Re: [tlug] New Hardware Problem

[CL <az.4tlug@example.com>]

On 01/10/2017 12:23 AM, AbH Belxjander Draconis Serechai wrote:

I have a PowerPC sam440 embedded mainboard and find that I need to run a grounded power cable.

Thankfully the house I currently live in has 3 prong earthed plugs at the wall sockets.

I've already replaced the psu once with something better.

Without earth connected... I need to switch the psu off and press the on switch to deal with static drain.

My intermittent issues are eventually hdd sector damage over time.

Hopefully you don't have that?

On 9/01/2017 11:07 PM, "Kalin KOZHUHAROV" <me.kalin@example.com> wrote:

On Mon, Jan 9, 2017 at 8:15 AM, Furkan Mustafa <furkan@example.com> wrote:
> One important detail for me for a similar situation was the omitted
> earth connection.
>
BIG SECOND on that! Many Japanese houses are not wired with earth,
just phase+null. In certain situations this wreaks havoc in PCs.
Look for 3-prong socket, make sure it is not just an extension cord
that has a hanging green wire.

Testing for the problem is hard without proper equipment, but let the
PC run for some time then touch the case on exposed metal (some of the
bolts, if not painted) with a sensitive skin (back of your palm, or
cheek if you dare). If you feel any tickle, you have a problem.
Solving it is hard, basically read on DIY grounding.

Another common issue is PC cannot be powered on (cold boot), due to
the momentary switch not being able to ground the ATX PSU
(technically, ground not being earth, but with accumulated static
charge).

The memory problem seems weird and may be unrelated. Pull and put back
the DIMMs, after you disconnect the mains and touch the exposed case
for a few seconds to discharge yourself. Then run memtest86+
(available as a boot option on SysRescueCD (write the iso to USB
stick)).
What is the exact Asus MB?

Cheers,
Kalin.

I am replying to this post as sort of a general update to everyone.  Thanks all for your replies and suggestions:

1.  The motherboard is / was an ASUS M5A99FX Pro R2.0.  It is now a Norwegian Blue ASUS M5A99FX Pro R2.0 and I am "discussing" how to return it to the online shop from which it was purchased.  Based upon what I found when I first opened the box, I am firmly of the belief that they sent me a mobo that was returned by someone else and resealed.  They won't admit nor deny that feeling.

The switch on / off problem became progressively worse and the seller suggested I contact ASUS Support, which suggested running their USB-based automatic update to a newer BIOS version.  After running about half of the upgrade, the machine suddenly rebooted and would not restart, either from the board-based Upgrade button nor the DirectKey button which is supposed to take you directly to the Setup pages, avoiding having to hit Del or F2 on the keyboard during boot. 

ASUS Support declared the board dead and the seller is reluctant to take it back as they have no replacement of the same type.  I am thinking of getting my money back and buying the TUF Sabertooth 990FX, which has the same chipset(s) but is reported to be a far more robust approach to using the other bits I now have.

2.  The year-old ASRock motherboard from the recently deceased system is now powering my desktop, but there are two error messages on bootup that I think I may have found solutions for and the clock resets itself 12 hours back when left running overnight.

- The memory problem has gone away (another result that leads me to believe that the mobo had pre-existing mental issues) and I now have two banks of 8Gb memory recognized and operational.  

- The PS brand is Keian 650W 80-grade and was selected after careful consideration and seeing that it was a weekend deep discount at PC Depot.  Technical considerations be damned as long as it meets an international standard, right?

- Current performance is solid and there appear to be no major issues for the time being.  Nevertheless, I will replace the mobo as soon as a suitable replacement can be sourced.

3.  Grounding ... the house we live in was designed and built by Compleat and Total Idjits who did not understand site preparation, proper plumbing, insulation, or construction methods.  I am guessing that electricity rated as one of the Black Arts.  The house had a small izakaya attached and has both a separate 200V and 100V system installed.  Getting out of here when my daughter changes schools in April is a high priority.

The PC currently sits on the lower shelf of one of those steel-frame / composite wood product desktop monstrosities that you find at most Home Centers in Kanto.  It sits on a wood shelf piece extending out so I can put my feet underneath and alongside the case while I work.  The screen is on the desktop and there is a printer on a shelf above.

Heading into my Cave of Mostly Less Noise, donning my mask, cape, tights, stretchy shirt with superhero logo and re-emerging as Kaptain Kludge, Master of Komplex Solutions to Simple Problems, I want to run this possible grounding fix by the Group:

- I'm thinking that I should head to my auto / motorcycle electric parts drawer and get out a roll of 12 gauge (lower number / thicker copper wire, right? ... I forget ...)

- I'll strip one end and crimp a ring connector to one end and connect it to the steel frame of the computer desk with a sheet metal screw.

- I'll roll about 60cm of wire, cut it off and strip the other end.  I'll crimp a female spade connector receiver and non-conductive sheath to the other end.

- I'll screw a male spade end into a hole under the case, out of sight but reachable, and attach the wire to the spade connector.

Will that handle any grounding concerns?  I am thinking that the steel frame should be enough metal to handle any grounding issues.  Agree?  Disagree?