Diagnose Bad Component In PCI Audio Card

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kraka

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I have not electronics background but after two technicians refuse to repair my Audio Card, (maybe they did not have time, or they underestimate my card, althouth it is an excellent one), i decided to try, at least, fix it.
My Audio Card (PCI type) stopped having sound. After a closer inspection with a known technique (because i do not own a thermocamera) i saw that after injected 5 or more volts to pin no57 of side A of the Card, which has a label : AD(02) and a description : "I/O signal (May be driven by initiator or target, depending on operation)", and maybe means Address or Data bus ?, two components that are located very close to each other,
1)the ALTERA EPM 7064S1C44-10 BFB249919 EMU98 9946 and
2) : the P98AB VT244 , are getting hot very quickly.
They are getting hot even if the Card snap onto the motherboard, and Windows boots up.
P98AB VT244 is a component with 10 legs on the right and 10 on the left side. I do not know what is this, but i read somewhere that it is a Line Driver (what is this ?) or Amplifier. I search on web for a replacement but find nothing except this : 74LVT244 and SN54LVT244. I do not know at all, if i can replace P98AB VT244 with 74LVT244 or SN54LVT244.
The bad think is that i learned that the ALTERA is a programmable IC, and that i cannot just replace it with a new one. I must first program it with the "program" that is now inside the ALTERA on my Card, but i do not have this "program" (even if i had it, i do not know how to do it).
So my hope is the initial component that cause heat rising on the ALTERA to be the P98AB VT244. So if i replace it (the P98AB VT244) with a new one, both stop warming up and problem will be fixed.

But how to know which of those two is broken ? How to diagnose ?

I am attaching a picture of my card (Side B). I have drawn two red arrows, one bigger than the other. The big one points to the ALTERA EPM 7064S1C44-10 BFB249919 EMU98 9946 and the small one to the P98AB VT244.

Any other suggestion or idea, on how to try to make it have sound, are welcome.
Card is detected by Windows in "device manager", but cannot install any driver. I tried tones of drivers and all the OS's, from its native Win95-98 to Win7.
Before the problem occurred, it was installed in my WinXP PC with no problem. I am not sure 100% but maybe problem related with a faulty PSU that i have bougth at this time (have replaced later).
 

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KlausST said:
90 dB divided by 20 gives 4.5

4 --> results in "0000"
5 --> results in about "3"
--> "3 0000"
so in total I expect a ratio of 1:30,000

****
1000000000 ... has 9 zeroes
9 x 20dB ... results in 180dB

just over the thumb....

Klaus
Click to expand...
Hi !
This is how i (magically) calculate this 1000000000 :

SNR = 10 * [log10 (Signal Power / Noise Power)]
9db = [log10 (Signal Power / Noise Power)]
(Signal Power / Noise Power) = 1000000000
 

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But how to know which of those two is broken ? How to diagnose ?
Click to expand...
74LVT244 costs pennies so there is no harm in buying one to try but my guess is the audio circuits will work fine without it fitted at all. As far as I can tell, all it does is interface the Altera IC to the black socket beside it, and if that's the case and that socket is for a joystick I'm sure you can live without it.

Brian.
 

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First of all, I read your unfortunate experience with the professional video editing program. They happen to have given me, as gift, of a similar program, without them knowing that I already have one, and that is why now this program is useless to me. If you really want it, I can give it to you for nothing. I only, have to look for it because I don't remember exactly where it is (some years have passed since then) If I find it, I will gladly give it to you as a gift.

Secondly, I have already de-soldered the 74LVT244 from the Card (it is not exactly the 74LVT244, but the P98AB VT244 and since i can't find that, I believe (as i have been told) that the 74LVT244 can replace the P98AB VT244 without a problem). But, as you said, I can live without the joystick.
I've de-soldered the P98AB VT244 off the card, but the ALTERA keeps heating up right after Windows boot.

BUT i have made, perhaps, one important observation: One of the voltage regulators, the +5V (MC78M05), gives on its output, instead of 4.8 to 5.2 V (as described in its datasheet), 3.78 V when receives in its input, 12 V. This measurement was made after the MC78M05 had de-soldered fron the Card.(off board)
I was wondering if this failure cause a problem to the ALTERA. But , the ALTERA , although the MC78M05 is no present in the Card, still warming up.
 

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kraka said:
This is how i (magically) calculate this 1000000000 :
Click to expand...
The math is correct for power.
But we usually measure noise in V, V RMS.
You also use the "RMS". In technical terms "RMS" is a measure of V and I, but not for power.

I know in audio there is this terminology "Power RMS"
... but indeed it has nothing to do with RMS = RootMeanSquare.
... they use it as an equivaled of "undistorted sine"

Klaus
 

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YOU impressed me! Where did you find this card ? Because I have worked with it, to correct it, endless hours, I know it very well and I see that it is similar, if not exactly the same. What is this W5 IP1016 A ? I can't find it anywhere. Can you provide me with its datasheet? What worries me is that I can't find any mention of this card (the EMU-PC545). In this category of so-called "professional" EMU cards, there are references only to the following cards: APS, 0404, 1212, 1616, and 1820.
What is this EMU-PC545 ???
Is it a patent? Is the photo really from a card named EMU-PC545 or it is taken from an APS ?
The seller, also, does not sell the second card, the E-Drive, i.e. the interface placed on the front of the PC.
Of course, there are also these two possibilities:
1) de-soldering the PLD from the PC545 (is the W5 IP1016 A the PLD ???) and solder it to my APS.
2) using PC545 as E-Card and as an E-Drive the one that I already have.
But are they compatible ??
--- Updated ---

Klaus,
Thank you for the clarification.
 

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