Joe Smith wrote: > I plugged my USB memory stick in the other night, and instantly froze my > FC5 system. I mean bang--dead. jdow replied: > Heh, relative humidity and static electricity voltage might also make a > difference. > > That sure sounds like he plugged in when there was a huge static potential > between him with the memory stick and the computer. I'm not disagreeing with you, but the USB standard is *supposed* to handle that. The metal surround to the USB plug is supposed to make first contact with the PC, and contact a metal surround in the USB socket. Both are supposed to be grounded, and this is supposed to handle any static (or at least equalise any potential). The USB plug and socket are designed so that (if everything is working properly) this physically has to happen before the power or data connecters inside the plug make contact with the socket. So, if your assumption is correct, either the USB plugs were substandard in the first place, or enough current flowed to blow a fuse or break something else. Is the system a laptop or a desktop? Was it connected to the mains through a grounded power supply? Hope this helps, James. -- E-mail: james@ | John's Inverse Law of Physics: aprilcottage.co.uk | You do Physics -- you get inverted.
