ElectricRCAircraftGuy / eRCaGuy_ComputaPranksta_Support

Public support for my "Computa Pranksta" mouse jiggler device I sell on Amazon and elsewhere.
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I've been using the device happily for a month now, but suddenly it stopped working. What do I do? #5

Open ElectricRCAircraftGuy opened 4 years ago

ElectricRCAircraftGuy commented 4 years ago

Answer:

Assuming it's in the same USB port and computer as it has been working in before, unfortunately, it's dead. :frowning_face: That makes us both very sad. Please submit a return to Amazon, specifying it doesn't work when choosing the reason why. If you are outside your return window, or bought it elsewhere, email me (see my email at the top of this page) or leave a message below and we can work something out.

Sometimes these things just die for no apparent reason, even when you take the following precautions. Much of the time, however, it's due to static discharge damaging the sensitive electronics. Static discharge, or ESD (electro-static discharge) simply means that static electricity built up on your body or on the surface around the device suddenly surged into the device, blowing through the silicon substrate and destroying parts of the chip at an atomic level--literally--a jolt of electrons plowed through the silicon atoms, blowing microscopic holes through the chip.

Even if you don't feel a shock or see a static spark, you may have just damaged or killed the device.

This is more likely to occur:

  1. in dry climates, where humidity isn't present to reduce static electricity
  2. on carpet, where friction with dry carpet generates static electricity
  3. on plastic tables or surfaces, where static electricity gathers
  4. when you walk in from another place and touch the device without first grounding yourself out to the surface the device is in by touching the computer or table it's resting on first instead of the device first.

Precautions you can take include:

  1. always placing your hand on the computer or table next to the device first to ground yourself out to that surface before touching the device
  2. taping it in electrical tape the second you get it
  3. keeping the shiny metallic-looking ESD-safe bag it came in, and transporting it ONLY inside this bag whenever you go somewhere
  4. taking care to handle the device only by its edges, never by touching the black chips on it directly
  5. not placing it on carpet, or working with it on carpet
  6. not placing it on plastic surfaces, or working with it on plastic surfaces
  7. 3D-printing a case for it! I have a provided file here: https://github.com/ElectricRCAircraftGuy/eRCaGuy_ComputaPranksta_Support#cad-files-for-a-3d-printed-case or here: https://github.com/ElectricRCAircraftGuy/eRCaGuy_ComputaPranksta_Support/tree/master/cad_files/Thomas_Edgar.

See Also:

  1. I just received my Computa Pranksta, but it doesn't seem to work at all! What do I do?