Crap, Enttec just burned out

I unwrapped every wire bundle where I had soldered pigtails on, etc. I found two out of 15 that were wet on the inside where water had gotten in. I guess it only takes ONE. I retaped all of the bundles twice to minimize water intrusion. I will get my new DMX device today and see if there is any additional damage above replacing the controller....

After this..I might purchase a bottle of liquid tape to go over voltage lines that will be bundled with data lines as an extra precaution against this sort of thing in the future. I will still heat shrink and tape, but the liquid tape would better seal the voltage wire in a situation where water intrudes and sits where voltage can jump across.

I also tested all lines with my multimeter using continuity as I went, as well as directly through the floods and didn't catch any shorts. I guess when your talking about water a single drop moving through the bundle could have done this.
 
jediknight2 said:
I unwrapped every wire bundle where I had soldered pigtails on, etc. I found two out of 15 that were wet on the inside where water had gotten in. I guess it only takes ONE. I retaped all of the bundles twice to minimize water intrusion. I will get my new DMX device today and see if there is any additional damage above replacing the controller....

After this..I might purchase a bottle of liquid tape to go over voltage lines that will be bundled with data lines as an extra precaution against this sort of thing in the future. I will still heat shrink and tape, but the liquid tape would better seal the voltage wire in a situation where water intrudes and sits where voltage can jump across.

I also tested all lines with my multimeter using continuity as I went, as well as directly through the floods and didn't catch any shorts. I guess when your talking about water a single drop moving through the bundle could have done this.
Click to expand...

I always use heat shrink on the individual cores then wrap in 2 layers of tape and then use heat shrink on the outside has worked well over the years. But i dare say thats where you lost your dongle as the +12v may have shorted across to the DMX data lines due to the moisture.
 
I think it unlikely that a bit of leakage (moisture) from the 12V line to the data pins did this. From memory, RS485 chips are spec's to take -8V to +12V into the data pins (with respect to 0V) without damage.

A scorched chip like yours has seen a pretty significant trauma. It sounds more like damage from a higher voltage/current source.
 
That would leave two options David. One being one of the sealed power supplies outside failed and pushed too much DC voltage through the lights, which then crossed over to the data from being wet. Two, induction from the data line coiled up and laying on top of the coiled up extension cord. There is a third option, a crappy chip on the OpenDMX board where 12V did indeed cross over and the chip when PFfft. I am kind of agitated at Enttec for making a board that isn't repairable and basically WASTED now because of a simple component. I am THANKFUL though that it failed how it did and didn't take my computer USB with it....the OpenDMX doesn't have isolation so...I was LUCKY I was standing there I guess!

I have NOT replaced it with another Enttec device that's for sure! I bought an ActiDongle from David over at HolidayCoro. The chip is replaceable in case this happens again and is isolated. Right now, however, I am going to run the show using my E6804 in native DMX mode which I have tested briefly. I tested two of the floods and they are OK...am waiting until dark to test the other three.
 
Got everything back up, didn't loose any floods, thank goodness! Just the Enttec OpenDMX. Actually, with the SanDevices 6804...I don't really need any other DMX controller as the 6804 can output native DMX and Renard..with e1.31 devices like this for our community...there really isn't a reason to be redundant...actually better to all be on the network anyway. Just thankful the damage wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be.
 
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