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If you're a certain kind of tinkerer, you probably have a whole bunch of computers with busted USB ports. Maybe you dropped a screwdriver on a dev board one time, or accidentally charged your EV prototype through the debugging interface. Either way, you oopsied and now your shiny Thinkpad (or Macbook, we don't judge) has a dead USB port.
A "simple" way to avoid this problem is to use a "powered" USB hub, which protects the upstream port from downstream mischief. The fact that we looked for a reliable one and couldn't find it is the reason this project exists. In short:
Specifically:
Spec-wise:
The way it works is simple: there are no direct power/data connections between your computer and downstream devices. Power comes from a sturdy wall-wart, and beefy ESD protection makes sure nothing zappy makes it to your computer. As long as your device is bus-powered (i.e. doesn't have a power supply of its' own), the Safetyhub should protect your computer.
Electrical design files are in Altium-specific formats, but if you just want to look, there's a PDF version here: https://github.com/ploopyco/safetyhub/blob/master/Electrical/HubSchematics.pdf
The Safetyhub is not electrically isolated, and won't protect from high voltages, ground loops and other dangerous situations. If your downstream device has its' own power supply/has high voltages present/presents other electrical hazards, you'll need a real isolation barrier. If you're not sure if this paragraph describes your situation, please consult with someone who can help you avoid electrocution/accidents that give you superpowers.
The hub is released under OHL CERN v1.2. Check the respective directories for full license text.
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