DroneNet damaged by high voltage

BotBlox Hardware
1

Hi all,

I accidently connected my DroneNet to 12V, after which, when I connect it to 5V, smoke comes out of one of the components (see attached photo of the damaged unit).

Is there a way to try and salvage the unit or is it a total-loss?

Thanks!

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2

That component is a transient voltage suppressor (TVS Diode). Looks like it took the brunt of your voltage; hopefully it sacrificed itself and protected the components downstream.

The part number is SMAJ6.0CA.

Check if there is short circuit between VIN and GND on the board; then try removing that component. Then check VIN and GND again to see if the short circuit is gone. If the short is gone, you can be relatively confident that the TVS Diode protected the rest of the circuitry.

You can also power the board without that TVS Diode, but then you lose any protection against overvoltage; better to solder a new one on.

3

Thanks a lot @josh-elijah

I will give it a shot