Help needed with zero DAC problem

hihopes · 10th August 2010, 08:24 PM

I got a shock from another piece of equipment while touching the chassis of my zero DAC and now it doesn’t give any output. (Signal gnd is tied to chassis gnd). All the led’s on the pcb light up normally, including the led that shows the presence of a digital signal. I have tried using spdif and optical inputs and I have tried pushing the reset button, but no luck. The regulators are all working and giving correct voltages. Anyone have any bright ideas what may be wrong? Could it be some kind of reset that is required, or is it more likely to be a blown IC (or two).

Bill Fuss · 12th August 2010, 01:00 PM

Sounds like a writeoff unless you have a scope. Send it back if you can. Grounding the signal to the chassis is just not done any more, WUWTS? (What's up with that s--t)

hihopes · 12th August 2010, 09:41 PM

Thanks Bill. Out of guarantee. Been a good unit til I stuffed it up. Is it not worthwhile replacing the DAC chip?

Bill Fuss · 12th August 2010, 10:38 PM

That's a tough call unless you can be sure that is the problem. It could be the receiver chip or some other thing. If you're up to it, replace them both if you need to, they're not very expensive. The fact that you got a shock from it is troubling though.

hihopes · 15th August 2010, 06:53 PM

I didn't get a shock from it, I transmitted a shock to it from another piece of faulty equipment. I will get someone else to do the actual replacing of chips, as I am not up to working with suface mount chips myself. Are there any other chips that might be damaged (besides the output opamp, which is not being used)

Bill Fuss · 15th August 2010, 07:36 PM

If this unit has auto switching for the inputs it will have some kind of microcontroller chip in it too. Have you checked the opamp outputs to see if they are working? I'm assuming you have been using the headamp output.

hihopes · 16th August 2010, 12:58 PM

As this unit has the capability of balanced output, I have 2 sets of (unbalanced) analogue outputs - 1 direct and 1 via opamp. Neither is working. I was concerned that maybe there may be some other ic's damaged, eg clock, oscillator, filter etc.

10th August 2010, 08:24 PM	#1
hihopes diyAudio Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Cape Town	Help needed with zero DAC problem I got a shock from another piece of equipment while touching the chassis of my zero DAC and now it doesn’t give any output. (Signal gnd is tied to chassis gnd). All the led’s on the pcb light up normally, including the led that shows the presence of a digital signal. I have tried using spdif and optical inputs and I have tried pushing the reset button, but no luck. The regulators are all working and giving correct voltages. Anyone have any bright ideas what may be wrong? Could it be some kind of reset that is required, or is it more likely to be a blown IC (or two).

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12th August 2010, 01:00 PM	#2
Bill Fuss RIP Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Central Florida	Sounds like a writeoff unless you have a scope. Send it back if you can. Grounding the signal to the chassis is just not done any more, WUWTS? (What's up with that s--t)

12th August 2010, 09:41 PM	#3
hihopes diyAudio Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Cape Town	Thanks Bill. Out of guarantee. Been a good unit til I stuffed it up. Is it not worthwhile replacing the DAC chip?

12th August 2010, 10:38 PM	#4
Bill Fuss RIP Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Central Florida	That's a tough call unless you can be sure that is the problem. It could be the receiver chip or some other thing. If you're up to it, replace them both if you need to, they're not very expensive. The fact that you got a shock from it is troubling though.

15th August 2010, 06:53 PM	#5
hihopes diyAudio Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Cape Town	I didn't get a shock from it, I transmitted a shock to it from another piece of faulty equipment. I will get someone else to do the actual replacing of chips, as I am not up to working with suface mount chips myself. Are there any other chips that might be damaged (besides the output opamp, which is not being used)

15th August 2010, 07:36 PM	#6
Bill Fuss RIP Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Central Florida	If this unit has auto switching for the inputs it will have some kind of microcontroller chip in it too. Have you checked the opamp outputs to see if they are working? I'm assuming you have been using the headamp output.

16th August 2010, 12:58 PM	#7
hihopes diyAudio Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Cape Town	As this unit has the capability of balanced output, I have 2 sets of (unbalanced) analogue outputs - 1 direct and 1 via opamp. Neither is working. I was concerned that maybe there may be some other ic's damaged, eg clock, oscillator, filter etc.