How To Repair RAM

You can use the RAMCHECK memory tester for a variety of purposes. One of the most popular is to repair RAM. Repairing defective computer memory is a growing business, especially in developing countries where it is often more cost-effective to repair an old stick of memory than purchase a new one.

Of course, the first thing you need to do is test the suspect module to confirm that it is faulty. This takes just a few seconds with RAMCHECK.

If the module is OK, RAMCHECK will quickly identify the module's speed, size & type, and give a pass/fail message. If RAMCHECK has confirmed that the module is faulty, you will need to retrieve the data sheet from the manufacturer. This is easier than you may think, even for old modules.

First, find the manufacturer & the part number of the module. A small white label should be affixed to the module which includes the part number, and the manufacturer's name should be printed on the PCB (see figure A ). Next, go to the manufacturer's web site. (If you don't know what the URL is, type the company name into the search box at google or yahoo. Most manufacturers allow you to search by part number. If not, by selecting the right product categories you should be able to quickly navigate your way to the correct data sheet, which is typically a PDF file. Still not having luck finding it? Search for the part number on google or yahoo. The data sheets may no longer be linked from the company's web site, but the search engines may still have the link in their archives. If all else fails, you can use a continuity meter from the pin identified by RAMCHECK to find the connected chip.

Once you have the datasheet, check RAMCHECK's display screen (see left). It will identify the relevant pins (circuit connections to the test socket) of the module which are associated with the problem. You can remove the module from the socket & review the Test Log. Easier still, use the RAMCHECK PC interface to identify faults (see below). Using this pin number & the module's layout from the data sheet, you can then trace the defect back to the faulty chip.



Now that you know where the defective chip is you'll have to replace it. Only a technician with component-level repair expertise can repair a memory module. The required soldering/ desoldering equipment is relatively complex, especially with modules & cards made with extremely thin Surface Mount technology (i.e., devices with TSOP chips). You will need a good deal of practice with desoldering techniques. Nevertheless, a few minor problems, which are identified by RAMCHECK, can be repaired with simple tools. A short between an adjacent pin may be caused by a small piece of metallic debris, which is stuck between two chips. You "repair" the module in this case with an Exacto knife or a watchmaker's fine screwdriver by simply removing the debris. If you use RAMCHECK in the production shop, you should be able to easily replace the module's components.

Repairing memory does involve a fair amount of work, but as companies around the world have discovered with RAMCHECK, it can be a lucrative business.

The Processor

and what is the processor? Well in the simplest of terms, it’s your computers brain. The processor tells your computer what to do & when to do it, it decides which tasks are more important and prioritizes them to your computers needs.

There is & has been many processors on the market, running at many different speeds. The speed is measured in Megahertz or MHz. A single MHz is a calculation of 1 million cycles per second (or computer instructions), so if you have a processor running at 2000 MHz, then your computer is running at 2000,000,000 cycles per second, which in more basic terms is the amount of instructions your computer can carry out. Another important abbreviation is Gigahertz or GHz. A single GHz or 1 GHz is the same as 1000 MHz . Sounds a bit confusing, so here is a simple conversion :

1000 MHz (Megahertz) = 1GHz (Gigahertz) = 1000,000,000 Cycles per second (or computer instructions).

Now you can see why they abbreviate it, could you imagine going to a PC store & asking for a one thousand million cycle PC please. A bit of a mouth full isn’t it?

So when buying a new computer always look for fastest you can afford. The fastest on the market at the time of writing this article is 3.8 GHz (3800 MHz). Remember though that it is not necessary to purchase such a fast processor, balance your needs, do you really need top of the range? Especially when the difference say between a 3.5 GHz (3500 MHz) & a 3.8 GHz (3800 MHz) processor will be barely noticed (if noticed at all) by you, while the price difference is around £100. With the money you save you could get a nice printer & scanner package.

Now that we have covered the speeds, there is one more important subject to cover. Which processor? There are 3 competitors at present, the AMD Athlon, Intel Pentium & the Intel Celeron. They come in many guises, but basically the more cores they have and the higher the speed means better & faster.

Processors now come as dual core, triple core and quad core. These processors are the equivalent of running two cpu's (Dual core), three CPU's ( Triple core) or four (Quad core).

In the past Intel Pentium the best & most expensive of them all, and remains today one of the most popular on the market. In layman’s terms it is/was the designer processor, although AMD have some superb if not better releases & equally highly priced and advanced products. It would be hard to say which is best as they are direct competitors.

Lastly there is the Intel Celeron; this processor is a budget version of the Intel Pentium 4, the processor you find in most budget computers. If the purse is tight, and you need a computer, then this is your port of call. You will find many sub £400 computers fitted with this processor.

Installation of Japanese fonts on S60 2nd edition phone

If you have a bit older Handphone, using S60 2nd edition, such as Nokia N70, you have to download FExplorer 2nd edition , for Y-Browser supports no more phones of the 2nd edition.

and than you may then discover that the fonts are located at z:/system/fonts instead of z:/resource/fonts, so you have to install Japanese fonts at /system/fonts of your card memory

Do not forget to install also a Japanese gdr font by renaming to ceurope.gdr