Introduction
Hi! I am taking down the Amazon Kindle 2 for the Teardown Project for the MakingStudio Course. I have never torn a device down before so this will be interesting.
Tools used
Procedure
Materials/Observation
List and information about the materials in the Kindle.
[1] Casing
I suspect that the casing is made of PP plastic, however, I can not confirm this whereas Amazon does not disclose this kind of information.
[2] Philip Screws
Purpose: To screw things together
Count: 22 + 4
Serial Number: EY21
Manufacturer: Unknown
Material: Steel
Type: Flathead Philip Screws (EY21)
[3] Lithium Battery
Purpose: To power up the device
Type: Lithium Polymer Battery
Serial Number: S11S01B
SKU #: PRB-36
Charge: 3.7V
Capacity: 1530 mAh (milliampere hour)
Dimensions: 2.58 x 2.09 x 0.2 inches
Weight: 1.9 oz
[4] 3G Module
Purpose: Allows a wireless (3G) connection
Model Number: DTP-600W
Serial Number: 0642592
Manufacturer: AnyData
Download Speed: 3.6 Mbps (megabits per second)
Upload Speed: 387 Kbps (kilobits per second)
Dimensions: 51 x 30 x 4.5 mm
[5] SIM Card
Purpose: Allows a wireless (3G) connection
Manufacturer: Orbethur
Dimensions: 15x25x0.76 mm
[4] Screen
Purpose: Allows a display
Model Number: ED060SC4
Manufacturer: Prime View International
Pixels: 800 x 600
Manufacturer: Unknown
Weight: 35 g
Dimensions: 137.9 x 104.1 x 1.18 mm
[7] Mother Board
Purpose: Allows connections and functions for the Kindle
Model Number: Unknown
Serial Number: sp01216a2twn
Manufacturer: Lab126 (Amazon)
Items I found in the Mother board
[7.1] Power Management Chip
Purpose: Allows battery connection
Model Number: MC13783VK5
Manufacturer: NXP
Output: 500 uA (micro Amper)
Voltage: 4.65 V (Volts)
[7.2] Mobile MDDR Chip
Purpose: Allows mobile connection
Model Number: K4X1G323PE-8GC6
Manufacturer: Samsung
Density: 1 GB
Voltage: 1.9 V
[7.3] Collector-Emitter Breakdown Voltage Chip
Purpose: “The VC at which a specified IC flows, with the base open. -“https://www.tek.com/en/support/faqs/how-do-i-test-bipolar-transistor-collector-emitter-breakdown-voltage-my-curve-tracer
Model Number: D135211B3
Manufacturer: EPSON
Kynix Number: KY962-D135211B3
Voltage: 1.9 V
[7.4] Unknown Items
I tried to look up the other items in the motherboard but did not find any datasheets or get any clues as to what it might be. However looking at previous Kindle 2 teardowns it seem that the items are:
- USB transceiver
- Main processor (Freescale chip)
- Flash Memory and Controller
Manufacturing Techniques/Equipment
It was kind of hard to find the manufacturing techniques whereas Amazon does not want to disclose any information on how their products are made. I see that Amazon does not produce everything on its own, f.e. it uses stuff from AnyData, Samsung, NXP, Epson, and more companies. Some manufacturing techniques I found were the factory quantity packaging for the Power Management Chip is 240 at a time, which means you have to order 240 chips at once. I also found out that the chips are AEC-Q100 qualified which means that they have passed specific tests.
Conclusion
What interested me most about the teardown was how nice the battery looked even though it’s not meant to be seen. I also like how the connections are made from plastic strips instead of wires. It makes everything so seamless.
I am not sure why the battery looks this nice and has these fun details whereas they are not meant to be seen, however, it could be to sell Amazon the product but not the consumers. I think there are no wires because I think they are not as reliable as the plastic strips.
This was a very interesting project as I got to teardown and see what makes a high product. I wish that I had taken a video but I did my teardown in two parts, I will consider doing a video if I do a teardown again 🙂 Thank you for reading through!