PCB Repair FAQs

We assess printed circuit boards from industrial control, test and measurement equipment, communications equipment, medical equipment, household appliances, and other consumer electronics. Examples include PLC control boards, inverter and servo-drive boards, power modules, and instrument mainboards.

Send the board part number, equipment model, and fault symptoms or requested work. A board's application or brand alone does not establish whether it can be repaired. We review the particular board, its condition, and the information available before confirming the scope. Our work is at board level, not diagnosis or certification of the complete equipment.

Yes. Schematics are helpful, but they are not required for every request. A specified component replacement or a damaged surface connection may be assessed from clear photos, board markings, and work instructions. An unknown fault usually needs more investigation.

For fault diagnosis, send the symptoms, equipment and board model, any existing test results, and previous repair details. A known-good board may also help with comparison. Missing circuit information, firmware, or operating conditions can limit what we can diagnose or verify. Initial review without a schematic is not a promise that every fault can be found or every function tested.

Yes. We accept defined soldering and rework tasks, component replacement, and localized pad or trace repair, as well as fault-diagnosis requests. The board does not have to have failed in service.

For defined work, identify the component locations, board revision, quantity, and required operation. Tell us whether you have replacement parts, and include available work instructions and acceptance checks. For several boards, note any differences between revisions or symptoms. We review the requested operation and verification requirements before agreeing the scope; an unnecessary fault-diagnosis service is not automatically added.

Our focus is the circuit board, not diagnosis of the complete machine or appliance. A reported equipment fault can also involve wiring, connectors, sensors, motors, loads, or mechanical parts outside the board.

Tell us why the board is suspected and what checks have already been performed. If the cause has not been isolated, board-level investigation may not resolve the equipment problem. Diagnosis and verification of the complete system may need the equipment manufacturer's support or a qualified local technician. Please confirm the scope before sending any additional assemblies.

An equipment fault does not, by itself, confirm a failed circuit board. The cause may be on the board or elsewhere in the system, such as an external power supply, connector, sensor, or load. Visible damage is useful evidence, but a board can also have a fault without obvious surface damage.

Send the symptoms, error codes, and conditions in which the problem occurs, together with any checks already completed by your technician. Photos of both sides and the affected area help us review the request. You do not need to identify the failed component before contacting us.

If the cause has not been isolated, system-level checks by qualified personnel may be needed before board repair is the appropriate next step. Do not bypass safeguards or carry out unfamiliar live measurements to gather information for us.

Sometimes. A discontinued board may still have a repairable fault, but obsolescence by itself does not establish repairability. The damaged circuitry, availability of suitable parts, access to necessary program data, and ability to check the result all matter.

Send the part number and revision, equipment model, photos, and fault history. If you already have a replacement-board quotation or know that a particular part is unavailable, include that information. It helps us discuss practical options without assuming that a substitute component or a complete replacement board can always be found.

Yes. We review localized pad and surface-trace damage, including damage from earlier component removal or repair. Send a board overview and clear close-ups of the affected area, together with details of any parts removed, jumpers added, or work already attempted.

The intended connection, remaining material, and access to the area affect the repair approach. A schematic, reference image, or known-good board can help establish the connection. Internal-layer damage or extensive structural damage needs separate review. A visible connection repair does not, on its own, confirm that the rest of the board functions correctly.

We can review the board information and photos to discuss whether further assessment is practical. Localized component or surface-connection damage is different from damage to the board's base material, internal circuits, or structure. The extent of the damage and the checks available affect whether a repair can be proposed.

Send an overall view, close-ups of the affected area, the board and equipment model, and what happened before the failure. Mention any overheating, smoke, or previous repair attempts. Photos alone cannot establish the full extent of damage or final repairability.

Replacing an obviously damaged component does not necessarily resolve the cause of the failure or confirm that the equipment is safe to use. Do not repeatedly power a burnt board to reproduce the fault; contact us before shipping or attempting further work.

Not automatically. A replacement microcontroller or memory device may need the correct application firmware, configuration, or calibration data before the board can operate as intended. Matching the chip's part number does not establish that this information is available.

Some devices restrict external reading of stored code or data. Tell us whether you have an authorized firmware file, backup, programming instructions, or manufacturer support. Any programming or data-related work needs separate confirmation for the board. Do not assume that chip replacement includes firmware recovery, protection removal, or guaranteed preservation of existing data.

Send clear photos of both sides, the board label or part number, equipment model, quantity, and fault symptoms or requested rework. Include an overall view and close-ups of visible damage, rather than close-ups alone.

For a fault, describe what the equipment does, when the problem occurs, any error codes, and what has already been checked or repaired. Existing test results, schematics, or operating notes are useful when available. For defined rework, component locations, board revisions, work instructions, and required checks are more useful than a generic fault description. Share what you know; you do not need to invent a diagnosis before contacting us.

Yes. Reviewing the photos and information you send is free. It helps us understand the request, identify missing information, and discuss the next step before shipment.

Photos do not replace physical inspection or diagnosis. They cannot establish every fault, final repairability, the complete test requirements, or a final price for unknown work. Any physical diagnosis is a separate agreed service.

For standard fault-diagnosis jobs, physical diagnosis is USD 150 per board, paid before diagnosis begins and fully credited toward the approved repair. This is a diagnostic fee, not a fixed price for all repair work. Complex, high-power, and multi-board projects are quoted separately.

Defined component replacement, production rework, and pad or trace repair are quoted for the requested operation. A separate fault-diagnosis charge is not automatically added when that diagnosis is unnecessary. Any additional diagnostic work needs your approval. The applicable charges are confirmed before that work starts.

No. Repair proceeds after you approve the proposed scope and quote. Authorizing physical diagnosis is a separate step; it does not automatically authorize the resulting repair proposal.

The scope should identify the work to be performed and the applicable checks. If additional diagnostic work or separately authorized work is needed, it requires your approval. If you have a spending limit or a required acceptance check, tell us before the work is agreed.

The price depends on the work required, not just the board's size or the purchase price of a failed component. Finding an unknown fault, replacing an identified component, and rebuilding a damaged connection involve different amounts of work.

Board condition, access to the affected area, suitable replacement parts, quantity, and the agreed checks also affect the scope. Two boards with the same part number can need different work. Photos help with an initial review, but physical inspection and any approved diagnosis may be needed before a repair proposal can be confirmed.

Repair is worth considering when a replacement board is expensive, unavailable, or has a long lead time, and the existing equipment still meets your needs. It is not automatically the better choice for every board.

Compare the proposed repair cost, shipping, expected timing, and available verification with the cost and lead time of a suitable replacement. Consider downtime and the equipment's remaining useful life as well. If a replacement is readily available at a reasonable cost, or the proposed repair cannot provide the verification you need, replacement may be more practical. Share any replacement quotation and target date so those constraints are clear during assessment.

There is no single remaining-life estimate that we can give from a board's age or from the fact that it has been repaired. Its condition, operating environment, and the checks available all matter. Completing the agreed checks is not a prediction of how many years the board will last. Any warranty terms are separate and should be confirmed for the particular repair.

Typical repair takes 7–10 business days after receipt. Day 1 is the next working day after receipt and board identification at our Shenzhen receiving location. Weekends and Chinese public holidays are excluded.

Shipping, customs clearance, waiting for your information or approval, parts delays, and requested holds are not included in that period. Fault complexity and test requirements may also extend the schedule. Defined rework and batch jobs are quoted and scheduled separately.

We confirm the estimated timeline for the job and explain delays that affect it. The typical period is not a guaranteed deadline or a door-to-door delivery estimate. Tell us your target date with the initial request; expedited work must be confirmed for the project.

Contact us before shipping. Wait until our team has reviewed your request and confirmed the next step and shipping instructions. Our receiving location is in Shenzhen, China, but the website's office address alone is not an instruction to send a board.

Use the recipient details and instructions confirmed for your request. Include your location when contacting us so the applicable shipping arrangements can be discussed before dispatch. Do not send extra assemblies, fixtures, or a complete machine without prior agreement.

Follow the instructions confirmed for your request. Include your contact details, the request or quotation reference if one has been issued, and information that identifies each board and its reported fault or agreed rework.

For multiple boards, make it clear which symptoms or operations apply to each item; identical-looking boards may have different revisions or faults. Let us know about previous repairs and any parts that have been removed. Confirm whether accessories, replacement parts, or reference boards are needed before including them. Packing instructions and the approved scope take precedence over a generic shipment checklist.

First obtain our shipping confirmation. A bare board needs protection from electrostatic discharge as well as movement and impact. Use suitable static-shielding packaging, close it properly, and place the protected board in a sturdy box with cushioning that prevents movement and protects protruding components.

Keep boards from striking or rubbing against each other. Packaging described only as antistatic is not necessarily static-shielding; do not rely on bag color alone. Confirm special packing requirements for heavy assemblies, exposed connectors, or boards with batteries before dispatch. Do not remove components or dismantle the assembly merely to make it fit a box without agreed instructions.

Cushioning and static shielding serve different purposes. Do not treat an ordinary plastic bag or ordinary bubble wrap as a substitute for suitable static-shielding packaging around the board. If you do not have appropriate packaging, contact us before dispatch so the packing requirements can be confirmed rather than improvising a substitute.

Checks are agreed for the board and the work performed. For a repaired pad, trace, or replaced component, they may include magnified inspection, continuity checks, and relevant component or circuit measurements. Other board-level checks depend on the information, equipment, and operating conditions available.

Not every job includes every type of check. Complete functional verification may require the original equipment, loads, peripherals, fixtures, or a known-good board. We explain the work performed and any functions that could not be checked. If you have an acceptance procedure, share it before agreeing the work so the required verification can be discussed.

No. Completing the agreed checks on a standalone board does not automatically establish that the complete machine or device is ready for service. The equipment also depends on its connections, external power, loads, sensors, configuration, and other assemblies.

For example, a board may behave differently when connected to a faulty load or when the original operating conditions cannot be reproduced on the bench. System-level verification may therefore still be needed after installation. This should follow the equipment manufacturer's procedures and be handled by qualified personnel, especially where safety-related functions are involved.

We explain the findings, any test limitations, and the next options. If diagnosis has been completed, the diagnostic fee remains chargeable when the board cannot be repaired or you decline the proposal. Repair work that has not been performed is not charged; you pay return shipping.

If diagnosis has not started, you may cancel and receive a refund of the unused diagnostic service fee. Any non-refundable third-party costs must have been disclosed and approved beforehand. Separately authorized work or custom parts follow the terms agreed before those costs were incurred. Disposal or referral requires your written consent; a lack of response does not authorize either action.

Contact our team before sending the board back. Include the repair reference, the symptoms and error codes, when the problem returned, and whether anything changed during installation or operation. Existing photos, logs, or test results may help us understand what happened.

Tell us whether the symptoms are identical to the original fault or different. A repeated symptom alone does not identify its cause or establish the applicable repair terms. We review the issue and discuss the next steps and the terms agreed for your repair. Wait for return instructions before shipping again.

Describe the pattern as precisely as you can: whether the fault occurs at startup or after running, how often it happens, what the equipment was doing, and any error codes or changes in the connected load. Include existing logs, videos, and test results if available.

Intermittent symptoms may not appear during a short bench check or without the original operating conditions. Mention previous repairs and any changes that seemed to affect the symptom. Report observations already available; do not bypass safeguards, deliberately stress the equipment, or perform unsafe live tests to reproduce the fault for us.

It means the reported fault has not been identified under the conditions of the assessment. The symptom may not have been reproduced, or the available checks may not have established its cause. It does not prove that the whole equipment is fault-free, and it is not the same as confirming a successful repair.

Further information about operating conditions, connections, or fault history may help determine the next step. Depending on the case, additional checks or system-level investigation may be needed. Any further work and applicable charges should be agreed before proceeding; the term alone does not define a fee or authorize more work.

It can. A known-good board may provide a useful comparison when circuit information is limited. Share its part number, revision, configuration, and how its working condition was established; differences between versions or settings can affect the comparison.

A specific fixture, load, peripheral, or operating procedure may be needed for the checks you require. Tell us what is available before shipping it. We confirm whether it is needed and suitable for the agreed work. Providing a reference board or test setup does not automatically mean every function or the complete machine can be verified.