DiSEqC under water

[mark_calgary]

Mark,
Thanks.
I was thinking that the brown components (Caps) were glass diodes with black cathode markings on the ends. I thought the black components (diodes - I assume) were surface mount resistors. This is pretty cool. I think that a new type of forum could be started where a circuit is identified and diagnosed from a picture!
Thanks for the clarification. Thanks for explaining the 22 KHZ tone too. I can see that now.

It looks like your first thought was correct and mine was not. What I called caps look like cylindrical diodes possibly Zeners?? . I still think that given the topology the six small black components are pin diodes.

With this excellent picture one could easily reverse engineer it even without seeing the other side of the circuit board.

 

[Mr Tony]

With this excellent picture one could easily reverse engineer it even without seeing the other side of the circuit board.

would you like me to turn the board over and take a picture of it? (it wont be until tonight)

 

[123tim]

It looks like your first thought was correct and mine was not.

Mark,

Every other thought that I had was wrong and your's were right. You obviously know a lot more than I do, and I appreciate your help. I really miss working with this sort of thing.
Thank you.

I also appreciate all of the links to information that people have supplied to this thread. I have a sloooow connection speed, and it takes me forever to find anything anymore. Links are a great help. I'm certain that there are others who appreciate it too. It kills me - My friends 5 miles away can get DSL cheaper than my dial up connection. I can't get it.

Iceberg,
Thanks for the pictures!
Currently, I change my cables by hand...I was holding off on getting a switch because I thought that they used mechanical relays. I can't wait to order one now.
I never cease to be amazed at the people on this forum and the help and knowledge that I get from them. I don't think that I've ever seen anything that comes close.

I'd hate to have you tear apart your switch anymore It might be mostly ground plane on the other side.

I certainly know a lot more about DiSEqC switches than I did two days ago!

Here's a link that I thought was helpful:
http://www.freescale.com/files/microcontrollers/doc/app_note/AN2677.pdf

Edit- I hope that I haven't hyjacked this thread, and that fulszjep got the answers that he needed.

 

[Mr Tony]

I'd hate to have you tear apart your switch anymore It might be mostly ground plane on the other side

one of the ports is blown so it was a "last resort" switch...I have probably 5 or 6 of them laying around

So this one will be our guinnea pig

 

[mark_calgary]

would you like me to turn the board over and take a picture of it? (it wont be until tonight)

Not necessary for me. Thanks for the offer though. As a hardware designer it was very interesting to see the basic design of the device.

 

[mark_calgary]

Mark,

Here's a link that I thought was helpful:
http://www.freescale.com/files/microcontrollers/doc/app_note/AN2677.pdf

Great Link!


It turns out that the one IC in the middle is an 8 bit microcontroller likely of Chinese origin. (Can only get web search hits on it in Chinese)

 

[snathanb]

I always coat everythink in dielectric grease.... even under water should be fine... just a couple of bucks at the auto parts store.

 

[PSB]

Same here! Dielectric grease ROCKS

I have NEVER had a problem with ANY connection after using it! EVER!

 

[Mr Tony]

I cant get the board out. Its soldered to the backside. If I try harder, it will break