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F(x)tec Repairability plans for the Pro1


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Thanks to your comment I've finally decided to publish my teardown guide I've been working on for some time 🙂 https://gelraen.github.io/fxtec-pro1-teardown/ (forum topic)

I took a series of photos in an effort to troubleshoot my drowned Pro1, hope they are of use. https://imgur.com/gallery/17bo7bI

Best pictures of the battery we have had so far!  Thanks! 👍

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On 9/29/2019 at 4:37 AM, Kzin said:

 

Yup, there is a disassembly guide "https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Motorola+Droid+4+Teardown/7759", see step 13, the white cover comes off the motherboard, I used isopropyl alcohol on a rag to wipe the motherboard, check the metal contacts in the white part too, but I did not use the alcohol on that.

I've torn down several of mine with no guide. Droid 4 is a very serviceable platform, and it appears that Pro1 was made with all the advantages of D4's design. For the record, I'll have D4s around for quite some time still as beater devices. I'm still using one as my daily driver right now.

Edited by silversolver
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  • 2 weeks later...

Posting a link here regarding a discussion on screen issues in the production assembly line, which relates to repairability for our home assembly lines of the future:

 

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  • 2 months later...

Man, the post moves really killed some of the links in this topic. :-)

I'd like to know more about the vibration motor in the Pro1.  It is too weak.  I'm hoping it is of a standard design and can be replaced with something that is the same form factor, but just works better (stronger).  

Anyone find this in the teardown documentation somewhere and know anything about the replaceability of it?  I suppose it could even be a matter of the current motor not being in contact with the frame enough to transmit the vibrations properly.  In which case, maybe the motor wouldn't need replacing, but would just need to be glued to something or have a piece of metal glued to it and glued to somewhere else on the frame.

I would have to say that this is my number one problem with the Pro1.  It hampers my use of the Pro1 as a communications device, which is really its primary purpose for me.  I can obviously turn on sounds, but that's just not how I want to use a phone.  I've never had a problem with using vibration on any past phones.

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Well, I partly answered my own question.  I found the location of the motor.  It is up by the headphone jack.  And it is the "good kind" of motor -- Linear Motor, not ERM.  This is going off information online where people indicated that high end phones use the Linear Motor type vibration motors.  

So it might just be that this particular brand/model is a dud.

vibration_motor_front.thumb.jpg.cf438f21da3b5fa908e7c08ba497adb8.jpg

vibration_motor_back.thumb.jpg.ac000b9ff11bf656d3d8e77c03d89371.jpg

It looks like the back reads: 0612 and +9431 to me.

Off to search for it.

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Well, I couldn't find it.  I guess it wouldn't have to be identical.  It would just need to be something that would fit in the space, even if it was the button shaped type motor.  It would just need to match the right voltage, which should be easy to measure with a multi-meter.  In fact, hopefully that isn't the problem.  Hopefully it is being driven with the right voltage, otherwise that's a much more difficult thing to fix.

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Okay, this is a "what if".  What if the pad (circled in green) that is probably meant to not allow the case to flex too much *or* is meant to deliver the vibrations from the motor to the case, is too soft?  It could be absorbing the vibrations.  If so, replacing that soft pad with a firmer material might make the vibrations stronger through the case.

top_half_inside_of_phone_base.thumb.jpg.eee349d1ea60d193165ae8c4ab70091c.jpg

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5 hours ago, david said:

Well, I couldn't find it.  I guess it wouldn't have to be identical.  It would just need to be something that would fit in the space, even if it was the button shaped type motor.  It would just need to match the right voltage, which should be easy to measure with a multi-meter.  In fact, hopefully that isn't the problem.  Hopefully it is being driven with the right voltage, otherwise that's a much more difficult thing to fix.

Why not try powering it external to check if it's dud before getting another?

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10 hours ago, david said:

I'd like to know more about the vibration motor in the Pro1.  It is too weak.  I'm hoping it is of a standard design and can be replaced with something that is the same form factor, but just works better (stronger).  

It is physics, not the motor...

 

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4 hours ago, _DW_ said:

Why not try powering it external to check if it's dud before getting another?

Well, once the phone is apart, it would be nice to have something ready to try.  They don't cost a lot.  I am not sure if you can drive them externally though.  I believe the LRA style motors need the driver to monitor for the resonate frequency and adjust the power accordingly.

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2 hours ago, EskeRahn said:

It is physics, not the motor...

That is possible.  If so, then we need a bigger motor.  Or stack 2 or 3 of these on top of each other and drive them in parallel.  I don't know if they are consistent enough in their resonant frequencies for that to work perfectly, but hopefully they would each be close enough to work.

I am still thinking those pads between the motor and the case might be dampening the vibration too.

I hate to mess with the hardware, but I am never going to know when the phone is receiving a phone call or when a message comes in when the phone is in my belt holster.  

They do make Bluetooth wrist bands with vibration devices on them and Android apps.  I don't like the idea of wearing one on my wrist, but maybe they could be attached to a belt or holster or simply carried in a pocket.

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The other thing we need is something to replace the stickers with that cover the screws.  Does anyone have any ideas for something that will be very similar to what came with the phone?

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10 hours ago, EskeRahn said:

e.g. these ?

Have you tried them?  Are they paper or more like a plastic material?  The ones on the phone, from photos on here, seemed to be thicker.

Oh, I just saw they mentioned vinyl in the description.  Those sound promising.

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1 minute ago, david said:

Have you tried them?  Are they paper or more like a plastic material?  The ones on the phone, from photos on here, seemed to be thicker.

Oh, I just saw they mentioned vinyl in the description.  Those sound promising.

Well this particular seller has only mentioned shipping to the UK as an option, so will have to ask the shipping price, or find them elsewhere.

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10 minutes ago, EskeRahn said:

Well this particular seller has only mentioned shipping to the UK as an option, so will have to ask the shipping price, or find them elsewhere.

I tried to buy on the USA ebay and they would not ship to my address.  Not sure why they are listed there.

I did find a different seller.  They did not mention vinyl and did not allow picking color or finish, but I bought some.

 

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1 minute ago, EskeRahn said:

Are you sure? I haven't taken one out, but measuring it looks like 5mm in a 5.5mm hole.

I just re-measured and they are 5mm indeed. I had measured this earlier today and was fully confident but obviously I'm cross-eyed :-D.

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