VOGONS


First post, by stalk3r

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I received this card but it does not seem to POST. The card is in good shape, although I noticed that a component is apparently missing from near the VGA chip. There are tiny remnants of solder on it so I am pretty sure something was there.

RwxfsL5.jpg

I found a quality photo from a similar card on the internet which shows the missing piece. Any idea what kind of component is it? It has a brownish top, without any marking unfortunately.

EwwtdEr.jpg

Reply 1 of 4, by The Serpent Rider

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Typical ceramic capacitor. Most likely should work fine without one, so the problem is somewhere else.

I must be some kind of standard: the anonymous gangbanger of the 21st century.

Reply 2 of 4, by stalk3r

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The Serpent Rider wrote:

Typical ceramic capacitor. Most likely should work fine without one, so the problem is somewhere else.

if I follow the trace then it eventually goes back to another pin of the VGA chip, and now there is a break on the circuit, which I guess can cause troubles. I will try to have it replaced to see if it helps.

Reply 3 of 4, by SirNickity

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It's almost certainly a power supply bypass cap - which is just there to filter noise and provide readily available energy for transistors switching quickly inside the IC. The cap will sit between a V+ rail and Gnd.

The chip will still be connected to V+ without it. Notice the via -- the small hole -- on the trace before the cap? That's most likely connecting to a V+ plane on the back or inner layer of PCB. Without the cap, it just won't get the benefit of shorting noise to gnd and providing a low(er)-impedance source of energy at the start of a transition. It's good design practice and will help the chip to run stable and emit less EMI, but it's not going to be a show-stopper.

I.e., "most likely should work fine without one". 😀