In 2024, we are constantly being tracked. What we buy, what we watch, where we go, who we talk to, what we say, what we listen to, where we travel, and what we Google; none of it is private. We sign up for all of this by carrying smartphones and logging into accounts when we make purchases. Why don’t we care about our privacy? I find this perplexing.

Today, I’m taking a look inside two tracking devices from our recent past:

1. The Nike+iPod activity tracker, circa 2006; and
2. an Object-tracking device, by an unknown manufacturer.

Before 👆

After 👇

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1. Nike+iPod Activity Tracker

Tools used in this teardown:

• Precision Phillips head screwdriver
• Precision Flat head screwdriver
• Tweezers
• Exacto blades
• Push Pin
• Sewing Pin
• Hammer
• Plasticine

I started with the Nike+iPod Nano activity tracker. Designed to fit into a special Nike+ sneaker insole, the device worked with an app on the iPod Nano which tracked speed, distance covered, calories burned, and provided a voice-over personal trainer experience for runners.

I tried to split the device open with a flat head screwdriver, then a push pin, then a smaller pin. No cigar. I did some searching and found this video suggesting a way to open the device, and bizarrely enough, I had a jewelry saw on hand, and so tried to use that to crack through the outer layer. It did not work. Then I found another video and tried a few different exacto blades as suggested, but wanted to avoid a trip to the ER so I found a very thin flat head screw driver and decided brute force was the only way: I stuck the device in plasticine to hold it firmly to the table, and then I jammed a flat head down into it and smashed on it with a hammer. That finally worked!

Here are all the tools I tried to use 😅:

Here’s what actually worked:

So, what’s inside the Nike+iPod Nano tracker?

In addition to the pieces listed below, there were many rubbery adhesive strips used to keep everything in place.

Component	Manufacturer and Number	Material	Purpose
Outer shell		hard plastic, high reflectivity	encase the product
Reset Button (outer)		soft, flexible silicone	encase the reset switch
Reset button (inner)		hard plastic and metal	trigger the reset
Circuit board		metal
Battery	Panasonic CR 2032 3V		power source
Wireless Transmitter	Nordic Semiconductor		ultra-low-power wireless transmitter (talks to the iPod)
Micro chip	PIC16F688		mini computer
Antenna	Antenova A10192	hard plastic, metal	converts current into radio waves

For this device, the design choice that interested me most was the fact that it was so hard to open this sensor. There’s no way to recharge the battery, or replace it. You wont be surprised to learn that these were meant to be tossed out after the battery died, and replaced with a new one. At $29 a pop, with a 1000 mile battery life (approximately 1 year per Nike and Apple) the price for the tracker is reasonable. Considering that you can get a 5 pack of the Panasonic 3V batteries for $3.29, I wonder what the additional cost would be to make a tracker where the battery replaceable. Would more plastic required? Would a larger insole be needed?

The Nike+iPod product evolved along with Apple products, but this specific form-factor has been retired.

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2. Moving on to to “Tile” Type Device

Tools used in this teardown:

• Precision Phillips head screwdriver
• Precision Flat head screwdriver
• Tweezers

This device is fairly simple as well, and only had a few parts:

Here’s what makes up the “Tile-type” tracker:

Component	Manufacturer and Number	Material	Purpose
Outer shell/case		Hard plastic, low reflectivity, painted	encase the product
Battery cap		Hard plastic, low reflectivity, painted	allow battery replacement
Light cap?		hard, clear, frosted	I didnt’ find an LED so I’m not sure what this is for!!
“D” Ring		hard plastic	used to attach object
Battery	Panasonic CR 2032 3V		power source
System-on-Chip	Texas Instruments CC2541		micro-controller
Circuit board	FP E204460 / M11 94V-0
Date sticker	set for 8/2014		identify approximate date of manufacture
Antenna	Antenova A10192		converts current into radio waves

For this design, the most interesting piece was the small, white/clear, semi-opaque piece of plastic that was found at the corner of the device. It seems like a cap to close the case, but also to allow light to pass through. However, as this isn’t a device to actively turn on and therefore doesn’t need a light to indicate whether its on or off, AND the fact that I didn’t find a light/LED in the device, I wonder what the point of it is. It doesn’t add functional or aesthetic value… and yet it was included.


All in all, this was a great exercise, I enjoyed cracking these devices open and taking a look at what was inside. Looking forward to learning more about how all of the parts work together this week!

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!

I chose to tear down a pair of Bowers and Wilkins headphones! here I included an image of them brand new from online because I got too excited to rip it apart and forgot t0 take a before picture. here they are 🙂

Tools and Techniques

I found that I used my hands for most of this process but used a few tools to aid in taking things apart. Looking back the only tools that I used were my hands, an x-acto blade, and the smallest screw driver I could find. My goal was to separate the headphones so every thing I removed was one single piece, and I wanted to do so without having to break anything.

Because I was able to use my hands for most of this demolition most of my technique was really pulling on things to see if they would come apart.

I started off almost immediately by using an x-acto blade to seam rip the stitching on the leather that covered the headband. After that it became much easier to deconstruct what was inside the headband. After that I worked on it piece by piece and when I got stuck I moved onto a different section. Usually taking apart one section ended up helping me break free another piece

The only part that I used the screw driver for was inside the ear cushion and the ear cups themselves. In here, there were parts of plastic that were screwed down to hide the battery and the motherboard. Other than that I worked through the whole thing using my hands and the x-acto blade to pry things apart. This is a small timelapse of me working and moving around a lot from part to part. After trying to get the whole headphone wire out I realized it was much further in than I thought and then my screw driver was too big. It was a lot of trial and error but I really did enjoy the process

Materials

headband:

• leather
• foam
• metal headband base
• headphone cable
• rubber

ear cups:

• motherboard
• metal
• wires
• battery
• plastic
• screws
• speaker
• foam
• leather
• magnets
• rubber

Manufacturing Techniques

There are a few steps in the manufacturing process of over the ear headphones

Selection of materials

• Plastics are used for the outer casing due to their lightweight and moldability
• Metals such as aluminum and stainless steel are for structural components, providing strength and durability
• Foams and Fabrics are for ear pads and headbands to ensure comfort
• Magnets and Voice Coils are key components in the drivers that convert electrical signals into sound

Manufacturing the Components

• Driver Assembly: The driver is the heart of the headphone, consisting of a diaphragm, voice coil, and magnet
• Molding and Casting: The plastic and metal parts are molded and cast into the required shapes using injection molding and die-casting techniques
• Circuit Board Production: The electronic components, including the circuit board, are manufactured and tested

Assembly

• Drivers are carefully installed into the ear cups
• Internal wiring connects the drivers to the audio jack or wireless module
• The outer casing is assembled, and ear pads and headbands are attached
• Each unit undergoes rigorous testing for sound quality, durability, and functionality. This includes acoustic testing, drop tests, and stress tests

https://app.t2.world/article/cly2xko3f96701520mcbiqsjtvc

Knolling

This was by far my favorite part of the process. After I finished tearing the headphones apart I dumped the pieces out of my bag and got to work!

Design Elements

One design element I really liked was that the leather ear cushion and plastic ear cup each had strong magnets that allowed them to stick together well but also be pulled apart fairly easily if needed. I have never owned a pair of over the ear headphones before so I don’t know if this is a common feature but I’ve seen other headphone users have to peel off the cushion to get it off, which makes it harder to put back on in my opinion. I think Bowers and Wilkins made it this way so that the leather could be easily replaced when it wears down and the inside mechanisms could be easily accessed if the headphones need repairs.

Another design element that intrigued me was the metal engraved indication of the left and the right headphones. On most headphones now a days it is written somewhere on the cushion or cup but these had a tiny separate metal piece on the metal base that said L and R. When taking it apart I thought it was interesting that these were two cylinders that could be separated from the whole form. The reason for the left and right indication is so the user can hear the stereo properly. The sound is frequently captured with two or more microphones, each of which captures a different segment of the audio, so you need the headphones on the right way otherwise all the sounds will be reversed.

Overall looks:

Keyboard:

I teared down the keyboard first with my hand and screw driver. This part is really loose and everything can be separated easily.

Picture 1: Finished

Picture 2: In detail

Generally, there are seven parts in the keyboard.

PCB processes the inputs from the key switches and sends them to the computer. key board case and plate are used for supporting and holding all the components including the keycaps. Stabilizers are used for stable the keycaps while you pressing them. Usually, the keyboards have mechanical switches looks like this:

For my keyboard, I think they are replaced by the little deformable rubber buttons on the PCB. Keycaps for pressing and screws are used for fixing.

Tablet Computer:

Then, I move to the tablet computer. And the tools are also hands and screw driver. This part is little bit hard to tear down as some screws are in bad conditions.

Picture 1 starting:

Picture 2: Finished

PCBs that contains ICs on them in the computer are used for receiving, processing, and sending the electric information from the sensors.

There are a lot of chips within: Qualcomm PM8921 Power Supply Management IC Chip EDJ4216EFBG-GNL-F Integrated circuits chip SlimPort ANX7688 is an ultra-low power 4K Ultra-HD (4096x2160p60) mobile HD transmitter designed for portable devices

Tools and techniques: Strong hands and a small screw driver

Two special Items:

Special PCB for the keyboard: What makes its special is that the one part of this PCB is made of Plastic and rubber instead of the metal and its combine the mechanical switches with the board, which results in saving of the space and the keyboard looks small and has light weight for carrying and using. And the rubber provides a very good user experience when you use keyboard as there is almost no noise.

Stabilizer for the keycaps: I think the stabilizers are fixed in a very thin and stable way under the keycaps. The intention of the designer can also be saving spaces and reduce weight.

Thanks For Watching :))))))

Tools used: precision screwdriver, precision pliers.

My approach to this teardown was to keep everything as intact as I could. I removed the screws and gently pried the plastic pieces away one by one. I also had to thread the PCB through the parts as I removed it. My biggest takeaway and disappointment was how this camera (like other electronic point and shoots) is manufactured to not be repairable. the way the pieces are stacked, and the PCB is layered, it’s not possible to access certain pieces without destroying others. That being said, the PCB was most impressive to me because it was a single piece woven throughout the different sections and mechanisms of the camera.

I began the teardown by removing the plastic frame pieces.

I then proceeded to loosen the pieces inside the camera that were blocking access to the circuitry. 

Including removing the gear cover plate 

Then I removed the circuitry for the flash 

And the rest of the internet circuitry 

After I removed the PCB, I could access the rest of the internal mechanics of the camera. So I then separated out the film winding mechanism: 

The shutter/zoom lens:

And the viewfinder, which completed the tear down:

PART	MATERIAL	MANUFACTURING PROCESS
Top plate	plastic	Injection molding
Exterior body bracket	plastic	Injection molding
Backdoor	plastic	Injection molding
Front plate	plastic	Injection molding
Gear cover plate	Aluminum	Die casting
gears	plastic	Injection molding
Internal shutter trigger	plastic/metal	Injection moulding/die casting
Flex circuit (PCB)	copper/acrylic	plating/boding/baking
LCD screen	glass/aluminum	molding/bonding
Microcontroller
Lithium-ion battery (for flash)
Semiconductor
Motor (for shutter)

I got this fire alarm, which is very common in people’s lives. In fact, I even have one of the same brand in my room. This made me curious about its internal structure and how it operates.Let’s do this!

The tools used：

• Needle-nose pliers
• flathead screwdriver
• Phillips screwdriver

Teardown steps：

1.Remove the battery cover

2.Use a flathead wrench to remove the alarm cover

3.Use a Phillips screwdriver to remove the circuit board and speaker.And that’s it!

The materials used for each component

component	material	techniques/equipment
Main Circuit Board	Epoxy resin, copper, electronic components	PCB fabrication, etching, soldering
Smoke Detector Sensor	Photoelectric sensors, semiconductors	Sensor assembly, integration of photodiodes
CO Detector Sensor	Electrochemical cells	Electrochemical assembly, electrode preparation
Speaker	Plastic, magnet, diaphragm	Injection molding, assembly, tuning
Battery Compartment	Plastic	Injection molding
Test/Reset Button	Plastic	Injection molding
Indicator Light	LED, plastic lens	LED assembly, plastic molding
Mounting Base	Plastic	Injection molding
Alarm Housing	Plastic	Injection molding

Chips

PCBA2544-9782A FW 2544-5?81 B 011015 ??

Design elements

1.I think the structural design of the alarm is very easy to install and use. The user interface is simple and clear, consisting of a speaker (for alarm sounds) and LED lights. The alarm sound or signal is sufficiently noticeable to ensure it can be easily detected in emergency situations.

2.The Kidde alarm integrates smoke detection and carbon monoxide detection into a single unit. It uses an ionization sensor to detect fires and an electrochemical sensor to detect carbon monoxide. This combination provides a more comprehensive response to the two main hazards in a home.(Specific details are provided by Amazon)

1. I removed the four screws on the back panel and lifted off the casing to expose the internal components.
2. The disc tray was stuck inside, which I suspect was one of the reasons for the device’s failure. I forcibly removed the tray from the housing.
3. Next, I unscrewed the board connected to the charging port and separated it from the main logic board of the DVD Writer.
4. I then removed the circuit board near the charging port, which seems to be responsible for charging functions. I detached the FFC/FPC cable (Flexible Flat Cable/Flexible Printed Circuit) connecting this board to the main DVD circuit board. The cable was plastic-like and difficult to remove, so I cut it in two.
5. I took out the metal plate attached to the main structure of the DVD writer. This plate was used to secure the internal components and prevent them from moving. Some screws were difficult to remove, so I forcibly took them out.
6. I removed the spring mechanism responsible for ejecting the DVD tray. It was jammed inside, but only required unscrewing one easily accessible screw.
7. I removed a FFC/FPC cable, a long metallic strip used to connect circuit boards. Additionally, I removed some nearby PCB mounts or clips used to secure the circuit board.
8. I detached the upper part of the spindle motor assembly, which is responsible for rotating the disc. I also removed the associated control PCB.
9. Lastly, I removed the spindle motor and its mechanical components, which drive the disc’s rotation within the DVD Writer.（As shown in the figure below）

I find the internal structure of this device particularly intriguing because of its compact and portable size, which leads to a very tight arrangement of components. To maximize space efficiency, the spring mechanism is cleverly shaped to conform to the central structure.