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Tube❄️Time

looks like one or more MOSFETS in the big multiphase core regulator have failed in a short circuit. this is a very bad sign.

33 comments
George R. M. 🇩🇪🇺🇦 replied to Tube❄️Time

@tubetime I have, in the past, more than once, lazily used a 18650 cell to find the offending MOSFET, removed it, and kept on running the machine minus that phase.

Tube❄️Time replied to George R. M. 🇩🇪🇺🇦

@GeorgeRudolf strangely enough, the motherboard seems to work without the MOSFET. i'll still replace it though.

George R. M. 🇩🇪🇺🇦 replied to Tube❄️Time

@tubetime I used to live somewhere I didn't have the luxury of ordering from Mouser or DigiKey, so if my scrap pile didn't have it, it'd have to make-do on n-1 phases. But yeah. Make sure there's no gate drivers that could've gotten mangled...eh I'm preaching to the choir here :)

George R. M. 🇩🇪🇺🇦 replied to Tube❄️Time

@tubetime yeah normally it's source to drain, but I've seen gate driver/controller Ic failures before so thought it worth mentioning anyway.

Tube❄️Time replied to Tube❄️Time

bad FET. it looks fine but it's not. unfortunately this means that the CPU was exposed to 5V on a voltage rail meant for something much less. the output filter caps have a 4V rating.

Dustin replied to Tube❄️Time

@tubetime ouch. It's probably fine, right? 😭

Tube❄️Time replied to Tube❄️Time

I'd feel bad for the CPU but it's a Celeron D. lol.

Tube❄️Time replied to math

@humulus regular PCI to an interface card, and the card has a ribbon cable going to the backplane.

Matt replied to Tube❄️Time

@tubetime no tears please, it was better off this way.

Tube❄️Time replied to Tube❄️Time

so I pulled the MOSFET and tried to power it up, and it works!? I'll probably still find a replacement MOSFET to avoid excess stress on the other phases.

Krishean Draconis replied to Tube❄️Time

@tubetime did you need to swap the cpu, or did it survive the overvoltage?

Tube❄️Time replied to Tube❄️Time

i'm really hoping that a simple FET replacement will get this thing going reliably. the motherboard is technically off the shelf (Adlink M-880-Nitro) but people want lots of money for them.

Dantali0n :arch: :i3: replied to Tube❄️Time

@tubetime seems a wonder it didn't die with that mosfet but maybe CPUs have features against mosfet latch up or the pmic detects it and shuts off

Tube❄️Time replied to Tube❄️Time

the MOSFETs arrived. who knows if this will work...
but hope it does

Tube❄️Time replied to Tube❄️Time

well it boots but now the frame isn't detected. so there's something wrong with the PCI card, the cable, or the backplane itself.

Tube❄️Time replied to Tube❄️Time

BTW, this is why the CPU didn't fry--the multiphase buck controller (the ADP3168) has crowbar protection in case of a shorted high-side MOSFET!

OUTPUT CROWBAR

As part of the protection for the load and output components of the supply, the PWM outputs are driven low (turning on the low-side MOSFETs) when the output voltage exceeds the upper Power-Good threshold. This crowbar action stops once the output voltage has fallen below the release threshold of approximately 450 mV.

Turning on the low-side MOSFETs pulls down the output as the reverse current builds up in the inductors. If the output over- voltage is due to a short of the high-side MOSFET, this action current limits the input supply or blows its fuse, protecting the microprocessor from destruction.
Tube❄️Time replied to Tube❄️Time

so the sequence of events in this case went:
Buck MOSFET failed
Buck controller crowbarred
12V power supply went overcurrent and shut down
Sequencer CPLD detected that and shut everything else down.

Tube❄️Time replied to Tube❄️Time

it would be nice to have a second probe cable. this is the less common 60-pin cable, not the stubbier 50-pin one used on the 1650 series. they're super hard to find for some reason.

Tube❄️Time replied to Tube❄️Time

thinking about the failure a bit more. here's the precise cause with a nice diagram. a high-side MOSFET failed in a short circuit, which would put 12V on the sensitive CPU core rail. however, the controller chip detected the overvoltage and turned on all the low side FETs (circled in green).

Andy replied to Tube❄️Time

@tubetime Do you know whe there are only three high-side FETs but six on the low side?

Dantali0n :arch: :i3: replied to Tube❄️Time

@tubetime ah so the pmic did protect the CPU, as expected, nice to see that even in this era such protections where already in placw, can't even begin to imagine the complicity of a pmic powering a modern Intel or AMD CPU.

pcbeard replied to Tube❄️Time

@tubetime I was making popcorn. Great troubleshooting!

Jeff Haluska replied to Tube❄️Time

@tubetime Have you considered upgrading the CPU? Looks like there are a few that are compatible with the socket and wouldn't increase the TDP.

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