The Google Chromecast Gen 3: Gluey and screwy

In my latest 2^nd era Google Chromecast teardown, “The Google Chromecast Gen 2 (2015): A Kind Issue Redesign with Beefier Wi-Fi, Too,” I famous that I subsequently deliberate on tearing down the Chromecast Extremely, adopted by the three^rd era Chromecast, chronologically ordered per their respective introduction dates (2016 and 2018).

I’ve subsequently determined to flip-flop that ordering, tackling the three^rd era Chromecast first, within the curiosity of grouping collectively units with output decision commonality. All three Chromecast generations, additionally together with 2013’s authentic model, peak-output 1080p video, though the three^rd era mannequin additionally bumped up the body price from 30 fps to 60 fps; the Extremely variant you’ll see within the close to future conversely did 4K. In case you’re questioning why I’m referring to all of them prior to now tense, by the best way, it’s as a result of none of them are in manufacturing any longer, though all the things however the first-generation Chromecast nonetheless will get software program updates.

Google additionally claimed at intro that the Chromecast 3 not solely got here in new shade choices:

however was additionally 15% sooner than its predecessor (together with including assist for Dolby Digital Plus and totally built-in Chromecast with Nest good audio system), though the corporate was by no means particular about what “15% sooner” meant. Was it solely in reference to the already talked about 1080p60 smoother video-playback choice? One may deduce that it additionally referred to extra normal UI responsiveness, but when true was this on account of sooner innate processing—which all customers would conceivably expertise—or larger wi-fi community efficiency, just for these with superior LANs? Or each? I hope this teardown will assist reply these and different questions (like why does Wikipedia listing no CPU or reminiscence particulars for this era?) to at the least a level.

Usually talking, I attempt every time doable to keep away from teardowns of completely good {hardware} that find yourself being harmful, i.e., leaving the {hardware} in degraded situation that precludes me from placing it again collectively afterwards and donating it to another person. In such instances, I as a substitute attempt to focus my consideration on already nonfunctional “for elements solely” units sourced from eBay and elsewhere. This time, nevertheless, all I might discover had been still-working eBay choices:

though the one I picked was not solely cheap ($10 plus transport and gross sales tax, $16.63 whole) however was absent its authentic packaging:

Right here’s a closeup of the micro-USB connector—a legacy strategy that’s quickly being obsoleted by the USB-C successor—on the different finish of the USB-An influence cable:

And right here’s a high view of our affected person, as standard accompanied by a 0.75″ (19.1 mm) diameter U.S. penny for measurement comparability functions:

Adopted by a closeup of the highest of the primary physique:

Similar goes for the underside:

That printing on the underside is sort of scuffed at this seeming long-time use level, though I think it was already faint from the get-go. Within the heart are “UL Listed” and HDMI logos, with the phrase “ITE E258392” in-between them. And right here’s what it says across the circumference:

Google Mannequin NC2-685
1600 Amphitheater Parkway
Mountain View, CA 94043
CAN ICES-3
(B)NMB-3(B)
IC 10395A-NC26A5
FCC ID A4RNC2-6A5B
Made in Thailand
06041HFADVM445

…no matter (a few of, I already get the remainder of) which means. And phew!

Right here’s the HDMI connector on one finish of the cable:

And leaping forward in time a bit, the opposite finish, getting into the partially disassembled physique:

Again to the place we had been earlier than in time, the other facet of the physique showcases, left to proper, a {hardware} reset button (you can even reset by way of software program, if the Chromecast is already activated and cell device-connected), the aforementioned micro-USB energy enter and a standing LED:

Talking of sides, you in all probability already seen the seam across the circumference of the primary physique. Additionally talking of sides, let’s see if it will get us inside. First off, I used the warmed-up iOpener launched beforehand within the Chromecast 2 teardown to warmth up the presumed glue holding the 2 halves collectively on the seam:

Then I set to work with its iFixit-companion Jimmy:

which obtained me partly, albeit not fully, to my desired finish outcome, full with collateral harm within the course of:

I suspected that the diminutive dallop of under-case thermal paste I’d encountered with the two^nd-generation Chromecast was extra considerably utilized this time, to counteract the upper warmth output related to the three^rd-generation unit’s “15% sooner” boast. So, I reheated the iOpener, reoriented it on the system, waited some extra:

and tried, tried once more. Yep, there’s paste inside:

Veni, vidi, vici (albeit, on this case, not significantly swiftly):

My, that’s a variety of (sloppily utilized, in addition) glue:

The corresponding paste repository on the within of the upper-case half is an odd spongy donut-shaped factor. I’ve additionally scraped away a few of the obscuring black paint to disclose the metallic layer beneath it, which presumably acts as a secondary warmth sink:

Some rubbing alcohol and a tissue cleaned the blue-green goop off the Faraday cage:

Though subsequently eradicating the retaining screws on both facet of the HDMI cable did nothing to get the cage itself off:

Resigning me to simply ripping it off (conduct that, as you’ll quickly see, wasn’t a one-time occasion):

Adopted by (most of) the black tape beneath it:

I by no means really ever obtained the HDMI cable indifferent from the lower-case half, however with the screws eliminated, I used to be at the least capable of disconnect it from the PCB:

enabling me to take away the PCB from the rest of the case…at the least theoretically:

This Chromecast-generation time round, there’s an abundance of thermal paste on each sides:

Even after jamming the Jimmy within the hole in trying to chop the offending paste in half, I nonetheless wasn’t capable of separate the PCB from the case, particularly down on the backside the place the micro-USB connector was. The ambient mild within the room was beginning to get dim and I wanted to go away for Mass quickly, so I—umm—simply gave the PCB a yank, ripping it out of the case:

and shortly snapped the rest of the pictures you’ll see, together with the primary glimpse of the underside of the PCB:

Once I obtained again dwelling and reviewed the pictures, I used to be first flummoxed, then horrified, and eventually (to this very day, actually) mortified and embarrassed. And I wager that at the least a number of of you eagle-eyed readers already know the place I’m going with this. What’s that within the backside left-ish fringe of the within of the again half of the case (with the reset button rubber “spring” to its left and the sunshine information for the exercise LED to its proper)? Is that…a still-attached screw? Surrounded by a bit of PCB?

Sure…sure it’s. This dissected system is destined solely for the landfill, “thanks” to my rushed ham-handedness. Sigh:

Guess I’d as nicely get this Faraday cage off too:

And clear off the extra inside paste:

The IC within the higher left is Marvell’s Avastar 88W8887 quad wi-fi transceiver, supporting 1×1 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.1, NFC and FM, solely a few of these capabilities really carried out on this design. It’s the identical chip used within the 2^nd era Chromecast, so the idea for the “15% sooner” declare seemingly doesn’t seemingly supply right here. Subsequent to it on the precise is a SK Hynix H5TC4G63EFR-RDA 4 Gbit LPDDR3-1866 SDRAM. Word too the LED within the decrease left nook, and the PCB-embedded antennae on each side. And, since this PCB is “toast” anyway (sure, observe the chunk out of it within the decrease proper, too), I went forward and lifted the higher proper nook of the cage body to guarantee myself (and also you) that nothing significant was hiding beneath:

Again to the beforehand seen entrance facet of the PCB:

At far left (with the {hardware} reset change beneath it within the decrease left nook…and did I point out but the lacking chunk of PCB to the precise of it?), peeking out from the cage body, is a small, clearly Marvell-sourced, IC labeled as follows (ID, anybody?):

MRVL
G868
952GAX

which I think has the identical (unknown) perform(s) as a equally (however not identically) labeled chip I’d discovered within the 2^nd-generation Chromecast:

MRVL
G868
524GBD

To its left is the a lot bigger Synaptics MM3006, previously referred to as the Marvell 88DE3006 (Synaptics having acquired Marvell’s Multimedia Options Enterprise in mid-2017). Once more, it’s the identical IC as within the 2^nd era Chromecast. And at last, at far proper is a Toshiba TC58NVG2S0 4 Gbit NAND flash reminiscence. Similar flash reminiscence provider as earlier than. Similar flash reminiscence know-how as earlier than. However hey, twice the capability as earlier than (presumably to supply headroom for the added firmware “assist for Dolby Digital Plus and totally built-in Chromecast with Nest good audio system” talked about earlier)! So, there’s that…

Other than a much bigger flash reminiscence chip (and, okay, eliminating the magnet built-in into the Chromecast 2’s HDMI connector), what’s totally different between the two^nd and three^rd era Chromecasts, and the place does Google’s “15% sooner” declare come from? The distinction, I think, originates with the DRAM. I hadn’t particularly talked about this within the earlier teardown, however the Samsung DRAM discovered there, whereas additionally LPDDR3 in know-how and 4 Gbit in capability, was a “K0” variant reflective of a 1600 MHz velocity bin. This time, conversely and as already famous, the DRAM runs at 1866 MHz. My guess is that this uptick additionally corresponds to a barely sooner velocity bin for the Marvell-now-Synaptics software processor. And therein lies, between the 2, the modest general system efficiency enhance.

Agree or disagree, readers? Every other ideas? Let me know within the feedback!

—Brian Dipert is the Editor-in-Chief of the Edge AI and Imaginative and prescient Alliance, and a Senior Analyst at BDTI and Editor-in-Chief of InsideDSP, the corporate’s on-line e-newsletter.

 Associated Content material

• The Google Chromecast Gen 2 (2015): A Kind Issue Redesign with Beefier Wi-Fi, Too
• Google’s Chromecast with Google TV: Automobile accent similarity, and a post-teardown resurrection alternative?
• The Google Chromecast with Google TV: Realizing a resurrection alternative
• Google’s Chromecast with Google TV: Dissecting the HD version
• Teardown: Chromecast streams will need to have gotten crossed

The submit The Google Chromecast Gen 3: Gluey and screwy appeared first on EDN.

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