> Last summer we were having trouble with a noisy disc drive,
> an HP C3010, in
> the process of determining the problem the CE removed the
> drive from the
> system.  Normal enough, except that the drive side of the
> power connector
> came right off the drive....
>
> That was then.  This is now.  Today we had to replace a tape drive,
> coincidentally in the same unit that we had replaced the disc
> last summer.
> All went well, until reconnecting everything we noticed that the power
> connector had come off the new (relatively) disc drive
> exactly as it had
> last summer.  Different CE, also good with a soldering iron.

A common contributing factor to these problems is that people disconnect the
device by "wiggling" the power connector on the cable out of the connector
mounted on the device. The connectors are designed for straight-in
connection and straight-out disconnection. Many (most?) of them do not make
any actual mechanical connection to the circuit board, i.e. a clamped pin or
strap or something. Instead, they are held on by the soldering of the fat
power pins through the board. Repeated connect/disconnect by wiggling the
connector in/out eventually causes the pins to break free of the soldered
joint. The more a device is connected and disconnected improperly, the
sooner it will fail.

Of course, it would help if it were a little easier to actually pull the
connector straight out....


Steve Dirickson   WestWin Consulting
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