LAUGHTON ELECTRONICS |
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Digital Audio Repair: this 4-channel sound card really took a hit |
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This job is just one example of the many extreme repairs I've done. What made this case a thorny problem was the extensive damage and the unavailability of exact replacement parts. The device in question is an audio adapter for digital recording via personal computer. The adapter is external to the computer and links to a PCI card inside. Unfortunately, half a dozen IC's went up in smoke when a patch cord was accidentally connected to the adapter's line-level input from a power amp elsewhere in the studio. The original IC's were in a rather uncommon 8-pin SIP package; they had all eight leads in a row on one side, rather than in the DIP style with two rows of four leads per side. My options (simplified somewhat) were to substitute readily available DIP IC's, or to try to find exact- replacement SIP devices. I opted to go with the DIP substitutes. These would take longer to install, but that seemed preferable to embarking on a time- consuming and possibly fruitless search for a supplier of exact- replacement SIP devices. It's important to notice the skills demonstrated here — namely creative thinking and the ability to manage miniature components. These can save the day in other repair scenarios where the customer equipment carries a much higher dollar value — and exact replacement parts are unavailable by any means. |
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