Since the product's introduction in November, 2005, a significant quantity of Microsoft's Xbox 360
game consoles have experienced a field malfunction that is indicated by three flashing red LEDs on
the front of the console. This error function, which designates a critical hardware failure and
renders the unit inoperable, is known among gamers as the "Red Ring of Death" and has spawned
numerous user forums and web postings that claim to offer easy "fixes" for out-of-warranty units
or for users who lack the patience to return their systems to an authorized repair center.
Obviously, if there were an easy fix, Microsoft probably wouldn't have announced, last Thursday,
July 5, their intention to spend more than $1 billion to extend warranties to three years for the
nearly 12 million game consoles it has sold worldwide.
Having become aware of the Xbox failure issue prior to the Microsoft announcement, Manncorp
has been actively spearheading a research effort into the causes of the problem for the purpose of
providing not only a technologically sound and reliable solution, but one that is also practical and
timely given the scope and magnitude of Microsoft's predicament. Research has been conducted
in affiliation with Bernhard Martin, Managing Director of our SMT rework equipment manufacturer
in Germany, who has been involved in similar, high-profile, troubleshooting and repair applications
for high-volume consumer products with companies like Siemens and Nokia.
While our research continues, we have decided to publish our findings and conclusions thusfar, as
well as our recommendations for the proper equipment and techniques needed to repair the
consoles, in order to eliminate future recurrence of the problems.
Assessment of the Problem
Discussions with independent electronic repair shops and an evaluation of the extensive
information available on internet user forums and bulletin boards quickly pointed toward the eleven
BGA and CSP devices on the Xbox 360 motherboard as the likely source of the problem. The
locations of these devices on the top and bottom sides of the board are shown below in Figure 1.
The solder joints that connect BGA and CSP devices to the contacts on the PCB are made when
arrays of dozens, or even hundreds, of tiny spheres of solder attached to the bottom of the device
are melted during the reflow soldering process. Because these connections are located
underneath the components, visual inspection is nearly impossible.
When we subjected several motherboards (from Xbox 360 consoles that suffered the "Red Ring of
Death" failure) to microscopic X-ray inspection, it was determined that a substantial number of the
solder joints beneath the BGA and CSP devices appeared to be of questionable quality. This was
especially noticeable towards the centers of the main CPU and GPU (Graphics Processing Unit),
both of which are plastic BGA components, and both of which include additional integrated
components mounted to the top of the device. The additional mass of the main chip on the top of
the plastic BGAs appears to have prevented sufficient heat from reaching the solder joints closest
to the center of each device. This phenomenon is usually an indication that the time and
temperature parameters, used for reflow soldering of the motherboard at the point of original
manufacture, did not provide a thermal profile sufficient for complete and thorough reflow at all
points beneath the BGAs and CSPs on the PCB. This is quite consistent with our X-ray analysis,
which also shows that most of the flaws observed (cracking, voids, etc.) are symptomatic of "cold"
solder joints with a poor grain structure.
