Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.asus (
More info?)
nospam@needed.com (Paul) wrote:
>
>What is a bit puzzling about some of these problems, is with
>cameras, they generally have a 4 pin connector on their end.
>And the computer has a 6 pin connector on its end. The computer
>end is VP/VG (power pair), TPA+/-, TPB+/- (data pairs). The
>camera generally doesn't have the VP/VG, and the camera
>has to provide its own power during the transfer. If the camera
>was run with an AC adapter (wall wart), you would think there
>would be sufficient isolation via the transformer in the adapter,
>to avoid any kind of power related problem.
>
>If connecting a 6 pin to a 6 pin device, a poorly implemented
>interface on VP/VG can result in excess current flow between
>devices. The Asus end probably has a fuse, so that should prevent
>the computer PSU from becoming a "weapon of mass destruction".
>
>I would expect some problems could be caused if VP makes contact
>before the data pairs, and the data pins become reverse biased.
>A good connector design, where some of the pins make contact
>before the others, plus tight enough mechanical tolerances to
>prevent accidental contact possibilities, should greatly reduce
>port destruction. That leaves electrostatic discharge, and as long
>as the user is prevented from touching the data pins in normal
>use, that should go a long way to preventing a problem.
>
>I'm assuming in your case, that you've been using the motherboard's
>own Firewire connector, and not the connector that comes on the
>bracket. With those motherboard headers, it is always possible you
>could hook up the bracket wrong (off by one pin kind of thing),
>and it would be much easier to damage things that way, than by
>using the Firewire connector on the I/O stacks.
>
>About the only other test methods I can think of, to test an
>interface like this:
>
>1) Connect two computers via their Firewire ports. There is
> an option for Firewire networking, where two computers can
> be connected together, and that functions in place of
> Ethernet. This article describes some of the fun.
>
>http://www.tomshardware.com/howto/20040823/firewire-04.html
>
>2) In hardware-land, some devices are tested in the lab by doing
> a "loopback test". In this case, you would take a Firewire
> connector, and connect TPA+/- to TPB+/-. Then, the tough
> part, would be finding special software, to test that a signal
> sent on TPA is seen on TPB. I tried a search using loopback
> as a keyword, but didn't find any reference to this kind of
> thing being possible with Firewire.
>
>I wish I knew of a cheap test device, cheaper than plugging
>cameras into the computer's Firewire ports. (I did see a Firewire
>based card reader for $45, but that is the cheapest peripheral I've
>located so far.) Even Firewire disk drive enclosures are a bit too
>expensive to use as test devices.
>
>"Domino" failures do seem to happen, as described here:
>
>http://www.maymay.net/blog/archives/2004/11/02/firewire-failures-spread-like-wildfire
>
>Example of just a few frustrated users:
>
>http://www.camcorderinfo.com/bbs/printthread.php?t=87855&pp=40
>
> Paul
Thanks for all your input, Paul. Well, last night I went out and bought a PCMCIA firewire card for
my laptop and tried it with 2 cameras, and nothing. Running XP Pro SP1 on the laptop. So, I am
starting to suspect that something (motherboard port, cable) blew out the diode in both of my
cameras. However, I can still run an external hard drive on the firewire ports on the ASUS MB. I
have tried both the motherboard port, and the bracket port on my tests. I have triple checked that
the bracket is connected properly to the motherboard header and it is.
I have to find a way to see if any of my 2 cameras will work on another system. Since I just moved
a few months ago, don't have any local computer buddies around yet. I might try some computer shops
and see if they can check them for me.
Thanks again for all the input.
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