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I got A big NASTY SHOCK from my boebot — Parallax Forums

I got A big NASTY SHOCK from my boebot

marinerseasmarinerseas Posts: 5
edited 2006-08-24 05:47 in Robotics
I was testing the ir head lights when the right 1 did not work. i tryed to remove the ir recepter and when i touched the top of it i got shock that seemed like about 49 amps or so but im not sure about the amp thing.

My Father managed to disconnect the power from the board but wut should i do.

oh and p.s there was a small smell that smeeled kinda smokish

Comments

  • marinerseasmarinerseas Posts: 5
    edited 2006-08-17 20:38
    oh i am usin the board of education
  • dandreaedandreae Posts: 1,375
    edited 2006-08-17 21:20
    Have you tried to program it since the smell/shock?· Make sure to remove all components from the board. ·Please contact tech support at support@parallax.com and we'll give you the information to get you up and running.

    Dave

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    Dave Andreae

    Tech Support
    dandreae@parallax.com
    Http://www.parallax.com

    ·
  • marinerseasmarinerseas Posts: 5
    edited 2006-08-17 21:40
    thx but im afrade i might get shocked again ill try it in a few days . thanks!
  • dandreaedandreae Posts: 1,375
    edited 2006-08-17 22:31
    Are you using the recommended 4 AA batteries for your power supply?··· I recommend testing this with one of your parents present.· Please feel free to contact us here at parallax support@parallax.com .

    Dave

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    Dave Andreae

    Tech Support
    dandreae@parallax.com
    Http://www.parallax.com

    ·
  • Beau SchwabeBeau Schwabe Posts: 6,568
    edited 2006-08-17 22:34
    marinerseas,

    Is your computer setup properly grounded to the outlet?
    I.E. you haven't cut or knocked out the ground terminal on your power strip so that you can use the older 2-prong outlet have you?

    Are you on a boat? (implied by your name)



    Regardless of what your answer is, it may be wise to invest less than $10 at your local hardware store to purchase an outlet tester.
    This sounds like there may be an issue with the electrical outlet, your computer and boebot are plugged into.

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    Beau Schwabe

    IC Layout Engineer
    Parallax, Inc.
  • bulkheadbulkhead Posts: 405
    edited 2006-08-17 23:42
    I dont think it's even possible to get shocked like that by AA's unless they are rechargeable or the energy was stored in a big capacitor.

    Were you running it off of an AC adaptor? If not what kind of batteries? Was the serial/USB cable plugged in when this occured?
  • marinerseasmarinerseas Posts: 5
    edited 2006-08-19 03:23
    im not on a boat and i am usin the 4 AA batteries
  • marinerseasmarinerseas Posts: 5
    edited 2006-08-19 03:24
    the serial cord was plugged in and i used averything the way it was supposed to be used
  • Mike GreenMike Green Posts: 23,101
    edited 2006-08-19 05:13
    The problem would have to be with your computer. The BOE-BOT by itself when running off batteries is incapable of causing a shock. There's no source of a voltage high enough to cause one. The only other thing that would be connected normally would be the serial connection. If there is something wrong with your computer, it could cause a potential shock because the ground connection goes from your computer through your BOE-BOT. I would check your computer for a problem with the power supply or the AC connection from the power supply to the wall plug. Consider your computer dangerous until checked out.
  • Beau SchwabeBeau Schwabe Posts: 6,568
    edited 2006-08-19 05:53
    marinerseas,

    http://www.homedepot.com/prel80/HDUS/EN_US/jsearch/product.jsp?pn=100062242

    For $8 you can purchase a GFCI Circuit Tester to determine if the outlet is
    wired properly or not.· If there is a problem, call an electrition.

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    Beau Schwabe

    IC Layout Engineer
    Parallax, Inc.
  • willthiswork89willthiswork89 Posts: 359
    edited 2006-08-19 08:33
    I had this same problem mariners except through my guitar >.< i hooked it to my PC and i was getting voltage through my guitar strings litterally painfully shocking me, here to cfind out my Three Prong Wire that connected to the groun was indeed connected to a power stri but the powerstrips ground was gone... without it the PC Metal case will give you a very painful shock... i suggest taking the serial port out and touching to see if it still shocks you... check your power starting fromthe wall outlet to the pc.. does the black wire that powers the PC have the thee prongs? is it connected to a strip and is the strip have all three prongs? if you answer no to either of these your problem is that there is excess voltage not being grounded and thrown out and its travelling through the serial wire and to the boebot.

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  • mage2mage2 Posts: 2
    edited 2006-08-20 07:45
    I dont think I would touch it to see if it shocks you. But putting a multi-meter from that to ground would work.
    Touching something you think could be live could end up deadly. It does not take much to stop your heart.
    Check it with a meter first.
  • LoopyBytelooseLoopyByteloose Posts: 12,537
    edited 2006-08-20 19:06
    I suppose we all get shocks from time to time, but they are always unpleasant.

    One of the best features of the BasicStamp is that is usually operates at a low voltage and in isolation from 120VAC so that it is extremely safe.· It is also very unlikely to generate sparks that are hot enough to start a fire.·

    You·obviously had some kind of electrical event.· You·could feel it and smell it.· If you were operating the Board of Education on batteries, there is no questionable power supply involve.· [noparse][[/noparse]It is possible to have a defective wall wart that might by-pass the transformer's isolation].

    So, the only other place for this to come from would seem to be·your computer programing cable -- the·RS-232 cable or USB cable.· Everyone takes safety pretty seriously.· So the question is how would you get this kind of failure and will it occur again.

    You can get a 'static electricity' shock, but you wouldn't usually smell it.·

    You might have touched the BoE when a lightning strike was occuring somewhere in the distance.· It is possible.· There are some pretty funny stories of what happens to a cowboy that is peeing on a fence post when lightning strikes the same fence wire some 50 miles away.

    The real issue is to verify that the BoE is working and safe to operate.· If it works without being hooked up to your computer, you probably can feel safe to touch it.· Look for signs of damage - burn marks.· Also, did you have this board on a metal surface, in a pile of bare wires,·or a piece of tin foil?· At times, we short circuit the board because we are in a messy work area.

    If your computer is now acting normal, you might reconsider what the weather was like when you were working.· It is never a good idea to work on electronics in lightning storms [noparse][[/noparse]you might experience something unpleasant -·like the cowboy].· In all honesty, I do continue to work through lightning storms. But I have quite a bit of surge protection in place.

    If you can identify damage to your computer, that is obviously the pathway and you should make sure it is safe to work with.· While the BasicStamp is inherently very safe, you can connect it to something that isn't.· The usual serial connections are designed to be user safe, but you may need to have a repair shop check yours out.· If you computer is not properly grounded, get it grounded.· That is an important safety system that should always be used.

    Any other kind of connections to telephones, to house current, and transmission lines really take good knowledge of how to protect yourself from shock and your home from fire.· After all, it is electrical power.· If you are trying to DIY these connections, it is at your own peril.

    Also, my own experience around boats and saltwater is that electricity becomes even a greater hazard.· Saltwater is highly conductive and can create uns=usal forms of damage just from a splash of it.· With an otherwise mild shock, having one foot in seawater might just send you to your grave.






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    "If you want more fiber, eat the package.· Not enough?· Eat the manual."········
    ···················· Tropical regards,····· G. Herzog [noparse][[/noparse]·黃鶴 ]·in Taiwan

    Post Edited (Kramer) : 8/20/2006 7:15:52 PM GMT
  • crgwbrcrgwbr Posts: 614
    edited 2006-08-22 13:31
    marinerseas, I agree that something is seriously wrong, but...
    ...shock that seemed like about 49 amps...
    ...just FYI, 12 mA will kill you.· Judging by the fact your still alive, my guess is that the shock was around 1 mA, not 49 A.· It probably hurt so bad because of voltage; which unlike Amperage, the body can take hundreds of thousands of volts.· For example, I comman shock that you get off a doorknob is 7,000 volts.

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  • allanlane5allanlane5 Posts: 3,815
    edited 2006-08-22 14:06
    Well, actually, 500 mA through the heart can stop it. But your skin, when dry, has about 2 Megohms resistance -- so it's really hard to get that 500 mA through the heart. Takes a lot of voltage, in other words.

    Your skin, when soaking wet, has about 200 ohms resistance. That's why people standing in puddles CAN get electrocuted by 115 volts AC. But again, only if it goes through your heart. So use one hand at a time (and wear rubber-soled shoes) and again it's hard to be electrocuted. Getting your hand across 115 volts is not pleasant, though. 220 volts AC hurts worse, as you'd imagine.

    Bottom line, don't do this. Use a voltmeter to insure the circuit is dead before you change any wiring. As others have said, it's usually very difficult to get ANY level of shock off a BOE board -- a 6 volt battery circuit just doesn't have enough voltage. So for this to happen sounds like a serious grounding flaw, which had to come from your RS-232 connection to your computer.

    Put a voltmeter from the frame of your computer to a good ground, and see that it's at zero volts. If it isn't, you may have to replace the power supply of your computer.
  • Chris SavageChris Savage Parallax Engineering Posts: 14,406
    edited 2006-08-22 15:34
    My guess is that this was static electricity when touching the unit, and that the discharge damaged something on the BASIC Stamp which resulted in the IC going into thermal runaway.· Sounds most likely given the information.· You should probably contact us in Tech Support to see what your options are.· Take care.

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    Chris Savage
    Parallax Tech Support
    csavage@parallax.com
  • bob000555bob000555 Posts: 5
    edited 2006-08-24 05:47
    never mind...this post was stuped
    I·should stop writing code at 1 in the morning.

    Post Edited (bob000555) : 8/24/2006 6:42:16 AM GMT
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