SSlmixed.com Forum
Tech discussion => 4K,6K,8K Series => Topic started by: StefanNowak on August 25, 2012, 02:54:40 AM
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Oh boy. Things are going really south here :( the computer seems to be self destructing..
I wanted to do some copies as I was mucking around with the config this morning and wanted to return to the original config.
When copying the discs I'm getting "PROGRAM DISC NOT READY" when labelling a reel disc i get "REEL DISC NOT READY"
Same applies when running tests.
This was NOT happening when the console arrived and I ran multiple copies of discs for safety.
It appears to happen when we get to around 500 sectors to go.
Here's a screen shot.
(http://i1263.photobucket.com/albums/ii622/StefNowak/d7a5307c.jpg)
Thanks again.
Stef.
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Stef I am not an expert on SSL computer (hence not helping you out so much with the previous problems)
BUT it's a bit fishy and someone few posts earlier suggested you might have a problem with the computer power supply.
Did you check it?
Not only visual inspection but you need to pull out the voltmeter and check all the rails and then connect the oscilloscope on all the rails and check for Ripple.
I hope this could be the cause, too many problems have happen recently and all computer related (apart from the meters which I will write in the other post).
good luck, let us know!
Mattia.
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Hi Mattia,
My tech was here on Thursday, he pulled out all the cards and checked them, he also checked the rails and they're all good.
I hope something hasn't gone wrong during this service....
I'm wiped out...
Stef.
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But arent you suppose to copy to floppy? I dont think REEL, or?
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You make a copy of the program disc to a blank in the REEL drive.
Regardless, this is happening on both drives during any 'bulk' moves... formats, copies, labels.
And also when I !DT either drive.
Stef.
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Im sorry to hear you´ve so many problems, the tech you´re bringing in, is it a SSL tech?
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He's an all rounder with quite a bit of SSL experience.
I'm giving it another week or 2, then I'll get someone in who's a specialist SSL guy.. My patience is running out I must admit... the floppy drive playing up on Saturday was the last straw. I'm a really patient guy but once the threshold is hit everyone get out of my way!!!
Would taking the Total Recall cards out of the computer be causing problems?
Stef.
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Yes it can be frustrating some times
We had similar problems when we first installed our console
I have no idea if the TR cards could cause problems, it probably could, seems these old computers live their own lives!
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What was up with your computer if you don't mind sharing?
Stef.
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picture in TR display was distorted, problem was in the cards of the psu
TR did not respong when turning on knobs, if it did respond some other parameter was also affected, problem was dust in a channel slot
automation did not work on some channels, problem was bent legs on IC´s in the computer, we went through every chip (How that happened only former owner knows :)
Cut lamps flickered shortly, sometimes the console switched off all cut status made on the console completely, it was better when console was warm, problem was a leg was off on a J112 in one of the cards, the one to the right from behind
Problem that is not solved yet, display in console and external display starts working after 10 min
Reel floppy is not responding sometimes when console is not heated up
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Great info thanks...
I mentioned the PSU at least 5 times when my tech visited last.. I will INSIST that we open it up on Wednesday.
Stef.
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Geez mate, you'd think we had the same console! what model is yours?
Stef.
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I would make sure 100% the card to the right is ok and the slot is clean, the other cards is interchangable so an easy way would be to change places of 2 cards and see if the problem goes away and appear somewhere else!
We also like you had 30 meters cabling to power and faders, this didnt seem to make any problems more than a little voltage drop, though since the cable was not SSL the connectors was bad (not original) and caused bad connections
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Which 'card to the right'?
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There are several cards in the psu, I think 5, 4 of them is for +12v,-12v... I named these in one of your other threads I think, cant remember the name, the fifth one closest to the transformer is a completely different card,
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Brilliant info mate, thanks!!
Stef.
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The Regulator card number should be CF82E98, it's used on all rails in the console supply also. It has 2x LF351's IC's
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Yes CF82E98, and then there`s another card that caused us the cuts flickering, Im at home so cant check,
...this is not important but just for the record and so I dont lie about the J112 with a broken leg that I mentioned before I´ll check in the service book later today, what we repaired!
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Thank you guys... crossing my fingers!! and everything else!
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The fifth card is CF82E116, and for the record, it was a faulty J112 on that card causing our problems
(http://www.dreamix.se/psu.JPG)
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Tech is in tomorrow, first thing we're doing is opening the PSU!
S
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We put the TR cards back in and the CUTs etc started playing up again. We replaced the BUSS driver card with a spare and it seems to have rectified the problem. PSUs all checked out fine.
The Total Recall is a little better.. it appears that some controls are not working and/or controlling 2 parameters. (ie a low shelf pot and 2 will turn on the screen) this appears to be global across the console. Screen seems a bit better now too.
We had NO luck with the floppy drives with the same problem occuring... occasionally it would be ok but generally not... we would do a copy, a test and the drives would get to about 500 sectors to go and the message would appear that the drive isn't ready. We checked all connectors reseated ribbons etc and had no success.. any thoughts?
Tired!!
Stef.
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We sure could use a good SSL technician in here :) Anyway, I dug up my old email with a SSL tech when this happened us, maybe you could find something in there :
"When one object affects another this would indicate that the object addressing is faulty this could be because of a broken TR computer, could also be a problem with the interface card on the back of the keyboard which can have problems with its opto isolators. It could also be that the cabling between the keyboard and computer, or keyboard and channels is faulty/damaged and I have also seen a problem like this caused by metal particles (dirt?) falling into the edge connector where the channel plugs in or possibly even a faulty channel.
The TR addressing comes from the computer on the 50 way keyboard ribbon then is distributed to the channels along the 10 way ribbon cable called S9 and the busses are carried on the channel buss card pins nearest to the faders.
You can take all the modules out of the console and at some point this may cure your problem but also you can disconnect individual bays from the address busses by unplugging the 10 way connector (S9) and any of the S9 jumpers between the bays."
Hope this helps.
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Thanks mate,
We had a look under the keyboard a while back and ran tests, all was fine.
Maybe the TR computer is fubar.
S.
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We had NO luck with the floppy drives with the same problem occuring... occasionally it would be ok but generally not... we would do a copy, a test and the drives would get to about 500 sectors to go and the message would appear that the drive isn't ready. We checked all connectors reseated ribbons etc and had no success.. any thoughts?
I went thru something similar with my floppy drives a few years back. Turns out that the actual SCSI drives had to be rebuilt. Instead of doing that, I just bought the ZIP drive upgrade from Microanalytic.
http://microanalytic.com/
All has been well after that
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I emailed microanalytic about this about a week ago and still waiting for a response.
How much was it if you don't mind sharing?
Stef.
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It was years ago, but I think it was somewhere in the $3500 range.
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Ok, Peter Duncan quoted me 2500 quid for a floppy replacement alternative... I'm thinking it was this baby.
Are you booting off the ZIPs? are you finding media easy to find?
Stef.
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yeah, I'm booting off of the zip. Zip media doesn't exist in any computer stores around me, but it's readily available online.
One tiny downfall to the system is that the SSL cant format a disk to be more than 32mb.. limitation with the file format I think. even though 2/3 of the disk is wasted space, I'm still able to fit more than one albums worth of data on a single zip which is really nice.
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Sweet. Might look into this, I've sent micro another email.
Did you buy it from them direct?
Stef.
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I bought from them direct. Their shop was actually only a few miles from my studio so the guy built me a new SASI card and dropped the units off. Pretty crazy that this guy had the spare parts laying around to build this stuff.
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Very cool indeed!
I'm still waiting on a reply from them..
Stef.