Feeder Problem

[lurowl]

I have a problem with a feeder that will not start up properly. When you 1st turn the feeder on you hear some clciking sounds (index pin poping up and moveing forward and back) When I turn one of my feeders on the index pin pops up but never goes back down and therefore doesn't no perform the forward and back motion. The feeder is now stuck like this untill I remove power from the unit.

All that has happened to the feeder is all connections where removed from the PCB so we could machine a peice out from the front of the feeder and everything placed back in exactly the same place.

Also on this feeder we noticed a part has been added in (see picture) (maybe a DC to DC converter) has anybody seen anything like this and if so could you explain what this is for. I have opened up 4 feeders and this is the only one to have such a mod. "nd attachment show where wires are connected.

Luke

[phonoplug]

The mod in the feeder is very standard. it generates the +/-12V for the RS232 in/out. If you have feeders without this (and work) I guess your machine must output +/-12V on the feeder bus. I think earlier machines might have been wired up like this, but I could be wrong.

When the pin is up, is it actually being driven up or is it just sticking up due to friction or binding somewhere? Its not uncommon for pins to stay up when they shouldn't, meaning it annoyingly feeds the tape forward then back again.

If its actually being driven up, don't keep the feeder powered too long else you'll see smoke coming from the solenoid coil! They aren't intended to be continuously powered and get pretty hot, pretty quick!

[lurowl]

Thanks for the quick response.

I did suspect it was a standard mod that had been done.

With regards to the pins staying up, they are actually being driven up and held there. I removed power as soon as this happened as I know this is not supposed to happen. Is there any simple fix for this? As I have not really done anything to the PCB, only un plugged the connections and desolder the mod which has all now been remade.

Luke

[phonoplug]

Sounds obvious, but have you definitely definitely plugged the right things into the right headers on the controller board?

[lurowl]

Everything plugged in the right place (we took photos before hand) and secure. We have taken 2 feeders apart and when powered up with 1 feeder PCB everything works fine and powered up with the PCB from the dodgy feeder and we get this locking of the index pin. Therefore there must be a problem on the PCB but we can't work out what we could have to introduce this problem to a feeder that was fine on friday

Luke

[phonoplug]

Sounds to me then like the control board has died. I can supply a replacement if you can't get it going again.

[lurowl]

Thanks again. It looks like we do have a problem on the control board. 5v Reg had blown, replaced but still have the problem. Will investigate more tomorrow and will be in touch should we require a new board.

Luke