usb sockets

[picandmix]

Hi,

Using my desktop front usb ports with the various micro dev boards and programmers they do not seem to last very long due to the strain of the cable , number of plug ins  etc

Have fitted new sockets using the ready made usb caddies to fit into a spare drive bay but the quality seems worse than the originals.

I know I could use a small hub as a sacrificial  slave , but just thought I would ask if there are better quality, stronger usb sockets I could use ?

[RGB255_0_0]

Hi,

Using my desktop front usb ports with the various micro dev boards and programmers they do not seem to last very long due to the strain of the cable , number of plug ins  etc

Have fitted new sockets using the ready made usb caddies to fit into a spare drive bay but the quality seems worse than the originals.

I know I could use a small hub as a sacrificial  slave , but just thought I would ask if there are better quality, stronger usb sockets I could use ?

I have no idea what you are doing to your sockets to damage them - they should last 1000s of insertions. I think you'd be best off with a hub so you aren't putting so much strain on the socket if that's the cause.

[ehughes]

Checkout out Samtec's High retention force series.       I use them on custom boards with microsized thumb drives (SanDisk Cruzer Fit).    When they say high retention force they mean it.

[Buriedcode]

The connectors used on PC cases - for the front panel, USB, TRS sockets for audio etc.. - tend to be of pretty low quality regardless of the cost of the case.  The connectors used on motherboards however, are higher quality as they are part of the motherboard itself and because few repair them, often can determine the life of the mobo itself. (so it pays to not go cheap).

Also, USB connectors on the motherboard are mounted on the board itself, soldered for mechanical strength and tend to be rather rigid.  OTOH... connectors in the PC case are mounting on fairly cheap SRBP PCB material, losely held in the case.  This means they move a lot more, further increasing the strain on the already cheap connectors.

I have seen cases costing >£300 with the same cheap USB sockets and terrible wiring, unshielded cables to female headers, so these extra sockets/connections are pretty much an after-thought.

I also replaced the sockets in my case, with a new board (FR4 home etched, as there's no actual electronics on board) and they still tend to break, so I've opted for what you suggested, a sacrificial USB hub. If you're lucky enough to find a metal case one, bolting this to your PC case ensures it doesn't flap about in the wind.  I have yet to find strengthened sockets, but standard A sockets, properly mounted on proper PCB that itself is properly mounted tends to be pretty damn rigid.  It won't survive a 200lb gorilla, but that is why its best to make it easier to replace.

A powered hub can also help with power issues on the USB lines, as many powered hubs these days are pretty slack on their current limit (USB 2.0 rated for >1A) and should add another layer of protection between the sockets and your PC.

[Jeroen3]

Physically the sockets are fine here. It's that they've quit working electrically. I've now bought an isolated hub.
But perhaps you have more need for short extension leads?

[picandmix]

Thanks BuriedCode, beginning to think it was just me !

A small hub from a rear socket should do it , current not really an issue  for me.

[stj]

type-A sockets are rubish, i have worn them out by constantly swapping memory sticks & external harddrives into them.
the design is poor - go look at the cycle-life in the datasheets!

i could design an improved replacement with real sprung wiping contacts, but the result would only wear out the plugs instead!

[tablatronix]

Buy the cheapest usb extensions cables you can find, use them as sacrificials, you can also get some short whip adapters, right angle etc for <$1

[Howardlong]

To give you an idea of the number of insertion cycles you can expect from a standard USB 2.0 A receptacle, I have three test fixtures with short USB A-A M-F cables as savers on a production line for testing a USB device. Those cables' F ends manage about 12,000 to 15,000 cycles before I need to replace them due to electrical failure. It's also not uncommon for the problem to be mechanical, usually because the F end falls underneath the path of a chair castor.

You can visibly see wear on the contacts. When they fail electrically, you see a very sudden rise in fails on the production line where it goes from normal failure rate to 100% in about 50 insertions as the contact is completely worn away.