Manncorp Releases XBox Rework Solution

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SAN DIEGO, Calif. and WILLOW GROVE, Pa. Manncorp, in conjunction with rework specialist Bernhard Martin, released its study on "Red Ring of Death" failures in Microsoft XBox systems, along with a rework proposal for repairs on the gaming console's motherboards. Manncorp determined that insufficient lead-free reflow parameters led to cold solder joints on chip-scales packages (CSPs) and BGAs in the consoles' CPUs and graphical processing units (GPUs). It proposes reflowing these components in place, without removal and reballing, in a 200-sec. procedure on its Manncorp Expert 04.6× gaming console repair station.

Bernhard Martin, who provided rework consulting for other substantial consumer product field failures, suggests that individually reheating improperly soldered devices with controlled above- and below-board heat will satisfy rework requirements for operability, repair time, and longer-term reliability. Manncorp and Martin suggest that 11 BGA and CSP devices on the motherboard show incompletely reflowed solder joints under microscopic X-ray inspection. The defects increased toward the PCB center, with plastic BGAs that hosted additional integrated components mounted atop the main devices. This design, according to Manncorp and Martin, prevented sufficient reflow, leading to cold solder joints with poor grain structure. Evidence of incomplete reflow, caused by design or lead-free parameters, also was seen in diameter variations between reflowed solder spheres. The Manncorp solution proposes controlled, localized reflow soldering in place, without damage to neighboring components, board warpage, or thermal stresses. The resulting rework station is customized for electronics repair locations performing "Red Ring of Death" repairs on Microsoft XBoxes and authorized Microsoft refurbishment centers.

The rework system incorporates a 350- × 280-mm Smart Fix 06 table with an infrared (IR) underheater to uniformly heat the underside of an XBox motherboard. The IR heater delivers up to 2,400 W to rapidly attain 130°160°C lead-free reflow temperatures without exceeding 4°C ramp rate. Magnetic board supports allow rework of the four CSP devices on the motherboard's bottom side. Hot Air 05 control units include thermal profiles developed for the BGA and CSP components on the Microsoft assembly, created based on actual rework tests on XBox components. A measurement module uses two K-type thermocouple sensors for input. The rework stations are equipped with a 35- × 35-mm BGA nozzle and 16- × 16-mm CSP nozzle for resoldering the affected components that contribute to the "Red Ring of Death" hardware failure. The repair system will include SolderStar software's full reporting option as standard to increase traceability. Should components require removal and reballing, available upgrades include a reballing tool for the hot-air soldering heads, vacuum wand, and auto vision placement (AVP) accessory. For complete information on the failure analysis study and rework solution, contact Manncorp.