[PLUG] Hardware problem

[Richard Steffens]

Derek Loree wrote:

> I personally think (given that your grounding is good) that you should
> pursue this as a hardware problem (try changing the mouse or get an
> anti-static pad for the mouse), not an environmental condition that
> needs to be dealt with on a daily basis.
> 
> I hope that you will keep us updated on this issue.

Ok. This was the last posting of a thread from last spring when I first
brought up a problem I was having with my machine resetting itself on
occasion. There was much to think about in all the good ideas that came
from this list. There were also a lot of other things that came up to
get in the way of pursuing any of them. But just recently, the problem
resurfaced, so I went back and read all the old posts and have come up
with what I think is a working solution.

To review: I have two floor mats under my desk chair, a metal table with
the mouse on it, and a metal frame/laminate topped table with the
keyboard and monitor on it. The computer itself sits on a wooden box
under the metal table. If the chair bumps the metal table, the machine
resets. (Last spring, other static events were also causing the reset.)

In looking over the various recommendations, the point about the static
mats being a capacitor made good sense. Also, that just bolting a wire
to them wasn't going to do much to drain that charge, since they are
plastic, after all. It occurred to me that I could approximate a fancy
discharge mat if I could incorporate a metallic grid into the mat
system. I now have a piece of chicken wire sandwiched between the two
plastic mats, and a length of small chain draped around the chair
pedestal so that it drags on the mat. I crimped a piece of awg 20
stranded wire to one of the cut ends of the chicken wire and ran that
over to a leg of the metal table. I ran another piece of the same wire
from that point on the table leg to the screw of an outlet cover. Spade
lugs are crimped to the two wires where they are held under a screw on
the table leg. I tried to use a spade lug for the wire under the cover
plate screw, but the screw is too short, so I just went with wrapping
the stranded wire around the screw before tightening it.

I have tested the setup by rolling the chair across the mat and letting
it hit the table. It seems to work! The system did not reset. While
that's probably not a great test, it is a test using the original
parameters. Time will tell if I've really solved the problem.

So, thanks to all who offered advice back in May. If this turns out not
to work, I'll let you know.

-- 
Regards,

Dick Steffens
"Quando Omni Flunkus Moritati"
http://rsteff.home.attbi.com/