I've always been careful about static when grubbing around inside computers, changing out/upgrading hardware etc. Always touched the case before touching any card/module whether it's already inside, or sitting on the table.
Last night I was putting the side cover back on the server machine when, ZAP, a bolt shot out at least a quarter inch from my index finger to the computer's case. Killed the CPU right quick... as evidenced by my ssh connection being killed, no ssh could be reestablished, and a command to reboot was refused. Fans came on, indicator LEDs came on, but not a pixel on the monitor.
Oh well. It's been on my roundtuit list for awhile to swap out that old VIA-750Mhz w/512MB RAM running FreeBSD 7.0 for the "new" one: a VIA 1.5 Ghz w/2GB RAM which I was going to get all set up with FBSD 7.2 before putting it into service. As it is, I just swapped a line in rc.conf for the ethernet, deleted the old Xorg.conf file (onboard Chrome video on the new MB doesn't like a conf file for the old addon Matrox card), and everything works the same as before, except leafnode serves up the new headers twice as fast as before. That's nice. Anyway. I guess the moral of the story is "grounding" yourself to the computer case isn't such a good idea on those really, REALLY static-filled days.
-- "Additionally as a security officer, I carry a gun to protect government officials but my life isn't worth protecting at home in their eyes." Dick Anthony Heller
No idea except for "VERY low." weather.com used to have a calculator that would tell you what your indoor RH is based on outdoor RH, temp, and indoor temp. I can't seem to find that anymore.
A few products may be worthwhile to use regularly, or when working around sensitive assemblies.
Some type of Static-Gaurd liquid sprayed around on the chair, bench area, floor, clothing, hair and shoes can reduce static buildup. Avoid creating any sparks for a while afer this product is applied (don't hose yourself down, then ligh a smoke or candle, etc).
Boss comes in the CAD room holding a hard-to-get sample of a new device I'm drawing the schematic for. He starts explaining something and points to the device symbol on the 21" glass CRT screen and
SNAP,
the component in his hand is fried by its image on the screen. Those big CRT monitors built up a very substantial charge on the face of the glass.
At least I had a mechanical sample for the PC board layout. It was a difficult board, 1.5 GHz all over it.
Last Monday I thought I would print out a few pages for a friend that doesn't have net access. Hooked up my printer (normally setting off to the side, out of the way) and then hit the power strip for the computer. ZAP! Sounded just like a fuse blew, but the pilot light was still on for the outlet strip. After I collected my thoughts, tried powering up the computer. Keyboard error, no mouse, no serial port, no parallel port... but the hard drive, video, keyboard sorta work. Wasn't a bad keyboard, mouse, serial connection either.
I'm an old electronics tech... pulled the motherboard out, nothing obvious, was hoping to find a burned/open trace for signal ground maybe...
Ended up getting my old 486DX40 out running Win3.1x. It will have to do till I figure out something else. Think I'm going to try getting something used that I can try putting Umbunto on or some other form of Linux. I've been putting off learning Linux, time to get on with it I guess. I've been using a lot of Unix type programs/ports for years now anyway.
Not likely. MOS inputs are somewhat sensitive, but the inputs of your CPU chip are all connected to driver outputs that are very capable of absorbing surges (if you UNPLUG the CPU, this circumstance changes).
And think on the circumstance: a spark from your finger to the CASE? That isn't gonna do anything to items inside the case, at all.
Was this a static discharge from you to the power strip, or some unknown ZAP from powering it up?
From an Aug web page of mine: This VIA micro-ATX motherboard w/ integrated 1.5 Ghz C7-D CPU was $10.50 through eBay, shipping included. The 2 GB RAM was $20.38, shipping included, and the $16.98 power supply I'm waiting on (this board needs the 24-pin plug -- power supplies I have are all 20-pin) was also purchased through eBay, also, shipping included. So, grand total for the server "upgrade" (pretty much a whole new computer) - $47.86. Can't beat that!
Since servers run 24/7, I like the VIAs' low power consumption. CPU + PS + fans + HD draws 42 watts @ idle.
Ubuntu or more specifically Kubuntu is generally considered the easiest transition for Windows users. I hate KDE though, so put Xubuntu on my wife's computer. PCLinuxOS is also very user friendly. I don't like it as well (comes with KDE), but it's the distribution that "just worked" on the wireless card in our Acer laptop.
I first heard about it around '93, but it wasn't until '97 that I had a computer that could run it. After all, you needed FOUR MEGABYTES of RAM... (Anyway, I was pretty happy with PCGEOS at the time.)
Fabric softener is a good thing too. As I now realize, I was wearing a brand new flannel shirt that hadn't been laundered yet. No fabric softener within the matrix.
So maybe it was something on the motherboard that died then. All I know for sure is that the computer stopped working. The power supply was still good, but there was no POST.
To an open case, yes.
So you contend that it was just a coincidence. What are the odds that the computer would die at JUST that moment? The computer had been running 24/7 for
8 years, and it picked that moment to die. That kind of coincidence could win me the lottery. ;-)
Is it also your contention that lightning can't affect anything it doesn't strike directly?
Seems to me that if a proximate styrofoam cup can kill a semiconductor, a proximate discharge of a few thousand volts might be able to have some negative effect... but if you say it can't happen, I guess it must not have.
Steve Ackman fired this volley in news: snipped-for-privacy@sorceror.wizard.dyndns.org:
For years I was in the business of running a repair service for computers on an industrial scale. Our clients were medical billing offices.
I can cite a particular instance where a woman discharged to/from a metal printer cabinet. The spark ended up "eating" the printer, the terminal adjacent to it, and in the computer 40' away, the I/O boards for both the printer and the terminal. The only common paths among all those components were the chassis (protective) grounds.
Some sort of power-up problem. I've had the printer hooked up numerous times, but can't recall having the printer plugged in (to a different outlet via a three-prong adapter) and data cable hooked up before powering up the computers strip. The three prong cheater really shouldn't matter, unless there is something not-quite-right somewhere :) I'll have to check into that aspect, thought before trying that combo again.
The computer has had some strange quirks powering up right along, I kinda got use to them though seeing they didn't seem to change any. Haven't gotten around to seeing if the printer still works or not. It does power-up, but haven't hooked it to a known good parallel port yet. Doesn't really matter, in all my years working on electronic stuff I've yet to figure out a way to undo a zap or put the magic smoke back.
It was just an old Compaq Presario, AMD-K6 500mhz running WinNT4 and 98 (for USB). A friend gave it to me several years ago for doing a few favors. But it WAS working pretty well for the stuff I putz around with. Fastest computer I've ever used.
I'll probably try resurrecting it somehow after I pout for awhile. Got way too much stuff on the hard drive I don't want to part with and I know that part is still working okay. Your fix/build is cool if you have enough info and parts to scrounge from. I'm just a one man show anymore with very little budget. I already have enough white-elephants around that sounded like they should work but didn't quite.
We have a big electronics recycler in town that has a Thrift store. I'm going to try stopping by and see what kind of stuff they may have when I get a chance. Good a place as any to start I guess.
I'm pretty comfortable working from a prompt. Just have to find/learn a bunch of new utilities, tools, proggies to get back to what I am accustomed to being able to do.
Umbunto seems to have a pretty good following right now and seems like as good a place as any to start. Almost seems to be too many ~Linux choices nowadays, but I enjoy tinkering for the most part (shrug).
I heard about Linux around the same time but didn't really have any reason to try it. This machine (486DX40 16mb RAM) would have worked well back then. You really wouldn't want to know how many $$$$ I have invested in this old clunker through the years. Probably why I still have it :) Even the clock is keeping up again now that it gets powered up most every day. Awful slow though and the OS is far from being stable.
Just though you might take heart in knowing that someone else was having a bad week with their computer too.
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