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From: vassilip_at_dsl.cis.upenn.edu <(vassilip_at_dsl.cis.upenn.edu)>
Date: Tue May 27 07:03:08 2003

This reminds me of a true story regarding a BBC microcomputer.
This was in the early 80s when a company called Torch produced
an auxiluary processor for the BBC (I think so that it could run
CP/M programs).

Anyway the Torch was an external box that contained its own PSU and
connected via a ribbon cable with the BBC micro, which served as
the keyboard/display peripheral for the Torch.

Early BBCs had problems with their own PSU (it overheated), so the
Torch people removed the PSU from the BBC and used another cable to
supply power *to* the BBC from the Torch box. Unfortunately, they
used a cable that looked like a power cable.

So when the BBC + Torch arrived, the genious who was responsible for
assembling the kit, promptly added a mains plug to the power cable
and plugged it in, feeding 240V AC to the +5 and +12V rails.

I looked at that mainboard afterwards and a lot of tracks had melted!

**vp
Received on Tue May 27 2003 - 07:03:08 BST