How to make USB ports more zap resistant?

How does that help when a powered hub costs as much as a PCI USB card and has ports that are just as vulnerable to zapping as the card's?

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is this with various USB devices or one in particular? I have yet to do harm to any USB port, on even my oldest machine. All kinds of different devices- DC's, printers, keyboard/mice, speakers, sound devices, USB LAN converters etc.

.... | in parallel. Is there anything I can change or add to protect USB | ports better? Does it help to use tantalum or low ESR aluminum ....

Use a powered hub.

Tantalum caps are inclined to explode.

John

Because a powered hub can support a higher load per port than a PCI/Onboard USB card.

That's a mischaracterization.

When they *fail*, they tend to 'splode. But they don't tend to fail if the application is appropriate...

/daytripper

similar to this one,

Ed

Get the same effect with liquid fabric softener one part to four parts water in a spray bottle.

Works great, smells great. :)

| How does that help when a powered hub costs as much as a PCI USB card | and has ports that are just as vulnerable to zapping as the card's?

What is zapping these? This seems to be unusual? Is the grounding OK on your systems?

The NEC card's port blew when I tried a thumb drive, the ALi card with a Netgear wireless LAN adapter. Neither of those devices was damaged.

Everything is grounded to earth, and I ground the USB connector to the computer case just before plugging it into the port.

I'm in Arizona and haven't used any heat yet, and the indoor humidity was 20% even when it was 4% outdoors (measured with wet and dry bulb thermometers). I'm sure that the zaps weren't from high voltage (I touch metal to metal before plugging anything in) but from high current.

It's winter time in the Great White North. -35'C overnight but it has warmed up all the way to -22'C so far this afternoon.

I hate this time of the year because I have to deal with all the friends, friends-of-friends, etc., who fry keyboards, mice, PS/2 ports, and USB ports simply by sitting down to use their computer in a room with 15% relative humidity.

Doesn't matter how often you warn them to use a humidifier. The knowledge /you/ have acquired over the years means nothing to them until /after/ they fry something. At which point they wonder why you never warned them about it before.

| It's winter time in the Great White North. -35'C overnight but | it has warmed up all the way to -22'C so far this afternoon. | | I hate this time of the year because I have to deal with all the | friends, friends-of-friends, etc., who fry keyboards, mice, PS/2 | ports, and USB ports simply by sitting down to use their computer | in a room with 15% relative humidity. | | Doesn't matter how often you warn them to use a humidifier. The | knowledge /you/ have acquired over the years means nothing to | them until /after/ they fry something. At which point they | wonder why you never warned them about it before.

Radio Shack used to sell 'Anti Static Spray' which, AFAIK, was a detergent solution you sprayed on the carpet. Also, ISTR some sort of grounding pad you could get which you touched before touching the computer. I suppose some sort of USB spike suppressor is possible but I haven't seen one so far.

Even in the Lower Mainland, BC, it's -6 C. We don't care for that sort of thing in Lotus Land. Even the freaks are staying indoors.

Wow, -6 degrees. I feel sorry for you folks; must be terrible! Shall we send emergency aid? :)

Come and visit Winnipeg. -29 now (mid afternoon; with -34 forecast for tonight. And that doesn't include the windchill... with it it will drop to the mid -40's :

Seriously though, if the OP lost two usb ports in as many weeks, I'd be guessing that he's either extremely unlucky, or more likely should be looking at what he's plugging into them.

Ken

....and you don't buy shit. They do get grumpy when inserted backwards though. That was the real problem thirty years ago. Tants are expensive though and thus the cheaper leaking aluminums.

When it gets as cold as it has been today, it is not unusual to have 80% r.h. outdoors, but 10% to 15% indoors if a humidifier is not used. You drink a *lot* of water when you visit someone who doesn't use a humidifier.

At such places, it is not unusual to see huge freaking blue-white sparks fly if you walk across a carpet and then reach out towards something grounded.

Dogs learn quickly to stay away from children. ;-)

No no need to panic. The cold spell has ended and it is raining and 6 degrees out. Luckily the rain is now melting that snow we had. We have bylaws outlawing snow here. Snow is for the rest of the country. We don't allow it here.

Only fools and my brother and sister live in Winterpeg. There is a reason it is called winterpeg.

Just for grins, how do you handle your plumbing to keep it from freezing?