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Watch out!  USB micro connectors are flimsy

Former Member

After 5 days and about 20 mate/demates, my uart/usb micro usb connector fell off.  It looks like the board manufacturer tried to epoxy it down for more support... But it didn't work.  What are my chances of getting an RMA?

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  • 0

    Thank you for starting this thread! We use ZedBoards in a University environment, and we currently have 5 out of 50 boards with stripped-off USB connectors.

    Altera/Arrow's competition, the SoCKit, now has a reinforcement bar across the microUSBs, with a warning that users of earlier versions of the board need to be VERY careful and users of the current board should absolutely not remove or tamper with the reinforcement bar.

    I apologize for the rant, but the microUSB connectors on the ZedBoard and the original SoCKit qualify for Design News's "Designed by Monkeys" column.

    The best way to play the hand we are dealt may be to leave two of the female USB to male microUSB pigtails (one is provided with the ZedBoard) plugged in at all times, making all temporary connections/disconnections on the distal ends of these pigtails. I am also looking into additional expoxy or hot glue or other ideas for reinforcement, and I am WIDE open to constructive suggestions.

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  • 0

    Thank you for starting this thread! We use ZedBoards in a University environment, and we currently have 5 out of 50 boards with stripped-off USB connectors.

    Altera/Arrow's competition, the SoCKit, now has a reinforcement bar across the microUSBs, with a warning that users of earlier versions of the board need to be VERY careful and users of the current board should absolutely not remove or tamper with the reinforcement bar.

    I apologize for the rant, but the microUSB connectors on the ZedBoard and the original SoCKit qualify for Design News's "Designed by Monkeys" column.

    The best way to play the hand we are dealt may be to leave two of the female USB to male microUSB pigtails (one is provided with the ZedBoard) plugged in at all times, making all temporary connections/disconnections on the distal ends of these pigtails. I am also looking into additional expoxy or hot glue or other ideas for reinforcement, and I am WIDE open to constructive suggestions.

Children
  • 0 in reply to Former Member

    I have a MicroZed and I haven't heard of any problems with the USB, ethernet or JTAG cables. However, being an engineer, I presume that sooner or later I will accidentally yank the cables sufficiently hard that the connectors are damaged.

    One technique uses standoffs to mount the MicroZed on another metal (or wood, or plastic, or FR4) sheet, then to tie a loop in the cables to a hole in that sheet.

    Another is to attach a standoff that rises above the board, attach a P-clip to the standoff, and loop the cables through the P-clip.

    Strain from yanking the cables will not be transmitted to the connectors. It won't, of course, stop the board from being damaged by flying across the room, but it is an "low-hanging 80%" solution.