nightrnr wrote:I don't know, PS1 systems are common enough I would cringe too much of someone just cut the traces (but not recommending that at all).
I know I would do more damage trying to remove the whole chip though.
Lifting the pin on my Neo Geo CD SD Loader install was pretty simple.
Eventually, I do need to learn that skill of chip removal (I've watched videos and I lack the tools, setup, luck, and sorcery to master it). But how else am I going to transplant my Dragons Revenge (Genesis) into my Menacer PCB (the only way to save that cart)?
I had thought about cutting the traces, but that might be harder. I haven't looked at it yet, but it depends on how the traces are laid out. If there are traces next to neighboring pins, it will be extremely hard to cut just the trace you want without damaging neighboring traces. Although IIRC, there are like 4 pins in a row that you have to lift. I suppose if the traces are all bunched up at the pins, you don't have to cut them there, you could follow them back and cut them at an easier location. But now we're talking about replacing doing something annoying with doing something else that's annoying.
It depends on the specifics, but I feel like I would cringe less at someone cutting traces than lifting pins. Those pins are so incredibly fragile and it is so easy to break one. And if you do break a pin, it is reparable, but the repair isn't easy. You can grind away the IC housing to reveal the pins inside and attach wires to them, but it's such a delicate procedure (example). I get that the thinking is that this mod is reversible with lifting the pins, because if you uninstall the ODE you can just solder the pins back down to the pads. But if you cut the traces, you can just solder bodge wires to replace those traces, so it's still reversible that way.
edit: Wrong video. The above linked video repairs broken pins, but there was enough of the pin still sticking out of the package to solder to. There are other videos on YouTube though of grinding down the housing to reveal the bonding wires inside, then soldering onto them.
I've done a few mods where I had to lift pins on similar packages. I did a few successfully, but I once broke a pin from lifting it. Lifting it isn't so bad, but once you solder a wire to it now you have some weight on it and leverage to move it around. I didn't break the pin from lifting it, it broke after I soldered the wire. And I was being as careful as I could, this pin was just especially fragile. I was able to grind into the housing to expose the pin inside, which wasn't a fun task at all. After that experience, I now cringe at lifting pins.
A few bodge wires really doesn't bother me. Sometimes cutting traces could be annoying though, especially if the board has multiple layers. I have a PAL SNES that I converted into NTSC, but the multi AV output still has 12v on the pin that should have CSync. I resolved that the easiest way to change that pin was to cut the trace to it, but that trace isn't visible on the outside layers. Very annoying.
As for removing the package, it can be easy. I actually don't (yet) have a hot air station. But there's something called ChipQuik that's very easy to use. Basically, you flux the pins and flood them with this alloy, which mixes with the solder that's already on there. The alloy has a much lower molting point, and stays molting for a decent amount of time. So when you flood the pins with this stuff you can get it molting long enough to get the chip off the board. It then cleans off as easy as solder. In fact, I always collect it back into a pile and then reuse it. So one package of this stuff can last a while. Here a demonstration of it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kyaz4Zrd78
I guess I'll open the PS1 and take a look at it, then decide how I want to do it.
