Disassembling the Circuit Board

Janessa D Cabrera and 4 other contributors

Last updated on January 25, 2016

20 - 30 minutes

Moderate

Introduction

This guide provides the steps necessary to disconnect the circuit board from the bottom plastic housing. It also goes over how to remove the heat sink and base tube in order to get to the auxiliary jack and power jack.

What you need

Tools

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Step 1 Cracking the Case

Disassembling the Circuit Board, Cracking the Case: step 1, image 1 of 1

Turn the device upside down so that the three rubber pads are facing up.

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Step 2

Use a heat gun (set to low) to apply heat to one of the rubber pads until you can easily remove the pad. This step takes around 5-7 minutes.

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Step 3

Remove the heated rubber pad with a plastic opening tool.
Repeat steps 2 and 3 for the two remaining rubber pads.

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Step 4

Remove the six 1cm T-10 torx screws on the bottom of the device (found under the rubber pads) using a T-10 Torx screwdriver.

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Step 5

Disassembling the Circuit Board: step 5, image 3 of 3

Open the device along its seam.
Be careful when separating the device because there are wires connecting the two seperate halves.

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Step 6

Disconnect the ribbon cable connector from the top half of the device by pulling outward and parallel to the connecting pins.

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Step 7

Locate and disconnect the two molex connectors found on either side of the ribbon cable connector on the bottom half of the device.

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Step 8 Circuit Board

Disassembling the Circuit Board, Circuit Board: step 8, image 1 of 2

Disassembling the Circuit Board, Circuit Board: step 8, image 2 of 2

Remove the three 1 cm T-10 Torx screws.

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Step 9

Carefully press out the white base tube and push up on the circuit board.
Note that there is a small wire connecting the circuit board to the base.

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Step 10

Pull the white wire out of the hot glue.

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Step 11

Disassembling the Circuit Board: step 11, image 3 of 3

Unbolt the heatsink with a 5.5-mm socket and a Phillips PH1 screwdriver.
Remove the heat sink; it should detach from the bottom of the device.

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Step 12

Disassembling the Circuit Board: step 12, image 3 of 3

Remove the T-10 torx screw on the bottom of the device that attaches the base tube to the circuit board.
Turn the device so that the base tube is on top.
Remove the base tube by pulling up.
May need to cut the rubber adhesive between the base tube to the circuit board.