[Help] SIM slot contact broken

[WinstonSmith]

Hello everyone,

I'm currently in deep distress: after removing a sim card adapter, it broke one of the SIM slot contact, the bottom left one.
Since this, the id number of the SIM card is not displayed when the PIN code is asked.

So, i've two questions:

* Is this contact really needed, or does it will reduce performance or disable functionnalities?
* Can I repair it easily, since my hands are far from steadies? I've a donor board, namely a 2Go one.

Here is a picture of the butchery.

Thank you in advances, I'll be very glad if someone apease my anxiety about this.

Also, thanks to the community, devs and Pine64 for this wonderful peace of tech.

Take care.

[mouffa]

This is a "design flaw", if you do not remove it properly then the SIM slips out of the micro-SIM adapter and the adapter can hook on the contact and break it.

According to the manual we have the following contacts

USIM_VDD pin 14 PO Power supply for (U)SIM card

USIM_DATA pin 15 IO Data signal of (U)SIM card

USIM_CLK pin 16 DO Clock signal of (U)SIM card

USIM_RST pin 17 DO Reset signal of (U)SIM card

USIM_PRESENCE pin 13 DI (U)SIM card insertion detection

USIM_GND pin 10 Specified ground for (U)SIM card

I don't know which pin is this but probably if it's the Reset signal you won't have problem.

When you want to remove the SIM you should always press and slide out at the point where the metallic envelope ends and always above the motherboard, not above the gap for the battery, if the SIM slips out of the micro-SIM adapter then you reinsert again and retry.

I would fold a small aluminum foil block to restore the contact, the same way I electrically ground the smartphone and tablet motherboards when I fix them, I fold aluminum foil strips and stick them with tape.

As I can see from the photo it is a very shuttle situation where you have to avoid contact with the metallic envelope. It would be helpful if you can open the case and find which contact is this. You can find the hardware manual in this thread.

https://forum.pine64.org/showthread.php?tid=14258

[WinstonSmith]

Hello Mouffa,
Thanks a lot for taking the time to respond, i'm very grateful.

Beside the previous "bug" mentionned, it seems that there is no lack of functionnality. I hope it's effectively the reset pin...

The aluminium foil solution seems to be a really nice alternative. Do you think i could secure it with a bit of tin to be sure it will not move?
I think the place marked in the picture could be a nice place to put it?

Also, i would not open the case, since i would not be able to put it back on since my hands shake a lot and i don't have precision tools at hand...


Also thanks for the technical details

[mouffa]

Here you can see the pins, with reference to the cut corner you lost the Vcc, that is the voltage, I think it works because the SIM is pressed in the case and makes contact with what has been left of the contact

https://www.extremetech.com/wp-content/u...iagram.jpg

a basic principle in practical technology is that if something works you leave it as it is

I don't know whether solder would stick on aluminum, in that case I would stick a small ball of soldering material but you may run the danger of scratching and destroying the SIM, just leave it as it is.