Thread: My brief take on the N900
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jjx is offline jjx
2009-11-29 , 03:20
Posts: 474 | Thanked: 283 times | Joined on Oct 2009 @ Oxford, UK
#19
Originally Posted by Texrat View Post
Yesterday when I removed the charger cable from the device, the female USB connector came out with it. Sooo... no more charging for now, and certainly no more connecting to other devices via USB. I am sure I'll be returning the device to the Maemo team soon for investigation.

I must add that prior to this incident, the cord had been yanked violently by a moving chair and the device pulled from a low surface onto a wooden floor. Obviously this severely weakened the solder joints, so I certainly recommend caution (as always) with devices connected to cables of any kind.
That's a good reason to not solder external connectors directly to the mainboard, but have a small flexible cable between the mainboard the connectors. So that yanks, and regular daily insertion and removal the like don't fracture the solder joints.

I am surprised that the USB connector is not partially moulded into the casing.

If a violent yank on the cord can do that so soon after getting the device, and the connector is not firmly held in place by the casing, chances are a few years of daily insertion and removal will fracture the joints on some unfortunates' devices.

I had a similar problem with my old laptop, where I had to solder the power connector back to the motherboard several times after it first broke. Eventually I put a few mm of flexible cable between them, and there was no more problem.
 

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