29 May
2012
29 May
'12
6:53 a.m.
A kind-hearted list member sent me a PSU and some RAM for my V210. I finally
got around to installing stuff today and I found out one of the connectors
on the new PSU I received has shattered and splintered and can't be used.
Apparently from heat or age or both it became so brittle it started
disintegrating and the pins must have gotten damaged along the way. The
connector I am talking about is the 4 pin square connector that goes
through the bulkhead to the front system board and terminates behind the
system configuration card.
The PSU I was going to replace failed today after I put it back in when
the new one couldn't be used. Although the BIOS is showing every possible
PSU error the system seems to run ok, as before. Sun sure made good stuff!
Their servers even run fine with a failed PSU...
As I was doing all this I spilled a nice full cup of coffee (that I had
deliberately moved out of the way, or so I thought) all over a Filco while
moving stuff around so I could work on this machine. At least now I get to
test the "wash the keyboard in the shower" theory. So far it's dead but
maybe it will start working again when it dries out. If not that was an
expensive cup of coffee.
At least the RAM I installed works.
Anyway, is it possible to get a hold of these connectors along with the
crimp-on pins? They look fairly standard, I just don't know who sells stuff
like that.
I don't know if I can post attachments to the list but I have pics if
anybody can help.
I'm also looking to buy additional PSUs and RAM for V440 and V210s.
Somebody had said they had some RAM to give me but it's been a long time
and nothing heard. If you have anything to sell please email me with your
prices.
Thank you.
29 May
29 May
11:21 a.m.
A kind-hearted list member sent me a PSU and some RAM for my V210. I finally
got around to installing stuff today and I found out one of the connectors
on the new PSU I received has shattered and splintered and can't be used.
Apparently from heat or age or both it became so brittle it started
disintegrating and the pins must have gotten damaged along the way. The
connector I am talking about is the 4 pin square connector that goes
through the bulkhead to the front system board and terminates behind the
system configuration card.
The PSU I was going to replace failed today after I put it back in when
the new one couldn't be used. Although the BIOS is showing every possible
PSU error the system seems to run ok, as before. Sun sure made good stuff!
Their servers even run fine with a failed PSU...
Myu first thoguht would be to use the conenctor from the faulty PSU. It's
probalby one of those things that's painful to extrac the pins from and
recrimp them without a special tool, so I'd eiterh desolder the wires at
the PSU board and (and solder them to the right points on the new PSU
board) or cut the wires are couple of inches from the connector ans join
them to the wwires from the new PSU.
As I was doing all this I spilled a nice full cup of coffee (that I had
deliberately moved out of the way, or so I thought) all over a Filco while
Filco?
moving stuff around so I could work on this machine.
At least now I get to
test the "wash the keyboard in the shower" theory. So far it's dead but
maybe it will start working again when it dries out. If not that was an
expensive cup of coffee.
Befoe you give up, I'd take the keyboard as far aspart as you can (even
desolder bits if necessary) and clean all the bits separately. I doubt if
you've done any permanent damage.
-tony
12:01 p.m.
From ard at p850ug1.demon.co.uk on Tue May 29 18:46:27
2012:
From microcode
You're right about the connector. Someone responded on the Sun rescue list
suggesting that also, but from what I saw trying to remove the pins from
what was left of the connector on the "new" PSU they're the
self-destructing
pins with fish hooks built in, to make sure they never come out. I'm glad I
didn't try pulling the pins from the old PSU before I checked. For now the
unit is still running, albeit with unhappy amber lights and the occasional
nasty-gram from the BIOS.
All my tools are in storage and I can't get to them, or your next idea was
what I would do. If I don't come up with a connector and pins (just thought
about where I might order one now that I am typing this, from the same shop
that sold me a db9<->rj45 cable) I'll have to buy another soldering iron
and solder, if I can even get it into the country.
A kind-hearted list member sent me a PSU and some RAM for my V210. I
finally got around to installing stuff today and I found out one of
the connectors on the new PSU I received has shattered and splintered
and can't be used. Apparently from heat or age or both it became so
brittle it started disintegrating and the pins must have gotten damaged
along the way. The connector I am talking about is the 4 pin square
connector that goes through the bulkhead to the front system board and
terminates behind the system configuration card.
Myu first thoguht would be to use the conenctor from the faulty PSU.
It's probalby one of those things that's painful to extrac the pins from
and recrimp them without a special tool, so I'd eiterh desolder the wires
at the PSU board and (and solder them to the right points on the new PSU
board) or cut the wires are couple of inches from the connector ans join
them to the wwires from the new PSU. > As I was doing all this I spilled a nice full cup
of coffee (that I had
> deliberately moved out of the way, or so I thought) all over a Filco
Filco?
Yes, they're Taiwanese keyboards from Diatec (I think the owning company is
in Japan) with your choice of Cherry switches. I chose browns for the
feedback and less noise than the Cherry blues. They were being imported by
a guy in California but he has since switched over to Leupold. Anyway the
Filcos are very nice keyboards, solidly built, heavy, and the Cherry
mechanical switches are excellent and very fast. The only thing is the
keycap printing doesn't hold up and the finish on the keyboard is subpar
for what you pay. They've been my daily drivers for a few years now and
overall I'm satisfied. I have a few Model Ms and they're great but I'm not
as fast on those, although I find I type more accurately using them.
moving stuff
around so I could work on this machine. At least now I get
to test the "wash the keyboard in the shower" theory. So far it's dead
but maybe it will start working again when it dries out. If not that
was an expensive cup of coffee.
Befoe you give up, I'd take the keyboard as far aspart as you can (even
desolder bits if necessary) and clean all the bits separately. I doubt if
you've done any permanent damage. 
12:17 p.m.
On May 29, 2012, at 3:01 PM, microcode at zoho.com wrote:
Yeah, I'd not give up on the keyboard; coffee is a fairly mild thing to
spill on them, as it's more or less just colored water (assuming you're
drinking it black, like any proper engineer should). The worst that has
happened to my own keyboards after spilling coffee has been that I've had
to clean out the dried coffee from inside a keyswitch because it was
actually interrupting continuity once it dried out (this was specifically
with the Alps keyswitches in an Apple Extended Keyboard II, which I'm
given to understand are relatively similar to some of the Cherry models).
Better not to power it on too often until you're fairly sure it's dry,
though, because that does at least carry a small risk of shorting things
which should not be shorted. It's generally much worse for battery-
powered things, like mobile phones.
- Dave
Befoe you give
up, I'd take the keyboard as far aspart as you can (even
desolder bits if necessary) and clean all the bits separately. I doubt if
you've done any permanent damage.
I did that after I sent this post. At first I couldn't figure out how to
get the unit apart but I asked on geekhack (a keyboard forum, believe it or
not) and they pointed me to posts explaining it. It takes one screw hidden
under a Do Not Remove label and then some prying with a Leatherman tool.
The thing is built pretty nicely, it didn't crack or fall apart when I
disassembled it. All it is is a mainboard with the switches set in, a back
cover, and a trim piece that goes all around. I rinsed it again in the
shower because it looked pretty bad. Now it's all clean and drying in front
of a big fan. I'll try again towards the end of the week.
30 May
30 May
4:55 a.m.
New subject: Need 4-pin PSU to front motherboard connector for Sun V210 [resolved]
Summary follows, thanks to all.
From fraveydank at gmail.com Wed May 30 06:50:15 2012:
Better not to power it on too often until you're
fairly sure it's dry,
though, because that does at least carry a small risk of shorting things
which should not be shorted.
Thanks, it will sit until the end of the week, under a big fan.
jjg: Jonathan J. Groll : groll co za wrote:
As a way of using the other connector, how about just
cutting the cable
and connecting each of the individual wires back together, instead of
trying to pull the pins out of the connector?
and then
From raubvogel at gmail.com Wed May 30 09:00:13 2012:
Splicing? If done right is a valid solution.
People splice aircraft
wiring all the time.
Yeah, aircraft mechanics with good tools splice aircraft wiring all the
time! Anybody else, I don't wanna know about it!
Anyway, I found out by searching pics on fleabay, the connector seems to be
a garden variety 4 post Molex connector. I will just order a package of the
connectors and the crimp-on pins and I should be good to go. Kudos to Sun
for not going out of their way to make parts impossible to find (although
that is not true for all their suppliers!)
Thanks to everyone for the comments.
11:16 a.m.
Myu first
thoguht would be to use the conenctor from the faulty PSU.
It's probalby one of those things that's painful to extrac the pins from
and recrimp them without a special tool, so I'd eiterh desolder the wires
at the PSU board and (and solder them to the right points on the new PSU
board) or cut the wires are couple of inches from the connector ans join
them to the wwires from the new PSU.
You're right about the connector. Someone responded on the Sun rescue list
suggesting that also, but from what I saw trying to remove the pins from
what was left of the connector on the "new" PSU they're the
self-destructing
pins with fish hooks built in, to make sure they never come out. I'm glad I All my tools are in storage and I can't get to
them, or your next idea was
How on earth do you survive? Seriously, I'd not want to be spearated from
my 'portable toolkit' for more than a day or so (that kit contains
screwdrivers (including (real) watchmaker's ones), nutdrives, allen hex
keys, torx drivers, bristol spline keys, pliers, cutters, strippers,
soldering iron, sucker and solder, multimeter, LogicDart, etc).
what I would do. If I don't come up with a
connector and pins (just thought
about where I might order one now that I am typing this, from the same shop
that sold me a db9<->rj45 cable) I'll have to buy another soldering iron
I think you mean a DE9 to 8p8c cable :-). The 'B' or 'E' is the conenctor
chell size (there is no official thing called a DB9, although at least
one person here uses it for a nominally 25 pin D conenctor with only 9
pins fitted), and RJ45 implies a particualr telephone wiring.
and solder, if I can even get it into the country.
Where one earth are you that it's difficult to import a soldering iron?
> As I was doing all this I spilled a nice
full cup of coffee (that I had
> deliberately moved out of the way, or so I thought) all over a Filco
Filco?
Yes, they're Taiwanese keyboards from Diatec (I think the owning company is
in Japan) with your choice of Cherry switches. I chose browns for the
feedback and less noise than the Cherry blues. They were being imported by
a guy in California but he has since switched over to Leupold. Anyway the
Filcos are very nice keyboards, solidly built, heavy, and the Cherry
mechanical switches are excellent and very fast. The only thing is the
keycap printing doesn't hold up and the finish on the keyboard is subpar for what you pay. They've been my daily drivers
for a few years now and
overall I'm satisfied. I have a few Model Ms and they're great but I'm not
as fast on those, although I find I type more accurately using them.
I did that after I sent this post. At first I couldn't figure out how to
get the unit apart but I asked on geekhack (a keyboard forum, believe it or
not) and they pointed me to posts explaining it. It takes one screw hidden
under a Do Not Remove label and then some prying with a Leatherman tool.
That's an old trick. Also look for scres under stick-on feet, etc.
moving
stuff around so I could work on this machine. At least now I get
to test the "wash the keyboard in the shower" theory. So far it's dead
but maybe it will start working again when it dries out. If not that
was an expensive cup of coffee.
Befoe you give up, I'd take the keyboard as far aspart as you can (even
desolder bits if necessary) and clean all the bits separately. I doubt if
you've done any permanent damage. The thing is built pretty nicely, it didn't crack
or fall apart when I
disassembled it. All it is is a mainboard with the switches set in, a back
cover, and a trim piece that goes all around. I rinsed it again in the
shower because it looked pretty bad. Now it's all clean and drying in front
of a big fan. I'll try again towards the end of the week.
When cleaing up tyhe keyboards on some of my old HP desktop machines, I
actually desoldered all the swtiches from the keyboard PCB and took them
out of the supporting frame. And then took the PCB off said frame. It
took an eveneing or so to take them all out, cleanthe parts and put them
back, but I think it was worth it.
Anther thing that I do at the same time it so weed out marginal switches
(ones that have a high ocntact reisstance, for example), If I can't get
replacements or can't improve matters, those go in little-used postions
on the keyboard (for eeample on the numeric keypad, which I can manage
without).
-tony
4589
days inactive
4590
days old
5 comments
3 participants
participants (3)
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ard＠p850ug1.demon.co.uk -
fraveydank＠gmail.com -
microcode＠zoho.com