The transformer leads apparently arced over. The owner describes the part as having died with a drawn out crackle and a smell of burning PCB. Credit: Asheem Linaval from CA, USA
Oct
29
Terminal strip on Type 531A Oscilloscope
That purple flash is a high-voltage arc between the terminals on the oscilloscope. The silver in the silver-bearing solder migrates over time due to the high-voltage, and once it has migrated far enough, it forms a conductive bridge. Credit: http://reboots.g-cipher.net
Oct
29
Poof… there goes the magic smoke
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.