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Bots / The Ultimate Palm Robot/ Mukhar & Johnson / 222880-6 / Chapter 4

86 The Ultimate Palm Robot

If necessary, reassemble the DB9 connector. You may want to use the ohm-
meter to double check that pins 1, 4, and 8 are connected to pins 2, 3, and 5 of
the DB9 connector.

Modifying the Pontech SV203
Now it’s time to modify the Pontech SV203 controller to work with the Visor.
This requires that you remove one of the chips from the controller and make
some new connections on the board. This is not a trivial task. We don’t mean to
scare you away from trying it, but just be advised that it’s a project that is best
left for the more advanced hobbyist. Dave, for instance, shouldn’t try this.
Kevin, on the other hand, is actually salivating at the thought of prying this
puppy open.

The Robot Geek Says

Reasons Not to Modify the Pontech SV203
✖ Modifying the Pontech SV203 controller board will almost certainly
void your warranty, could damage the controller, and might, as we’ve
mentioned, lead to a reconfiguration of the galactic dimensional matrix.
✖ Did we mention that we recommend you use the BrainStem controller
with a Visor?

If you examine the SV203, you’ll find one side with connector pins and var-
ious components. This is the front side. The back side consists of the electrical
connections between the components and a single IC (integrated circuit) chip
labeled “MAX 489.” The labeling is hard to see, but trust us, it’s there; you can
see it if you hold the board at just the right angle. Also, you’ll see a small,
round dimple in the chip. That dimple marks the location of pin 1. Remember
the location of pin 1, because later you’ll need to know where it is.

Heat up the soldering iron: that chip needs to go. Carefully melt and re-
move the solder from the pins of the chip. Be careful not to overheat or dam-
age the circuit board while you do this, which can happen if you continue to
apply more and more heat to the board. We recommend that you melt one pin

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