RJ45 Jack part #?

[beaker020]

I have some of my controllers where the RJ45 jacks on the board have become damaged or corroded over the last 9 years... I am going thru them this year and wanting to replace the damaged ones. Does anyone have the digikey part number for the RJ45 jacks? My controllers are version one and version three.

 

Thanks

Lance

[beaker020]

BTW, these are all CTB16PC controllers

[LORisAwesome]

If you contact Light O Rama, I think they will provide the parts you need. 

 

Jerry

[LOR Staff]

Correct...  Help desk ticket...  BUT.....

We are happy to send you parts to repair your controller.  However, replacing parts may not be as simple as you are lead to believe.  Replacing parts on a printed circuit board, what is called 'rework',  typically requires specialized tools and experience.

Rework requires more extensive experience than just being able to solder.  

If you damage a board while attempting to fix it, that is not covered by your warranty. 

Removing parts, especially Triacs and other devices with heat sinks, requires precise temperature control and the need to completely remove ALL solder from a pad/through hole.  Applying excessive heat or improperly trying to remove a part, for example by rocking it, will lead to breaking the solder pad off the board.  Once a pad has 'lifted' off of a circuit board, the board can no longer be repaired and will not work. 

Removing multi-pin devices is also difficult.  For example, the spacing between pins (called 'pitch') on an RJ45 jack makes it very difficult to remove all the solder.  Because there are 8 pins it is very easy to leave some excess solder, and when you remove the socket you can very easily break/lift one of the pads.

Triacs and RJ45 jacks are the two most requested parts. As you can see, both are very difficult to replace without proper tools.

Customers who are soldering their own controllers may sometimes install a part backwards or otherwise damage a part - frequently a resistor network or electrolytic capacitor.  Small parts can usually be cut out with a sharp pair of side cutters and the pins removed one by one.  You MAY be able to replace that part yourself, but if you are not sure, please don't risk it.

If you feel you do not have the experience or tools to replace a part please don't!  We can do the repair for you.  Simply ask us for an RMA number, and we will have you send the device in for our repair department to fix.  If the board is in warranty, the cost is simply shipping both ways.  Even if your board is NOT in warranty, the maximum charge is $25 per board (Pixie and Cosmic Color devices may be higher).

If you have the proper tools and experience we are MORE than happy to send you the part you need - usually at no charge.  However, if you do not have the tools or experience, seriously consider sending the board in rather than attempting the repair yourself.  Recently we have seen a LARGE uptick in the number of boards sent to us for repair where the customer destroyed the board while trying to repair/replace a part.  We hate to see this.  We are not trying to make $25, we are trying to save you several hundred.