Oct
29
What is Magic Blue Smoke? Magic smoke is produced by malfunctioning electronics… after it’s gone, the electronics no longer function. Because of this, it’s become a joke explanation of how electronics work. Magic smoke is put into electronics by manufacturers and they work until the smoke has escaped.
If you have a picture you would like to share of electronics giving up the blue smoke, send it along with a description of how it happened to magicbluesmoke@yahoo.com.
Aug
18
FAN3227
The output and ground were shorted on this FAN3227 FET driver chip which caused the supply pin to vaporize. The application was a motor controller.
Credit: TekniQue on EFnet
Aug
18
Top of PSU - the insulation on the inductor is not paper
Bottom of PSU
This is a PSU from a Infrant/Netgear ReadyNAS NV+ system. The PSU likely failed because of design problems instead of faulty components; the failure seems to be a common event on certain manufacturing batches.
Notable features on upper picture: 3 bulged capacitors, 1 inductor with burned insulation. Notable features on lower picture: signs of overheating, jumper wire in solder.
Credit: Swish from EFnet.
Jun
29
FANUC power supply dies
Don’t have much more detail on this one, but it’s a FANUC power supply unit that has failed. FANUC stands for Fuji Automatic Numerical Control. Credit: Sculptor.
Jun
27
Failed transformer
This transformer died leaving a horrible smell behind. Fortunately the bulb is still relatively unscathed with just an oddly colored spot. Credit: Justin B.
Apr
19
2n3904 transitor from class project
A nice picture of a 2n3904 transistor used in a class project power supply that was destroyed along with other components not shown after a probable short. Credit: Lucas T.