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IndustryArena Forum > MetalWorking Machines > Haas Machines > Haas Mills > Static Electricity and a USB port
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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Posts
    1389

    Static Electricity and a USB port

    Has anyone had this problem?
    Its definately static electricity comeing off my nylon Jacket or clothes or chair that I sit my ass in.

    when I put the usb port in if I dont first touch metal It sparks and shuts the machine down, then I have to just how the restart power up button.

    gives me all kinds of communication errors as well.

    So how do I fix it so it doesnt do that? I am sure its not a good thing

    Delw

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Posts
    0
    Hello Delw
    First I agree it is not good and can be damaging to your usb interface chip.
    It could well be static, are you on or walk across plastic based carpet, as this is a source of static.
    Static is not always the cause of sparks.
    I had a similar problem and had to fit a new usb board as I had blown the on board chips.
    It took me some time to work out why, simple! when found.
    It turned out to be a Earth loop problem (all my equipment was not plugged in to the same supply outlet)
    When this was corrected no more sparks and no more failures.
    The loop voltages were tracked to induction voltages using a Oscilloscope( in the hundreds of volts).
    I had a bank of Large disk (8 inch)drives pluged in to a different power outlet.
    Yes I am still retrieving data from 80s techno.
    I hope this helps
    Trev

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Posts
    2083
    Hi Delw ,

    the nearest I 've had was back in the mid 80's
    when static discharge to the control panel on a AMPEX VPR2 vt machine would
    switch the machine to ready
    we just sprayed the carpets with a antistatic spray

    so you could stop wearing man made fibres

    or make a dummy usb plug with no internal connections but with
    a metal outer shell connected to the machines earth
    possibly via a 1m resistor ( 1000000 ohms)
    this will help to keep the socket clean and ensure you discharge any static

    John

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Posts
    24216
    It was happening to me 50% of the time, I cured it by first making a good contact with one hand held to the metallic PC case, it normally should be at ground potential, at the same time inserting the USB drive etc.
    Easy fix.
    Al.
    CNC, Mechatronics Integration and Custom Machine Design

    “Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.”
    Albert E.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Posts
    2083
    yes Al your way is plan A if you always remember

    my way is plan B if you don't

    John

  6. #6
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Posts
    183
    Used to happen to me all the time. Tech couldn't really figure out what was going on-wanted to replace the entire display board.

    I just make sure to ground myself on the fold down tray/door thing that's bolted to the bottom of the control prior to inserting the USB.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Posts
    0
    I have a home built CNC router running Mach3. I had a job cutting and Mach3 stopped with the RESET button flashing. I could see no reason why. When it happened again today I couldn't reset the error so I reached for the router to turn it off and felt a static discharge. Then I could reset the error. I did some turning on and off the router and it seemed to mesh with when I could/could not reset the error state. Is anyone else experiencing this? Would grounding the router table to earth stop the problem? Thanks for any help!

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