Power interlocks (was Re: [OT] Alphaserver Oops!)

From: jpero_at_pop.cgocable.net <(jpero_at_pop.cgocable.net)>
Date: Wed Nov 11 19:49:32 1998

> Date: Thu, 12 Nov 1998 02:51:47 +0000 (GMT)
> Reply-to: classiccmp_at_u.washington.edu
> From: ard_at_p850ug1.demon.co.uk (Tony Duell)
> To: "Discussion re-collecting of classic computers" <classiccmp_at_u.washington.edu>
> Subject: Re: Power interlocks (was Re: [OT] Alphaserver Oops!)

> > The first time I repaired a Video Disk player, I made the mistake of
> > removing the laser section to check some things. It took me three hours to
> > get the thing aligned again (I didn't have the special alignment fixtures)
> > by the move and check method. Don't really want to go through that again
> > :)!
> >

This is okay if you only remove the rails that are only crocked in
their little "v blocks by spring fingers pressure and the carrier
only follows the worm or linear gear pr voice coil. I have done that
so many times on floppy drives, many cdrom drives. Nay on
Split-belt!


> Incidentally, I am unimpressed by manuals that try to limit the sort of
> jobs you can do in the field. I'll decide if I can use a 'scope, align
> heads, have a clean room to strip an HDA, etc. It may have made sense
> when the unit was in production to replace/exchange subassemblies, but it
> sure makes life difficult now...

Well, that is true even for senior techs usually don't have right
experience to see something that is not supposed to be bothered on
sensitive machines and manuals was written for that purpose to
prevent mishaps. But it's good to have mistakes.

I did cook few parts, break or threw timing sensitive machines out of
wack. Hehehehe.. Good experience but expen$ive sometimes indeed!
Better break somthing (hopefully not the vital ones or expendables)
so you can make better designer.

>
> -tony

Hey, remember, did many have seen the actual bare package of an
alpha CPU? It DOES have 2 studs on a heatspreader? Woah, heat big
time!

Saw that few times on Microway ad's selling this Alpha motherboards
for AT case? That's where I saw it.

If anyone appoaches a "commerical" machine I bet you that it does
have interlocks for good reasons to prevent blundering techies and
protect both sides on employment and equipment.

Just remember to do that: check for any of those protections after
 the machine is shutdown and powered off.

Jason D.
email: jpero_at_cgocable.net
Pero, Jason D.
Received on Wed Nov 11 1998 - 19:49:32 GMT