motherboard circuit diagrams

Discussion in 'Hardware' started by 808, May 4, 2005.

  1. 808

    808 Nibble Poster

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    can anyone tell me where to buy or download motherboard circuit diagrams.we have them in work but i dont get access to that department.i ask becouse i would like to fix all my old electronics gear that i have fried over the last few years and learn how to do the repairs on a component level(ie with a soldering iron).any help would be appreciated.would this be covered by a college electronics course
     
    Certifications: none yet
    WIP: A+,N+
  2. tripwire45
    Honorary Member

    tripwire45 Zettabyte Poster

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    I've only been asked once in a job interview if I could do repairs at the component level. I said "no" and they guy dropped me like an angry rattlesnake. Can't help you with your answer, mate.
     
    Certifications: A+ and Network+
  3. EMacd

    EMacd Bit Poster

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    Hi 808,

    Your local college electronics course would cover basic soldering, like changing a resistor or capacitor (and how to tell what value they are, an art in itself).

    If you've got old knackered kit lying around then go get a soldering iron and experiment. Hands on is fun, but remember it's hot...

    The course may well cover some of the more complicated stuff like surface mount (pain in the proverbial) or possibly removing ball grid array chips for which you require a special soldering machine that would set you back at least 2 1/2 grand.

    I have never heard of a course that dealt with anything as complicated as a mobo. most colleges deal with double sided PCBs, mobos can have 10 or more layers. Plus a full circuit diagram for a mobo would be huge. Normally they're in block diagram form with smaller sections dealing with bits of the circuitry. The biggest circuit diagram I've seen was for a telephone converter that put 4 lines into one. The PCB was about 6x6 inches and the full diagram was on A1 paper.

    The other pain in the @ss is learning how to find which little soddin' component is the one that needs replaced. A quick rule of thumb is that it'll be the one in the most awkward position on the entire board. Or under something else.

    After reading through all that, I realise that it sounds a little negative.....it's not meant to be. A college course would provide the skills necessary to start learning, but its a mighty long road to anything like mobos

    Have a look at
    http://8bs.com/insides.htm
    if you scroll down to the bottom there are some circuit diags to download. It would give you an idea of the scale of an 8-bit system. Now, think about a 32 or 64-bit system...

    Don't let me put you off though, soldering can come in handy for quick repairs. I've soldered a cable back into a mouse before, after a friends kid pulled it out in a tantrum. Just remember to practice on older PCBs before trying to remove the chipset from your brand new mobo. :biggrin

    Cheers

    Euan
     
  4. 808

    808 Nibble Poster

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    thanks for the reply.
    at the moment i will leave it as i am up to my eyeballs in work and studying but maybe later this year i might start looking for a college course in this area.i honestly didnt think there would be that much to it as soldering looks fairly easy.
     
    Certifications: none yet
    WIP: A+,N+

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