JS220 PCBA moves around in case when USB port is inserted

Issues
1

Hi There-
I’m happy to have my new JS220 here to play around with, and I noticed that the board slides around in the case a fair bit when I plug/unplug the USB connector in the back. Is that typical for a JS220, or could I have gotten a unit that has something loose?

Still enjoying tinkering around with it!
Dave

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2

Hi @Dyoung and welcome to the Joulescope forum! Unfortunately, a small amount of “play” is part of the current JS220 design. When you plug in the USB-C cable you apply a force. That force is opposed by the front-panel, but only through the front-panel connector at the center. The front-panel is only supported by two screws at the outside, and the front-panel flexes which makes the “play” much worse.

  1. Can you confirm that this is what you are seeing, too?
  2. Does your JS220 also rattle if you shake it gently? (it shouldn’t)

Details

The JS110 main board actually had “ears” that helped limit the travel, even though this was not an intentionally designed feature. We also added foam to help pick up the slop, which was fine with the USB-B connector.

With the JS220’s USB-C connector, we had to tighten up the tolerances. Unfortunately, we didn’t notice the front-panel flex problem after the product launch. Future production lots will have added “ears” so that the main board will contact the front panel near the screws so that you don’t see the added “play” from the front-panel PCB flex.

The good news is that your JS220 should work great, even with this extra “play”.

3

Ah, got it! Glad it’s not just mine.
When I shake it, I can hear the coax connector hitting the housing around it, but that’s it.
Thanks for the speedy reply!
Dave

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