bearisgray

Specifically, I was wondering what happens -

do connections break? does plastic melt? do components fall off? do the parts corrode somehow? does the programming "disappear" - and if it does, how does it disappear"

NZquilter

Personally, I've had enough of computerized sewing machines. Vintage machines that I can service and repair myself are all that I will use now. I hope you can find a repairman though! Best of luck!

bkay

The way I understand it, a lot of the electronic components are magnetic. Everything stored in a computer is stored in pluses and minuses. So, with time the nasty metals and chemicals that are combined to store those pluses and minuses lose their magnetism and their ability to pass the information to the next component.

If you can find someone who can repair a board, they un-solder the component on the board and replace it with a new one. Like I mentioned earlier, some of the more advanced boards are produced in vacuums or other sterile environments that a guy in a shop can't replicate.

Many of the newly designed boards contain the same components that were designed years ago and are still being made. They are just put together in a different way or in a different environment. They are combined with newly designed components to make a new board for a new application. So, the failed component may very well be available, just not the board.

I want everyone to know that I'm repeating what I've been told and do not have any direct knowledge of electronics. I had a lady who worked for me who used to be a technician at Texas Instruments. We discussed the boards in sewing machines and the ability to repair them on several occasions. I'm repeating what I think she said.

bkay

sJens

My Bernina kept getting hotter and hotter and then would shut down. The dealer said the mother board would have to be replaced as it was still on warranty it was replaced free so can't tell you the cost but for a Bernina $$$$$

OurWorkbench

I think you might be thinking of "Kenn's Place" and if so, from what I have read, he may have passed away. He also had a ebay store. His youtube videos are just showing machines that he has fixed. He tells about the board in one of his videos. From my understanding, he had instructions for sale. Predominately it was for the Pfaff 1200 class machines, at least that was what I was looking for when I read about him.

Janey - Neat people never make the exciting discoveries I do.

Aurora

Although I have a newer machine in a closet, my sewing room consists of only vintage machines, some older than I am. They are always ready and dependable.

Jo Anne B.

Waiting for this fateful day... My service person gives me the disclaimer every time I take in my Pfaff 2044 for service. There is the possibility that the servicing will trigger the demise of the motherboard and there is no replacing, the machine will be dead.
My machine is a 2003 model, 14 yrs old. RE: My motherboard has a life expectancy of 10-15 yrs. Oh Ugh!

rryder

This is why I won't spend thousands of dollars for one of the new machines...

Rob

Mimiqwerty

About 5 years ago, when the motherboard went on the fritz on my beloved Pfaff1475, my DH found a guy online who was selling a DVD of the electronic schematics of the Pfaff 1475 for a reasonable price. I think there were other Pfaff models on the DVD, too. We took a chance and ordered it. My electrical engineer DH was able to repair the board--but it took three tries to get all the buttons, stitches, and gizmos to work correctly. What I'm saying is, check online to see if someone has electrical/electronic schematics for your machine.

Sleepy Hollow

It all depends, so much can go with electronics...

You could have an overcurrent incident that "lets the smoke out" of a part. A diode can go bad (it happens), a soldering joint can become loose and lose the electrical connection, a little corrosion can cause the resistance to be too high. Dust could build up, and with exposure to moisture, oil, small metallic particles, etc, could become conductive between two parts of the circuit, shorting them together. They could also overheat, damaging the internal components.
Depending on how the memory is stored/used, it can become corrupted, overheating of a chip may damage the memory storage, electricity in the wrong spot could cause it to be erased. There could be an error in part of a loop that won't allow the rest of the program to run (often caused by Gremlins). Programs can be insane, and one little glitch can easily make everything crash.