i may just try and replace the ftdi chip
Before doing that, try shorting the center two pins on the unpopulated 0.1" connector labeled PROG. Pin 5 is MCU reset and pin 6 is ground, so it will hold the microcontroller in reset. If it's an MCU issue holding it in reset should cause the device to pop up on your computer as the FTDI chip will be able to connect. If it doesn't show up, it likely is the FTDI.
replacing the FTDI chip fixed it!!!!!!!!
You rock. I've replaced a few of those on the BFL devices; bitch in heat.
How did you do it on the Chili? And what is with those chips?
C
It's the first one on a Chili I've heard of failing, but they're actually not that hard to remove. Just heat it with air and pull it off.
I used an X-acto blade to cut the legs off then cleaned the pads off with solder wick and replaced the chip. no hot air gun available.
I think my shorting of pins 5 and 6 finally screwed up and hit an adjacent pin. The Chili seems to power up fine (startup lights etc all look normal), but now it doesn't show up on the USB bus no matter what I do. My other Chili is fine. I haven't had a chance to look at it since I just had to reset it just before heading to work, but I expect I'll find a melted FTDI since the bootup process doesn't give any error lights.
So, in anticipation of that, what is the exact part number of the FTDI chip that I should order, and possibly from where? I do have a hot air station, so that part will be easy, but what temperature should I set it at so as not to melt the chip body?
Thanks in advance!