Thread: How to prevent "communications error" -ideas?
View Single Post
TheoX is offline TheoX
2013-07-15 , 23:10
Banned | Posts: 280 | Thanked: 295 times | Joined on Apr 2013 @ Romania
#2
Originally Posted by nman View Post
Now that I've been fortunate to acquire a brand new n900 (thread below)

http://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php...03#post1359203

I am wondering how can I PREVENT this device from succumbing to the "all telephony functions are disabled" error.

(Since I've had 3 devices so far die from this)

I noticed that humidity plays a part here - I am thinking maybe corrosion of the GSM chips (pins). All 3 of my devices started showing error around June/July, which here in Ottawa is when summer humidity sets in.

So any electronics experts here have any ideas how to stop the problem before it happens?
I am thinking of disassembling my new one and sealing around the edges of the GSM chips with epoxy. Is this a good idea? Will humidity penetrate through the PCB underneath anyway? Any other suggestions would be great!
Simple, in my opinion the only way to keep this device out of trouble is to take it at least once a year to a reflow for every important component on the motherboard.

Yes it's costly but this is the only way... Until now every other method failed.

This problem can be caused by the following factors:
  • corrosion
  • drops (because of the shock chip pins tend to break or lose contact)
  • old age (because the 2 above)

So does any of you see any other ways?

P.S. And I also got a better answer (irony intended) in another thread of mine:

It's electronics, they die!
I think if you would do that reflowing process regularly you will be just fine!
Last edited by TheoX; 2013-07-15 at 23:13.