virtualdave
Well-known member
Hi all,
I know this topic has come up a few times, but currently trying to retroactively address an issue we are seeing on 200+ custom handhelds we made using the teensy 4.1. And yes this is one of the moments where I should have listened better to myself while we designed the board!
In order to save space we opted to use the teensy's micro USB socket not only for firmware updates, but charging as well. These handhelds are used at a children's science center and are unplugged/plugged from their chargers multiple times per day. Surprisingly the issue we are seeing isn't the USB socket being removed from its pads, but rather pins/pads inside the connector getting worn to the point that the trace is becoming detached pushed to the back of the connector. Typically these are the outside pins (power and ground). I know this is largely due to staff connecting the cables at angles other than head on, but there's only so many "how to do it right" instruction sheets we can make before I throw my hands up in frustration. So exploring other options.
The first option is to do a little hot air below work and swap out the current socket with something more durable/industrial. Of course it would need to be a drop-in replacement, but curious if one exists. @PaulStoffregen can you share the part number of the current USB socket on the teensy v4? I can start my search from there, but if anyone has any pointers I'm all ears!
Some other details:
Because these are assembled PCBs I don't have any access to the USB pads under the teensy, otherwise I'd remove the usb socket and jury-rig some sort of usb-c replacement that gets power and data where I need it. Also because these are already in fully manufactured cases, I am limited to just a small "window" in the case adjacent to the usb port, so something like this won't work.
Thank you in advance for any guidance you can give.
Cheers,
David
I know this topic has come up a few times, but currently trying to retroactively address an issue we are seeing on 200+ custom handhelds we made using the teensy 4.1. And yes this is one of the moments where I should have listened better to myself while we designed the board!
In order to save space we opted to use the teensy's micro USB socket not only for firmware updates, but charging as well. These handhelds are used at a children's science center and are unplugged/plugged from their chargers multiple times per day. Surprisingly the issue we are seeing isn't the USB socket being removed from its pads, but rather pins/pads inside the connector getting worn to the point that the trace is becoming detached pushed to the back of the connector. Typically these are the outside pins (power and ground). I know this is largely due to staff connecting the cables at angles other than head on, but there's only so many "how to do it right" instruction sheets we can make before I throw my hands up in frustration. So exploring other options.
The first option is to do a little hot air below work and swap out the current socket with something more durable/industrial. Of course it would need to be a drop-in replacement, but curious if one exists. @PaulStoffregen can you share the part number of the current USB socket on the teensy v4? I can start my search from there, but if anyone has any pointers I'm all ears!
Some other details:
Because these are assembled PCBs I don't have any access to the USB pads under the teensy, otherwise I'd remove the usb socket and jury-rig some sort of usb-c replacement that gets power and data where I need it. Also because these are already in fully manufactured cases, I am limited to just a small "window" in the case adjacent to the usb port, so something like this won't work.
Thank you in advance for any guidance you can give.
Cheers,
David
