Re: blown Gecko - shorted output ?

Just to put the ground issue to rest, the circuti breaker box has 2
lines 1/4 inch alum comming from the internal ground buss out. one
to the house plumbing, the other to an actual ground rod.


I haven't tried as yet, but will check the voltage between the DC
neutral and the chassis/AC ground.

what bugs the S&*t out of me is that I have one drive in and running
as happy as a clam. with a Star power configuration the DC power
leads are about a foot long, and I am using the 470uF/50V caps on the
inputs.

I put on a new drive, new wire, and pop. didn't even get out of the
gate. the other drive is still going, I'm going to call it the
Energizer Gecko.

I've been reading up on the Xylotex as I have one ready to burn up,
er.. try.

is it possible that the parallel port cable could be a problem ? it
is the only thing I have not considdered. I assume the opto
isolations are just powering LED's so that they could not reach into
the board itself.


And I did find what is showing signs. There are no burned traces so
high current is not ripping across the board.

The floating radial cap shows signs of a burnt board connecton. the
end where it connects to the axial cap looks fine.

and the only other teltale problem is the last resistor in the row
opposite the connector. bead center of the board, next to the edge.

I would never have thought I needed bullet proof drives, but now,
this axis has cost me way more than I would expect a drive to cost.

Glad that Mariss got is new pick and place machine so we will be able
to get those new drives his has on the planning board.

um... I wonder if he is taking future orders...

Dave

<snip> it was getting too long anyway....