Macbook Pro 2008 Repair (Hot Air Gun Reflow)

My Macbook Pro stopped working...
It's the popular GPU Problem of the Nvidia graphic card.
Somehow the lead between the BGA chip and board breaks and the result is not boot up with a black or white screen; or artifacts in the internal and external display...

Possibilities:

• Buy a new one and throw away the old one
• Try to ask apple for a "free repair" -> good luck
• Reflow with hot air gun/oven/Prof. Reflow station
• Reballing
• Bring it to somebody who can fix it...

I decided to try the hot air gun method...

I made it twice already before, but I think not good enough...
So I did some research and did it for the third time.

This time I recorded it:

Detailed information about the different methods I tried:

First time

Method: Used a cheap (borrowed) hot air gun and put it on top for about one minute
Durability: 1 month

Second time 

Method: Used a much better hot air gun (with digital display & +/-10°C interval)  240°C on top for 2 minutes
Durability: 2 months

Third time

Method: Used a thermocouple to messure the board temparature on the top of the board, heat up the bottom to aprox. 110°C, Heat up the top up to aprox. 220-230°C
Durability: Don't know yet... hope a life long... ;P

Amazon Frustation Free - Review

During my last order on amazon I found the option "Frustration Free"...

I read the Information on the amazon site and thought: "what a good idea!!!"

Result: I'ts really frustration free! ;) 

amazon Page:

 

What I reveiced:

Thanks Amazon!

DIY CNC Laser/Mill/3D Printer

Last weekend I've successfully completed first tests with the first prototype of my self designed CNC.
Also I could test the 2W laser with the self-made laser control.

After long time of designing, brooding about the functionality, it looks like it's working :)

Design of CNC

Design of LaserCtrl

 

 

 

 

arduino BootLoader on ATmega328 (non pico power)

If you want to flash a ATMEGA328-PU (non pico power) with the arduino bootloader you have to change the chip signature.

I have created a "new" Board in Arduino which is only for flashing the bootloader.
Open [arduino-dir]\hardware\tools\avr\etc\avrdude.conf in Editor and search for ATMEGA238P
you'll find this line:

#------------------------------------------------------------
# ATmega328P
#------------------------------------------------------------