Toshiba laptop & lightning strike
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From: TeGGeR? on 16 Nov 2005 14:03 I've been given a Toshiba Satellite A30 laptop that was damaged when a lightning bolt hit someone's house. This thing was plugged into a DSL modem and the 110V wall outlet. There was a cheap "surge suppressor" in the line from the wall. I've already determined that the power transfromer (the thing that converts 110VAC to 19VDC) is dead. When a good transformer is plugged in, the smell of magic smoke is immediately evident. There is no sign of activity from the laptop. The owner has decided to buy a new laptop, and I've been given this one just in case it can be made to work again. So, my questions: Based on the description above, is there any way to predict how far in the power spike went? What's most likely to be damaged? -- TeGGeR? The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ www.tegger.com/hondafaq/
From: w_tom on 16 Nov 2005 15:50 To damage, electricity must have both an incoming and outgoing path. You can suspect at least one path - the power line and 19 V transformer. A possible outgoing path may be through DSL. Trace everything in that path. It should include all damaged parts, parts that may have been overstressed, and parts that conducted the transient but were not damaged. Typically, an incoming and destructive transient is from AC mains. Outgoing is often via phone line because the telco installs a 'whole house' type protector, connected to earth ground, for free. 'Whole house' type protectors being that inexpensive and that effective. That 'cheap' surge suppressor could have provided a transient with more destructive paths into the computer. IOW adjacent protectors can even make damage of adjacent transistors easier. A most probable reason for laptop damage was no effective 'whole house' protector on AC mains. Effective protector makes a 'less than 10 foot' connection to earth ground. No properly earthed AC mains protector would be why AC mains was an incoming path - to find earth ground destructively via DSL port. "TeGGeR?" wrote: > I've been given a Toshiba Satellite A30 laptop that was damaged when > a lightning bolt hit someone's house. This thing was plugged into a > DSL modem and the 110V wall outlet. There was a cheap "surge > suppressor" in the line from the wall. > > I've already determined that the power transfromer (the thing that > converts 110VAC to 19VDC) is dead. When a good transformer is > plugged in, the smell of magic smoke is immediately evident. There > is no sign of activity from the laptop. > > The owner has decided to buy a new laptop, and I've been given this > one just in case it can be made to work again. > > So, my questions: Based on the description above, is there any way > to predict how far in the power spike went? What's most likely to > be damaged?
From: TeGGeR? on 17 Nov 2005 08:24 w_tom <w_tom1(a)hotmail.com> wrote in news:437B9B98.A0E9142F(a)hotmail.com: > > "TeGGeR?" wrote: <snip> >> >> So, my questions: Based on the description above, is there any way >> to predict how far in the power spike went? What's most likely to >> be damaged? > > > To damage, electricity must have both an incoming and > outgoing path. You can suspect at least one path - the power > line and 19 V transformer. A possible outgoing path may be > through DSL. Trace everything in that path. <snip> Thanks, but I asked WHAT was likely damaged, not HOW. Since nobody here seems to know, I'll have to look elsewhere for how to determine that on my own. I fear the voltage spike has gone past the power supply and damaged the motherboard, but have no way of knowing that now. Worst case, I'll pay somebody to figure that out, then go from there. Thanks anyway. -- TeGGeR? The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ www.tegger.com/hondafaq/
From: zwsdotcom on 17 Nov 2005 09:00 > I've already determined that the power transfromer (the thing that converts > 110VAC to 19VDC) is dead. When a good transformer is plugged in, the smell > of magic smoke is immediately evident. There is no sign of activity from This wasn't wise. > So, my questions: Based on the description above, is there any way to > predict how far in the power spike went? What's most likely to be damaged? It's most likely that various semiconductors in the power supply section of the device have failed short-circuit, which is a typical failure mode. When you plugged in a good adapter, you crowbarred 19VDC across something that wasn't expecting it, and that something fried. If this machine happens to bring the DC/DC conversion onto a separate board, and you're a real gambler, you could try replacing that DC/DC board; I'd say you've got about 5% chance this would fix it. However, forget about trying to repair this at a component level. Even if there was just one fried transistor, you will have great difficulty simply identifying what the part number is to buy a replacement, because they are all cryptically marked (not uniquely marked) SMDs. Schematics are not obtainable, and it's practically impossible to trace out these ten-layer boards. The DSL plugged in means it's likely your Ethernet or USB got a nice zap, which may or may not have made it through to the expensive digital stuff like the CPU and RAM. Buy a new motherboard (still no guarantee, since the processor and peripherals may be toast) or part the machine out. The LCD, hard drive, optical drive are probably still good. Processor and RAM are maybes but I'd bet on them still being OK.
From: w_tom on 17 Nov 2005 16:32
'How' is necessary to answer your question. Without how, then no respondant has sufficient information. The above answer goes even farther. It lists specific components that were probably in that electrical path. This from someone who literally takes lightning damaged parts, identifies the damaged components, replaces those components, and uses the now repaired part for years without failure. You will not get a better source for your answer. It is the best answer available since the newsgroup was provided minimal information. Another answer is speculation - try this and try that. It could be this or it could be that. When done, you might replace half the machine and still not have a working laptop. Without HOW, then no one can answer WHAT. "TeGGeR?" wrote: > Thanks, but I asked WHAT was likely damaged, not HOW. > > Since nobody here seems to know, I'll have to look elsewhere for how to > determine that on my own. > > I fear the voltage spike has gone past the power supply and damaged the > motherboard, but have no way of knowing that now. Worst case, I'll pay > somebody to figure that out, then go from there. > > Thanks anyway. |