In case it helps..... how I would proceed with this ‘patient’.....
1. I have a VPC board that I built myself and I would connect it to the core to test for damage to it. I can communicate with the core via USB as my DIY VPC contains a CP2102 USB-UART bridge. The Standard TAU GUI may be used to talk to the core.
See details of my DIY VPC in this thread......
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/thermal-imaging/thermal-camera-teardown-the-flir-tau-320-by-fraser/2. The damaged power and I/O PCB is showing a short on the power rail. This could be in the TVS diode, LDO regulator or an inter power plane short in the PCB itself. The visibly damaged components should be carefully removed and the PCB power plane checked for shorts. Hopefully none will be present but parts of the power plane may have gone open circuit if any feed through shave burnt away. There is pcb overheating damage clearly visible near to the LDO regulator. Remove any and all power rails shorts by whatever means is best.
3. Once the damaged PCB no longer presents a short across the power rails, and all damaged components have been removed, it is time to carry out continuity checks from the known pinout of the 10 pin connector to the various damaged component pads. This will identify the purpose of the components. It would also be good to carry out continuity from the TAU core connector to the damaged components, if any.
4. Once the power rails have been clearly identified I would apply 5V current limited to 500mA to just the power input of the board (without the core connected) and then to the output pin pad of the LDO regulator. There should not be an over current situation. If there is an over current situation, another component has failed. Check the USB-UART for self heating as it may have been damaged if the LDO regulator went short, input to output. If no over current situation occurs we can move on.
5. Connector the damaged PCB to the core and apply a well regulated 5V current limited power supply to the output pin pad of the LDO Regulator. Set the current limit to 1A. Switch on the power to the PCB and core. Listen for the FFC shutter operating. If it does. The core has completed boot which is very good news ! If the FFC shutter does not operate, the core may have suffered damage.
6. If the FFC shutter can be heard, connect the USB control cable and see if the VUE cab be accessed by the GUI. This assumes that one of the removed components was not in the USB data path ! Hopefully not.
7. If the FFC shutter is working, use a monitor plus test lead or oscilloscope to probe the video lines in the damaged PCB. If there is a video buffer chip and it was one of the chops removed, you will need to probe on the Core connector side of its pads. Hopefully video will be present as the buffer is not essential and is just a protection stage for the core.
I will stop here as that is enough to be going on with for now.
Fraser