On Monday, August 09, 2004, at 08:30AM, Katzy <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>AFAIK, the reason it's a bad idea to "hot-swap" ADB (and SCSI for that >matter) is that if you don't pull/push evenly then some of the pins will be >in contact and some will not-- causing a surge (or something). As long as >you pull/push straight in/out you shouldn't have a problem... Hot-plugging ADB is officially frowned upon due to the fac tthe ADB cable carries a 5V current to power downstream devices, much like USB. However, where as USB plus are designed to be very well grounded and able to be hotplugged without crossing the contacts, ADB plugs are not. Every ADB MAc from the SE/30 onwards (I think - I can't remember for sure) has a thermally resetting fuse on the 5V line of the ADB port to prevent damage to the logic board from shorts etc.at any point along the ADB cable. I have hot-plugged ADB devices no end of times (I have one keyobard that the mouse plug keeps falling out of for example) and have never yet shorted it, the biggest risk is from leaving ADB cables lying loose around the desk while tha machine is running, as any stray metal objects could come into contact with the pins. SCSI is another matter. You should NEVER hotplug SCSI devices while the machine is running, nor should you turn external devices on and off. While it can be done it has a large ptoential to damage the Mac's SCSI controller chip and the device being hot-plugged. Hot-plug hardware does exist (cable mentioned on previous post) both for desktop and server use. However only hot-plug stuff should be hot-plugged. >And that's why the KMV works-- it's a switch that engages/disengages all the >connectors at the same time. The KVM probably asctually stops the current, grounds the device to discharge any static or residual current, then switches it to another device, then switches the current back on. -- Mark Benson http://homepage.mac.com/markbenson -- Compact Macs is sponsored by <http://lowendmac.com/>. Support Low End Mac <http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html> Compact Macs list info: <http://lowendmac.com/lists/compact.shtml> --> AOL users, remove "mailto:"; Send list messages to: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To unsubscribe, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For digest mode, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subscription questions: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Archive:<http://www.mail-archive.com/compact.macs%40mail.maclaunch.com/> --------------------------------------------------------------- >The Think Different Store http://www.ThinkDifferentStore.com ---------------------------------------------------------------
