Cheers. I am about to "repair" a device (hopefully).

Here is a picture of someone elses in tact board with an arrow pointing to the component.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3210/2868467025_f86500516a_b.jpg

Mine fell off, and I want to solder it back on.

Thank you!

E

 

If yours fell off, it must have been too hot. It is either a resistor or capacitor (if you can get numbers off the case, we might be able to tell which).

You might want to find out why it got so hot before simply sticking in a new one and turning power back on.

 

If yours fell off, it must have been too hot. It is either a resistor or capacitor (if you can get numbers off the case, we might be able to tell which).

You might want to find out why it got so hot before simply sticking in a new one and turning power back on.

Unfortunately I lack the requisite skills to determine hoe this happened. But, I appreciate your kind reply.

 

If it was a capacitor it might be self explanitory, caps only get hot if their shorted.

 

The risky way of doing it.

Desolder your buddy's part from his board.

Using an Ohm meter try to measure the resistance across the component. If the resistance gives you a good solid value then it is a resistor and the resistance is listed on the meter. Now it the item starts to read resistance but the value climbs to very high as into the Megaohms, then try it again and if it doesn't read the second time put a wire across is to drain its charge and try to read resistance again. If resistance goes to extremely high a second time its a capacitor not a resistor.

Then resolder your buddy's part back to the board. - If you plan to solder a new part on you board your gonna need the practive soldering.

Ok, now the reality part.
As Beenthere stated - it fell off for a reason. Do you know the reason? Did it get too hot and melt the solder? Do you have your part? If you don't have your part how do you know it was supposed to be there? Maybe your board is at a different revision level and that part was eliminated by the designer - Cost reduction.

Parts don't typically just fall off - get a magnifying glass and look closely at the solder on the trace. If it is soldered and shiny it was hot and melted and fell off. If the solder has a jagged edge and white something like prying the case open caused it to be broken off. If there is no solder on the trace maybe there was very little holding it on and soldering it back on is a good fix.

can you get a better photo and tell us what it is Brand model?

 

All this talk of heat got me thinking. The component is very close to the mains power 5v dc input. Then I realized that this item was never marketed in the US (where I live) But in Japan only. Google told me that Japan has 100v AC. And, a look at the wall wart confirmed my fear. So I was sold the wrong power supply (well, it was Ebay. I guess the blame rests on me).

I plugged it into 110. The unit works though, albeit somewhat screwed uply

I am very impressed with how kind you folks are. I appreciate your input very much. This weekend I will get out my 10x loupe and take some snapshots of the affected area(s).

E
Thanks all around

 

Have some more news for you; in the US, outlets are 120V, not 110V.

Easiest way to do a conversion is to use a variable transformer; it'll be 60Hz instead of 50Hz, but that should be OK.
MPJA has one for $50.
http://www.mpja.com/prodinfo.asp?number=15162+TR

 

 

It appears as if the part came of due to force? But what do I know.

The Unit is a Zaurus SL-C3000

 

I would name that component "Smokey,"

Smokey looks like a high value capacitor on the photo of the undamaged board.