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H/PC Philosopher Posts: | 406 |
Location: | Indiana, USA | Status: | |
| Rich Hawley - 2005-07-26 7:54 AM
Plugging in the power adapter...with a nagging feeling something was not quite right. Confirming it 10 seconds later as you hear a popping sound and smell that telltale odor of something burning and then realizing that you used an older higher voltage ac (not dc ) transformer that you had been meaning to get rid of for a long time but kept putting it off.
Rich 
My old 660LX did this while using the correct adapter. As one of my college math professors once said, "computers won't work, after you let the magic white smoke out." My 660LX lost its magic white smoke. Ironically, the pop, sizzle, smell and smoke only came out of the display. I can actually access the unit via AS from my desktop--not that it does me any good. |
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Administrator H/PC Oracle Posts: | 17,991 |
Location: | United Kingdom | Status: | |
| That's just what happened to Clint's 720 'Pinkie' |
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| Mounting an MP780 to the steering wheel using velcro, and firing up Garmap. It is a very quick way to get dizzy at night, and frustrated during the day!  |
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H/PC Elite Posts: | 566 |
Location: | Farnham, Surrey, United Kingdom | Status: | |
| For me, Showing how good wireless internet was in an Open Field and Forgetting to Top-up my Sim Card 
Nick |
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Administrator H/PC Oracle Posts: | 17,991 |
Location: | United Kingdom | Status: | |
| ROFL! Hilarious!!  |
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H/PC Oracle Posts: | 16,175 |
Location: | Budapest, Hungary | Status: | |
| KBoyKool - 2005-07-26 7:33 PM
My old 660LX did this while using the correct adapter. As one of my college math professors once said, "computers won't work, after you let the magic white smoke out." My 660LX lost its magic white smoke. Ironically, the pop, sizzle, smell and smoke only came out of the display. I can actually access the unit via AS from my desktop--not that it does me any good.
i don't understand.. what was that smoke???  can it be avoided somehow?... |
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H/PC Oracle Posts: | 16,175 |
Location: | Budapest, Hungary | Status: | |
| C:Amie - 2005-07-26 8:03 PM
That's just what happened to Clint's 720 'Pinkie'
how?! 
ok, back to topic...
i certainly did some dumb things with my HPC's, but can't remember any now i'll try to dig something out  Edited by cmonex 2005-07-26 6:57 PM
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H/PC Vanguard Posts: | 2,579 |
Location: | The Lone Star State | Status: | |
| JulioAngelOrtiz - 2005-07-26 10:42 AM
Trying to do the ROM upgrade on the old HP Jornada 680, getting mad because the one screw won't come out from the bottom of the keyboard, and then thinking you can just pry it open a little bit. What you're left with is an upgraded Jornada with a slightly elevated keyboard because it wont snap back in just right. And it annoyed the $##@ out of you.
LOL  |
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| It's a hardware joke, Cmonex.
It goes like this: The secret to microchips is the magic blue or white smoke they use. (depends on whether it came from Japan or Taiwan, the latter uses cheaper white smoke ) It is kept under high pressure and sealed inside the chips. If the magic smoke gets out, the chip stops working. 
In the case above, an AC output adapter was used. That is one where the plug puts out a lower voltage, say 12v, but it is AC and not DC. Many newer products use this now, with the rectifier built in and just a 'dumb' transformer for a wall wart. But if you feed alternating current to a device that is expecting direct current.. You fry the onboard electronics. And when electronics fry, smoke comes out.. And the device stops working.
That is the magic smoke. |
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H/PC Oracle Posts: | 16,175 |
Location: | Budapest, Hungary | Status: | |
| Zapper - 2005-07-27 2:57 AM
It's a hardware joke, Cmonex.
It goes like this: The secret to microchips is the magic blue or white smoke they use. (depends on whether it came from Japan or Taiwan, the latter uses cheaper white smoke ) It is kept under high pressure and sealed inside the chips. If the magic smoke gets out, the chip stops working.
In the case above, an AC output adapter was used. That is one where the plug puts out a lower voltage, say 12v, but it is AC and not DC. Many newer products use this now, with the rectifier built in and just a 'dumb' transformer for a wall wart. But if you feed alternating current to a device that is expecting direct current.. You fry the onboard electronics. And when electronics fry, smoke comes out.. And the device stops working.
That is the magic smoke.
yep.. i heard about it.. i understand what you're saying about AC and DC, but KBoyKool said he used the *correct* adapter!!! |
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| It is likely that something else is the culprit. Like a failing inverter for the backlight, or the CCFL light itself. The sudden jolt of current from the adapter after it's been slow-cooking on battery power might have been too much for it. Quite similar to what happens when you flick a light switch on and the lamp suddenly dies. Inrush current overloads an already failing part. |
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H/PC Oracle Posts: | 16,175 |
Location: | Budapest, Hungary | Status: | |
| thanks for the explanation.. i take it you know a lot about these things, don't you? |
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| cmonex - 2005-07-26 9:55 PM thanks for the explanation..
Glad to be of assistance, ma'am.
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H/PC Vanguard Posts: | 2,579 |
Location: | The Lone Star State | Status: | |
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| Yoldering - 2005-07-26 11:14 PM
What does it say on the FCC/UL tag on the back under INPUT field?
How many volts?
How many amps?
Is it center-positive?
Does it contain Li-Ion or NiMH? |
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