Electronics > Repair
PLD getting hot
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kraka:
I have not electronics background but after two technicians refuse to repair my Audio Card, (maybe they did not have time, or they underestimate my card, although it is an excellent one), i decided to try, at least, fix it.
My Audio Card (PCI type) stopped having sound. It is the EMU APS.

While i was trying to examine it, i notice that two components that are located very close to each other,

1) the ALTERA EPM 7064S1C44-10 BFB249919 EMU98 9946 and
2) the P98AB VT244
 
are getting hot very quickly. They are getting hot even if the Card snap onto the motherboard, and Windows boots up.

As i was told from somebody with a good background in electronics :

1)The '244' is almost certainly an interface to a black socket beside it, which is a connector to the Game joystick.   That device is written at one side and read on the other, the input side has no capability to read anything back so if i am not using the black connector i can probably remove the IC to eliminate the problem with no adverse effects. Indeed i will not use the Joystick connector, so here i have not a problem.

2) the ALTERA device is a programmable logic device (PLD), and my only option would be to buy one from the card manufacturer and the chances of them carrying spares, even when in production, is very slim. Usually cards like that are sent out to sub-contracted assembly plants and the named manufacturer never sees any individual parts. It is normal for them to run warm.

But even if i found the ALTERA, shouldn't program it with the firmware before I replace the old one, otherwise it won't work ? But it is impossible to program it. So my only change is to be true what i have been told in 1) and especially the last sentence : " It is normal for them to run warm"

Is this truth ? (about the normal worming ?)

Ι attached a photo of my card
Big red arrow point to the ALTERA and small arrow to the P98AB VT244
(Any suggestion or idea for how i can fix it, or what procedure to follow, will be welcome)
fzabkar:
I agree that the VT244 chip could be removed without affecting your usage of the card.

https://datasheet.octopart.com/74LVT244MTC-Fairchild-datasheet-7551912.pdf

The PLD will be a problem:

https://edg.uchicago.edu/~bogdan/dirac/doc/parts/m7000.pdf


--- Quote ---Programmable security bit for protection of proprietary designs
--- End quote ---
kraka:
Next days i will remove the VT244 and probably i will understand if the ALTERA is broken, but until then, is there a chance there is, on my Card or inside the ALTERA, a self-protect for current remain in  safe values ?

I do not know if this is the correct way, but i measure all pins of the ALTERA (on board) and find no short to the Ground (except the GND pins).
Ice-Tea:
1) You haven't defined "hot". If you can keep your finger on it without burning it, it's probably not that "hot".

2) The Altera part is programmed. Replacing it with a blank probably won't help.
dferyance:
Certainly a part getting hot quickly could be a sign of where the fault is, but it also isn't definitive. Looks like that card has an external interface box and based off the placement of the CPLD, it could be used for driving that. Best to figure out what does or doesn't work to narrow things down. You indicate no sound, but I assume the PCI device is still recognized right? So possibly something with the audio pathway. I see a headphones connector on it, maybe try different ways of getting sound out of it in case one way works and another doesn't.

I'm just concerned that you may put too much effort or possibly cause damage in an area that isn't at fault. I wouldn't expect the CPLD being responsible for DAC or audio analog circuits. So if the headphone plug works but the other audio jacks don't, it is likely somewhere else that is failing. If it fails for everything, then yeah it could be part of the problem.
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