adafruit industries

sky_83 · Post by **sky_83** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 10:23 am

is it common for the CHIP to be warm... warm as in able to comfortably touch the chip with bare hands...

and is it common for the inductor to get hot... very hot but not to the extend of seeing smoke and fire... ie, using bare hands to touch will feel uncomfortable. could it because i use a low power rating inductor? but the inductor specs indicate that it can hold up to a max of 1A.

?????

adafruit · Post by **adafruit** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 11:35 am

is the mintyboost working?

sky_83 · Post by **sky_83** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 11:12 am

ladyada wrote:is the mintyboost working?

yes... working fine!

adafruit · Post by **adafruit** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 12:29 pm

then its just that you are drawing a lot of power thru it. if its not plugged in or working and getting that hot, then there's a problem!

einnybug · Post by **einnybug** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 6:49 pm

I finished my MintyBoost today and all was well. i tested it with my trusty multimeter tested fine. i plugged in my iPod it said it was charging. i took the batteries out and put i all in the Altoids tin and put the batteries back in it got very hot. it wasn't too hot to touch but wasn't far from it i think if i had left the batteries in it would have been soon. Well, it didn't charge my iPod and also it got so hot that one of the springs in the battery holder is melted and stuck down into the battery holder.

adafruit · Post by **adafruit** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 6:58 pm

sounds like something shorted when you put it in the tin. does it work out of the tin?

sky_83 · Post by **sky_83** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 9:52 pm

ladyada wrote:then its just that you are drawing a lot of power thru it. if its not plugged in or working and getting that hot, then there's a problem!

so should i use a higher rating inductor?

adafruit · Post by **adafruit** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 9:56 pm

i have no idea. the only inductors i know work are the ones i indicate on the mintyboost page. anything else is, well, unknown.

einnybug · Post by **einnybug** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 11:15 am

ladyada wrote:sounds like something shorted when you put it in the tin. does it work out of the tin?

No, it doesn't. it did before i put it in the tin. I tested it with the multimeter after and it tested at about 3 instead of 5 like before

adafruit · Post by **adafruit** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 11:33 am

it sounds like maybe you fried the chip

you can try getting a replacement one from digikey or maxim-ic.com

einnybug · Post by **einnybug** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 11:42 am

ladyada wrote:it sounds like maybe you fried the chip you can try getting a replacement one from digikey or maxim-ic.com

Is it because it touched the tin?

you wouldn't happen to know the part number would you?

adafruit · Post by **adafruit** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 12:04 pm

yeah seems like it. you could post a well-lit picture and i'd look at it, maybe a part came loose. the part # is MAX756CPA you may be able to sample it for free from maxim

einnybug · Post by **einnybug** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 11:56 am

ladyada wrote:yeah seems like it. you could post a well-lit picture and i'd look at it, maybe a part came loose. the part # is MAX756CPA you may be able to sample it for free from maxim

how would i sample it?

where do you want me to put the pictures?

adafruit · Post by **adafruit** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 1:33 pm

if you're not sure how to sample it id just buy it from digikey
you can put the images on imageshack and post a URL here

einnybug · Post by **einnybug** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 10:06 am

ladyada wrote:if you're not sure how to sample it id just buy it from digikey
you can put the images on imageshack and post a URL here

i think i figured out the sampling thing. i will replace the chip and if that doesn't work i will go ahead and post the pics i just haven't had a chance to post them yet.
thank you for your help.

adafruit industries

heat problem...

heat problem...

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