off the board of a htc vox that was smashed to see how they were soldered. Its just little solder dots under the chip and lots of them!

Than is known as a BGA (Ball Grid Array) chip. Each connection is made through a small ball of solder. When the parts are positioned on the board, they go through a special IR reflow oven that melts the solder balls slightly and surface tension of the solder then pulls the part so it is exactly over all the contacts.

Removal and replacement of these chips requires very specialized hotair reflow equipment and good training as I described above.

This is the machine I used and I still couldn't cleanly remove the chip I needed:
SMT Rework, SMD Repair and BGA Repair & Rework