Hi,
I recently bought a Scalextric Challenger from eBay (it was sold as faulty so no surprises).
Initially the car just sat there on the track with the lights flashing (first normally and then speeding up indicating a fault) - I'd checked all the suggestions I'd found on the internet by now.
I took the car apart and removed the main PCB from the Challenger unit:
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I turned it over and discovered that one of the surface mount components was partially detached from the board (circled in red in the following image)
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Silk screened 'T3' on the PCB and 'A4TAK' on the component (the 'T' has a line above it) I cannot find any info about it on the internet - I can only assume it's a transistor but, as to whether it's NPN, PNP or FET I've no idea.
I soldered the component back onto the PCB and reinstalled it in the car.
Now when the car is placed on the track it takes off at full tilt ignoring the magnet and doesn't slow at all.
My summation is that the transistor(?) is controlling the throttle level of the car and when it was disconnected from the PCB (maybe by going 'pop!') it was open circuit and thereby supplying no power to the motor. When it was reconnected, if it had failed and gone short circuit, it was supplying full power to the motor (hence shooting off at a rapid rate). I've checked the power circuit on the board and that it's supplying 5V from the voltage regulator. I've also checked the reed switch (small glass enclosed component at the top of the PCB in the 2nd image) - it closes when passing over the magnet under the track. I'm assuming that the microcontroller on the board is OK as it's controlling the lights and indicating the fault when open circuit.
Now, the question... Does anyone out there have any idea about this? Any clue as to what the component might be (PNP transistor/NPN transistor/FET). If I can find it i'll swap out for a replacement (or equivalent) and see if that solves the problem.
Failing that does anyone have a Challenger for sale (working set, or working car, or working main PCB)?
Hope that makes sense.
Thanks for reading
I recently bought a Scalextric Challenger from eBay (it was sold as faulty so no surprises).
Initially the car just sat there on the track with the lights flashing (first normally and then speeding up indicating a fault) - I'd checked all the suggestions I'd found on the internet by now.
I took the car apart and removed the main PCB from the Challenger unit:
I turned it over and discovered that one of the surface mount components was partially detached from the board (circled in red in the following image)
Silk screened 'T3' on the PCB and 'A4TAK' on the component (the 'T' has a line above it) I cannot find any info about it on the internet - I can only assume it's a transistor but, as to whether it's NPN, PNP or FET I've no idea.
I soldered the component back onto the PCB and reinstalled it in the car.
Now when the car is placed on the track it takes off at full tilt ignoring the magnet and doesn't slow at all.
My summation is that the transistor(?) is controlling the throttle level of the car and when it was disconnected from the PCB (maybe by going 'pop!') it was open circuit and thereby supplying no power to the motor. When it was reconnected, if it had failed and gone short circuit, it was supplying full power to the motor (hence shooting off at a rapid rate). I've checked the power circuit on the board and that it's supplying 5V from the voltage regulator. I've also checked the reed switch (small glass enclosed component at the top of the PCB in the 2nd image) - it closes when passing over the magnet under the track. I'm assuming that the microcontroller on the board is OK as it's controlling the lights and indicating the fault when open circuit.
Now, the question... Does anyone out there have any idea about this? Any clue as to what the component might be (PNP transistor/NPN transistor/FET). If I can find it i'll swap out for a replacement (or equivalent) and see if that solves the problem.
Failing that does anyone have a Challenger for sale (working set, or working car, or working main PCB)?
Hope that makes sense.
Thanks for reading
