Perma Fix Acer Iconia A500 Power Button - Guide
- Thread starter SaschaElble
- Start date
Hello ,
If like me you didn't have another button power or have lost the old one .
You can solder a wire between this two points, Now your Button Volume Down will be used as power switch.
h'ttp://img4.hostingpics.net/pics/408938trick2.jpg
In android you can go in /system/usr/keylayout/ and edit Gpio-keys.kl , in this file you can delete the line " Key 114 VOLUME_DOWN WAKE_DROPPED" . This will disable the fuction Volume down in android when you push the button.
And it's done
If like me you didn't have another button power or have lost the old one .
You can solder a wire between this two points, Now your Button Volume Down will be used as power switch.
h'ttp://img4.hostingpics.net/pics/408938trick2.jpg
In android you can go in /system/usr/keylayout/ and edit Gpio-keys.kl , in this file you can delete the line " Key 114 VOLUME_DOWN WAKE_DROPPED" . This will disable the fuction Volume down in android when you push the button.
And it's done
I found this manual and try to fix broken power button on my tablet.
I've soldered two wires: one to the D21 pin and another to the ground point. But I get no reaction when I close the wires. I check the wires connection, I close the D21 pin and ground with tweezers - there is no reaction
If I disconnect and connect again the battery terminal the tablet starts up and works fine until it falls asleep. And there is no reaction to power button after that
What is the problem?
I've soldered two wires: one to the D21 pin and another to the ground point. But I get no reaction when I close the wires. I check the wires connection, I close the D21 pin and ground with tweezers - there is no reaction
If I disconnect and connect again the battery terminal the tablet starts up and works fine until it falls asleep. And there is no reaction to power button after that
What is the problem?
I found this manual and try to fix broken power button on my tablet.
I've soldered two wires: one to the D21 pin and another to the ground point. But I get no reaction when I close the wires. I check the wires connection, I close the D21 pin and ground with tweezers - there is no reaction
If I disconnect and connect again the battery terminal the tablet starts up and works fine until it falls asleep. And there is no reaction to power button after that
What is the problem?
Okay... so the tablet turns on when you cold boot the tablet by re-plugging the battery... which would make me think your "power button" is stuck "pushed"
But the tablet doesn't turn it self off, as if the "power button" was NOT stuck...
Shorting d21 pin, doesn't do anything...
Board logic error? Fried power button circuit? Bad de-solder work?
hmmm...
Before anything else:
Make sure power button is properly desoldered. Check each pin, make sure none are bridged on motherboard (especially that center pin!)
Please, double check which pin on d21 you are using for power (When looking at the board, with the vibrator facing up, and the power button to the left; it is the bottom left, of d21. There are 3 pins in a triangular pattern.)
Make sure the ground you are using is the same ground the power button uses.
Can you put up a picture?
http://xdaforums.com/showpost.php?p=52194383&postcount=31
Last edited:
Yes, it is stuck!
I completely desoldered all pads from power button using desoldering wick and soldered it again.
When I connected the battery nothing happened. Then I had the wires locked and the tablet turned on.
Thank you for your help
Hi guys,
I have a Packard Bell G100 tablet, which is basically an Acer A500, so probably you can help me. I have some problem with the power button. If I press it the button led comes on, but nothing more happens, no vibration, no indication on display. If I press the button again for some seconds, the LED goes off. Battery charging seems ok. After some searching on internet, I have found this thread and I decided to ask, before doing anything with the microswitch.
I removed the back cover to take a look at the microswitch. In my tablet there is a plastic back support behind the switch, so it is firmly attached to the board. One of the solderings at the grounding points looks not so good, but it should not cause a problem, I think, because they are connected to eachother.
The tablet does not respond to any soft/hard reset attempts.
Any idea, what I should do or try?
Thanks in advance.
I have a Packard Bell G100 tablet, which is basically an Acer A500, so probably you can help me. I have some problem with the power button. If I press it the button led comes on, but nothing more happens, no vibration, no indication on display. If I press the button again for some seconds, the LED goes off. Battery charging seems ok. After some searching on internet, I have found this thread and I decided to ask, before doing anything with the microswitch.
I removed the back cover to take a look at the microswitch. In my tablet there is a plastic back support behind the switch, so it is firmly attached to the board. One of the solderings at the grounding points looks not so good, but it should not cause a problem, I think, because they are connected to eachother.
The tablet does not respond to any soft/hard reset attempts.
Any idea, what I should do or try?
Thanks in advance.
Last edited:
Hello Everyone,
i know the post is a bit old but I really love my Iconica and don't want to let it got like that !
I have the same issue but unfortunately I don't have the original power button. I would appreciate it if anyone can share with me the alternative tactical switch that I might be able to use with a clear a explaintaion of how to connect it : )
Thanks
i know the post is a bit old but I really love my Iconica and don't want to let it got like that !
I have the same issue but unfortunately I don't have the original power button. I would appreciate it if anyone can share with me the alternative tactical switch that I might be able to use with a clear a explaintaion of how to connect it : )
Thanks
Would you mind reposting the photos or pm me if it's still available ?! I don't have the original power button and thinking about another alternative, Thanks in advance
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SHORT AND SIMPLE:
Basically short the connection of d21 to ground. This is how the button works, one ground point and one hot point. The button just touches these two together.
Long and detailed:
So... about a year ago, I got my first A500. Broken. Figured out power button was broke. Figured out how to rewire it, but ended up shorting the motherboard out RIGHT AFTER I GOT IT TO TURN ON....
Today, bought another one on ebay, broken. Has been sent in for power button repair previously.... Everything looked fine.... started researching... finally just dived in and removed the hotglue that was holding the power button. Ah HAH! Solder joints were broken, but button still "clicked".
So... after 6 hours trying to solder the button back on, I went another route. I call it perma fix, because the power button no longer depends on the soldered connection for structural integrity. Also, it should still allow minor shifting without breaking the connection.
View attachment 1753275
Step 1:
Remove power button (probably already fell off on yours)
Step 2: De-solder the the original solder pads, the power button used to connect to. Make sure the two holes on the left and right of the three pads are wide open.
Step 3: Get two pieces of stranded wire, remove enough strands until each "wire" can fit into the two holes. (twist strands for extra strength)
Step 4: Solder the tip of one strand to one outside pin of the power button, solder tip of other strand to other outside pin.
Step 5: Turn power button upside down, solder each strand along the side of the button pointing down.
(You should now have a power button with two strands of wire physically soldered to the power button metal frame and the far left and far right pins)
Step 6: Solder a single TINY strand of wire to the middle pin of power button.
Step 7: Push the two supporting strands through the two holes the metal case USED to go into. Solder them.
Step 7B: Now that the power button is upside down, and has, on each side, a strand of wire soldered to the metal frame, and is soldered to the board like in step 7.
All three pins of the power button should now be up in the air, instead of touching the PCB. Solder pins 1 & 3 to the metal frame/strands. THIS IS YOUR GROUND.
So pins 1 and 3, attach to metal frame, which attaches to wire strands, which attach to PCB where the metal feet of the power button metal cover used to go.
Step 8: Solder the TINY strand of wire, to the bottom left of D21. (If your looking at the board, the volumes buttons are up, power and headphone jack to the left, and sd card slot to the right, all facing you on the same side of the board the power button mounts to)
(Please note, in this picture, the power button has not yet been attached to the board permanently, the button is supposed to be flush with the board, not raised up as in this pic.)
Step 9: adjustment of power button height. My tablet wouldn't "click" when pressing the power button on the case, so adjustments were needed.
Either:
A:
Get something no thicker than a dime, that doesn't conduct electricity, and put between power button and old solder points
B: Use hot-glue, and push power button down, but leave a dimes thickness of hot-glue between board and power button
Step 10:
suspend wire strand between headphone jack and power button, and route through this area, leading to bottom left pin of D21.)
Step 11: use hot glue, and just suspend the strand close to the board, but keep enough hotglue between it and the board, so it doesn't short, but also, low enough so you can still fit the cover back on
(BTW: I have tested this, it does work. I traced the points. Far left and right pins go to ground, and center pin, routes to bottom left pin of D21)1Update:
Hasn't given me a problem yet, used ~12 hours a day. Power button is used alot, to turn of the screen, and to reboot because custom rom still leaks.
Stay away from silicone, moves too much, hot glue is much better, alot stiffer!1
I understand you used the strands to hold the power to the PCB by the sides of it (metal frame with legs going into the holes to the side), but when you said the left and right pins sticking out from the rear (along with the center one connected to D21) were GND, how did you keep them grounded?
On the attached thumbnail, you can see the metal frame is soldered to the PCB at green points and violet points; the yellow point being soldered to the left leg of D21. But what do I do with the red legs?
On my PCB, the button clips onto the metal frame latches that hold it in place. Under the microscope, it looks like it would take little force to pull those legs off the PCB copper spots (these do not go through the board as the frame legs do). So I can (1) unclip the button; (2) pry the rear legs off with an Exacto blade tip; (3) solder D21; (4) ground the left and right legs, pour some hot glue on, and be done with it! Am I doing it right?11
The 2 poles from the same side on the 275-003 tactile switch are bridged only when the button is pressed. So if you solder those 2 together, then your closing the circuit, which is why the tablet turns on when you plug in the battery. You have to use 1 pole of the same side for ground, and the other for your power. I tested this with a multimeter just to make sure.
Edit: I actually broke the solder point mentioned as the bottom left D21 point. From the 3 poles from the original tactile switch, the 2 outside poles are connected on the switch and the middle pole closes the circuit when the button is pressed. I'm using one of the outside points and the middle one to turn on the tablet via the Radio Shack 275-003 tactile switch.
