USB to TTL Serial Cable - Debug/Console USB Error

[Octet]

Just received my "Raspberry Pi Starter Pack - Includes a Raspberry Pi Computer" kit yesterday and tried to connect to is using the USB to TTL Serial Cable - Debug / Console Cable. Connections are correct. After plugging directly into a USB port on my computer I noticed the power LED on the Pi doesn't come on. Thinking the USB port could not supply enough power I then plugged the USB to TTL Serial Cable - Debug / Console Cable into an Adaptec powered USB hub. Immediately after connecting the USB to TTL Serial Cable - Debug / Console Cable I get a USB error saying "Power Surge On Hub Port". I seemed to smell the dreaded electronics burn smell. Has anyone else had this problem?

I then decided to power the Pi using the external power supply. I removed the red lead from the USB to TTL Serial Cable - Debug / Console Cable (per the instructions) and the power LED does come on. While powering the Pi off the AC adapter the LED would occasionally flicker and fade after a while, then it went completely out. I can open a putty window to COM7 which is used by the TTL serial cable, but I can't see anything. Not sure if my TTL serial cable is fried and/or my Pi is fried. Anyone else experience this problem? Nothing else is connected to the Pi except the memory card.

Anyone else have this problem?

[Octet]

Quick update, I tried the loopback test mentioned in the link below and it was successful. I can see the characters I type on the screen. I used Putty for the loopback test.

viewtopic.php?f=50&t=37017&p=182915&hilit=ttl#p182915

[Octet]

Quick update, I got a brand new HDMI cable and connected it to the Pi and my monitor. The only thing connected to the Pi is the memory card and AC adapter that came as part of the package. When I plug in the AC adapter I don't get any output on the display. Nothing, no boot messages at all. The red power LED on the Pi does turn on.

As an additional test, I measured the output of the USB TTL Serial Cable with the DMM. On the red pin I measured -5.17v. Can anyone confirm if that's the expected voltage? I was expecting the voltage to be positive.

[adafruit_support_mike]

If the console cable is miswired, it would almost certainly kill your RasPi in a way consistent with the 'USB overload' message you got.

That kind of thing would be a freak production error, but it's theoretically possible. If it did happen, we owe you some new hardware.

Just to be absolutely sure, please post a photo of the console cable plugged into a USB hub, and a multimeter taking a voltage reading between the red and black connectors that go to the RasPi.

[Octet]

Here's a picture showing the output on my DMM. Do you think my memory card is fried too?

[adafruit_support_mike]

Yeeeeah.. that's bad.

I doubt the SD card is damaged. The RasPi probably died before anything could happen to it. Even so, contact support@adafruit.com with a link to this thread and we'll replace everything for you.


==== EDIT ====

As a matter of fact, I've just bought you a 'Magic Smoke' skill badge. Ask support to put that in the box when they ship you the replacements. You didn't do anything wrong, but you definitely met her.