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The N900 is now 15 years old! (8)
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2010-03-09
, 15:18
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Posts: 11,700 |
Thanked: 10,045 times |
Joined on Jun 2006
@ North Texas, USA
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#1032
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Originally Posted by bockersjv
I realize it's easy to miss explanations in a big thread like this so I'll repeat (with additional detail):
My Microusb has pulled away from the motherboard and you could see the orange motherboard tracks still attached to the socket, so if anything I suppose the solder is too strong as when it fails it rips from the MB which makes economical repair unviable
- no such thing as "solder being too strong". If done properly solder joints actually form an alloy between the solder and two connected materials and is by design meant to be as resistant to breakage as possible.
- in the expected life of these products, there should be no "expected hard failure mode" for this connector. Soft failure is a different story, and would involve damage to the internals (like breaking the plastic tab inside).
- the problem here is not solder but the copper plating. It is coming free of the printed circuit board (PCB) much too easily.
The root cause fault is most likely with the PCB manufacturer, not Nokia (materials suppliers are supposed to guarantee their products' quality). However, I'm still of the opinion Nokia made a bad decision going with a surface mount connector. Even with copper plating issues, we would probably never have seen this defect with a through-hole mount.
__________________
Nokia Developer Champion
Different <> Wrong | Listen - Judgment = Progress | People + Trust = Success
My personal site: http://texrat.net
Nokia Developer Champion
Different <> Wrong | Listen - Judgment = Progress | People + Trust = Success
My personal site: http://texrat.net
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2010-03-09
, 15:23
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Posts: 62 |
Thanked: 8 times |
Joined on Jan 2010
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#1033
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do not make your phones in korea next time Nokia
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2010-03-09
, 15:38
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Posts: 59 |
Thanked: 28 times |
Joined on Oct 2009
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#1034
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Originally Posted by Texrat
Hmm although some copper came off in my case some places on the connector had no solder at all, which as you correctly say, shouldn't really happen, so I think its a bad solder which resulted on more stress on the copper which then came off the board in some places. I should have got those pictures then I could highlight this. Its in the post now, as I thought Nokia might want to inspect the connector to devise the failure mode, probably not economically viable to do that though.
I realize it's easy to miss explanations in a big thread like this so I'll repeat (with additional detail):
- no such thing as "solder being too strong". If done properly solder joints actually form an alloy between the solder and two connected materials and is by design meant to be as resistant to breakage as possible.
- in the expected life of these products, there should be no "expected hard failure mode" for this connector. Soft failure is a different story, and would involve damage to the internals (like breaking the plastic tab inside).
- the problem here is not solder but the copper plating. It is coming free of the printed circuit board (PCB) much too easily.
The root cause fault is most likely with the PCB manufacturer, not Nokia (materials suppliers are supposed to guarantee their products' quality). However, I'm still of the opinion Nokia made a bad decision going with a surface mount connector. Even with copper plating issues, we would probably never have seen this defect with a through-hole mount.
I agree with you that it appears to be a marginal design which has highlighted this minor manufacturing flaw had they beefed the mounting up a bit it probably wouldn't matter if the solder wasn't quite perfect (or the copper pads if that is the problem). It is always gonna be hard to get a big bit of metal like that to solder perfectly to the board, it should have been secured some other way. I am sure it won't be just Nokia suffering from problems mounting these MicroUSB connectors, expect to see problems with many manufacturers as they all move to the european standard, most will surface mount there connectors like this.
Open source connector design anybody?
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2010-03-09
, 15:49
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Posts: 857 |
Thanked: 1,206 times |
Joined on Dec 2009
@ Chertsey in the Thames, United Kingdom
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#1035
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I still think it would be better if the MicroUSB was either attached to the outer case or is at least made in such a way that it cannot be pulled through the outer case so the case would prevent this sort of incident.
However this could complicate manufacturer and without my N900 to look at I do not know if it would be possible. I do not want to go down the expoxy route as doubtless that would invalidate the warrantee
I miss my N900, come on Nokia sort out that repair, you've been looking at it long enough.
However this could complicate manufacturer and without my N900 to look at I do not know if it would be possible. I do not want to go down the expoxy route as doubtless that would invalidate the warrantee
I miss my N900, come on Nokia sort out that repair, you've been looking at it long enough.
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2010-03-09
, 16:05
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Posts: 270 |
Thanked: 170 times |
Joined on Jul 2007
@ Atlanta, GA + Oxford UK
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#1036
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Originally Posted by bockersjv
Agreed. This would be the second best option in my opinion. 1st being as texrat states. through the hole mounting on teh PCB.
I still think it would be better if the MicroUSB was either attached to the outer case or is at least made in such a way that it cannot be pulled through the outer case so the case would prevent this sort of incident.
However this could complicate manufacturer and without my N900 to look at I do not know if it would be possible. I do not want to go down the expoxy route as doubtless that would invalidate the warrantee
I miss my N900, come on Nokia sort out that repair, you've been looking at it long enough.
Problem is It is hard to design a port that could be fitted through the case and held in woth out making it hard or impossible to dismantle the divice for repair etc.
But if the port had some form of clip that would allow a sleave to be inserted from outside the device then clipped onto the the port. then the port sould be designed with spers that prevent it from being pulled forward of the case then the sleave would have a flange to prevent it being pulled into the case.
of course this would involve a special design for the USB port and the sleave. Maybe more expensive then I would think. But such an option would allow all current devices to be altered.
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2010-03-09
, 19:52
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Posts: 18 |
Thanked: 14 times |
Joined on Feb 2010
@ anchorage, ak
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#1037
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Usually what I've seen is that the port is lined up right where the top and bottom of the case join. Then you just have to make a dip in the wall of one side and the joint between the two cases makes it a fully closed hole.looking at a few devices sitting around on my desk, all but one does that. The other uses a top plate, bottom plate, and a plastic surround for the middle which has holes in it which you just pull away once you've gotten the top or bottom off (like a blackberry 8300 series). The thing I'm noting about it though is that they *all* have connectors mounted with the metal bit flush with the outside of the case, presumably for support or maybe just so it doesn't look weird and cheap.
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2010-03-09
, 20:00
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Posts: 18 |
Thanked: 14 times |
Joined on Feb 2010
@ anchorage, ak
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#1038
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Obviously that wouldn't fix current devices, though. Simulating the case on the inside might and it could be affordable. If they had a little piece of something hard that had arms that went under the case and a big arm that fastened over the top of the USB port, they could stick those on current models to reinforce them without having to use something that takes a long time to harden or could possibly break the device by oozing somewhere bad.
I'm thinking something very very loosely resembling this attachment.
If downward force is a problem, it could include a spacer that slides underneath the port to fill the gap between it and the PCB as well.
I'm thinking something very very loosely resembling this attachment.
If downward force is a problem, it could include a spacer that slides underneath the port to fill the gap between it and the PCB as well.
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2010-03-09
, 20:15
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Posts: 1,283 |
Thanked: 370 times |
Joined on Sep 2009
@ South Florida
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#1039
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There is a lot of force required to plug/unplug those MicroUSB connectors. The port should have been soldered and pinned via thru holes. And then "captured" by the case so that there would be no shearing forces transferred to the PCB when plugging and unplugging the plug. Especially from a device that may need a plug shoved into it 5-10 times a day if you are using it a lot and traveling.
This is similar to how I/O jacks are done on audio gear. The port is thru pinned and then fastened in some fashion to the front or back panels.
This is similar to how I/O jacks are done on audio gear. The port is thru pinned and then fastened in some fashion to the front or back panels.
__________________
N900 as a Drive Letter in Windows, FULL Root access!!
Maemo! There's a BUG for that!
Cutomize Maemo!
Noobies - Noobies 2 - Maemo 5 - 101
Maemo FAQ
N900 as a Drive Letter in Windows, FULL Root access!!
Maemo! There's a BUG for that!
Cutomize Maemo!
Noobies - Noobies 2 - Maemo 5 - 101
Maemo FAQ
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2010-03-09
, 20:19
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Posts: 36 |
Thanked: 5 times |
Joined on Dec 2009
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#1040
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I reckon I'll sell my n900 on Ebay when it gets back to me, I don't have time for a phone that I don't have use of for a couple of weeks as some of you are reporting.
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| Tags |
| bad design, broken, charging, failure, hardware, loose, microusb, microusb port, n900, nokia, part, port, repair, return, surface mount, usb, usb port, warranty |
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