Batboard

Ok, so here's a new one.

My SmarRIB (waste of money purchase) has served me well as a RIB over the years until today.

I hooked it up to my astro spectra and for no reason at all it started emitting magic smoke from somewhere (I dont' think it was from under the shield on the board).

Long story short, the RIB no longer reads or writes to the radio, but it still powers on from both the radio and/or the wall-wart.

So.... what the hell happened here? What are common SmartRIB failed and how easily is it fixed... I'm leaning toward having to buy a new RIB, all that silly SMD crap is an annoyance.

-Josh

I never did like those RIBS !! Looks like something burnt out, without seeing it ????

Motorola used zener diodes on the data and busy lines in the RIB. They are famus for catching fire and emitting sm0ke! Then they short out and can be tested with an ohmmeter.

Will wrote:Motorola used zener diodes on the data and busy lines in the RIB. They are famus for catching fire and emitting sm0ke! Then they short out and can be tested with an ohmmeter.

Ooh, well maybe I can fix this one then.... I am going to go out on a limb and say they look like any of the tiny surface mount black things... any insight?

-Josh

Update

Upon opening the smartRib and doing an "up close and personal" look, there are two possibly zener diodes near the on/off rocker switch, near a component marked HC595A, a Moto IC of some sort. they have blisters up on top, possibly portals of magic smoke.

If these are the said diodes, what are the specs of these so I can buy a few from mouser or whatever?

-Josh

IF they are the protection diodes, they are about 7.5 V. The protect diodes are on the BUS- (pins 11 & 13) and the BUS+ (pins 15 & 24).

DJP126 wrote:IF they are the protection diodes, they are about 7.5 V. The protect diodes are on the BUS- (pins 11 & 13) and the BUS+ (pins 15 & 24).

Thinking about it more, I must have smoked something worse if the RIB LED comes on... aka "powered" when a the Spectra is connected to it. Wouldn't this indicate that power is still able to make it's way into the radio?

Finally, I won't be able to follow the traces on the circuit board from the 25 pin connection with it mounted. Does anyone have the service manual for this, assuming they ever made one and didn't assume that the owner should just replace the whole unit?

FWIW, the astro spectra RSS gives me the no ACK/nACKED or whatever error, which means that something is not making its way through the equation.

-Josh

Josh,

The Spectra and Astro Spectra programming cable provides switched 12 volts from the Spectra via pin 12 on the DB25 connector to the RIB that powers the RIB.