Is the website http://pcb-hdd.com worthy of trust?

[Vulcan]

@fzabkar,

I used to do contract work for a certain minicomputer manufacturer who processed a large volume of repairs. They had an extremely strict ESD policy. After implementing it, the failure rate fell dramatically.

I'm not at all surprised at that, based on what I learned through the ESD training courses (and exams) I've done, during the decades of my work in the electronics industry.

My comments about possible ESD damage in this thread have just been an example about why the PCB supplier could be telling the truth, unless there is substantial evidence to the contrary (which has not been produced yet, as far as I can see). I don't know, or care, whether ESD damage actually applies in this case - there are multiple possible causes I could have used as the example. But since it's clear that I'm wasting my time trying to suggest that an open-minded approach might be fairer, I'll stop here.

[madloc]

I am just trying to help you to avoid looking foolish when you call the PCB supplier a liar but you cannot prove it, by suggesting that you keep an open mind about other possibilities. That is all. If you want to risk getting a bad reputation by accusing a supplier without proof, then please do carry on. Your reputation; your choice

As I said before, one possible concern is ESD (there are others). Unfortunately you are saying: "i have never damaged anything with ESD" so we have nothing more to discuss. No-one who works with electronics can ever know that they have "never damaged anything with ESD" - for the explanation, go and learn about latent defects caused by ESD.

You obviously don't like my suggestions, and I choose not to work with people who do not keep an open mind. So it suits us both for me to say: Goodbye and good luck with your problem!

I think you only help is only make me look like a fool and incompetent. Have you an open mind? i'm not the only person who touch the PCB and the ESD not only applies to me . I have never damaged anything where the problem was not clear, and no, it was not ESD. Is as simple as to be grounded, go and learn how to do it and tell your engineers.

Thank you for the luck and the 0.02 euro. Plus the 150 £ or so + shipment that the company aks to recover my data i can fix it in other place Goodbye

[fzabkar]

madloc, it could be that your second problem was caused by your power supply.

As for pcb-hdd.com, I have seen no user feedback from them, but as a rule I would suggest that you avoid those suppliers who don't tell you up-front that a particular board will not work as is, without modification. That's why I recommend only three PCB suppliers. All three warn their customers when a firmware transfer is required, and all three include such a service, either for free or for US$10. They do not view such simple cases as "data recoveries".

Did pcb-hdd.com tell you that the board would not work without modification?

[Vulcan]

I think you only help is only make me look like a fool and incompetent.

It's a shame you feel that way. I don't expect you to read this, but it was not my intention to make you "look" that way (or any other way). However if you cannot produce the evidence to justify your accusation against the PCB supplier, then that isn't my fault.

i'm not the only person who touch the PCB and the ESD not only applies to me

Very true! And if you had said that perhaps the supplier had make some genuine mistake and forgotten to test your board, or that perhaps the board had failed for any other reason, instead of just accusing them of lying and not testing the board (without evidence to justify that accusation), then I would not have made any comment.

Is as simple as to be grounded, go and learn how to do it and tell your engineers.

Of course you won't believe me, but for the benefit of other readers: No, ESD control is not that simple, so no I will not be giving your advice to my engineers. Of course being grounded (I assume you mean the person being grounded, since you mentioned wriststraps before) is one very important part of ESD control - but if it was that easy, then would there really be books, websites, training courses, ANSI standards and industry associations about the subject, if it was as simple as one sentence? For example, I can easily damage a device with ESD, even while I am wearing a working, correctly grounded, wriststrap.

Anyway, this is heading off-topic, but if other members want to discuss ESD control, feel free to drop me a PM.

[madloc]

I only want to say that in my case http://pcb-hdd.com has refunded my money. And only for that i consider that is worthy of trust.