What components make a flash when they die?

AE35

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Hi all!

I know it's a strange question. I had a board that I hooked up, and turned the
power on. Out of the corner of my eye I saw something flash, and then nothing.
It wasn't a fuse. No smoke, no smell.

So, I'm wondering...it probably can't be an IC or transistor, right? Maybe more
like a zener, but how about a normal diode?

From now on I'll put my vid cam on a tripod when turning these things on:)

Thanks!!!
 
May be a Metal film resistor, those are like carbon but body color is grey or blue, they are smaller than carbon at the same power rate, and don`t smoke or smell smoke when are overcurrent, just get open, some times you can see a part of their body blowed up. Although usually they sound when blow up like a soft shot.
 
I'd second the resistor. I have seen several carbon resistors produce a bright flash when they burn out.

ken
 
EPROMs will if you plug them in backwards. I got to watch the fields burning across an EPROM through the window once. It wasn't exactly a flash, but it wasn't good either....:(


ken
 
EPROMs will if you plug them in backwards. I got to watch the fields burning across an EPROM through the window once. It wasn't exactly a flash, but it wasn't good either....:(


ken

Yeah, many years ago I accidentally plugged in an EPROM backwards and on applying power saw a flash from the uncovered 'window'. :)
 
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