Thank you. I will give it a try and let you know (and post pics).
How do you know if the PIC is working?. What symptoms did your dead hashing board experience?.
Symptoms are very easy to check. Measure voltage between inductor and GND. If the voltage is lower than 9V, you can be sure PIC is not working. If the voltage is higher and less than 10.5V, PIC is malfunctioning, partially working and you need to remove it or remove U2.
Correct voltage of string: 10.5V
Partially working voltage: 9-10.5V
PIC not working voltage : less than 9V (usually 8.7V)