PS3117-S17 help me find the shorted component

[gameboybin]

I have this SSD with Phison PS3117-S17 Controller that tested on PC3000 gives all lights like a crhistmas tree. Which I believe the SSD is shorted. However i cannot seem to find where the short is.
Can you guys help me out! Many thanks!

SSD

Voltages

Many thanks!

[fzabkar]

5V is present at the input, and 3.3V and 1.8V are present at the outputs. Where is the Vcore supply for the controller? That should be around 1V. Could that be the 0.9V I can see at the PS6117-40 PMIC?

Last edited by fzabkar on December 8th, 2025, 22:25, edited 1 time in total.

[gameboybin]

5V is present at the input, and 3.3V and 1.8V are present at the outputs. Where is the Vcore supply for the controller? That should be around 1V.

Can you point out where can i measure Vcore??

[fzabkar]

5V is present at the input, and 3.3V and 1.8V are present at the outputs. Where is the Vcore supply for the controller? That should be around 1V.

Can you point out where can i measure Vcore??

Sorry, your reply crossed with my edit. The PS6117-40 PMIC has 1x buck converter and 1x LDO regulator. Perhaps 0.9V is the LDO output for the Vcore supply, in which case there do not appear to be any shorted supplies.

Is there anything on the other side of the PCB? I can't believe that Vcore can be supplied by a puny LDO.

[gameboybin]

5V is present at the input, and 3.3V and 1.8V are present at the outputs. Where is the Vcore supply for the controller? That should be around 1V.

Can you point out where can i measure Vcore??

Sorry, your reply crossed with my edit. The PS6117-40 PMIC has 1x buck converter and 1x LDO regulator. Perhaps 0.9V is the LDO output for the Vcore supply, in which case there do not appear to be any shorted supplies.

Is there anything on the other side of the PCB? I can't believe that Vcore can be supplied by a puny LDO.

There is nothing on the other side

[fzabkar]

Measure the voltages on the tiny bypass capacitors around the controller. You should find Vcore and Vio.

[gameboybin]

Measure the voltages on the tiny bypass capacitors around the controller. You should find Vcore and Vio.

Here are the voltages around the controller

[fzabkar]

All looks good to me. It looks like this is the cheapest possible configuration.

[gameboybin]

Welp. still have no idea what is wrong with it :"(

[fzabkar]

Have you tried Safe/ROM mode?

[gameboybin]

Have you tried Safe/ROM mode?

Yeah safe ROM mode works on normal PC, and on PC3000 Express
but not in PC3000 Portable. So i'm questioning my device now

[Lardman]

All the SATA registers on in PC3K in itself doesn't indicate a short - you can get the same if you just power a drive with no SATA data connected. If you suspect something like that check the power profile rather than the lights. No idea why you're getting differing results in express / portable though.

[bobarod]

Yeah safe ROM mode works on normal PC, and on PC3000 Express
but not in PC3000 Portable. So i'm questioning my device now

Try to check/replace Portable Sata/Power cable.