PS3 (Research/Experimental) - NEC/TOKIN Capacitors Replacement - YLOD

Hey @RIP-Felix Wanted to let you know that i've gotten around to using your previous revision of the tantalizer and it's quite beautiful. I'll try out the new revision when I run out of these.

And for the record, the system pictured was sent to me purely for preventive maintenance, not repair.
 

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Hey @RIP-Felix Wanted to let you know that i've gotten around to using your previous revision of the tantalizer and it's quite beautiful. I'll try out the new revision when I run out of these.

And for the record, the system pictured was sent to me purely for preventive maintenance, not repair.
I have mixed feelings about this.

On the one hand, I'm proud to see them in the wild. That's some fine soldering my man! On the other, I question the merits of removing a superior capacitor in favor of an experimental alternative. Even if it is in the name of "preventative maintenence" I align with the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" faction!

I guess the customer is always right. I mean, it's their property. That said, these should work well and last. At least, I hope so!
 
I have mixed feelings about this.

On the one hand, I'm proud to see them in the wild. That's some fine soldering my man! On the other, I question the merits of removing a superior capacitor in favor of an experimental alternative. Even if it is in the name of "preventative maintenence" I align with the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" faction!

I guess the customer is always right. I mean, it's their property. That said, these should work well and last. At least, I hope so!

If this were my console id 100% leave those capacitors alone, but i figured if people have the intention to get them replaced anyway then might as give them the option to get it done safely. Also anyone who's read my listing's description should know that the RSX is what is usually at fault behind the YLOD, not these capacitors. I've seen some horrendous attempts at replacing these capacitors by others which turned a non issue into a micro soldering session. (See pic)

With that said, if there are any issues with any of the components i installed i'll always take responsibility for it and help out the customer. Also if it makes you feel any better i had ordered these tantalizers months ago and began trying them out around September. So far no issues, but if i do experience any you'll definitely hear back from me (not that'd be your fault ofcourse, i am the one who installed them).
 

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Here's a follow up from the damage found in my previous post. For anyone curious, i did not manually solder these components with an iron. I used a hot air station with amtech solder paste that i ordered from Louis Rossmann's site. Definitely made the job easier, but still requires very good eyes and a steady hand if you don't have a microscope.
 

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If this were my console id 100% leave those capacitors alone, but i figured if people have the intention to get them replaced anyway then might as give them the option to get it done safely. Also anyone who's read my listing's description should know that the RSX is what is usually at fault behind the YLOD, not these capacitors. I've seen some horrendous attempts at replacing these capacitors by others which turned a non issue into a micro soldering session. (See pic)

With that said, if there are any issues with any of the components i installed i'll always take responsibility for it and help out the customer. Also if it makes you feel any better i had ordered these tantalizers months ago and began trying them out around September. So far no issues, but if i do experience any you'll definitely hear back from me (not that'd be your fault ofcourse, i am the one who installed them).
You don't happen to have an oscilloscope do you?

I am curious to see the voltage ripple/noise before working tokens are replaced, and after tantalizers are installed. I only have data from PS3#7 and am not willing to sacrifice a working PS3 just for this data. But since you have customers who are willing, I'd be curious to see just how well they work in the real world, not just simulation.
 
Yes, that's the current thinking. At least, we havent found anything else that causes it yet. I just dont want to say its 100% the tokins, but it probably is.

EDIT:
I have a 3rd console with:

A0801002 - RSX VRAM POWER FAIL

Would that indicate faulty NEC/Tokins on the RSX?
If you wouldn't mind testing something for us. I would like to rule out the VRAM filter, which the error PDF suggests is the issue. AFAIK, no one has tried soldering a low ESR/ESL TaPol cap to FBVDDQ (which is the voltage for VRAM).

Seems stupid that no one has tried doing what the official SONY PDF says to do, but we only started finding confirmed 1002 consoles using the SYSCON reciently. So if anyone tried this we wouldn't have known the error was a 1002. They may have tried it on a console that needed a reball (probably) and assumed it doesn't work. Everyone was so fixated on the nec/tokins, we may have missed this. And 1002 consoles are pretty rare. We've been seeing a few lately, but that's unusual.

The pic below is for a COK-001, not sure what model yours is.
COK-001 PWR FlowChart.jpg
 
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Yes, that's the current thinking. At least, we havent found anything else that causes it yet. I just dont want to say its 100% the tokins, but it probably is.

EDIT:

If you wouldn't mind testing something for us. I would like to rule out the VRAM filter, which the error PDF suggests is the issue. AFAIK, no one has tried soldering a low ESR/ESL TaPol cap to FBVDDQ (which is the voltage for VRAM).
View attachment 35307

Mine is a COK-002.

4oAn4iz.jpg


OxDV64s.jpg


That part looks the same. So what would I need to install? Another 470 either side of the current one or something different?
 
yeah, another one right beside it should be plenty. Take one from a donor board or one of the low ESR caps you would otherwise use to replace tokins. Thats next if this doent work, so just get a couple extra. You can leave it afterwards, it wont hurt. At worst it does nothing.
 
Installation of Tantalizer 0.3b on CECHB with Panasonic 2R5TPE470M7 capacitors. This replaces the high ESR and too tall capacitors I originally installed. The same CECHB that came back alive back in June, finally YLOD'd once again after sitting idle (and unplugged) for a couple of months. The next step is sending this out to @vyktormvmpay25 for a 40nm RSX swap on his BGA rework station, and a Frankenstein IC modchip.

IMG-7172.jpg
 
Hello everyone
Thanks for this thread.
I was looking to try reviving some original YLOD PS3, so I bought 2 CECHC04, faulty, with the Red Light of Death symptom : the console boot, green led, then yellow led, then red led and 3 beep and blink forever. :apathy:
So, I gave a shot on the tokin replacement on the first sample. :confused3:
So far, it seeam that I have no luck, the problem is still there, I tried with 1 tokin on the right side, then 1 on the left side, then both on the right side and the problem is still there :apologetic:
Should I replace more tokin or purchase a serial port and do the diagnostics ? :apthy:
Thanks for your suggestion :applouse:
 
Installation of Tantalizer 0.3b on CECHB with Panasonic 2R5TPE470M7 capacitors. This replaces the high ESR and too tall capacitors I originally installed. The same CECHB that came back alive back in June, finally YLOD'd once again after sitting idle (and unplugged) for a couple of months. The next step is sending this out to @vyktormvmpay25 for a 40nm RSX swap on his BGA rework station, and a Frankenstein IC modchip.

View attachment 35313
Is the console you had the YLOD return the same console in the picture with the tantalizers? Or do you mean a different console?
 
Is the console you had the YLOD return the same console in the picture with the tantalizers? Or do you mean a different console?
It is the same CECHB, it finally YLOD again, so I used that as an opportunity to open it up and replace the high ESR capacitors before it goes out for 40nm RSX swap.
 
Hello everyone
Thanks for this thread.
I was looking to try reviving some original YLOD PS3, so I bought 2 CECHC04, faulty, with the Red Light of Death symptom : the console boot, green led, then yellow led, then red led and 3 beep and blink forever. :apathy:
So, I gave a shot on the tokin replacement on the first sample. :confused3:
So far, it seeam that I have no luck, the problem is still there, I tried with 1 tokin on the right side, then 1 on the left side, then both on the right side and the problem is still there :apologetic:
Should I replace more tokin or purchase a serial port and do the diagnostics ? :apthy:
Thanks for your suggestion :applouse:
Yes, what you describe is a YLOD. Unless it's obviously overheating, you should always start with the syscon diagnostic.

No sense continuing with the tokin removal/replacment until you know if it's worth persuing. If you have a 3034, then you have wasted your time damaging what ain't broke. It needs a reball. If you have 1002's then keep going (low ESR/ESL caps only).
 
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