On 30/10/2012 08:25, Andrew Back wrote:
The Adapteva website says these are "324-ball 15x15mm flip-chip BGA" [1] but doesn't mention the pitch? Perhaps it's implicit — my knowledge of BGA devices goes as far as appreciating that they are difficult for hobbyists to work with.
I wouldn't be put off this. There are many back-street workshops that routinely remove, re-ball and resolder BGAs on laptop motherboards, without damaging any of the adjacent devices. Worst case, you could employ one of these. PCB manufacturing houses often do assembly, the board house I use would cost you about £20 each to put 8 devices down professionally. I have a SMD preheater and hot air rig which I do QFN and small BGA in the "shack" at the bottom of the garden, so I follow the "get on an solder it" brigade.
As for testing, I would stick with a JTAG boundary scan (what it was designed for) rathet than x-raying as x-rays can damage certain technologies.
HTH, Jason