iPod Social Outreach Program

iPod repair log.

Model:
iPod nano 2GB

Initial Condition:
no activity
front and back quite scuffed

Action:
Reset iPod
– no activity

Boot to self diagnostic mode
– not booting

Boot to Disk Mode
– not booting

Connected to Mac
– iTunes doesn’t see iPod
– Disk Utility doesn’t see iPod

Opened nano.
Removed main circuit board.
A component on the main board has exploded.

Here is a close-up, you can see the remains of the component burnt into the back of the nano’s screen:

Compared board to image of working nano from this site.
– looks like there were two identical components sitting next to each other.
– from their shape I would guess they are capacitors.

Googled for iPod nano component list.
– this page gives a detailed breakdown of the nano’s components
– the damaged component is located on the top of the main PCB
– the component breakdown lists 39 capacitors on the top of the main PCB but only 3 pairs:
– two Tantalum Encapsulated – marked with a “Z” (they’re next to the ones I’m interested in)
– two Tantalum Conformal Coated made by Vishay Sprague – no markings, and
– two Ceramic Multilayer C0G/NPO – violet colour

The damaged capacitor must be a Tantalum Conformal Coated Capacitor, the breakdown list specifies this component as part number 572D

Searching the Vishay website for part 572D gives this data sheet (PDF)

Removed the remaining capacitor from the circuit board

Washed main circuit board in warm soapy water, scrubbed with tooth brush

Dried circuit board with a hair drier

Used calipers to measure the dimensions of the removed capacitor

– length 3.5mm, height 1mm, and width 2.7

These dimensions match part 572D with case code “T”
– the data sheet lists 4 capacitors with case code T:
– 220uF @ 4V
– 100uF @ 6.3V
– 100uF @ 10V
– 22uF @ 16V
– from a practical sense there are just 3 capacitor values: 220, 100, and 22uF

Purchased Tantalum capacitors with these values and soldered them to the board (although the 572D data sheet doesn’t mention polarity, the pointy end of the Tantalum Conformal Coated Capacitor is the positive terminal – on the nano this is positioned toward the top of the main board)
– first I tested these as identical pairs: 2 x 220uF, 2 x 100uF, and 2 x 22uF
– then I tested with mixed pairs in all possible combinations

Test results:
– when power is first applied to the nano the screen flashes briefly (I’m not sure if it was doing this before however it does this now even with both capacitors removed from the circuit)
– iPod is unresponsive
– Mac does not see iPod on USB bus

I’m reluctant to connect these components to a working nano incase they damage it in some way.

Connected screen assembly to known working nano
– screen displays all white with backlighting
– smudge like area at bottom left of screen (corresponds to where the capacitor exploded)
– screen not functional

Connected click-wheel to known working nano
– click- wheel functions normally

Report:
Blown capacitor on main circuit board. Replaced capacitor with similar values but no change to iPod’s condition.

iPod nano is not operational.

Notes:
My Basic Electronics book by Peter Phillips (published by the now defunct Electronics Australia) mentions that tantalum capacitors are prone to exploding if their polarity is reversed. Perhaps this nano was connected to a faulty charger?

Component Summary:

Memory

Battery (working condition unknown)

Logic Board (blown capacitor and probably other damage)

Screen (displays white, back of screen damaged by capacitor)

Click-wheel

Repairs ongoing.

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