I really need the files off of it. Does anyone know where I can get help with that?

http://pw1.netcom.com/~wa4qal/crystal.htm

As for interference, there are a couple of kinds that cause problems with Quartz crystals, but most of these are pretty minimal effects. One problem is with jitter, but this usually only affects the phase of the signal, and tends to average out over time (It can cause grief if you’re using the crystal for a very precise local oscillator in a receiver, but the effect is usually better than for just about any other kind of local oscillator, unless the feedback amplifier is particularly noisy.). Some crystals can do what is called mode or frequency jumping, where the frequency of oscillation suddenly shifts, sometimes in relationship to electrical circuit parameters shifting (perhaps due to mechanical changes, or even thermally induced changes). However, this is usually related to the geometry of a particular crystal, and one would hope that a commercially produced crystal is void of these issues. There is also the issue of overtone operation, but one would hope that for the relative low frequencies used for USB drives, the crystal is a fundamental mode crystal.

The largest concern may be radiated electrical noise, but these crystals usually operate in the mW, if not uW range, so there is not much energy to be radiated.

Most of the packaged crystals used now are made by cutting a Quartz slab (and, note that the orientation of the cut with respect to the crystallographic axes is important, since this affects thickness versus frequency, temperature coefficient, vibrational mode, etc.), grinding/polishing/etching it to the desired frequency, and then Silver plating electrodes on it, which are then attached to wire leads. I’m thinking that, for the USB drive I have, that either the Quartz slab fractured (which is possible, since Quartz is quite brittle), or that one of the wire leads broke, probably where it connects to the Silver plating, inside of the crystal package.

My first thought would be to remove the crystal (which, if memory serves, is a 12.0 MHz crystal), and replace it with another one I have in stock (which, unfortunately, has a slightly different geometry, which means that I probably won’t be able to reassemble the drive into the original case, but it will allow/motivate me to create a custom case for it). Following that, I may perform a failure analysis of the perhaps broken crystal (e.g., Cut it open, using a Dremel tool with a cutoff wheel to expose the internal workings.). Now all I need is the time to actually do this.

Dave

You’re afraid the damage may be internal to your crystal? I guess that makes sense; or it could simply have popped one of the leads loose from the solder pad.

Definitely seems to be worth a try replacing it!

Dave

Check http://www.larsen-b.com/Article/288.html, for my experience with the same kind of issue