Please Help - LOR card not communicating how to troubleshoot???

DougieB

DougieB

Full time elf
Joined
Aug 3, 2011
Messages
283
Location
Gladstone, Qld
Hi all
One of my DC cards has stopped working/communicating.has run fine until last night.
Information to help.
  • not being detected by hardware utility
  • network cables test fine
  • Power supply is fine (28V)
  • controllers daisy chained after the card are working
  • Latest gen card and firmware up to date
  • 4.4 amps total one side and 5.2 amps the other
  • fuses fine
  • Unit is in water proof box under cover and according to IR heat gun, through the day and when operating, not geting above 40C
  • Have swapped power suppies and fuses with another unit - all good on other unit
  • I don't have a spare.
  • Have powered down and then back up (with a 10minute break between) with no change
Can someone please give me some trouble shooting tips or advice
Thanks
Doug
 
Do a reset of the controller, i cant remember how this is done but I do know Ryan knows how to do this or you should find the info over at LOR. Goodluck
 
Thanks FastEddy
have just carried this out and and all is good
Reset is:
power down, ID dials to 0, power up, twiddle thumbs for 30 seconds, power down, reset unit ID, test
 
Hi Gang
Problem Card update
The card has dropped out 8 times since original post. Has been reset each time except for the last. Will not reset now. the card is a CMB16QC, purchased in September.
Is there any testing/fault finding I can do to locate the problem.
Have logged a ticket with Light-o-rama.
Please Help
Doug
 
2 things that I would check are that the card has the latest firmware and that the supply that is running the card isn't suffering s brown out and somehow putting the card into mumble mode. The hardware utility with lor shows you the firmware version of each card. If you're using the latest version of s3 it has all the firmwares, you'll just have to hit the lor site to work out what's the latest. A brownout on the supply is a bit harder to detect. Ideally you'll want either an oscilloscope or an analogue multimeter to check that the supply isn't dropping significantly when all the outputs turn on. The response time of a digital meter probably isn't fast enough to see momentary changes.
 
Thanks Ahh
I have already checked the firmware, uo to date.
Will try and get my hands on a scope and try it
Doug
 
How can I get it to test if I can't get it to communicate. right now it will not reset.
Doug
 
Ok can rule out the power supply, original tested fine and tried a seperate unit, still no good. LOR help desk recommended I change controller position in daisy chain. Even replaced cat 5E cable. Still no good. Tested fuses etc all appear fine.
Starting to annoy me now, with 1/6th of my lights not functioning.
Doug
 
Hi David
Cable is 2.5mm2 and run is 4m from power supply to controller. the alternative power supply was also 2.5 and 1m. Controller is connected directly to the USB485B. Has been last, in the middle, etc.
Will get a photo when I get home tonight
Doug
 
Sounds like you've done all the right tests to make sure that it's not cabling etc. At this point I'd have a pretty good look over the pcb to make sure that there are no dry solder joints. There shouldn't be but you never know.
 
So what im gathering here is that the controller cant be found at all and this will not allow you to be able to reflash the firmware so its really looking like a hardware issue.
One thing you could try is cleaning the board down with CO2 contact spray to ensure nothing small is between the pins of the IC and the rj45 plugs, use a maginifying glass to ensure that it appears clean. Also may be worth running a soldering iron over the pins for the RJ45 plugs as it may be a dry joint there causing you havoc
 
Thanks guys
Will try the suggestions
wifey has just forwarded an email from LOR and they are going to replace the card. Would be nice to get this one going as well.
 
Final note.
New board arrived (10 days in customs).
Old board had voltage issues and returned to LOR
Again thanks for the advice and I hope you all had a great season
Doug
 
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