[Tfug] Connectors

[Louis Taber]

Hi,

I am still using a Dell PowerEdge 400SC "server" that I purchased without an
operating system.  My guess that the "server" bit was to keep Microsoft
happy about the no OS.  Dell did several things that made little sense:
2 USB connections behind the front panel.
Audio, but "no support"
PCI video card, and no support for the AGP slot
I ended up cutting a rather large hole in the plastic front penel to access
the two USB connectors.  The cable to the front panel included the signals
for the USB connectors, the power switch and power LED.  They didn't really
do a new design to make the "server".   They just covered up the ports!
(Dell did ship it with 128Mbytes of ECC memory.)

  - Louis

On Sun, Jun 13, 2010 at 11:42 AM, johngalt1 <johngalt1 at uswest.net> wrote:

>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Bexley Hall" <bexley401>
> To: "Tucson Free Unix Group" <tfug at tfug.org>
> Sent: Sunday, July 13, 2008 8:05 AM
> Subject: Re: [Tfug] Connectors
>
>
>  --- On Sat, 7/12/08, Jeremy D Rogers
>> <jdrogers at optics.arizona.edu> wrote:
>>
>>  I'll add to this rant.. (sorry, no *good* experience
>>> here to offer)
>>>
>>> WTF was up with the dell cases with the USB connectors in
>>> the front of the case that pointed down at an angle and
>>> hidden behind a plastic panel that only hinged out a
>>> couple
>>> inches?!
>>>
>>
>> What's more amusing are the Dell models with the same
>> connector
>> locations BUT NO HINGED PLASTIC PANEL!  (i.e., *no* way to
>> access them!)
>>
>>  Seriously, I found it was easier to make a blind
>>> connection
>>> to the back of the case where the connection was at least
>>> straight than to blindly (unless you got you cheek on the
>>> floor) guess if your angle to the case needed to be 30
>>> degrees or 45 degrees in addition to the axial
>>> orientation
>>> and x-y location all being hidden from view behind the
>>> panel. What
>>> a mess.
>>>
>>
>> <grin>  Well, I'll reserve my comments on "Mechanical
>> Engineers"
>> :-/
>>
>
>  Please elucidate us on the concept of Mechanical Engineers
>> in a prototype/design/development or any other environment
>> when combined with "sparkies" (Electrical Engineers). .
>>
>
> When it's an Electronic product / environment,
> so much lead time is spent getting the thing working - AND/OR -
> the packaging / thermal issues are discounted / deferred by some MBA type -
> AND/OR -
> the sparkies (less experienced ones, moreso) would rather avoid involving
> the packing / thermal issues until it's too late because that could change
> some part of their design...
>
>  In my experience, the engineering manager (an oxy-moron) or
>>
>
> Not an engineering manager, but a project manager who is beholden to the
> MBA types...
>
>  some bean counter waits until the project is already
>> developed before funding time for a packaging engineer, or
>> thermal engineer. This is often after the problems have
>> become so significant such that the technicians refuse to
>> continue doing engineering work.
>>
>
> This is so true...
>
>  As to the issue at hand, I have one of those blasted Dells
>> with the angular USB ports. I think it sucks. If an ME
>> created that, they did so without mocking up the result and
>> trying it out..
>>
>
> It is not clear at what angle the plug should be inserted at....made more
> difficult because of that blasted hood thing... -
>
>  But moreso, the USB port is lame because you can easily try
>> to insert it 180 deg out and it will not give you an
>> indication it is
>>
>
> That is true with any USB connector...
>
> I too hate that dumb USB port on Dells.
>
> IMO, industrial designers do that stuff, not engineers. At least that was
> the case when I worked in a consumer electronics company.
>
> Engineers could design a functional (maybe) but probably ugly case.
> Therefore, the overall look and form is crafted by a art center design
> college type... who got training how plastic injection molding / sheet metal
> tooling works, perhaps if they're effective...
>
> It would be uncommon for an engineer to come up with a pretty picture that
> business types could look at to make decisions on...
>
> Think of the metaphor of Architects versus Structural, HVAC, Piping -
> Mechanical Engineers, etc for buildings.
>
> _______________________________________________
> Tucson Free Unix Group - tfug at tfug.org
> Subscription Options:
> http://www.tfug.org/mailman/listinfo/tfug_tfug.org
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://tfug.org/pipermail/tfug_tfug.org/attachments/20100616/e1b58517/attachment-0002.html>