James Wilkinson wrote:
I'm not disagreeing with you, but the USB standard is *supposed* to handle that [static discharge]. ... 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.
My guess is option 1. The problem with a low-cost consumer standard like USB is that everybody cuts corners to save 0.2 cents per unit. I guess it's still better than $60 SCSI cables.
Is the system a laptop or a desktop? Was it connected to the mains through a grounded power supply?
It's a white-box desktop, low-mid-range metal case. Maybe the metal shield on the socket isn't in contact with the case as you described. I certainly never checked that when I put it together.
The plugs are all three-prong but it's an old house and I can't say that I've ever tested the ground connections.
<Joe
