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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: TheSuperRaw on Mon, 08 August 2016, 23:24:45
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Hi,
With keyboards which are detachable via mini usb is it safe for the driver/physical components to be routinely plugged and unplugged between multiple computers a day? For example bringing my keyboard with me to work and plugging it into multiple computers there and then bringing it with me to use back home?
Anyone have any insight or experience on how badly will this wear my parts (if at all)?
Thanks!
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Some USB sockets use the data pins to hold the socket onto the PCB - those can routinely break off if the cable is plugged/unplugged too often, or even if too much lateral force is applied once it is connected.
Others have a metal tab forming part of the socket housing that is also soldered into the PCB - those are considerably more robust.
With care, most keyboards should survive a reasonable amount of connecting/disconnecting.
But ... would you be disconnecting the mini USB at the keyboard end? Or at the PC end?
I try to keep my cables with their respective keyboards, which means only unplugging from the computer's USB port and carefully holding the USB cable while I lift up the keyboard. So far no breakages :)