Iphone 7 U3101 Audio Ic Replacement Repair Guide

Difficulty

Difficult

Steps

Time Required

                          25 minutes - 2 hours

Sections

U3101 Audio IC
7 steps

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Introduction

An inspiration to everyone on this issue was Jessa Jones of iPad Rehab who identified the problem and came up with a solution fairly quickly. The American micro-soldering community is very developed, which is not the case in France.

This guide shows how to identify and solve the problem.

Possible symptoms:

No audio device detectedMicrophone that does not workLoudspeaker that does not workSound of videos not workingNo sound during a callThe phone takes a long time to startHeadphones that do not workDictaphone that does not work

The problem: the audio chip U3101

It is disconnected from the logic board. The iPhone 7’s logic board may be slightly twisted and often results in a broken track.

Video Overview

Step 1

              Remove U3101

Remove the chip cleanly, with hot air. On my Quick 861DE rework station, I use as settings 400 °C and 100L/min. For you to decide which settings you prefer, you can find the Quick 861DW on the shop.
Clean the tracks with a soldering iron, tin and flux. I use a tip about 1mm in diameter with my JBC Nase 2C, at 360 ° C.
Clean the map.
Inspect the card under the microscope. We can see on the picture below that a track is missing!

Remove the chip cleanly, with hot air. On my Quick 861DE rework station, I use as settings 400 °C and 100L/min. For you to decide which settings you prefer, you can find the Quick 861DW on the shop.

Clean the tracks with a soldering iron, tin and flux. I use a tip about 1mm in diameter with my JBC Nase 2C, at 360 ° C.

Clean the map.

Inspect the card under the microscope. We can see on the picture below that a track is missing!

1024

Step 2

              Verification with the schematics

If we compare to the diagram on the PhoneBoard software;
We observe very clearly that we will be able to put a wire to redo this connection, focusing on R1103.

If we compare to the diagram on the PhoneBoard software;

We observe very clearly that we will be able to put a wire to redo this connection, focusing on R1103.

Step 3

              Put a jumper

Take copper wire with a diameter of 0.02mm
Apply flux and tin the wire with an iron.
Scratch the trail from C12 to R1103.
Laminate this track with tin.
Solder one end of the wire to the resistor. I used a 0.01mm diameter tip.
Solder the wire along the previously tinned track.
Bring the wire into the C12 slot and try to wrap it to be sure that the chip ball will stick to it.

Take copper wire with a diameter of 0.02mm

Apply flux and tin the wire with an iron.

Scratch the trail from C12 to R1103.

Laminate this track with tin.

Solder one end of the wire to the resistor. I used a 0.01mm diameter tip.

Solder the wire along the previously tinned track.

Bring the wire into the C12 slot and try to wrap it to be sure that the chip ball will stick to it.

Step 4

              Connect the remaining jumpers

The procedure is the same for F12, H12, J12. A12 and B12 are grounded and are not used for U3101 operation, no need to jump.
E12 is in contact with C1, if C1 is present no need to redo the jumper. D12, G12, J11 and A5 are connected to each other, if only one is still connected the phone can work. K12, L12, M12 are “No Connection” so no need to replace.

The procedure is the same for F12, H12, J12. A12 and B12 are grounded and are not used for U3101 operation, no need to jump.

E12 is in contact with C1, if C1 is present no need to redo the jumper. D12, G12, J11 and A5 are connected to each other, if only one is still connected the phone can work. K12, L12, M12 are “No Connection” so no need to replace.

Step 5

              Reballing the U3101

Put on some flux.
Take a soldering iron with tin at the end.
Pass over the chip to smooth the balls.
Clean.
Put on a reballing stencil.
Spread some soldering paste.
Heat with hot air to form the balls.

Put on some flux.

Take a soldering iron with tin at the end.

Pass over the chip to smooth the balls.

Clean.

Put on a reballing stencil.

Spread some soldering paste.

Heat with hot air to form the balls.

Step 6

              Check the balls

Extract the chip by pushing with a thin tweezers.
Check the size of the balls.

Extract the chip by pushing with a thin tweezers.

Check the size of the balls.

Step 7

              Replace the chip

And we end up putting the chip back. Flow, position and solder with hot air.
We let the phone cool, we go back and the problem is solved!

And we end up putting the chip back. Flow, position and solder with hot air.

We let the phone cool, we go back and the problem is solved!

To reassemble your device, follow the instructions in reverse order.

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                                                                                      19 other people completed this guide.                                             


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Rachel Kelley - Sep 8, 2019

Are there any micro soldering techs that do business through the mail. I don’t have any close to my area at all that give me wholesale prices any longer, and I am in need BAD!!!! PLEASE RESPOND ASAP! I do mostly iPhones only. Sometimes there are a few oddballs and I live in MA. I need this person to start ASAP. Thanks!

iTechCare Zhao - Jan 4, 2020

Not sure if you still need help, if you ever need anything for iphone, ipad, or Mac book board repair, try itechcarerepair@gmail.com

reda bereksi reguig - Nov 24, 2020

Bonjour merci pour le tuto ma question et de savoir quel type d’éteint faut utiliser. Merci

Alex Campbell - May 2, 2022

Holy moly, you guys are on a whole other level !!!!

Would replacing the logic board work just as well ?

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