Hello AACers
I'll preface this by admitting I'm in way over my head here, but I've acquired a project that uses a chip I've seen mentioned by some users here so I thought I'd register and see what I can learn.

Specifically it's a MC68HC711E20CFN2 (1H19JS) (QQXJ0519), I think its from NXP USA Inc/Freescale, it's being used in a in car dash mounted OBD data monitor that'd I'd very much like to resurrect.

Unfortunately the company that made the original product hasn't existed for over a decade now (PSi3 Ltd) so preprogrammed replacement chips are unavailable. All I've been able to dig up is some old product manuals via the wayback machine.
I get the impression that maybe something like this would normally be a pretty steep challenge, but I'm hoping because it's largely based around the OBD standard that perhaps it might be achievable in this case?

If anyone out there knows about these chips and is willing to answer some questions to help get me started I'd really appreciate it.

 

Welcome to AAC!

Fire away with your questions.

 

Hi MrChips, thanks for the warm welcome, I actually noticed you talking about these elsewhere on the forum so I'm happy you're here.

I guess the first and most basic one is I'm not even sure how to safely remove and reinstall one of these chips (I found a technical manual for these chips, but a word search didn't show any instructions on install/removal)?
I'm somewhat familiar with building PC's but it doesn't appear to have a lever or sort of mechanism to remove it, should it just pull straight out?
I'm hoping that just removing it and maybe cleaning the port up a bit could be enough to bring it back to life. Being used in an automotive application it is subjected to a lot of heat and vibration so maybe just reseating it could be enough.

But if that's not enough I'm trying to get an idea of what I'm in for to repair something like this.
For example I've noticed there are "programming kits" for these chips that can link to your computer via an RS232 port or something. eg: http://www.car2diag.com/mc68hc711-programmer.html
If I get hands on something like this what comes next? I'm not even sure what software I'd need to use in conjunction with the kit, are their FOSS options? Or would it require expensive enterprise software?

I presume it's not going to be quite as easy as copy all the memory to my computer and paste it onto a blank chip? Or is it?
If I could get a kit, copy the software from the chip I have now and store it on a PC to write onto blank chips and help other people in the same situation that would be a fantastic outcome as I suspect a lot of them might be starting to fail these days.

Also I've heard sometimes chips like these are "one time write" only. Is this one of those cases? If I just get one new chip and maybe a spare for the future will that be sufficient?

I'm so new to all of this that I feel like I don't even know the right questions to ask, but hopefully that's enough to start a dialogue and get me oriented. Maybe there's even an old PSi3 employee lurking on this forum who might get in touch and throw me a bone here.

 

MC68HC11 chips were manufactured by Motorola, renamed Freescale Semiconductor then acquired by NXP in 2015.

MC68HC711E20CFN2 is one variety in the HC11 family in a PLCC package (plastic leaded chip carrier).
There is a special tool for removing the chip from the socket and it is called a PLCC extractor.


Reference: IC extractor - Wikipedia

If you attempt to remove the chip with a screwdriver you will damage the chip and the socket.

HC11 chips were used in the automotive industry. I have yet to encounter a bad chip. I do not know what is the failure rate and I would expect it to be very low.

Reseating the chip might solve a problem but I would not put any bets on it.

MC68HC711E20 is a one-time programmable part with 20KB of EPROM (program memory).
These are no longer being manufactured.

The chip has a security feature which when enabled will prevent anyone from reading the program memory. If this feature is enabled you are out of luck.

How do you know that the chip is bad and not something else on the board?

 

I don't know for sure. Just anecdotal stuff.

I spoke to someone who used to sell these data monitors and he said that he's seen the symptoms I've described from my unit before and that in the past replacing HC11 has solved it. He even said he's seen them come back to life just taking the chip from one dead unit and transferring it into another one. Why? Neither he or I have any idea, he's a mechanic, not an EE and unfortunately he doesn't have any more spares laying around.

The unit powers up alright (it's powered by the cars OBD port) but at the end of it's boot sequence just gives a "goodbye" message and shuts back down and just functions as a digital clock after that.

The person I inherited it from bought it second hand himself and had it working for a few days before it failed again, he has no use for it anymore and thought maybe he'd just done a poor job of terminating the wires from the OBD cable into the unit but I've checked and reterminated those and have verified continuity from the +/-/data wires to the IC, so I don't think it's just a simple cable issue, I could be wrong though.

If this feature is enabled you are out of luck.

That'd suck, but these units are old and rare enough that I'm prepared to follow through to the point where I find out the hard way if that's the case or not.
I really am in over my head, but I have a friend who knows some C and the best way to learn a new skill is to have something you want to achieve, right?

In the meantime I'll see about sourcing a PLCC extractor. Thanks for the tip.

 

When you get your chip puller, try removing it and spraying both the chip and socket with contact cleaner. Reinstall it and test it again.

 

When you get your chip puller, try removing it and spraying both the chip and socket with contact cleaner. Reinstall it and test it again.

Will do. Thanks for the tip. I assume just any plastic safe contact cleaner will be suitable? I have some CRC Co Contact Cleaner handy and it looks like I can probably get a chip puller from my local electronics shop so I'll get onto that first thing in the morning.
Thanks for chiming in.

 

MC68HC711E20CFN2

I have used these parts. I might have some but, what I have will not be programmed. They need your program put into them.
This is like getting a book with no ink on the pages. There is space for ink but non is there.
I might have some where the program inside is for a Samsung CRT monitor and will not help you at all.
Are your parts soldered to the PDB or in a socket?
------edited----
Picture from ebay.

Wrong picture.

 

I have used these parts. I might have some but, what I have will not be programmed. They need your program put into them.
This is like getting a book with no ink on the pages. There is space for ink but non is there.
I might have some where the program inside is for a Samsung CRT monitor and will not help you at all.
Are your parts soldered to the PDB or in a socket?
View attachment 262803

A 68HC05 and a 68HC11 are two different animals. Their instruction sets are completely different. The TS should waste exactly zero time on this WGC. He already has a nearly insurmountable problem.

 

A 68HC05 and a 68HC11 are two different animals.

Right, I asked google for a picture of HC11 and it gave me the wrong picture.

 

Reseating the chip might solve a problem but I would not put any bets on it.

When you get your chip puller, try removing it and spraying both the chip and socket with contact cleaner. Reinstall it and test it again.

Believe it or not, this actually seems to of solved it! I'm still having one small error that I'll need to look into but the unit is >95% functional now!
Acquired a PLCC extractor, hit it with some CRC Co Contact Cleaner, reinstalled and job (mostly) done.
Thanks a lot to everyone who took the time to contribute, I know it's tempting/easy to look the other way when someone who obviously doesn't belong stumbles into a forum looking for help on a subject they have no prior learning in so I really appreciate it.
Honestly I'm cheering here so thanks, I mean it.

 

Glad you're 95% up and running. I learned a long time ago when I did stereo repairs, the first thing to do - especially on older equipment - is to clean all switches, controls, plugs and contacts. Humidity, cigarette smoke and dust all contribute to poor conduction which causes problems.

 

It sounds like you got the IC out ok. These tools are designed to squeeze to lift the chip out, nor grab and pull.
This just reminded me of a customer many years ago that was trying to swap a CPU in a Mac, if I remember correctly.
The new CPU came with an extraction tool that was quite similar to a gear puller.
It has a U shaped frame that fit against the PCB, and another with a lip each side to slide under the processor. Then, you did up the wing nut to extract the CPU.
Well, this guy hoped we could fix the motherboard. He had fitted the extractor under the socket, not the CPU.
Very sad!

 

Hello AACers
I'll preface this by admitting I'm in way over my head here, but I've acquired a project that uses a chip I've seen mentioned by some users here so I thought I'd register and see what I can learn.

Specifically it's a MC68HC711E20CFN2 (1H19JS) (QQXJ0519), I think its from NXP USA Inc/Freescale, it's being used in a in car dash mounted OBD data monitor that'd I'd very much like to resurrect.

Unfortunately the company that made the original product hasn't existed for over a decade now (PSi3 Ltd) so preprogrammed replacement chips are unavailable. All I've been able to dig up is some old product manuals via the wayback machine.
I get the impression that maybe something like this would normally be a pretty steep challenge, but I'm hoping because it's largely based around the OBD standard that perhaps it might be achievable in this case?

If anyone out there knows about these chips and is willing to answer some questions to help get me started I'd really appreciate it.
View attachment 262772

MC68H- that's originally Motorola who made it. 68K CPU based.