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FANUC CRT display issues

Rick Finsta

Stainless
Joined
Sep 27, 2017
So of course my first day back in business for myself my CRT goes wonky on my 2005 Sharp SV-2412 with 0i-Mate MB. It has the A61L-0001-0093 made by Toshiba. I had the control panel opened up to trace a signal to see what would be involved in adding CTS to the machine, and when I installed the screws after closing the panel back up, the display began very quickly rolling as if the sync is off or something. I can use any of the soft keys and see the screen changing, so it looks like just a video error?

The only other thing I had done yesterday was Change parameter P7061 from "12" to "2" as per Sharp's recommendation for running the G05.1/G08 commands.

I was going to pull the trigger on an LCD replacement but wanted to know if I should start tracing the issue back further? I tried power cycling and disconnecting/reconnecting a few plugs, but that's about all I wanted to do without knowing if I should go further or just replace the screen.
 
Alright I pulled the display driver board and cleaned some dust/oil off it (I build race car ECUs on the side so I have all the right stuff for this). Of course my oscilloscope just took a shit, too so I have no good way to check signals. That said, I was able to futz with the pots on the CRT module and get it at least usable so I'm not down and out (yet).

Original:
20190914_114858.jpg


Original Orientation of Pots:
20190914_125001.jpg


Screen after "tuning:"
20190914_125450.jpg
 
I had a problem that was similar on an older OM control. I found a company on the internet out of Illinois that made a replacement LCD conversion and it was less than $400. I sprung for it and was pleasantly surprised. Everything thing was plug and play with the original machine connectors. I'll see if I can find the company if your interested.

Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk
 
Thanks! I'm guessing since I can get the signal somewhat clean on the display by tweaking those pots that this is a display issue. That makes more sense seeing as it is when I closed the control cabinet is when it happened. I ordered one of Newssor's displays for $350 and it should be here in a few days since I'm only a day away for most shipping. If that doesn't work looks like a replacement card will run me $700+ if I want it shipped quickly from somewhere here in the states. Not sure I want to buy a used board from China, and I sure don't want to even know what FANUC would charge.

Getting that brand new Speedio looks better every day...
 
Well, I got the display in and while it works (and looks great!) it goes out quite often with an "out of range" error. I'm thinking now that it is the card or cable maybe? TIE wants $720 for the card and I can basically use the machine as-is for now... uuuuugh. Newssor says the error I'm getting indicates a horizontal frequency sync issue, which makes sense with how the CRT was behaving.

Good news is I've likely got a good CRT display to sell now! I'll just hook it back up to check it after I get the new driver card in and if it is good to go I'm putting it on eBay!
 
It is really gonna be a kick in the teeth if it turns out to be the $110 cable after I bought $1200 worth of parts LOL.

My experience with lab equipment is that most service techs just bring a pile of parts and then throw them at the machine until it works, but we always maintained service contracts so it didn't cost us anything but some time (and we usually had a backup instrument).

In machine tools I wonder for things like this if a tech would have been a better option.
 
I did pull everything and clean it all with contact cleaner (that has treated me well in automotive racing applications). I just tihnk it is super weird that this manifested when I shut the control which just so happens to move the cable.

I checked continuity on all pins and it was good to go, and wiggled everything around while watching the screen. Intermittent problems are the worst.
 
Well... new card solved the problem. For like 20 minutes. So the only things left I can think of are the cable and then the connections on the main board in the back since all other machine functionality seems to be intact.

Where do I get a new cable made up? I really don't want to fish this thing through the cabinet so I am considering and abandon-in-place approach coupled with a new cable that I can run outside the normal loom.

I really wanted to make some chips this weekend; I need to flesh out the gallery on the new website.
 
Thanks, Frank. Sure do wish I had one of those Speedios in my shop right now. I am missing the C00 more every day. I could have sold this machine for the downpayment and I'd already be making chips (so long as the riggers had free time!). Hell, I'm already 1/3 of the way to a new spindle on a Brother with what this FANUC garbage costs.

Anyways, looks like it was the board and the cable, which seems odd. I can put the old card in and it is super finicky, but with the new driver card all I have to do is hold the cable in a certain orientation. I did an A-B-A-B-A swap to confirm. I didn't believe it.

I thought these FANUCs had great MTBF? How could two things fail at once! LOL. The probabilities are mind boggling...
 
..........

Anyways, looks like it was the board and the cable, which seems odd. ........

I thought these FANUCs had great MTBF? How could two things fail at once! LOL. The probabilities are mind boggling...

Yes, very odd for a cable and board to fail at the same time. One thing to keep in mind is that the cables are made by the machine builder or a sub-contractor in 99.99% of all Fanuc equipped machines. That is one of the areas that differentiate first rate builder from budget builders. I've worked on lots of machines where many of the connectors had cold solder joints and the associated troubles that comes with them. Low quality cable is another common cost cutting measure that lets a machine make it through its first few years OK, but results in troubles long term.
 
I thought these FANUCs had great MTBF? How could two things fail at once! LOL. The probabilities are mind boggling...

Wow! Lucky you. Maybe you should go buy a lottery ticket? I hope you get the display issues sorted and your new Brother in there quickly! Best wishes to you with your new venture.
 
Yes, very odd for a cable and board to fail at the same time. One thing to keep in mind is that the cables are made by the machine builder or a sub-contractor in 99.99% of all Fanuc equipped machines. That is one of the areas that differentiate first rate builder from budget builders. I've worked on lots of machines where many of the connectors had cold solder joints and the associated troubles that comes with them. Low quality cable is another common cost cutting measure that lets a machine make it through its first few years OK, but results in troubles long term.

Everything looks squared away in the connector at least (as far as best wiring practices) but the quality of the cable itself is unknown to me. The 0i-Mate MB connection manual does identify that this cable was to be supplied by the MTB, though it also gives a part number for a 5m long cable of this type; A02B-0120-K819. FANUC listed this in an older catalog as $220 in like 2008 so it may be something that can be purchased directly from them.

I've got my eye on an older Matsuura that if I can fit it, I may sell my Sharp and pick it up. A few years older but with less hours and a much, much higher quality machine with better controller, etc. The reason I ended up with the Sharp is it is the only machine that would fit under my garage door header without cutting things apart. We had to pull the Z-axis servo to do so and I had about 1/4" top and bottom total clearance... my riggers are fantastic!

I should probably have some purchase orders in hand first LOL
 
Alright I've figured out what the problem is I think but no idea how to fix it. I got my scope working and the cause is that the vsync signal will hold at 61Hz, and then randomly drop to 30.5Hz, then jump to 61Hz again. Signals are all clean; hsync looks great at 25kHz.

So what is causing the vsync to jump frequency?

I'm very scared that I need to replace the main board and CPU board.
 
Well, maybe worse than having it broken is now it is working and I don't know why. I reflowed the main board connectors and then played around in the LCD menu, including doing a factory reset on that, and now it has been working for at least an hour while I made some chips to see if it would keep up. The scope was still showing the vsync dropping to 48Hz from 61Hz but the screen stopped turning off when it happens.

I'm going to stay on it but now I'd feel like an asshole selling it if I don't know that it may go tango uniform a day after someone else owns it.

I welcome any other input, especially from those who have futzed with DIY'ing their own LCD setups.
 
Well, maybe worse than having it broken is now it is working and I don't know why. I reflowed the main board connectors and then played around in the LCD menu, including doing a factory reset on that, and now it has been working for at least an hour while I made some chips to see if it would keep up. The scope was still showing the vsync dropping to 48Hz from 61Hz but the screen stopped turning off when it happens.

I'm going to stay on it but now I'd feel like an asshole selling it if I don't know that it may go tango uniform a day after someone else owns it.

I welcome any other input, especially from those who have futzed with DIY'ing their own LCD setups.

Do you have a link to detailed specs of the LCD unit ?

I've scanned through the thread a couple of times but (brain not working today ).

And where are you drawing power from for the LCD unit / patching it into ?
 
Alright I've figured out what the problem is I think but no idea how to fix it. I got my scope working and the cause is that the vsync signal will hold at 61Hz, and then randomly drop to 30.5Hz, then jump to 61Hz again. Signals are all clean; hsync looks great at 25kHz.

So what is causing the vsync to jump frequency?

I'm very scared that I need to replace the main board and CPU board.

This being an important clue.
 








 
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