What could this SMD-component be?

[Michael Tibes]

I'm working on my Apogee AD16 / DA16 converters and there is a SMD component I can't identify - the brownish elements next to the 10uF/20 V caps:



I assume they are small caps, they are paralleled to the 10uF / 20V tantals. Would that be correct? I tried to unsolder and measure some, but I couldn't measure anything, neither resistance nor capacitance. Unless I killed them somehow by unsoldering them. Any insights? The units were built in the early 2000s.

Thanx,

Michael

 

[Khron]

Ceramic capacitors, aka MLCC (MultiLayer Ceramic Capacitors). Look like 0805 (imperial) footprint, likely 100nF / 25V (minimum).

 

[JohnRoberts]

+1 they look like capacitors

JR

 

[ccaudle]

Unless I killed them somehow by unsoldering them

They are easy to crack. Be gentle, use hot air if you have it.

 

[Michael Tibes]

Awesome, thank you guys

 

[Newmarket]

Re measuring. You may not be making good contact with the terminations. It can be surprisingly difficult esp if a conformal coating has been used or just flux etc. Use sharp probes and/or clean them up with solder wick. I speak from experience

 

[auddoc]

The pink and yellowish one are ceramic type non-polarized SM caps, the ones with the 4 digits on them, not sure (measurement with a DMM would tell in 2 seconds) the one with the 10/20 numbering is either an electrolytic cap or a tantalum style cap, the white bar being positive, probably. Usually tant caps appear to be dipped little blobs with leads and they have polarity indicated by a + sign. Most designers don't use tant caps anymore, because of their propensity to fail in dead short mode and even burn into little blobs of carbon. Seen that a million times over the years of pro-audio servicing.

 

[Khron]

The pink and yellowish one are ceramic type non-polarized SM caps

That's what the OP was asking, and that was already cleared up and confirmed several times above.

the ones with the 4 digits on them, not sure

Surface mount resistors.

the one with the 10/20 numbering is either an electrolytic cap or a tantalum style cap, the white bar being positive, probably

While that's true (and the stripe does indeed indicate the positive), the question of the OP did not concern those, so this (also) is arguably redundant.

Usually tant caps appear to be dipped little blobs with leads and they have polarity indicated by a + sign.

Yes, through-hole ones do indeed most often look that way, but these are surface-mount (hence the lack of legs).

 

[58Glammer]

Ceramic capacitors, aka MLCC (MultiLayer Ceramic Capacitors). Look like 0805 (imperial) footprint, likely 100nF / 25V (minimum).

Is there a color codex on these? As they have no numbers printed on them like the resistors.
I wonder that there are no indexnumbers on the pcb .. normally there is R1, C11 written beside the components..

 

[Newmarket]

Is there a color codex on these? As they have no numbers printed on them like the resistors.
I wonder that there are no indexnumbers on the pcb .. normally there is R1, C11 written beside the components..

With a tight layout, manufacture / inspection etc often relies on a "assembly drawing" indicating the PCB component placement.

 

[Khron]

Is there a color codex on these? As they have no numbers printed on them like the resistors.

No, there isn't. The colour may or may not give a hint towards what "kind" of ceramic compound they're made with (NPO/C0G is usually a light grey, almost slightly pink-ish), but that's about it. They're commodity items, and cheap as hell, so... it's a lot less relevant than resistors. But even those no longer have markings from 0402 (imperial) case size and under.

 

[auddoc]

That's what the OP was asking, and that was already cleared up and confirmed several times above.



Surface mount resistors.



While that's true (and the stripe does indeed indicate the positive), the question of the OP did not concern those, so this (also) is arguably redundant.



Yes, through-hole ones do indeed most often look that way, but these are surface-mount (hence the lack of legs).

Why did I respond to this in the first fucking place? To help the person asking the question(s), to share gathered experiences, I suppose....I have been servicing pro-audio stuff for over 50 years, not bragging, just stating facts....but why is everything here like a critique? It's seems fashionable in some weird way, everywhere on the internet techie sites. I'm outta here- no point contributing.

 

[58Glammer]

Why did I respond to this in the first fucking place? To help the person asking the question(s), to share gathered experiences, I suppose....I have been servicing pro-audio stuff for over 50 years, not bragging, just stating facts....but why is everything here like a critique? It's seems fashionable in some weird way, everywhere on the internet techie sites. I'm outta here- no point contributing.

You´re in the right place. Don´t be too sensitive . I´m around in some Face Book Groups as well. ... and I tell you.. much better here ;D... (Please people .. don´t get offended by this comparement ;D )

 

[Newmarket]

Why did I respond to this in the first fucking place? To help the person asking the question(s), to share gathered experiences, I suppose....I have been servicing pro-audio stuff for over 50 years, not bragging, just stating facts....but why is everything here like a critique? It's seems fashionable in some weird way, everywhere on the internet techie sites. I'm outta here- no point contributing.

Calm down "Maaaate" (One for the Stewart Lee fans there ). But seriously, this is one of the most friendly and sensible sites around. Obvs not perfect and sometimes people get impatient. But loads of knowledge, experience and goodwill and plain common sense. Stick around. It'll be fine.

 

[Michael Tibes]

Upsi, thanx everyone! Actually it were only those brownish caps which I wasn't totally sure about and this question had been answered They are so bloody small, I just wanted to reconfirm that I didn't drew the wrong conclusion an fooled myself in assuming that it had to be caps.

The 10uF caps should be tantals, at least I couldn't find lytics in that footprint. Yes, they do explode, but most of the time the 10R / 1R resistor in line with the power supply line burns and acts as a fuse.

Those black ones with numbers are resistors. It seemed obvious and quick measurements with DMMs had confirmed this already.

Cheers,
Michael

 

[Newmarket]

The 10uF caps should be tantals, at least I couldn't find lytics in that footprint. Yes, they do explode, but most of the time the 10R / 1R resistor in line with the power supply line burns and acts as a fuse.

Yes. They are tantalum capacitors. Be aware it's the +ve terminal that is marked. Unlike electrolytics.

 

[RoadrunnerOZ]

If it’s like similar Apogee products then there’d be a 100nF cap in parallel with the 10/20V tantalum. Never seen a schematic for Apogee converters but with a very careful application of Chipquik SMD low temp solder you can lift one and check its value - I mask off the surrounding components with fineline masking tape so the solder doesn’t splodge all over other components and use a very fine chisel tip iron, pre-tinning the ends of the component with leaded solder first - the Chipquik low temp solder applied next mixes with the existing solder and lowers the melt point keeping it liquid so you can remove the item with tweezers. The SMD kit comes with a tube of flux essential in getting the solder to flow.

 

[auddoc]

Calm down "Maaaate" (One for the Stewart Lee fans there ). But seriously, this is one of the most friendly and sensible sites around. Obvs not perfect and sometimes people get impatient. But loads of knowledge, experience and goodwill and plain common sense. Stick around. It'll be fine.

Thanks Maaate! You apparently know what I am directly referring to.....some sort of machismo, "I'm right and you're not....etc, etc. FB is full of that intolerable shyte or personality disorder/ micro-penis syndrome. Hahaha.

This should piss some folks here off..... I have a rather large collection of NOS, Curtis and SSM synth chips (I used to do warranty service for SCI, MOOG, Oberhiem, Voyetra, Yamaha, Roland, etc, etc) for sale, aprox 175 pieces in total...100US each, negotiable for the entire inventory. Actual parts list available to interested parties. The synth group on FB was expecting me to gift them to everyone and were highly offended at the asking price for chips which are original NOS, and unobtainium.

 

[Midnightsun]

If it’s like similar Apogee products then there’d be a 100nF cap in parallel with the 10/20V tantalum. Never seen a schematic for Apogee converters but with a very careful application of Chipquik SMD low temp solder you can lift one and check its value - I mask off the surrounding components with fineline masking tape so the solder doesn’t splodge all over other components and use a very fine chisel tip iron, pre-tinning the ends of the component with leaded solder first - the Chipquik low temp solder applied next mixes with the existing solder and lowers the melt point keeping it liquid so you can remove the item with tweezers. The SMD kit comes with a tube of flux essential in getting the solder to flow.

What I've noticed that the PCB traces from the Apogee AD/DA 16 [X] series are lifting off very quickly, way quicker than on any other PCB I have worked on.

 

[RoadrunnerOZ]

What I've noticed that the PCB traces from the Apogee AD/DA 16 [X] series are lifting off very quickly, way quicker than on any other PCB I have worked on.

Yeah the bond to the board is not good - can’t handle a lot of heat, resulting in needing to be really quick with the desolder and dropping the temperature of the iron - also being sure the component is truly sliding free before lift-off.