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HeLi
 HeLi
(@heli)
New Member
USB stick getting hot

Yesterday I finally got my Mini - assembly was really smooth and everything works fine so far.

After my first print i pulled the USB stick (the one delivered with the printer) and it felt quiet hot. I am a little concerned, because high temperatures and electronics don't work so well together 😉

Is my USB stick the "real hotend" of the printer (is there something wrong with the stick?) or is it normal (e.g. due to exessive reading from the stick?) Did others already burn their fingers when touching the stick after a 5 hour print? 😉

Napsal : 23/05/2020 7:57 pm
Robeena Shepherd
(@robeena-shepherd)
Estimable Member
RE: USB stick getting hot

The first thing I replaced on my Mini was the usb stick, I found it took too long to mount on my Macbook, and was very slow. I don't remember it getting hot though, but I don't think these are good quality!

Napsal : 24/05/2020 9:07 pm
Crawlerin
(@crawlerin)
Prominent Member
RE: USB stick getting hot

USB sticks in general can get very hot - like, you can barely touch them to yank those out of USB port if you just copied something to them, especially those fast USB 3.x. It's not a big problem, flash chips don't mind heat. Actually it's the opposite, being hot prolongs their life.

Sidenote - this is the same with SSDs, if you want to keep them last longer, don't cool flash chips. Other electronic components like controllers disagree though and like to run cold. Cool those, not flash. Some manufacturers realize this and approach it in smart way with their m.2 drives, where heat from controller gets used to heat flash chips. Sticker made out of thin metal is one of the best solutions for this.

Napsal : 25/05/2020 3:01 am
Matteo Cristini
(@matteo-cristini)
Reputable Member
RE: USB stick getting hot

Mine gets quite hot, too. I haven't measured but I'd say it gets to at least 50°C after a couple hours.

Napsal : 25/05/2020 7:42 am
Robeena Shepherd
(@robeena-shepherd)
Estimable Member
RE: USB stick getting hot
Posted by: @crawlerin

USB sticks in general can get very hot - like, you can barely touch them to yank those out of USB port if you just copied something to them, especially those fast USB 3.x. It's not a big problem, flash chips don't mind heat. Actually it's the opposite, being hot prolongs their life.

Sidenote - this is the same with SSDs, if you want to keep them last longer, don't cool flash chips. Other electronic components like controllers disagree though and like to run cold. Cool those, not flash. Some manufacturers realize this and approach it in smart way with their m.2 drives, where heat from controller gets used to heat flash chips. Sticker made out of thin metal is one of the best solutions for this.

Um, where did you read or hear this? None of this sounds like good advice at all. :/

Napsal : 25/05/2020 8:57 am
bobc
 bobc
(@bobc)
Reputable Member
RE: USB stick getting hot
Posted by: @crawlerin

Actually it's the opposite, being hot prolongs their life.

I've never heard that before, and that advice is opposite to established wisdom. Do you have any sources?

Possibly the confusion here is that some experimental Flash chips have internal heaters to do self-repair, but AFAIK all chips currently on the market are conventional. The m.2 "heat shield" is a gimmick, doesn't do anything practical.

Regardless, typical industrial temperature rating goes to 85°, so a USB stick could get hot to touch but still be in permissible temp range. Unfortunately, excessive temperature may also be a sign of imminent failure.

Napsal : 25/05/2020 10:20 am
towlerg
(@towlerg)
Noble Member
RE: USB stick getting hot

I think somebody is trolling (is that the correct InterWeb word). I've never had a USB thumb drive get hot or even warm. If I had a USB stick that was hot to the touch I'd copy whatever was on it quick smart, then drop it in the round filing cabinet.

Napsal : 25/05/2020 12:47 pm
Matteo Cristini
(@matteo-cristini)
Reputable Member
RE: USB stick getting hot
Posted by: @towlerg

I think somebody is trolling (is that the correct InterWeb word). I've never had a USB thumb drive get hot or even warm. If I had a USB stick that was hot to the touch I'd copy whatever was on it quick smart, then drop it in the round filing cabinet.

I don't know about others here but my usb stick does get warm, no trolling. Maybe I should try with another one and see if it only happens with the included one.

Napsal : 25/05/2020 1:32 pm
Greg
 Greg
(@greg-9)
Active Member
RE: USB stick getting hot

I was searching to see if there was any report of issues with the Prusa supplied USB stick and found this forum discussion.  I printed about 10 different things successfully but then started getting a "watchdog timer" error that would reboot the printer (and fail my prints).  I do not remember the USB stick getting hot.  Anyway, I posted on one of the Facebook forums.  The USB stick is apparently causing this, as others reported it.  I first tried formatting it but still got the watchdog error.  I swapped to a brand name USB stick I had laying around and that seems to have fixed it.  I suspect it is a very cheep and slow USB stick.   I will initiate a separate post on the watchdog timer issue. 

Napsal : 05/06/2020 8:41 pm
Crawlerin
(@crawlerin)
Prominent Member
RE: USB stick getting hot
Posted by: @bobcousins
Posted by: @crawlerin

Actually it's the opposite, being hot prolongs their life.

I've never heard that before, and that advice is opposite to established wisdom. Do you have any sources?

Possibly the confusion here is that some experimental Flash chips have internal heaters to do self-repair, but AFAIK all chips currently on the market are conventional. The m.2 "heat shield" is a gimmick, doesn't do anything practical.

Regardless, typical industrial temperature rating goes to 85°, so a USB stick could get hot to touch but still be in permissible temp range. Unfortunately, excessive temperature may also be a sign of imminent failure.

Effects of working temperature vs. data retention for storage flash: As for "don't trust random youtuber on the internet" - guy in video currently works for Intel in storage performance and testing team. I'd trust him.

That being said - reasonably hot. Above 40 C can be harmful, but don't overcool. Store in cold place.

No I am not trolling with USB drive being hot you can barely hold it in your hand. Especially fast USB 3.0 drives. For example Sandisk UltraFit 64 plugged into my router can go above 60 degrees. It's very small and fast, the heat has to go somewhere. Same with 128 GB Kingston, it's as thin as the inside of a USB port and aluminum, yanking it from USB after writing on it can be painful.

at around 2 minutes

This post was modified před 4 years by Crawlerin
Napsal : 06/06/2020 2:29 am
Quarren42
(@quarren42)
New Member
RE: USB stick getting hot

Sorry for bump but figured I would add to the post as others may come searching. Had some recognition issues on the Mini, then the USB stick stopped being recognized by PC, and overheated to the point where I had to go ice my fingers after pulling it out of the port. Swapped to a reliable USB drive I've had for years and no issues.

Napsal : 28/09/2021 3:58 am
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