[SiriusHardware]

On the basis of post #91 alone there is no short between pin 7 and pin 8 just now and the different Mohm readings in each direction are acceptable because you are measuring through a semiconductor device in two different directions (not just that one device, but the other 8-9 which are on the CLK1 line).

The reading of well under 1 ohm you reported in #89 - where did that come from, the same two pins? If the answer to that is yes we can only assume that short is intermittent.

Try doing as Mark1960 / ajgriff suggested. Take two strands of insulated wire maybe a foot long and bare 2mm at one end of each wire and about 2-3 inches at the other end of each piece of wire. 'Tin' the 2mm bared ends - (coat them with some solder).

Solder the bared and tinned 2mm end of one piece of wire to the pad of UG5 pin 8 on the underside of the PCB, and solder the 2mm end of the other piece of wire to the pad of UG5 pin 7 on the underside of the PCB.

Take the other ends of the wires, the 2-3 inch bared ends, and wrap one wire end tightly round one of your meter probes, and wrap the other wire end tightly around your other meter probe.

Now turn the meter on and it will constantly show you the resistance reading between those two IC pins without you having to hold the probes in place with your hands.

With your hands now free, you can go around carefully flexing, bending and pressing the PCB to see if that short comes and goes. It may help to put the meter into 'continuity' mode where, whenever there is a short between the probes, it makes a continuous beep sound, so you would be trying to find out whereabouts you have to press or flex the PCB to make the beep stop.