The PIC does not start its program.

[Ted's]

Check the 2 pins of the board with PIC removed for capacitance, I would bet it is loading down the PIC's OSC until it does not work. Why would it run once ? Maybe in initializing it gets more power than after it starts. I am thinking there is such low impedance on the OSC circuit that it does not run.

I do not know how to do that practically.

[skimask]

Why would it run once ?

Because that's the way his program is written...

Get the basics going first.

But the circuit/program is so far beyond the basics!!!

AND SKI, it's not just the sugar that will decay your teeth, the acid from your saliva will eat through the enamal and calcium, so use a calcium replacing toothpaste. I personally like the green lollipops best

And I'm sure it's not doing the wires and brackets any good either (I wish there was a little green smiley face with braces out there somewhere)

[Ted's]

The circuitry is actually far beyond basics. There is even a IR receiver + software decoding included aswell as some other modern items.

I excluded anything being unimportant for this issue.

[skimask]

The circuitry is actually far beyond basics. There is even a IR receiver + software decoding included as well as some other modern items.

See! What did I say! It's so very complicated! IR receivers...firmware decoding... So much going on!

But...like anything else...
If the car won't start, how do you know the automatic transmission will upshift or the anti-lock brakes actually work?

[Darrel Taylor]

I think you've certainly covered the bases on what NOT to do with a PC board.



Throw that one out. Get a new soldering iron, some 60/40 solder, some liquid flux, and a large pencil eraser. And try again.

[Darrel Taylor]

Also, from the 2 indentations on the melted transistor, it looks like you are soldering with something like this ...



You really need something smaller. A 40W pencil type will do.

[skimask]

I think you've certainly covered the bases on what NOT to do with a PC board.
....
Throw that one out. Get a new soldering iron, some 60/40 solder, some liquid flux, and a large pencil eraser. And try again.

It might've been easier to show the GOOD solder joints and the 'finer' points of this PCB.
Nothing like a properly tinned, properly cleaned, fully dewetted pad with a proper concave fillet between the lead and the pad connecting the 2 parts...
I saved those 4 pictures and I sent them to the instructors at the 2M-CCR class I took last year as examples of what NOT to do.
(BTW - I saw 2 pads that would pass at that 2M-CCR course as 'acceptable' in the upper left corner of the 3rd picture, the rest....fail.)

[Ted's]

Darrel Taylor, it is much better to circle them on the picture instead of cutting them out.

As you are admin, I want you to increase the maximum picture size to 4MB for me to be able to upload high quality pictures.