PlayStation, Rework, Repair, PS3, GPU, CPU, Game Console, PCB, BGA, Station

PlayStation, Rework, Repair, GPU, CPU, Game, Console, PS3
PlayStation® PCB Rework, Repair System

All Zephyrtronics Equipment is Engineered and Manufactured in the United States of America.

PlayStation® Repair: Your Solutions for GPU, CPU, BGA, SMT & CSP Rework, Reflow, Repair & Reballing
PlayStation® Repair Made Easy
PLAYSTATION® REWORK & REPAIR STATION
Soldering, De-Soldering & ReBalling the GPU, CPU on the PlayStation® Console Boards

Understanding the GPU, CPU, Memory Chips and Ball Grid Arrays (BGA's):

Q: What are these chip packages that Microsoft® and Sony® call the GPU, the CPU, and the Memory Chips? And why do they look so different from other components?

A: These are electronic chips that are packaged in what are called Ball Grid Array formats (BGA's). They are a relatively new form of Surface Mount Devices (SMD) and are similar to other components in that they have an integrated circuit (die) within the package and that they have connections to be soldered. However, instead of leads at the side of the chip, the connections are balls underneath the chip (See Below):

XBox 360, BGA, GPU, CPU, Memory Chip

Above Left: Bottom Side of a QFP Surface Mount Chip with the leads at the side for soldering to the PCB.

Above Right: Bottom Side of a Ball Grid Array (BGA) Chip with solder spheres (balls) at the bottom for soldering to the PCB.

Many of the chips on the XBOX 360® and PlayStation® Printed Circuit Boards are packaged in the BGA format shown above including the GPU, CPU and Memory Chips. Indeed, most consumer electronic PCB's today incorporate more and more BGA style chips as they are more robust in construction and have faster gate speed for processing.

Once BGA's are placed and soldered to a PCB, you can no longer "see" the connections (balls). They are unde the chip and not visible to the eye.

Finally, the XBOX and PlayStation® PCB's chips have lead-free solder, not traditional solder that everyone is familiar with. Lead-free solder requires higher than traditional temps which makes preheating the PCB imperative.

Good News! Believe it or not, BGA's are surprisingly easy to remove and replace with the right gear and proper procedures. No wonder the ZT-7 has been the number one PCB rework system since 1998 while others have come, gone and obsoleted leaving their owners without spare parts and stuck with useless equipment.

Repairing the wildly popular Sony® PlayStation® printed circuit board (PCB) is now easier than ever with the ZT-7 Soldering Benchtop System. The ZT-7 System makes either 1.) just re-soldering chips; or 2.) de-soldering and removing a GPU, CPU or Memory Chips and then replacing and re-soldering them back to the PCB. The ZT-7 is affordable, has 15 years of proven performance, is made in the U.S. with a 2-year limited warranty.

Don't be fooled by IR systems that might repair the PCB temporarily, but can actually do more harm than good to the board and chips. You want complete reflow of the entire ball of solder (inside and outside) on every connection, and not what is called "tangential reflow" that will reopen when the board flexes, especially when the XBox® is being used again.

Video Comparisons & Demonstrations: 4 Methods of Preheating & Solder Reflow illustrates the advantages of forced convection and why it is the PCB industry standard worldwide.

PCB Fixtures Must Be Independent from both lower preheaters and from upper reflow heaters. If one is repairing a lot of PCB's, speed is important. Waiting for big PCB's (XBox 360) to preheat and later to cool down for a long time before moving on to another PCB wastes time, money and profit.

An Independent PCB Holding Fixture is simply essential for reworking PCB. Save time and money. Learn why: Video: The ABC's of PCB Holding Fixtures.By the way, the ZT-7 System is equally effective for repairing the XBox 360.

Below is a PlayStation® PCB populated with large GPU and CPU chips with metal tops and lead-free solder balls that require effective, forced convection (hot air) preheat to achieve proper soldering of all balls and pads under the chips.

Not Just for Game Consoles, the ZT-7 can be a moneymaker for repairing smartphones, tablets, laptops, plasma TV's, lab prototyping and rework/repair.

PlayStation, PCB, Printed Circuit Board, Repair, Rework
Image of PlayStation Console's Printed Circuit Board Ready for Rework & Repair

The Number One PCB Repair Station Since 1998

	One of the PlayStation® BGA's Shown Above		At left is one of the two large processors used on the PlayStation®. The high metal content on top of the chip makes it very difficult to remove, reball, replace and re-solder without damaging the chip. It is imperative that both the PCB and chip are carefully preheated first, preferably with hot air, so soldering is not made at excessively high temps. Preheat temps should never exceed 170°C. This is where IR systems fail.

Beware! Some "repair stations" have very ineffective upper heaters requiring the entire PCB be preheated underneath to over 200°C for over twenty minutes! Worse, the manufacturers of these "machines" advise users to cover chips with foil when using them. Are they crazy? This nonsense is prohibited by reputable PCB labs and repair companies.

PCB repair done on the cheap or with high temperatures will fail, if not immediately, not long afterwards. Semiconductors begin to degrade at 260°C and they degrade permanently.

Helpful Rework Guide: Good enough for NASA and easy enough for PlayStation® repair! Click for more details on the ZT-7 Hot Air Station. Each ZT-7 ships with a helpful, detailed owners manual plus a 39-page report by NASA with nearly 300 photographs filled with technical tips and techniques, and a step-by-step illustrated process guide.Easy to operate with digital closed-loop programmable (31 storable profiles) temperature control, digital countdown timing, bottom-side preheat and thermal ramping for high quality.

Used by NASA to place and solde high-reliability I.C.'s on the two successful Mars Rovers and Curiosity missions, the ZT-7 is used by Fortune 500 electronic campuses around the world since 1998.Why is this important? Because our so-called competitors have introduced machine after machine only to obsolete them and then re-introduce another machine leaving their poor customers without service or replacement parts! The ZT-7, on the market for 16 years has a 2-year limited warranty.

A Warning from NASA About IR Rework Systems: "Hot plates and infrared pre-heaters are not recommended...The reason that they should not be used is that the thermal reaction times, energy transfer rates and efficiency are never consistent."

For more specs, technical info and product details about our popular XBox® or PlayStation® hot air repair stations, click the full webpage for the ZT-7 Hot Air BGA & SMT PCB Center. Or call us at our Los Angeles factory Mon-Fri 8-6PM (Pacific) at (909) 865-2595 or e-mail david@zeph.com. Let us help.

ZT-7-PSR REWORK COMPREHENSIVE SYSTEM
Description		Item	Price
	The ZT-7-PSR System Comprehensive BGA & SMT Hot Air Bench Top Reflow System Includes: The ZT-7-MIL (shown above) and The ZT-1-BGS-DPU AirBath The ABC-1 Adjustable Board Cradle ZT-7-PSK Benchtop Supply Kit Includes the 42.5mm X 42.5mm BGA Nozzle for the GPU & CPU and Your Soldering & DeSoldering Supplies	ZT-7-MIL ZT-1-BGS-DPU ABC-1 ZLK-PS	~~$5,950~~ LIMITED TIME OFFER! $5,575
	The ZT-7-PSR-ZF System Comprehensive BGA & SMT Hot Air Bench Top Reflow System Includes: The ZT-7-MIL (shown above) and The ZT-1-BGS-DPU AirBath The ABC-XYZ Adjustable Board Cradle ZT-7-PSK Benchtop Supply Kit Includes the 42.5mm X 42.5mm BGA Nozzle for the GPU & CPU and Your Soldering & DeSoldering Supplies	ZT-7-MIL ZT-1-BGS-DPU ABC-1 ZLK-PS	~~$6,300~~ LIMITED TIME OFFER! $5,995
	PlayStation ZeroFlex™ Template Thick, Machined Metal Plate With Reciprocal Studs for PCB Holes Thick Metal Plate Prevents PC Board Flexing During Rework Openings Permit PCB Quicker & More Uniform Preheat From Below Works With ABC-XYZ Board Cradle (Note: ZeroFlex™ Template is Included In ZT-7-PSK Kit)	ZT-7-ZF-PS	$125




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