12th-Mar-25, 05:22 PM
A friend sent me a APB C7042 powerbase which had a couple of dead throttle ports to see if these could be fixed.
I believe this fault occasionally happens during plugging-in of wired controllers, and is likely due to static charge effects from the throttle ports onto the microcontroller input pins.
So can the microcontroller be replaced?
The short answer is yes - but it needs considerable care.
The longer answer involved learning how to replace the microcontroller without allowing any solder bridges to occur between any of the 64 solder points. Once a bridge occurs it is extremely difficult to correct.
After three re-fitment attempts on the same APB - success!
And, next time around it should be a bit easier :)
After re-fitment, a continuity check of each of the 64 solder points was carried to ensure all APB functions were restored. This is quite time intensive!
The final step was to flash the v1.009 firmware onto the new microcontroller. The result is a fully functioning APB with all throttle ports operating correctly.
At present, while brand new APBs are still available the best solution for an APB with a a failed microcontroller is replacement of the entire APB. However, with time, and as the stock of new APBs is exhausted the option of replacing the microcontroller may become more attractive.
At least we now know that the microcontroller swap-out is possible using simple lab-bench soldering techniques.
c
I believe this fault occasionally happens during plugging-in of wired controllers, and is likely due to static charge effects from the throttle ports onto the microcontroller input pins.
So can the microcontroller be replaced?
The short answer is yes - but it needs considerable care.
The longer answer involved learning how to replace the microcontroller without allowing any solder bridges to occur between any of the 64 solder points. Once a bridge occurs it is extremely difficult to correct.
After three re-fitment attempts on the same APB - success!
And, next time around it should be a bit easier :)
After re-fitment, a continuity check of each of the 64 solder points was carried to ensure all APB functions were restored. This is quite time intensive!
The final step was to flash the v1.009 firmware onto the new microcontroller. The result is a fully functioning APB with all throttle ports operating correctly.
At present, while brand new APBs are still available the best solution for an APB with a a failed microcontroller is replacement of the entire APB. However, with time, and as the stock of new APBs is exhausted the option of replacing the microcontroller may become more attractive.
At least we now know that the microcontroller swap-out is possible using simple lab-bench soldering techniques.
c
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