A Soldering Adventure - Samsung Galaxy S (4G Model)

So I recently accomplished the unbrickable mod for the SGS4G and I wanted to provide some info and a story so that you guys can see what it takes to do the mod, and get some laughs about how badly I almost messed up my phone.
Here is the link to Adam's post, in case you haven't seen it.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1333424
At the outset, you should know that I attempted this mod with the help of my friend, who has some experience soldering surface mount components, and has a rather nice temperature-controlled soldering iron, solder paste, clips, a flux pen, magnifying glasses, tweezers, and a jeweler's loupe. My point is that we went into this with a pretty decent set of tools.
Step 1: Naïveté
After some careful thought, we attempted the mod and thought we had it. However, even with the loupe and other magnification equipment, we couldn't really see what was going on at these sizes. The phone booted, and I wasn't totally sure how the phone would behave unplugged. Plus we both had kinda run out of time for the day, so we called it tentatively good.
Step 2: Inspection
I happen to have a high megapixel camera with a macro lens, so later that day, I was able to get a suitable inspection picture and confirm that the mod did not take properly. It turns out that we had shorted the OM5 resistor, and this was causing the phone to operate normally, instead of being modded.
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Step 3: Stupidity
Once I realized that the mod didn't take, I was disappointed and wanted to fix it. In my haste, I pulled out my RadioShack Cat No. 64-2067C soldering iron with the thought that I could maybe just touch the OM5 pad and get it to flow. Well, it turns out that cheap soldering irons are f-ing HOT and it immediately melted the adjacent resistor off its plastic(?) pad, which was now white. Oh, and the phone was now hard-bricked.
Step 4: Entropy
I called my friend for an emergency soldering operation. This time I brought my camera with me. We quickly cleaned off the solder. But now we had two effectively lifted resistors and decided we needed to come up with a recovery strategy. Based on looking at the pictures, we came up with a notional schematic. Unfortunately, in the process of probing with a multimeter to try to determine some resistance values, another resistor popped off. Well, damnit. We measured this resistor at 100k-ohms. So these look like protective resistors for what is probably a high-impedance input.
Step 5: Cleanup
We realized that the OM5 bridge was still there. This was based on a resistance measurement and you can see a bead of solder in the picture above which looks like it was still making a connection. We went in to try to get this solder to flow.
Step 6: Square One. Or Negative 2.
Things are getting bad. Two missing resistors, and our eyes are getting tired. Spouses are getting antsy. We decide the best way to move forward is to try to get a small bead of solder onto the tip of the iron, and try to create bridges where the resistors were. The first one was a success:
Step 7: Are You Kidding.
Well, with that rather clean-looking success, despite the fact that what happened above was largely due to good luck, we decided to keep going with this approach. We couldn't think of anything else to do... Unfortunately, we didn't know how to get a small enough blob of solder onto the gun, and the next blob was a little too big:
Step 8: Square Negative 3
What is immediately clear in the above picture is that we are completely screwed. Another resistor has lifted, and there is a sea of solder shorting the remaining resistors, and if you look closely, you can see two of the resistors floating together in the solder tsunami.
Step 9: Patience
We cleaned this up, and with some luck, were able to reestablish one of the connections. We still felt kind of lucky about that, and decided we needed to try another approach if we were going to proceed.
Here is an attempt at solder paste. Which basically was too messy to difficult to apply at this scale:
Also, notice the beads of solder in the solder paste. This is not normally what solder paste looks like to the naked eye.
Step 10: Slow Progress
We figured out we could reflow already-melted solder that was hanging around the station on some paper, and with some mushing and chopping motions with the iron tip on the paper, we could subdivide the solder into smaller and smaller quantities until we had a very tiny sliver floating on the end of the iron. We started doing this:
Step 11: Victory
Repeating this process with the solder beads bit by bit, we carefully added solder until we had the configuration we wanted. This was tricky, because surface tension wanted to keep the solder of the solder-resist. Also heat conduction would sometimes cause adjacent solder to flow when we didn't want to. First, we had this:
Yes, a mess. But we had determined through our schematic analysis that the left four resistors were originally grounded, so as long as we preserved a connection on the top middle resistor (above OM5) and prevented a solder bridge forming on OM5 itself, we were good to go. Now to work on the high pins:
Close....
Got it. This may look like a hot mess. And it is. However, notice that there is electrical separation between the logic level low inputs (connected by the upside-down L shaped glob on the left) and the logic level high inputs (connected by a glob which looks like maybe and Android robot doing a situp).
We booted the phone, and we had it. Successful mod.
Step 12: Denouement / Lessons Learned
To perform this mod successfully, you need to have access to good equipment. Visual inspection at these sizes is going to be difficult, especially if you start to get discoloration and other things making the image confusing to your brain.
Performing this modification requires a pretty high level of soldering expertise. These resistors are not much wider than a strand of copper speaker wire.
Have a way to verify your work. Like a camera, USB microscope, or some other way to get a good look at what you've done. Even with the loupe, this stuff was hard to see.
Be patient. Be aware of what surface tension is going to do, and what effect using flux will have. Practice on something if you have it.
If you are getting tired or fatigued, walk away for a minute and come back to it.
If you find yourself in crisis, think through the problem so you know how to define success.
Adam's guide in this forum is rather brief. However, he has references at the bottom that lead to quite a bit more information about what he has done. This information is valuable and can help you understand what is going on. I would review these references at least a little bit before you get started on this mod.
You can solder anything.

Here is a picture to help with scale:

Wow the scale made it look a lot harder.
Sent from my SGH-T959V using xda premium

Quite the adventure bro! I use a Hakko soldering station (var. temps). Works wonders. A little desoldering wire and flux are key. Glad you got it going! I've done the same thing in the past lol Literally a hot mess My only concern would be the 2 missing resistors. Good work. Thanks for the post!

thegoo said:
Quite the adventure bro! I use a Hakko soldering station (var. temps). Works wonders. A little desoldering wire and flux are key. Glad you got it going! I've done the same thing in the past lol Literally a hot mess My only concern would be the 2 missing resistors. Good work. Thanks for the post!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, my friend had a variable temp soldering iron too. We did a lot of the work at lower temps than usual in the hopes that the solder would be "stickier."
I was a little worried about the reistors too, and it may shorten battery life a bit, but there are probably resistors on the inside of the chip and they are likely high impedance (inputs usually are), so I doubt I will see a difference. On something like an ARM i would guess they would be rather high--i'm going to go ahead and guess 1M-ohm. I should look it up. Noise immunity should not be too much of an issue for configuration pins, and, well if a short develops inside the chip I suppose it could cause more damage than might normally happen but honestly if that were to happen the phone would probably be toast.

Related

Headphone Hack

Just spent about 30 mins hacking the supplied headphone cable to take any 3.5mm and it was very, very easy.
The buttons unclick off the control unit with no damage and with a bit of careful prying the board will come out of the housing.
Add a female 3.5mm from the end of a extension lead and you have a lead with full controls and mic with any headphones.
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Hey,
could you please elaborate on this?
If you need elaborating on what he just wrote... maybe you should not do what he did. Hacking stuff needs a certain amount of practical sense.
hmm.. Well, am just new to Android.. I have done a lot of modding with some Sony Ericsson's. Not sure, if you are aware of se-nse forums.
But, yes never tried hardware modding. hence the elaboration required.
Hey
I am interested about that but I don't speak english very well and cannot understand all what you wrote...
Is there anyway you can make a video ?
Just try carefully taking off the three buttons and all will become clear. You can do this without damaging the unit and if you decide against doing the mod just put the buttons back on, no harm done.
There is a small printed circuit board held in with soft glue, a bit of prying will get it out and on the reverse you will be able to see the headphone leads.
Desolder the leads, taking note of right, left and polarity. Prepare your female 3.5mm by first passing the end through the hole in the housing, then stripping just enough cable to allow re-soldering, you may need to double up the shield side to both right and left.
Once this is done you can check correct operation before reassembly which is the reverse of dismantling.
When attaching the buttons remember to point the arrow on the centre play/pause/answer button in the direction of the FF side.
MG
pretty much what i didwith the terrible headphones back in the days with my g1/adp. check for cheap extension leads, the have nice connectors sometimes - looks better then the usual self-soldier screw ones.
Thanks for the advice, now try to make myself such headphones.
Thanks for the advice,
Thanx guna try this
Sent from my HTC Desire S using XDA Premium App
HTC RC E160 / Creative EP 630 Zombie Headphones - sounds good!
Thanks for the inspiration.
As one can get the HTC RC E160 really cheap (EUR 4,50), I ordered two and gave it a try. In contrast to the OP, I did not manage to make proper connections to the small printed circuit - glue all over, and everything much too tiny for my soldering skills...
I found it much easier to just swap the speaker capsules with an old EP 630 (which had a broken cable, my family's standard earphone). Both the HTC's and the Creative's capsules open really easy, and you already have stripped, tinned wires and nice (not so tiny) soldering pads.
Just be careful when pulling out the cables and don't forget to re-add the knots before soldering.
Heinz
How about making a video ?
Yes, Please make a video for this hack, I hope then our doubt will be clear
Sorry, I don't have the parts to repeat all steps in a video.
But I opened it again for you and took another picture. Please note the black cable in an otherwise white body my doubtful readers...
These are the exact steps:
On the EP 630 side:
Pry the metal ring loose carfully using a knife and remove it.
Now you can pull out the sound driver easily.
Unsolder, cut and remove the cables.
On the HTC side:
Deform the earplug gently until the metal capsule pops out (I used a 200g hammer - we are only interested in the cables!)
Pull out the cable some centimeters using a tweezer (don't just pull on the metal capsule or the solder joints will break).
Unsolder the cables.
Unknot the cables and pull them out.
Guide them trough the tube of the EP 630 body.
Knot them again.
Solder them to the pads on the EP 630 driver. (Be sure not to cross polarity on your left and right ear which will probably sound bad. There seems to by a red color code near the "plus" pad. Connect the solid green or solid red wire here. The other one - solid nothing or striped green - seems to be ground.
Re-assemble the plugs (the metal ring holds everything in place).
Regards,
Heinz
Thx Heinz!
I like this and might have to give it ago myself....... will report back if successful
this post inspired me...gonna to do this
Neat trick, Very useful considering the lack of choice of 3 button Android compatible headphones. Do you know if this reduces the quality of sound in mid range headphones?
Thanks
From Russia with love by my HTC Desire S
bongo1 said:
Neat trick, Very useful considering the lack of choice of 3 button Android compatible headphones. Do you know if this reduces the quality of sound in mid range headphones?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
depends how you do it if properly, then there will be no quality reduction, regardless of the range of headphones. there's really little you can do wrong.
Nicely done

Perfect Run/Bike Companion - My Accessories Setup

I chose the Z1 Compact as I like to run/bike with my phone; not so that I can use things like Strava/RunKeeper/Endomondo etc but becuase I
a. listen to music
b. take calls
c. take photos
d. like my loved ones to track me in case of emergency
e. make calls in case of emergency
etc
So the high spec, waterproofness and size really appealled to me
And I have to say.. it is proving a delight.
I have now finalised my run/bike setup and thought you guys might be interested in the set up.
Photos attached
Run:
Armband: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sony-Xperia-Z1-Compact-Shocksock/dp/B00HUGVTIE
I have tried various armband cases over the decades (!!) but this one I have for the Z1 Compact is the best to date (and one of the cheapest)
It has a nice amount of stretch, a little key pocket and nice velcro closure that doesn't rub.
I would say though that it is not a tight fit in the armband case (it is NOT custom made for the phone).. but that is fine with me as I can easily slip in and out, it works with my normal case I have for the phone, and is still secure and not had issues on long runs (+20k)
If you want the smallest possible case for the phone then look elsewhere
The screen is responsive enough through the clear screen, but as with all the cases, the power button of the phone is in a bit of an awkward position
Bike:
Handlebar case: http://topeak.com/products/bags/smartphone_drybag_5in_bk2
Why bother with a waterproof case?
Well.. I suppose I didn't really need to, but I wanted something for the handlebars that would protect it in case of a fall a bit more, but wouldn't be too bulky. (also.. I could be on the bike in the rain for upwards of 6hrs.. not sure if the IP rating could handle that!)
The fit is actually perfect: I can just squeese in with the my normal case (Krussel FrostCover) still on. Without the case it is still a nice and snugg fit with no flapping around.
Screen responsive enough through the clear plastic front
The power button is okayish to press on the go
The downside I see with this is that the inbuilt clip on the back means that on bumps it can 'slap' a bit, so I might look at fixing that somehow (the case is good enough that I would want to do that rather than look for another solution)
also, if you wanna take phonts you need to take out of the waterproof case.
Run/Bike:
Headphones: http://www.jaybirdsport.com/bluebuds-x-bluetooth-headphones/
I understand people who say you should not use headphones while running/biking outdoors, but I do like to do it
These bluetooth headphones are the best out there.
Expensive but worth it: can use in the rain, no long cord, answer calls etc.
They have already proven the best sports headphones I have ever bought
The only downside I would say is that the stock earbuds can fall out, so I use comply foam buds (http://www.complyfoam.com/products/S-500/)
That makes the fit perfect and secure (can run for 2hrs without needing to adjust once)
No dropouts.
Hope this is helpful.
I really am in a near perfect place now with my setup.
I first started looking for the ideal set up to run/bike with, in 2002 (using the first phone that I started to run with).. I have finally found it (until the wearable tech means I use something other than a phone in a few years)
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Milkywaye said:
I chose the Z1 Compact as I like to run/bike with my phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you very much for your feedback :good:. Quite similar need for me: day long mountain bike and hike sessions.
I'm curious about any setup allowing charging the phone with a dynamo, but still being waterproof, or anything allowing to extend the battery life for a complete day of use as GPS track recorder and map. I have in mind a setup based on something similar to the Shimano Dynamo Generator Hubs.
Regarding the power button, I hope Tap2Wake & Wake 2 Touch, or any other similar feature, will be soon available for the Z1 Compact.
Scalpos said:
Thank you very much for your feedback :good:. Quite similar need for me: day long mountain bike and hike sessions.
I'm curious about any setup allowing charging the phone with a dynamo, but still being waterproof, or anything allowing to extend the battery life for a complete day of use as GPS track recorder and map. I have in mind a setup based on something similar to the Shimano Dynamo Generator Hubs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah.. the phone batteries are not quite up to the extended rides or ultras.
tbh that is why I use a Garmin Edge for my long rides (i don't need to go longer than that battery allows) and not use my phone for tracking.
in the past I have used different things for keeping the juice of my phone going (additional batteries, external batter packs etc).. but I think this is one of the weaknesses of the phone for that application
[1] the magnets on the magnetic charging socket tend to be weak so on a bike you will probably need to keep on reconnecting or use some sort of tape to tape the socket in place
[2] the normal usb charging socket is in an awkward position.. so the cable would jut out to the side.. but worse.. you lose the waterproofness and more worryingly, the flap is in a dangerously vulnerable position to breakage
[3] no removable battery
If i needed to charge on the go (on the bike) then I would defintely look at utilising the magnetic socket and tape the plug n place.
that would then leave the issue of keeping the phone out of the elements (especially on extended downpours) and for that you would need a different mount to the topeak one (not broad enough to have the charger in the bag as well)
there is also the other issue of amps.. you need to make sure that the phone is being given enough amps to actually charge. not sure a dynamo would do that,.. but those battery packs would if you choose the right one
---
When you do get something sorted.. then post piccies! very interested to see what you come up with
Nice post!
I used the same Topeak case with my late SGS3, which was a very tight fit...
I have used it in different conditions over half a year and found one big nuissance with it. That clear plastic gets foggy from the inside and you have to clean that up every now and then (sealed rolled and everything). And I'm not a neat freak... also I don't have sticks for fingers, so cleaning all of it is just not pleasant...
As for the charging en route... you could still hook the dynamo output by soldering the wires (actually with some connector) to a solar battery - as complimentary powersource to the solar cell. Then charge from that, which gives a more stable output. Worst case scenario is that going downhill may fry a solar battery instead of the phone...

Magnetic micro usb adapter /cable

I read that the usb port of Mi max is very easy to scratch, is using magnetic micro usb adapter or cable a good solution?
Sent from my SM-T715 using XDA-Developers mobile app
So you'd rather have something stick out than some scratches only visible if you specifically look for them? I wouldn't even noticed them if didn't read this few days back.
I really don't get it...
It's just a phone, tool ment for every day use.
nijel8 said:
So you'd rather have something stick out than some scratches only visible if you specifically look for them? I wouldn't even noticed them if didn't read this few days back.
I really don't get it...
It's just a phone, tool ment for every day use.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree. Anybody who knows me personally will tell you that I am anally retentive when it comes to the condition of my gadgets. Seeing someone use a phone with a cracked screen induces almost Jack the Ripper levels of rage in me but this isn't a huge problem. I have had this phone for around 5 days now and can see some very very small scuffs on the bottom of the charging port but only when I hold the phone very close to my eyes and specifically look for them.
It might also help that I haven't used the cable that came with it. At work I charge the phone using an old Blackberry cable and at home I've either used the cable from my PS4 controller or a high-speed fabric threaded one that I picked up on a market in Hong Kong last year. None of those cables have small studs on the micro-USB plug that I have seen on some other cables over the last few years. I have no idea what the included cable is like as it is still in the box untouched.
I wouldn't be happy if something that affects functionality shows up over time too.
Actually Mi Max USB port is very well protected from getting loose over time with that tight frame opening and that's why it gets some minor scuffs. I'd rather have that than loose port with weak electrical contacts. That's exactly what I had with my previous $850 Samsung Note3 in less than 6 months of use. Mi max won't develop this because USB cable connector is supported by the frame, not the port only...
micro USB
I believe that the micro USB - is a big mistake. Its construction took not engineers, and a herd of old. Built on a design twist on the wrong side. Back Lighting. Look into the micro USB - you see an unfortunate engineering decision. It's like Apple revenge, and we are paying the price. 5 contacts arranged on a plastic plate of 0.5 mm thick. Which hangs in the air. After 2 years of daily use, this plastic (probably made from waste and old bottles) turns into a rag. I have a phone with a cable fell onto the pillow !!! Now the connector loose. This occurs when the decisions are made by intriguers, not engineers, but the entire planet obeyed. Where were the engineers at the factories, and even in China? Are you afraid to say too much words and held on to his salary?
Based on the foregoing, Type-C with 24 contacts - even sillier.
Whiter than a weak structure, not protected from the slightest mechanical impact, it is difficult to come up with.
Perhaps a little magnetic cable will extend the life of my micro USB connector, although the charging current is reduced by approximately 25%.
In the USSR before the shot for wrecking the economy. In some ways, my grandfathers were right.
seregadushka said:
I believe that the micro USB - is a big mistake. Its construction took not engineers, and a herd of old. Built on a design twist on the wrong side. Back Lighting. Look into the micro USB - you see an unfortunate engineering decision. It's like Apple revenge, and we are paying the price. 5 contacts arranged on a plastic plate of 0.5 mm thick. Which hangs in the air. After 2 years of daily use, this plastic (probably made from waste and old bottles) turns into a rag. I have a phone with a cable fell onto the pillow !!! Now the connector loose. This occurs when the decisions are made by intriguers, not engineers, but the entire planet obeyed. Where were the engineers at the factories, and even in China? Are you afraid to say too much words and held on to his salary?
Based on the foregoing, Type-C with 24 contacts - even sillier.
Whiter than a weak structure, not protected from the slightest mechanical impact, it is difficult to come up with.
Perhaps a little magnetic cable will extend the life of my micro USB connector, although the charging current is reduced by approximately 25%.
In the USSR before the shot for wrecking the economy. In some ways, my grandfathers were right.
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Over heating/DVR issues?

Anyone had any over heating or DVR issues?.
Recently after nasty traffic trip of 2 hours (longest trip so far with this unit) I noticed that the OBDII torque app wouldn’t work (not unheard of) but then the sound attenuation wasn’t snapping off after nav directions, so I tried the volume knob and guess what no response, buttons not working and within seconds the whole unit packed up totally.
Did a reset and it was still glitchy.
Then I realised it was red hot, pulled the trim away and touched under the unit and it was burning hot.
Since then it’s crashed a few times and Waze (normally rock solid) has acted up with issues around gps signal being slower than my driving and just hanging and crashing.
Ps is the uk and it’s wet and cold, also tons of space inside the dash as it’s installed in a Van.
One thing at the time was that I have the usb in the glove box and at the time I was using it to keep my phone charged. Not sure if that was a factor?.
Since the. I’ve stopped charging the phone off that as I now have the DVR and DAB(not used the dab yet). But I’ve found the dvr cottage is jerky and that when running the DVR it causes the Rev cam footage to jump a few times too (sketchy when reversing in tight areas in the van).
So any one experienced over heating?, could one overheating event have damaged the cpu?, and could the DVR issue be related this?. Or does the DVR take a lot of processing power?.
Not an expert but when Inlookednin settings the rams never been used beyond 50% since the DVR was hooked up and the DVR is digital and the Rev cam is analog so why would it affect it?, but it really does.
Had a nightmare with separate dash cams (3 off amazon in a row had faults) so was hoping the dvr would be the answer.
Loath to lose it just today coming back from the woods with the family a Z4 nearly Head on’d us on a narrow lane as he swerved off the main road!!.
I’ve already agreed to return it to audio tech direct after Xmas as the green phone buttons dead but should I complain about the overheating and demand a replacement?. It’s only 2 months old
Give them a link to your post and google similar problems to find others with the same heat issue.
I installed 2 fans in my unit (not the same as yours) one directly on the cpu heatsync sucking the hot air off and another bigger pc fan that sucks the hot air out of the whole unit which is overkill but whatever lol
Hi, luckily they are replacing this one. Cooling wise I was thinking about sticking fans on the vent holes to suck hot air out and wire into the ignition so they come in with the radio, can attach on top externally and not void warranty. Won’t be able to add a heat sink though without opening up. Though I peeked into the Holes and there seem to be a corregated aluminium plate on top of the cpu, more ribbed than finned. Could that be a factory heat sink?
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I'm having exactly the same issue as you....
I have a PX5 Xtrons (GS) head unit and whenever i run Waze/Google Maps or any navigation app, after 30+ minutes , i get a "GPS lost, searching for GPS" message and the tracking starts to lag behind. Changing tracks/radio stations or volume at that time has a big delay. Today i got a "Temperature too hot" message and system shuts down.
How do i go about adding a fan/heat-sink onto these things? are there any tutorials etc?
Don’t know, there’s holes in top so I’m planning on a small 12v fan on top to suck the hot air out. Going to take a feed off the 12v power socket. Don’t want to open and stick heat sinks on as it’s under warranty but the fans can double tape externally.
Cid6.7 said:
Give them a link to your post and google similar problems to find others with the same heat issue.
I installed 2 fans in my unit (not the same as yours) one directly on the cpu heatsync sucking the hot air off and another bigger pc fan that sucks the hot air out of the whole unit which is overkill but whatever lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can I ask how you powered your fans? I added a few heat-sinks to my system and although now it runs much smoother, temperatures do go up to 110-115 degrees Celsius. So now instead of becoming slow after 30 minutes, it now takes over an hour. I noticed a fan shaped hole in the back of my system which i am thinking about attaching a small fan on to to suck the warm air out.
alpha247 said:
Can I ask how you powered your fans? I added a few heat-sinks to my system and although now it runs much smoother, temperatures do go up to 110-115 degrees Celsius. So now instead of becoming slow after 30 minutes, it now takes over an hour. I noticed a fan shaped hole in the back of my system which i am thinking about attaching a small fan on to to suck the warm air out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wired them to aux power in line and ground.
I plan on in the future finding a heat sensor so when the unit reaches a certain temp they'll turn on and off automatically
So my cheap fans arrived from China and I’ve temporarily taped them over the vent holes on the top, after some messing around I’ve opted to push cool air in so have placed them to blow into the top holes, can feel air coming out of the opposite top vent holes, hoping this will help till I work out how to duct the permanent cool duct my van has into the unit. Terrible radio interference when the fans are on now though and ideas how to avoid that?
It’s ok seems to have settled. Blue tooth is crapping out now so may just return.

Modifying Android Motherboard

Hi,
I have a Motorola G Play and what I desire to do is to remove the motherboard and take the components that provide the wifi, 4g, and bluetooth capabilities to the phone.
I have never done this before and I understand that the tool to use is the soldering iron. I've never used one of those before either.
I wondered if anyone had any experience with this or where I should find the diagram for the motherboard. I understand that the bluetooth and 4g run on the same current, and if you disable one then you disable the other. But I don't know if it compromises anything else dependant on the current.
If you have any experience or information, it would be appreciated.
Thank you.
Welcome to XDA
You'll destroy that mobo... guaranteed
Unless you have specialized and very expensive equipment as well as intimate knowledge of the components involved, this will be an impossible undertaking.
The communications module is integrated into the SoC, for which the design and diagrams are proprietary intellectual property.
My recommendation: Abandon this idea and get yourself a Raspberry Pi.
I like your attitude, but as @V0latyle says most of that stuff is integrated into the SoC and you're not going to get that with a soldering iron.
The Raspberry Pi is not a bad suggestion.
If you want to go low-level I suggest you pick one, WiFi or Bluetooth to start.
There are lots of modules that do this.
You can also do Bluetooth peripherals.
Why not even start with USB peripherals, there's a lot of fun there.
If your goal is to disable the transmitters you could disable all wireless then try finding the antennas and detach them. Avoid unsoldering anything from the mobo as they are easy to damage by poor technique.
I don't see the point though...
I do a lot of sensitive work and I use smartphones for the convenience. They run the apps I need but apps leak and apps steak and apps make a backdoor for "hackers" (i.e. cops) who want valuable intellectual property or intelligence that's digital and easy to steal-store-sell or adopt.
Instead of rooting, which I Am not opposed to, I thought maybe I could find the components for signal processing and disable them but leaving the rest of the processes intact.
Renate said:
I like your attitude, but as @V0latyle says most of that stuff is integrated into the SoC and you're not going to get that with a soldering iron.
The Raspberry Pi is not a bad suggestion.
If you want to go low-level I suggest you pick one, WiFi or Bluetooth to start.
There are lots of modules that do this.
You can also do Bluetooth peripherals.
Why not even start with USB peripherals, there's a lot of fun there.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi Renate,
I'm not sure I understand; I'm really new to this--by peripheral do you mean to connect other devices? Such as a keyboard? I Am looking to disconnect ALL signals to and from the phone without disrupting it's ability to run apps or store data.
I cannot take any risk of "hackers" stealing data via any radio waves of any kind.
93Nietzsche said:
Hi Renate,
I'm not sure I understand; I'm really new to this--by peripheral do you mean to connect other devices? Such as a keyboard? I Am looking to disconnect ALL signals to and from the phone without disrupting it's ability to run apps or store data.
I cannot take any risk of "hackers" stealing data via any radio waves of any kind.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Then make sure your traffic is encrypted. Bluetooth does this automatically, and most WiFi networks are encrypted too.
Better yet, go off grid and don't use a smart device at all.
I build precision microelectronics for a living. You will not be able to accomplish what you want to do with a soldering iron. Those boards are manufactured by million dollar machines in a tightly controlled process. Smartphones are not hand soldered, and any repairs involve replacement of complete assemblies.
Since the comms module is integrated into the processor, the only thing you can do is disable those functions in Android - but that won't fully disable everything.
So, you have a choice to make. Either accept the fact that the convenience of being connected comes at the cost of privacy and exposure...Or, you can completely sever yourself from the Internet. Take your money out of the bank and store hard cash in a vault. Use only cash for your transactions. Never keep anything in any digital form unless it's fully contained in a certified Faraday cage.
If you take apart your phone you'll see the antenna connections.
There are two types, tiny round ufl coax connectors and gold spring pins that go to sticky antennas.
You can pull up all the matte black sticky antennas.
If you have ufl connectors you can burn your bridges and put a solder blob in the center.
Usually the antennas go by band, so if you kill WiFi you'll also kill Bluetooth and maybe GPS.
Renate said:
If you take apart your phone you'll see the antenna connections.
There are two types, tiny round ufl coax connectors and gold spring pins that go to sticky antennas.
You can pull up all the matte black sticky antennas.
If you have ufl connectors you can burn your bridges and put a solder blob in the center.
Usually the antennas go by band, so if you kill WiFi you'll also kill Bluetooth and maybe GPS.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The problem is, most antennas are printed on the board, there probably won't be any connectors at all.
V0latyle said:
The problem is, most antennas are printed on the board, there probably won't be any connectors at all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really? I've seen a lot of "hairpins" and "wiggles" right on the PCB on WiFi and Bluetooth modules (makes the FCC or other acceptance easier).
Most of the Androids I've gutted have black stickies or metal strips inset into the plastic.
Renate said:
Really? I've seen a lot of "hairpins" and "wiggles" right on the PCB on WiFi and Bluetooth modules (makes the FCC or other acceptance easier).
Most of the Androids I've gutted have black stickies or metal strips inset into the plastic.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are multiple ones and in Samsung's some are in bizarre places.
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I can see a Faraday cage in the OP's future...
Renate said:
If you take apart your phone you'll see the antenna connections.
There are two types, tiny round ufl coax connectors and gold spring pins that go to sticky antennas.
You can pull up all the matte black sticky antennas.
If you have ufl connectors you can burn your bridges and put a solder blob in the center.
Usually the antennas go by band, so if you kill WiFi you'll also kill Bluetooth and maybe GPS.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, thank you. I have another cheap Android around here and I'll experiment with that one. I have a heat gun and screwdriver kit on the way. This is a priority for those of us who use electronics for intelligence or sensitive proprietary data who are not government employees or Fortune 500 employees.
It is very easy for law enforcement to get into your electronics. They have supposedly made over $200,000 on My work before I had an opportunity to earn anything at all. They even intercept emails, adjust social media accounts, etc, while getting copycats of your ideas up and running. So this is a priority for Me. Thanks for the advice.
-93Nietzsche

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