Yeah Paul has been doing his hand at some G2 ICs R&R and is doing well (another notch in his belt of skills)! David partridge, Michael and I and even others, Losmandy!. ?Many electronic repair places don¡¯t like to touch these as they don¡¯t understand the system or quote the $100+ per hr repair rate nor do they don¡¯t have ICs in stock or access to inbuilt firmware, like dspic33s...and many others.? They couldn't replace the ARM and load in the very specific bootloader (firmware), so the main firmware can be uploaded by SD card and GFU. This is propriety as indeed in reality so is the dspic33 firmware.
Hard to say what this issue is but think it¡¯s one of three (in order) the DsPIC33 IC, U6 buffer IC or lastly "H" bridge (unlikely but possible).? If it was a "tallboy" I'd be first straight to the socket joints!????
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Repairing is not only replacing, its also keeping spares in stock on hand ready.?? Also the ability not to damage the PCB under repair, lift pads, damage tracks as you want these PCBs to last and in general most are fully repairable and indeed have user lives of decades (just look at the G1s).?? It just takes time to repair, which I can understand is the issue for the user!??? But most repair time is post repair testing...to ensure its Good to Go "GTG" (I hate to send a repair that bounces (for any reason...its frankly embarrassing and not professional).?? That's why the repairers test units to an inch of their lives; have the circuit diagrams; ICs on hand ready to use; firmware' from factory and writers.....and working knowledge of the circuitry as they are users as well.
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Repairers and software writers are in constant contact with each other on FW changes, possible system mods, updates all things Gemini etc.?? One aim....a better system and continuing support!
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FWIW......remember these are repairable at much lower costs than new.?? But yes I understand users finding Turn Around Time (TAT) frustrating.
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Brendan
