VOGONS


First post, by belzrebuth

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I purchased a SB Pro2 a while ago and today that I got to test it I found out that the card has been damaged.

A trace near the IDE connector next to the resistor packs has been burned out (too much current maybe) and a jumper wire has been put in the back of the IDE connector as a failed repair attempt.

I removed the jumper wire and soldered a thin piece of copper wire on top of the burned trace but the card is still dead.(not recognised from Win95 ;as it's not even there)
I don't see any other signs of obvious damage but that only leaves me fearing the worst (ie burned ICs).
Here are some pictures of the card..

Is there any way to revive the card?
Maybe a jumper configuration?
I'm trying to use it on a socket5 motherboard with a 75mhz pentium.
Apparently I shouldnt have bought it in the first place but still..

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Reply 1 of 15, by kixs

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Did you use "Add new hardware" in Windows 95? Otherwise it won't find it as the card isn't Plug 'n' Play.

You can use AIDA16 software to detect PC configuration from DOS:
http://soft.softoogle.com/ap/aida16-download-1910.shtml

Requests are also possible... /msg kixs

Reply 2 of 15, by belzrebuth

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Thanks so much kixs!I totally forgot about that.
I just tried it and it found a "Soundblaster Pro"!
The PC asks for the Win95 disk and I've no idea where I've put mine.
I will report back when I install the drivers!

Reply 3 of 15, by belzrebuth

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I found the win95 disk and the guide finished without problems.

I played the windows login sound from Sounds at the Control Panel and it playbacks nicely.

Thing is,I didn't get asked for any additional drivers.Is this okay?

Should I install the Creative Drivers myself from Device Manager?
I have some floppies that the card came with..

Also,anyone have any idea how could this trace break could have happened?

Reply 4 of 15, by kanecvr

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looks like it was stored with other cards, stacked randomly and it's possible sharp bits from said cards could have repeatedly rubbed on the PCB damaging the trace.

Reply 5 of 15, by belzrebuth

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Hmm,I think something voltage/current related could've damaged that trace because of the copper discoloration and the slightly carbonised solder mask underneath.
Maybe you're right and by scratching this area weakened enough for a regular voltage to be able to destroy the remaining trace.

It's a rather fat trace so the offending voltage must've stayed there for too long or the amperage was too high.
I can't really tell how such a damage could occur.
Maybe by trying plugging an energized ide device ?

Or maybe an inside the case short of some kind ?Forgotten screw?Other card?
I don't know.
I resoldered the two pieces together and I can only hope for the best and that the card is okay and stays that way regardless of the exposed copper traces...
I haven't tested it fully but I intend to.

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Reply 6 of 15, by kixs

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Windows 95 already has the necessary drivers, so don't worry about it. If you can hear the sound, then it works 😁

As for the broken trace... It might be for CD connector. I wouldn't use it.

Requests are also possible... /msg kixs

Reply 7 of 15, by belzrebuth

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Yes I can hear sound so I'll just leave it alone.
I wouldn't bother with IDE interfaces on soundcards anyways.
Thanks again for your insight;I'd made a fool of myself if I phoned back the seller for what it turned out to be a user error.
(although he could've told me about that trace).

Reply 8 of 15, by James-F

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That's the main +5V bus from the ISA, it feeds practically each and every component on the card.
What could possible make this particular IC take so much current is unknown, but the card is definitely lucky to be still functional.

In an electrical short the heat builds up in the thinnest lead (or biggest resistance) and that's where the lead melts.
The traces on a PCB are quite uniform in thickness, so it makes me wonder why that particular area...
It could very well be that the card was shorted to ground in that particular +5V area, by a human mistake.

Last edited by James-F on 2017-01-10, 15:13. Edited 1 time in total.


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Reply 9 of 15, by belzrebuth

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If that's the main power line maybe I could try strengthening that trace with larger copper wire and more solder throughout to protect it from corroding further..
I don't have any epoxy solder coat at hand so plenty of flux and a dab of solder could effectively protect it.

If you look closely on the first picture there's some signs near the surrounding solder coat of the non-broken trace that could indicate water or excessive moisture damage.

I really don't know what happened there;yet the card is indeed lucky to be alive.

Reply 10 of 15, by James-F

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There is no need to thicken the lead because sound cards take practically no current, and the power amplifier on the SBPro is fed from the +12V line, not the +5v.
I'm almost sure it was a human mistake that generated that much current.
Like "screwdriver poking".... 😊 guilty as charged.

Last edited by James-F on 2017-01-10, 15:18. Edited 1 time in total.


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Reply 11 of 15, by Scali

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belzrebuth wrote:

I wouldn't bother with IDE interfaces on soundcards anyways.

It's not an IDE interface, it's a proprietary Panasonic/Matsushita interface.
Perhaps the damage is because someone tried to plug in an IDE drive?

http://scalibq.wordpress.com/just-keeping-it- … ro-programming/

Reply 12 of 15, by belzrebuth

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I was always careful near open PC cases ;I'd never stick a screwdriver or loose cables near components or cards while the pc is running so this kind of damage is really new to me..!

You can bet it was a human mistake;luckily the item worked this time but no more buying from local ads without asking for hi-res photos for me:)

Reply 13 of 15, by belzrebuth

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Scali wrote:
belzrebuth wrote:

I wouldn't bother with IDE interfaces on soundcards anyways.

It's not an IDE interface, it's a proprietary Panasonic/Matsushita interface.
Perhaps the damage is because someone tried to plug in an IDE drive?

Yes yes I know that it's not an IDE interface..even if it looks like one.

Maybe you're right and someone actually did just that but I really don't know or care anymore since the card is okay.

Reply 14 of 15, by peklop

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Scali wrote:

It's not an IDE interface, it's a proprietary Panasonic/Matsushita interface.
Perhaps the damage is because someone tried to plug in an IDE drive?

Same idea when i read first post.

Aren`t burned parts resistors similar to the SCSI terminators?

Reply 15 of 15, by Jepael

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peklop wrote:
Scali wrote:

It's not an IDE interface, it's a proprietary Panasonic/Matsushita interface.
Perhaps the damage is because someone tried to plug in an IDE drive?

Same idea when i read first post.

I don't think Panasonic/Matsushita interface has +5V supply, so it's impossible to burn the +5V trace by connecting anything to the CDROM connector. Most likely there was a momentary shortcut somewhere else, as that wire just delivers power from the ISA connector to top part of the sound card (perhaps through the big ferrite beads at the top that are quite exposed and easily hit by say person installing a hard drive) and the that part of the track happened to be the most resistive part so it heated up and acted as a fuse. By the looks of it, since there is not more signs of heat or charring, the track heated and burned up very fast (well, PSU can deliver easily 30 amps, even more as momentary surge..)

peklop wrote:

Aren`t burned parts resistors similar to the SCSI terminators?

The resistors are not burned, just the copper trace. And yes they are resistors, but not termination resistors that are matched to 100 ohm transmission line preventing signal reflections like on SCSI, but just some generic pull-up resistors around 4.7 kohms to keep the bus from floating at indeterminate voltages when neither end of the cable is driving it.