I have read two different post indicating, that the Iriver USB host cable may fry the Zaurus and/or laptop USB port / motherboard.

I am also using one of those USB cables - but now I got worried... Is there any way to test the cable?

Or should I just toss it and get another one? Which one is guaranteed to work? Radioshack has for example a universal cable. Is that ok?

Or is this
http://cgi.ebay.com/USB-Host-cable-to-conn...1QQcmdZViewItem
cable good? ( found on ebay by doing search for "USB host cable" )


I got my C3100 from Japan, and would not want to return it...

Yeah, I'm wondering if I'm playing with fire now too. At least in the case of Meanie, he said he plugged in a USB mini B so it wasn't the same iRiver dongle I use on my 6k. And the port must be different since I don't think a mini B even attaches to a 6k.

I'm hoping someone can clarify what is causing the problem though as I'm now nervous about the iRiver. I only plug in clients that suck power though which should avoid the problem I think.

John

One would use the iRiver cable to attach a keyboard or mouse or usb hub with keyboard + mouse to the Z. You wouldn't use this cable to connect the Z to a notebook. So Meanie probably wasn't using the iRiver cable in that moment.

That said, my H320 host cable appears to work fine.

I just posted this link

https://serialio.com//store/product_info.ph...82de18220188139

in the 'Meanies-fried-C3000-comiseration' thread, but I'll post it here too. Serialio has been selling Z stuff for years and seem to know what their doing. I got one from them and haven't had any problems.

As far as the regular slave cable (ie the data transfer cable) goes...Since most of us are still buying our Cxx00s new (well...maybe a few C3K's are going second hand by now...I don't know) , so just use the cable that was bundled with the unit.

Also,

http://www.streamlinecpus.com/store/produc...page=1&featured

You'd have to contact them for full warranty information or course, but the proprietor of this company is a regular poster on this very board and has demonstrated himself to be a very reasonble and knowledgeable individual. So it's probably worth dropping them a line if you are really worried about an OTG cable frying your Z (and aren't we all ?).

Best to all...

Just did some reading on the USB standards.

According to what I have read, the mini A or B connectors can be wired only one way. So if it is wired correctly, it will work with all devices, and should not create any problem with anything.

If it is not wired properly, then it may short immediately the devices it connects.

However, there is no such a thing that first it works, later not.

Maybe the pins in the USB connector itself have gotten somehow bent (as already suggested by someone here) - and that caused a physical short of Meanie's C3000?

I didn't see anything in meanie's post where he says it was working before. Am I missing something?

I was assuming, that the cable he used when the incident happened had been used before. Maybe I was wrong...

Which 2 posts?

if you are talking about this post then you are mistaking the IRiver host cable with mini B cable.

If people are using the host cable to plug into a laptop (instead of the supplied slave cable) then I suppose that there is a possibilty that it could fry one or more of the devices, the mini A is supposed to supply power not send it back to the Zaurus - which may happen if the laptop sends more power than the Z is down the cable.

Plugged into a mouse, keyboard, usb hub (in host end of course) I can't see how it could possibly cause power problems. Of course plugging in a USB cable while the Z is powered may cause problems (which is why the Zaurus manual tells you not to do this)

I've done a search of the forums and haven't been able to find your 2 posts where the IRiver fried a Z or laptop - please post links

Stu

My mistake. You are right. The posts I was referring to were about a different cable. Sorry