Can a burn out USB cable kill the front USB circuitry of the case?

Happy Hopping

Happy Hopping

Supreme [H]ardness
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Jul 1, 2004
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Well, this is the 1st time I've seen this:

The client has a digital camera and connect his micro USB cable (on the camera side) to the USB port of the front USB of the case

Windows 10 detects error in the connection, and about 2 min. later, there is smell of burning. So I eject the cable. The USB metal part of the cable detached from the housing of the cable.

I then use a few USB flash drive to connect to that USB port to see if it still works. Fortunately it does.

So 2 questions:

1) anyone seen this before? how can this happen?

2) could the burn out metal part of that cable, already damage the front USB port eventhough other flash drive works as a test? meaning in the next few weeks, could the front USB begins to deterioate and fails? If so, what's the worst case scenario? just a burn out USB front panel or the whole motherboard needs replacement?
 
Worst case scenario is fire, you can get a lot of current across a modern USB.

Essentially I think there must have been a short in the camera or there was something conductive in the port. This means the USB port was shorted. How bad is the damage? Not sure, depends on a lot of factors

I would replace the case or disconnect the port. Cheaper than risking a fire hazard.
 
no, the cable is the part that got disconnected from the inside, as I said above, not the pc
 
there's a short in the cable or possibly (less likely) the camera. i've had cables go bad but never that dramatically.

the cable could have gone bad if the client had been abusive to it (bending it extremely or pulling it hard to try to untangle)

given that the cable came apart i'd guess this was the case and try replacing the cable.
 
The motherboard can fail, but it is rare. Usually there are shunt resistors and voltage regulators on the USB circuitry in any modern motherboard past the year 2000 that prevent damage from overvoltage, overcurrent, and light ESD. That isn't to say it can't happen under the right circumstances, because I had it happen one time when I zapped a USB header on a plexi-case with a static charge from my finger, and it wouldn't boot ever again until I replaced the motherboard.

Failed/failing cables can also send voltage down a data line, or the opposite -- pull something to ground which draws excess current, which isn't good either.
 
since the PC is still working, is it fair to assume all is over? this is the very first time I have seen a USB cable burns like that. and it's from Canon.
 
A USB port can provide up to 2.5W (1.x/2.0) or 4.5W (3.x) of unnegotiated power. A damaged cable can easily get hot enough to burn trying to dissipate that power without the system’s over-current protection shutting down that port.

Look into the port closely, and check the resistance of each pin. If there’s not any discoloration or deformation and no resistance, the port is fine.
 
Is it a cheap, generic, knockoff cable that he bought at Dollar General? Most USB cables are junk and don't meet spec. Use name brand stuff only.
 
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