Trackspot DMX Problem

Hi Everyone. I am new to the forum. I just purchased some trackspots and one is not working properly. Hopefully you can help me. I have experience programming DMX lights and also experience working with electronics (lighting, amps, etc), so, I tried all the simple troubleshooting.

Anyways...the trackspot will not respond to DMX. I have the personality dip's on 3 and 5. I have tried several DMX channels and no luck. The unit powers up, it works in personality 1 (test mode). The light strikes, the gobos rotate and stop, mirror movement is fine, shutter is fine. It simply will not respond to DMX when I take it off of test and put it on the high resolution DMX settings, or the low setting for that matter.

I saw a post in here somewhere referring to the personality IC ( Integrated circuit). I am afraid this could be the problem. Is it? Any ideas?

The circuit board is a green board and the QC sticker says 11/5/96. I do not see the F2 ad F3 fuses anywhere on the circuit board like the HES manual suggests (the manual says F2 and F3 fuses would be the cause for no respose to data signal)

Please help. Thanks for your time!
Shane

0 timmiller - Former HES Forum Member over 16 years ago

I hope this helps.
www.highend.com/pub/products/automated_luminaires/Trackspot/Schematic/Trackspt.pdf

I'm thinking it could be the dmx driver chip. Maybe someone hit it with MPX at one time? Its job is to die so that the voltage doesnt hurt the rest of the circuit.
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0 musicproz71 - Former HES Forum Member over 16 years ago

Thanks for your help. I Think I narrowed it down on the diagram you sent me. Is it the square drawing on page 5 of 15?
Do you have a picture of this unit on an actual circuit board.. or a part number? I am not good with the electrical diagrams.
Thanks,
Shane
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0 musicproz71 - Former HES Forum Member over 16 years ago

Chris thanks. My original reply was to Tim who sent the link. I will look into the IC you say to check. When I get home tonight I will try. So it sounds like this is one of the IC's that have a socket right? .. Instead of being soldered in?
Anyways.. I will let you know. Thanks so much everyone.
Shane
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0 ed the beambot - Former HES Forum Member over 16 years ago

Not to sound insulting, but when you say you have checked all the basic stuff does that mean you tried a different cord or verified you actually have DMX coming into the fixture?
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0 musicproz71 - Former HES Forum Member over 16 years ago

Ed,
Yes. Thats exactly why I wrote that - to bypass the basic troubleshooting because I have already done all of that. My cord is good, the controller is good. I used the same channel and settings on three other trackspots just to confirm.
Thanks for the help, but it is definitley a problem with the unit itself. I hoping that it is an easy fix like the integrated circuit.
Also,
I checked continuity of the XLR inputs, made sure they were still soldered and everything. All the fuses are good, etc.
Thanks for the concern.
Shane
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0 musicproz71 - Former HES Forum Member over 16 years ago

Chris,
I tried the integrated circuit and kept my fingers crossed, but it did not work. I took the IC that you said out of a good trackspot and put it in the bad one, same orientation, same polarity. It did not solve the problem. I took it back out and put it back in the good one. The good trackspot still works so the bad track did not "blow" the good IC.

Any other ideas?
Thanks,
Shane
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0 musicproz71 - Former HES Forum Member over 16 years ago

Chris,
Ok. The larg IC chip says 1991 lightwave research TS31F V 4.1 The QC sticker says 1475 11/5/96. The green board itself has printed on it TS1 V2.0 Lightwave KRW 8/24/93 Modified 3/17/94. Hopefully the V 2.0 number is the number you are looking for. If not, let me know I will try to find more numbers although I do not see any more.
Thanks,
Shane
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0 timmiller - Former HES Forum Member over 16 years ago

personally, since your up so late, and trying to find a wind down project to melt your brain on. Id do a couple of pin point tests. I'd make sure you were seeing +5v (dc of course) at pin #8 of the dmx trancever chip. I'd also make sure you are getting a good ground by using the digital ground as a ground for the voltage measurement. If you do not have a good digital reference as "0" being ground or off, you will have all sorts of weird problems. Next thing i'd be looking at is that big 40pin chip. Maybe something went wrong in there. I'm currious as to what chris is going to say.
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0 puffyfish - Former HES Forum Member over 16 years ago

I could be wrong, but are there 2 silver looking diodes between the xlr plugs on the board. If they go bad dmx stops. Newer ver's dont have'em but I think that one does. Check'n'see. Voltage up the line fries them.
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0 roman - Former HES Forum Member over 16 years ago

Maybe it's the DIP Switch have seen this a few times.
Or go for an oszi follow the signal from the XLR to the 75176 and so on and see where the problem is.

Good luck Roman
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0 musicproz71 - Former HES Forum Member over 16 years ago

Now that you say that about the two diodes between the XLRs - This version does have them I remember seeing them (I am at work right now not at home). The two silver diodes looked a little funny at the base, as if maybe they were broken or burned. The other three lights I have do not have these diodes so I couldn't compare.

What are the specs on these diodes? If I check with my meter what should it read?
I could replace them and that would be an easy fix.

I will also check the dip switches but I have a feeling thats not the problem.

Thanks so much EVERYONE for all your help.
I never knew there were people out there so willing to help.

Thanks,
Shane
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0 musicproz71 - Former HES Forum Member over 16 years ago

Well Frank was right.. or at least I am 99% sure he is. I took the circuit board out and sure enough the board is burnt under the silver diodes in between the XLR connectors. I ordered two replacement diodes and a new chip - but I did not realize until after i took the board out and turned it upside down that there is some type of diode or resister in the same location on the flip side of the board..directly under the diodes..it looks more like a resister with a hard plastic black casing. There are two of them. Hopefully these units survived whatever caused this, and the diodes will fix the problem.
Thanks for all the help everyone.
Shane
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0 puffyfish - Former HES Forum Member over 16 years ago

:notworthy: Thanks! I may be 51 and a bit slow sometimes:684: but I have seen every version of every board for every light HES has ever made and tracspots are my favorites to this day.:cool:

Let me know if I was right. The force was strong on this one.
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0 musicproz71 - Former HES Forum Member over 16 years ago

Well I replaced the two diodes and the IC chip. The trackspot is responding to DMX now! The only problem is it is responding on a delay, its like it takes a second to register and every now and then it does what it wants. Could one of the three resistors that are right near the diodes have been damaged? Would damage to those resistors cause these symptoms?

Thanks,
Shane
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0 musicproz71 - Former HES Forum Member over 16 years ago

Does anyone have a schematic of the old version of trackspot - the one I am having a problem with? The schematic that Tim posted is of the newer version that has the fuses on the DMX circuit. I need to know what resistance the resistors are that are placed right by the xlr connections, there are two diodes (that I replaced), two resistors that are the same (actually they are wrapped in some type of black tube) and another resistor that is different than that.

Please let me know if you have a schematic or know what the resistance should read. I just have a feeling my problem is still in that area because the board was so badly damaged right there. (I did make sure all the connections were correct by comparing to another trackspot board that I have)
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