[Techtalk] what is bricking?

[Patricia Fraser]

> On 01/23/2012 03:10 PM, Carla Schroder wrote:
> > O gurus, what does it mean to brick a device like a wireless
> > router? Is it correct to say it's corrupting the OS to the point
> > where it cannot boot, and you cannot re-flash the EEPROM? But if
> > you had a nifty little EEPROM programmer device thingy, and could
> > safely pull the chip out of the router, you could restore it?
> >
> > Carla
> >
> > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> > Carla Schroder, ace Linux guru and howto author
> > 541-932-4817 PT
> > carla at tuxcomputing.com
> > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> >
> 
> "Bricking" generally refers to turning a functioning device into a 
> "brick", aka., a "paper weight". Sometimes this entails letting the 
> "Magic Smoke" out of the device if it is electronic\electrical. 
> Sometimes it can be repaired but often is not cost effective.
> 
> "Magic Smoke" is what makes all electronics work. The magic smoke 
> circulates through the circuits so the device works. When you let the 
> Magic Smoke out it stops functioning. This is accompanied by an acrid 
> smell and usually, but not always, visible smoke escaping from the
> device.
> 

That acrid smell is known technically as a "brown smell".

Cheers!

-- 
Trish Fraser, JD9R RQ2D
52.4161N,16.9303E
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