SS2 COMPUTER HARDWARE AND GSM REPAIRS
SECOND TERM LESSON NOTES
SCHEME OF WORK
WEEK 1: REVIEW OF GSM HARDWARE
WEEK 2: GSM POWER SECTION
WEEK 3: GSM AUDIO SECTION
WEEK 4: GSM DISPLAY SECTION
WEEK 5: GSM DISPLAY SECTION
WEEK 6: GSM NETWORK SECTION
WEEK 7: GSM NETWORK SECTION
WEEK 8: SOFTWARE FLASHING
WEEK 9: UNLOCKING GSM DEVICES
WEEK 10: DATA RECOVERY TECHNIQUES
WEEK 11: REVISION
WEEK 12: EXAMINATION
WEEK 1: REVIEW OF GSM HARDWARE
1.1 INTRODUCTION
Welcome to the Second Term. Having mastered advanced PC hardware, we now dive deep
into the world of GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) repair. This is a
high-demand, high-skill field.
1.2 RECAP OF SS1 GSM FAULTS (SYMPTOM-LEVEL)
In SS1, we identified basic, "user-level" faults. These are the symptoms that the client reports.
● Physical Damage: Cracked screen, broken back glass, damaged charging port.
● Power Issues: "Phone is dead," "Battery drains too fast," "Phone won't charge."
● Audio Issues: "I can't hear them," "They can't hear me," "Loudspeaker not working."
● Software Issues: "Phone is stuck on logo (boot loop)," "Phone is slow," "I forgot
my password."
● Connectivity Issues: "No network," "Wi-Fi won't turn on."
1.3 THE SS2 GOAL: ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS
This term, we move beyond the symptom to find the root cause at the circuit board level.
● Example 1:
o Symptom: "Phone won't charge."
o SS1 Diagnosis: The charging port is dirty or broken. The battery is bad.
o SS2 Diagnosis: The charging port is fine, but the Charging IC on the
motherboard has failed. Or, a capacitor on the VBUS line is shorted to
ground.
● Example 2:
o Symptom: "No Network."
o SS1 Diagnosis: The SIM card is bad. The phone is in airplane mode.
o SS2 Diagnosis: The antenna coaxial cable was damaged during a
screen replacement, or the RF (Radio Frequency) IC has a cold solder
joint.
● Example 3:
o Symptom: "Phone is dead."
o SS1 Diagnosis: The battery is dead.
o SS2 Diagnosis: The PMIC (Power Management IC) is shorted, and the
phone is drawing 1A on the DC power supply, but not booting.
This term, we learn to use advanced tools (multimeter, hot air, DC supply, software boxes) to
diagnose and fix these board-level faults.
WEEK 2: GSM POWER SECTION
1.1 INTRODUCTION
The "Power Section" is the most critical part of the phone. It's the "heart and circulatory
system" that manages all power, from the charger to the battery and to every other
component. A fault here means a dead phone.
1.2 THE PATH OF POWER (SIMPLIFIED)
1. Charger -> Charging Port -> (This is the 5V-12V from your charger, called VBUS)
2. -> Over-Voltage Protection (OVP) IC ->
3. -> Charging IC ->
4. -> Battery Connector (VBATT) ->
5. -> Battery ->
6. -> PMIC (Power Management IC) ->
7. -> All other ICs (CPU, Screen, etc.)
1.3 KEY COMPONENTS OF THE POWER SECTION
1.BATTERY CONNECTOR
● What it is: The physical socket on the motherboard where the battery flex cable plugs in.
● How to Test:
o Voltage Test (Battery IN): Set DMM to DC Volts. Place probes on the
connector's positive (VBATT) and negative (GND) terminals. You should read
the battery's voltage (e.g., 3.7V - 4.2V).
o Continuity Test (Battery OUT): Set DMM to Continuity. Check that the GND
pin beeps to ground. Check that the VBATT pin does not beep to ground (if it
does, you have a dead short).
● Common Faults:
o Corrosion: Green/white powder from liquid damage. Must be cleaned (with
Isopropyl Alcohol).
o Cold Solder Joint: The pins are "cracked" from the board due to impact.
Needs to be re-soldered.
2.CHARGING IC (OR OVP IC)
● What it is: A chip that manages the charging of the battery. It takes the 5V+
(VBUS) from the charger and "steps it down" to safely charge the battery.
● Common Faults & Symptoms:
o "Fake Charging": The phone shows the charging animation, but the
battery percentage never goes up (or goes down).
o No Charging: The phone doesn't detect a charger at all.
o "Charging Slowly": The IC is not "fast charging" correctly.
o Overheating: The chip itself gets extremely hot when a charger is plugged in.
● Repair: This is an IC that must be replaced using a hot air rework station.
3.PMIC (POWER MANAGEMENT IC)
● What it is: The "main boss" of power. This is a large, complex IC that takes the
main battery power (VBATT) and distributes many different, small, stable voltages to
every other part of the phone (e.g., 1.8V for the camera, 3.0V for the display, 0.9V
for the CPU).
● Common Faults & Symptoms:
o Completely Dead Phone: This is the #1 cause of a dead phone (after a
dead battery).
o Random Functions Not Working: (e.g., "Wi-Fi is greyed out," "Flashlight
doesn't work") because the PMIC is not providing power to that specific sub-
system.
o Boot Looping: The phone tries to turn on, the PMIC fails, and it restarts.
● Repair: This is an advanced repair. The chip is often "underfilled" (glued) and must
be carefully removed (hot air) and replaced (reballing or a new chip).
WEEK 3: GSM AUDIO SECTION
3.1 INTRODUCTION
The audio section is complex because it involves multiple "input" (microphones) and "output"
(speakers) components, all controlled by one "brain" (the Audio IC).
3.2 AUDIO OUTPUT COMPONENTS
1. Earpiece Speaker:
o Function: The small speaker you hold to your ear during a call. It is
low-power and optimized for human voice frequencies.
o Location: Top of the phone, behind a small mesh.
o Common Faults:
▪ Clogged Mesh: The #1 fault. Dirt, dust, and makeup block the hole.
Solution: Clean carefully with a brush and Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA).
▪ Torn Flex Cable: Damaged during a bad screen replacement.
▪ Blown Speaker: A "tinny" or rattling sound. Needs replacement.
2. Loudspeaker (Ringer):
o Function: The main speaker for music, speakerphone, and ringtones. It is
high- power.
o Location: Usually at the bottom of the phone.
o Common Faults:
▪ Liquid Damage: Water enters the speaker grill and corrodes the contacts.
▪ Blown Speaker: Rattling or no sound at high volume.
3.3 AUDIO INPUT COMPONENTS
1. Microphone (Mic):
o Function: Captures your voice. Most phones have at least two.
o Primary Mic: At the bottom, by the charging port (for calls).
o Secondary/Noise-Cancelling Mic: At the top or back, used for video
recording and to cancel out background noise during calls.
o Common Faults:
▪ Clogged Hole: The tiny hole next to the charging port is blocked with dirt.
Solution: Clean with a thin needle (carefully!).
▪ Faulty Mic: Needs to be replaced. This is often soldered to a small
board, requiring a hot air station.
3.4 THE "BRAIN": AUDIO IC (CODEC)
● What it is: The "Audio Codec" (Coder-Decoder) is an IC on the main logic board.
It takes digital signals from the CPU (e.g., an MP3 file) and decodes them into
analog signals for the speaker. It also takes analog signals from the mic and codes
them into digital for the CPU.
● Symptoms of Failure:
o All audio functions fail (mic, speaker, earpiece).
o "Headphones" are stuck on, even when none are plugged in.
o Audio is distorted, robotic, or has static.
o Famous Example: The "iPhone 7 Audio IC Disease." A known fault where the
chip loses connection, causing a boot loop and no audio.
3.5 LOGICAL TROUBLESHOOTING (AUDIO)
A client says, "People can't hear me."
1. Test 1 (Software): Open the "Voice Memos" app and record. Can you hear playback?
o If YES: The mic is working. The problem is the network or the other person's
phone.
o If NO: The mic is faulty.
2. Test 2 (Isolate the Mic): Now, open the Camera app and record a video.
o If the video has sound: The secondary (video) mic is working, but the primary
(call) mic is dead.
3. Test 3 (Hardware):
o Visually inspect the mic hole at the bottom. Is it clogged? Clean it.
o If still no-go, the component (mic or audio IC) has failed.
WEEK 4: GSM DISPLAY SECTION
1.1 INTRODUCTION
Screen replacement is the "bread and butter" of many repair shops. It is a high-demand, high-
profit, but high-risk repair. Understanding the technology is key to avoiding costly mistakes.
1.2 DISPLAY TECHNOLOGIES: LCD vs. OLED
1.LCD (LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY)
● How it works: An LCD screen is a "sandwich." It has a layer of liquid crystals, but
these crystals do not produce their own light. They need a separate backlight (a
sheet of bright LEDs) to shine through them.
● What this means: An LCD has two main connections: one for the display data and
one for the backlight.
● Common Fault: "Half-display" or "No backlight." The phone is on, you can hear it, you
might even see a very faint image under a bright light, but the screen is dark. This is
often a backlight circuit failure on the board, not a bad screen.
● Found in: iPhones (up to iPhone X/11), and most budget/mid-range Android phones.
2.OLED / AMOLED (ORGANIC LIGHT EMITTING DIODE)
● How it works: Each individual pixel (sub-pixel) is an "organic" material that emits
its own light when electricity is applied.
● What this means:
o No Backlight: This allows for thinner phones.
o Perfect Blacks: To show "black," the pixel just turns off. This gives infinite
contrast.
o "Always-On Display": The phone can light up just a few pixels to show the
time, using almost no power.
● Common Fault:
o "Burn-in": If a static image (like a keyboard or status bar) is left on-screen
for too long, it can "stain" the display permanently.
o More fragile and expensive than LCD.
● Found in: Samsung (AMOLED), high-end iPhones (X and newer), and high-end
Androids.
1.3 SCREEN REPLACEMENT (OVERVIEW)
This is a delicate process that requires patience and a strict procedure.
● Tools:
o Heat: Heat gun or a "heat mat" (set to ~80°C) to soften the adhesive.
o Prying: Suction cup, plastic prying tools (guitars), thin metal "iSesamo" tool.
o Screwdrivers: Precision kit (Pentalobe for iPhone, small Phillips).
o Adhesive: T-7000/B-7000 glue or pre-cut adhesive strips.
● THE CRITICAL 10-STEP PROCESS (GENERAL):
1. Heat the phone (usually the back for Androids, the front for iPhones) to
soften the glue.
2. Pry and open the phone slowly and carefully. Be 100% aware of
where the delicate flex cables are.
3. DISCONNECT THE BATTERY FIRST! This is the most important
step. Never work on a phone with the battery connected. You can short the
board and destroy it.
4. Disconnect the old screen's flex cables.
5. TEST THE NEW SCREEN. Connect the new screen (before installing
it) and then the battery. Power on. Test:
▪ Display (any dead spots? correct colours?)
▪ Touch (drag an icon all over the screen. Does it follow?)
▪ Brightness.
6. Power off, disconnect battery, and disconnect the test screen.
7. Transfer Components: You must move small parts from the old broken
screen to the
new one (e.g., earpiece speaker, front-facing camera, proximity sensor).
8. Clean: Scrape all the old adhesive and broken glass from the phone's
frame.
9. Apply Adhesive: Apply fresh glue (e.g., T-7000) or a new adhesive strip.
10. Install the new screen, reconnect all cables (screen, then battery
last), close the phone, and clamp it to dry.
1.4 COMMON FAULTS
● No Touch: You tested a new screen, and the touch doesn't work.
This can be a board- level fault (e.g., a "Touch IC" failure).
● Ghost Touch: The screen acts like it's being touched on its own. This
is often a sign of a cheap, low-quality replacement screen.
● Proximity Sensor Failure: After the repair, the screen doesn't turn
off when you put it to your ear. This means the sensor was not
transferred or aligned correctly.
