One of my students’ GoPiGo’s started smoking while idle. His group was logged into the bot via SSH. They had a Python console open. They may have attempted to run a loop that had a volt() command in it, but that doesn’t seem like a likely source of the problem. Can I get a replacement MCU?
I also need to order replacement plastic shell for both the robot and the servo. My student freaked out and both were cracked in the panic.
Thanks,
Dan
Hey Dan, sorry to hear about the loss here. Was it being powered by batteries when it was running? Does the Pi still work?
There are two ways to handle this. First, it looks like the SN motor chip was the only thing burned out during the process. If you remove the motors, and fire up the GoPiGo and Pi, does it still respond to LED commands? If it still responds to LED commands, you might just try to replace that IC. You can find one here: http://www.mouser.com/Search/ProductDetail.aspx?R=SN754410NEvirtualkey59500000virtualkey595-SN754410NE or you can find it on Amazon as well:
Second option is to contact us here: http://dexterindustries.com/contact
Amber might be able to ship you a replacement. We’re working on stocking both replacement boards and replacement acrylic right now.
I’m going to have to jump on this one too.
I hooked up the power backwards on a custom power harness and smoked the board (Maybe add diode protection on future boards?).
The motor driver is definitely toast, big hole in it. When I connect power and turn it on I get no LEDs. I also only get 1.2-ish volts off the power regulator. So I’m going to replace the power regulator and the motor driver.
BTW, do you guys have a good way to remove the power regulator? It’s glued on and I ended up just ripping it right off the board, including the bare metal it was glued to. Solder pads are still in good shape though.
John, any idea what the chances are that the other chips on the board are fried as well? No signs of damage. No caps blown.
I’ve already sent an email about ordering just a replacement board.
I hooked up the power backwards on a custom power harness and smoked the board (Maybe add diode protection on future boards?).We don't have plans yet, but if folks keep hooking up power backwards, we might have to look at it. This is an important detail in the support though, that power was hooked up backwards. Is csherstan related to Dan Adiletta, or are you two working on different projects?
The motor driver is definitely toast, big hole in it. When I connect power and turn it on I get no LEDs. I also only get 1.2-ish volts off the power regulator. So I’m going to replace the power regulator and the motor driver.
A hole in an IC usually indicates it’s damaged. And yep, the power regulator isn’t designed to take power backwards, so it’s probably toasted as well.
BTW, do you guys have a good way to remove the power regulator? It’s glued on and I ended up just ripping it right off the board, including the bare metal it was glued to. Solder pads are still in good shape though.It's actually surface mounted, not glued. So the best way to get that off is to use a hot air rework gun. It's nearly impossible to do with a single soldering iron because it has so many soldering point.s
John, any idea what the chances are that the other chips on the board are fried as well? No signs of damage. No caps blown.Hard to guess on this one. Most everything is protected by the 5V regulator, so it's worth a shot.
I’ve already sent an email about ordering just a replacement board.
Got you. Have you had any response back? Our team has been busy lately.
Sorry to confuse the issue, no I’m not associated with Dan.
I think I have an older version of the board. My power regulator is throughhole. Are you still meaning that the back of the regulator is soldered though?
The rest of the board checks out, just need to replace power regulator and motor driver.
I did get a response back last night and was told that I’d either have to wait several months or purchase a whole new kit 
Oh well, off to digikey.
Yeah, this left me really confused . . . it sounds like you made a custom power supply, wired it in backwards, and destroyed the board. But Dan is a different classroom with a different experience. This definitely makes offering support much more confusing!
I think I have an older version of the board. My power regulator is throughhole. Are you still meaning that the back of the regulator is soldered though?Yes, we had a throughole version that's older. Still has the power / heat dissapation soldered using a hot air rework tool. I wouldn't recommend pulling it off any other way.
Yes, we’ll be offering single boards soon, but we’re still putting that together. Sorry!
Dan, that’s a fantastic video! We shared it around, thanks for sharing! It’s very creative.
John