On Thu, 10 Apr 2014 14:33:07 GMT, Jan Panteltje
wrote:

LG hombot robot vacuum cleaner disassembly

I got the open source software from LG,
but no reply on my request for a service manual,
and could not find out how to open it without damaging the plastic.
Anyways It started screaming error messages at me,
and stopped working altogether.
Now that is a guarantee case, but sending it back, paying for return shipment,
just to get an other defective one back?
So, after it kept screaming and the whole neighborhood was now looking what was going on
'HOMEBOT CANNOT CONTINUE THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE SUCTION MOTOR'
I wanted to shoot it, I remember Elvis once shot a TV set..
anyways, wanted to see what was inside, wanted to re-design the piece of **** (do not buy this crap!!!)
so as it was not working anyways, decided to open it the smart and fast way,
dropped it from 1.5 meters on a concrete floor.
that did it.
Red (warning color!!!) cover flipped of, and there were a couple of real screws exposed.
removed these and had a look inside.
This is the main board:
http://panteltje.com/pub/LG_hombot_m...B_IMG_4432.JPG
The huge white 'chip' in the middle is from these guys:
http://www.minfinity.com/eng/page.ph...=1&sub=1&tab=2
The processor or whatever it is says ST on it

The 'suction motor drive' detail is he
http://panteltje.com/pub/LG_hombot_m...__IMG_4434.JPG
nothing wrong with the motor, this seems just a MOSFET, motor in drain,
flyback protection diode D21, and sense resistor in the source (R100),
and mystery component BD16, there are several BDxxx in its motor drive circuits, no idea what it is.
The sense resistor seems bad soldered, maybe the solder connection drops too much.
Will put that motor on the lab supply later (just a freaking simple permanent magnet type DC motor).

An other mystery component, could be camera, there are supposed to be 2, one looking up and one down,
would have been more clever if one was looking were it was going, my plants for example!!, idiots.
http://panteltje.com/pub/LG_hombot_m...t_IMG_4435.JPG

Anyways maybe the repair group likes this info,
the top red bezel is fixed with click clack plastic hooks, the 'entrance':
http://panteltje.com/pub/LG_hombot_e...r_IMG_4436.JPG
http://panteltje.com/pub/LG_hombot_e...s_IMG_4438.JPG

Seems a hobbyist design on a bad day by just arrived interns.
'Look we have a robotic vacuum cleaner to.'
Its hight is too high (cannot get under anything).
It get stuck on everything (carpet what not).
I throws over plants.
It scream swith a very loud female voice all the time (into the distortion),
even if you activate 'mute' it screams 'MUTE HAS BEEN ACTIVATED'
Morons!!
And it destroys any cabling you may have, pulled out the wires from the speakers,
grabbed an ethernet cable and pulled it all the way, just pure luck it did not pull the camera connected to it on the floor..

My first LG product, and absolutely and 100% certain my last even if I got one or ten for free.
Wrote it of, see if I can do better some day, with the parts.

There marketing is good, maybe they write their own reviews like Samsung.


Get used to it. Everything nowadays has a computer in it.

Tennis rackets. Stoves. Refrigerators. Telephones. Toilets.

Imagine when everything is online to "the internet of things." You'll spend most
of your life reprogramming, debuggung, repairing, or returning every lamp,
faucet, thermostat, and toaster oven in your house. Upgrade that blender code
from 0.12.313b 3.19.501a to fix some stack overflow vulnerability, when you'd
rather be making margueritas.

We bought a new kitchen stove ("gas cooker" in some places) and I wanted one
without digital controls. The computerized ones are everywhere and cost about
$500. The ones without computers are in the $2000 to $5000 range. Can you
imagine a worse environment for cheap electronics than in the top of a stove, or
a dishwasher?

We got an NXR for about $2K.

I also ripped out the programmable thermostat in the cabin and replaced it with
an analog one. Guests were always leaving the old one in all sorts of bizarre
modes and states.

Our Orec vacuum cleaner must be close to 10 years old and works fine. It needs a
new belt maybe once a year, but replacement is obvious.

Don't get me started about the controls on my Audi.


--

John Larkin Highland Technology Inc
www.highlandtechnology.com jlarkin at highlandtechnology dot com

Precision electronic instrumentation