[SLL] improper grounding while using PVR can might cause problems? -- was: Re: OT--Hardware: New Build Won't go to POST

[Ana]

On Sun, Oct 14, 2007 at 11:48:40AM -0700, Andrew Sweger wrote:
> On Sun, 14 Oct 2007, Ana wrote:
> 
> > How important is properly grounded house-power?
> 
> It's important from a safety perspective. But the _normal_ operation of
> any electrical device should not depend on the presense of a ground. If a
> device is leaking current to ground, something is wrong with it (e.g., it
> would trip a GFI breaker). An improperly wired ground could cause problems
> for the operator of a device if there's a potential difference between
> ground and neutral. But that's a separate world of hurt.

Thanks for your reply.  While on the topic, I have one more question.

A different system, one I use at home, is also connected to a improperly
grounded electrical source.  (the aforementioned system is at a
business.)  I have odd problems with the home machine...  that include
random segfaults of gcc/etc., occasional kernel oops-es, and occasional
lock ups.  I ran x86memtest+ for a long time, which found no problems.
I finally brought it to a shop.  They never saw any of the same symptoms
and found only one problem with the hardware...  which was: reads on the
real-time-clock failed (if I remember correctly) about 30% of the time
*when* RAM was also simultaneously being accessed.  That didn't seem
like a probable cause to me.

I hadn't thought this other element could be an issue until I brought my
machine back home.  I have a WinTV-pvr-150 (or something very similar);
a Haupauge, hardware mpeg encoder that I have connected to a co-ax line
from my cable-tv provider.  The frequency of problems are much greater
when I'm using that device, or have used it since booting.  They also
occur though, rarely, even when I haven't used it since booting.  What
might be more interesting is:  I don't remember my machine ever having a
single problem when I've left the Haupauge card disconnected from the
cable/co-ax.

I've wondered if there might be a voltage (potential?) imbalance between
my machine's ground/neutral and the co-ax ground/neutral...  and if
maybe that could be causing problems.  I wrote the manufacturer about
this and they said it was a possibility and that I should run some
tests...  which I don't have the resources to run.

Anyway, I've wondered what you guys on the linux-list might think about
the problem.  I think if it were a problem with the driver that I would
have seen more complaints from the community, because my machine can
seize quite often.

Thanks,

- Ana