Well, Beth, I think you are lucky. I have seen problems with these connectors. Some just stop working. Others seem to degrade. I get messages that the device can go faster if plugged into a USB 2.0 port (when that has been how it worked all along). I plug it into a different USB port and it works full speed.
I'll add my 2 cents to the clamor and say I've never had a problem with USB connectors. The fact that the author says it's the female end, inside the device, which tends to break makes this a major problem, since it's relatively inaccessible.
I was puzzled by the author saying there's no indication on the male plug regarding which side is up. Uh, you must have a Windows machine. Macs have always indicated which end of the plug is up with a symbol.
I agree with the upside-down problem, Jenn. In the posting, the user said you're going to hit it wrong about 50 percent of the time. I have a side-loading input in my laptop, so 50 percent misses are about right. Yet those misses don't seem to do any damage to either the USB-A connector or the laptop port.
I've also never had a problem with USB connectors breaking, nor have I heard complaints from friends or co-workers regarding this issue. I wonder if this is a common problem for many or if there is some sort of wacky user error going on in the case of this author. In any event, the only problem I ever have is when I try to jam the connector into the slot, only to realize I have it upside down.
I've never had a problem with a USB-A either, Beth. Though I've always felt uncomfortable with the leverage factor. The way the thin USB-A sticks out of a laptop makes me think that dropping the laptop just a few inches at the right angle would snap the USB right off. So far, I've been careful not to drop my laptops.
I have never had a problem with USB-A, but I have had a USB-B detach from a printed circuit board (part of the microcompuiter in-circuit emultaor) when I was trying to debug a product 500 miles from the office. In order to continue working I had to cut the USB cable and solder it directly to the PCB.
The problem was that there was no mechanical reinforment of the connector which is mechanically held on by the surface mount solder connections only.
I read this post with great interest waiting for the "aha" moment when I too could say, I experienced that as well. I have to say with all of the devices/laptops/desktops scattered around my house/home office, I have never, ever had a problem with a frail USB connector, despite the numbers of times I've connected/disconnected. I'm wondering if the USB connector is from a specific manufacturer or set of manufacturers and perhaps quality issues belies the problem rather than the actual USB-A connector standard.
Andrew Morris designed a circuit that could detect a stroke victim's groan and convert the sound into a signal so caregivers would know when help was needed.
New disc magnet motors fit into the design trend of stepping up to closed loop performance while maintaining the cost advantage of stepper motor technology.
At the Design News webinar on June 27, learn all about aluminum extrusion: designing the right shape so it costs the least, is simplest to manufacture, and best fits the application's structural requirements.
On April 21, NASA launched a novel project, putting into orbit three satellites that employ an off-the-shelf commercial smartphone as the control system.
From Dell / Intel® New Paradigms in Design Work Scott Hamilton, vertical market strategist for Dell Precision workstations, 5/2/2013 5
Early in my career, I worked as a draftsman and remember the days of drawing on vellum with numbered pencils and Mylar with plastic lead. This was a fun experience in the sense that I ...
I've been using workstations for more than 10 years and love finding ways to get more performance from my system. With demanding professional applications that require more power each ...
A lasting memory from my first job as an engineer in an auto assembly plant is standing on hard concrete at six in the morning, vending-machine coffee clutched in hand, listening to ...
For industrial control applications, or even a simple assembly line, that machine can go almost 24/7 without a break. But what happens when the task is a little more complex? That’s where the “smart” machine would come in. The smart machine is one that has some simple (or complex in some cases) processing capability to be able to adapt to changing conditions. Such machines are suited for a host of applications, including automotive, aerospace, defense, medical, computers and electronics, telecommunications, consumer goods, and so on. This radio show will show what’s possible with smart machines, and what tradeoffs need to be made to implement such a solution.
To save this item to your list of favorite Design News content so you can find it later in your Profile page, click the "Save It" button next to the item.
If you found this interesting or useful, please use the links to the services below to share it with other readers. You will need a free account with each service to share an item via that service.
Tweet This
0 
