R2E3 with "3 wait" in display

[hrhoward]

Now this Series II with the R2E3 control gives the message 3, Wait, on power up and all the led's are lit. Any ideas?

[machintek]

Attached is my note sheet on wait states.

George

[Newby2]

Please see the post "Boss 8 EMC boot sequence" elsewhere in this forum. I was able to isolate the problem with the help of this post. It shows the seven step boot sequence, you need to gain access to the EMC board located behind the operators panel to see the 4 LED's on the board. The sequence and state of the LED's indicate the step that is holding the board in the WAIT state.
The " 3, WAIT" status message on your control panel, (LED's 3 & 4 lit on the EMC board) indicate the board is testing the analog to digital converter chip, (Feed Rate Overide) and it is not responding.
With the help of this members post, I was able to isolate the problem, IC 25 (AD 7581JN) on the EMC board, (middle row, right most removable chip), clean it with CRC Electronic Control cleaner.
Carefully remove the chip, with power off of course, spray the socket and surrounding area thoroughly with the cleaner, and gently dry the socket and board with canned, compressed air, (the kind used for dusting computer keyboards).
Take note of the notch at the top of the chip so you can reinstall it properly.
and BE careful not to bend the leads of the chip or you may cause yourself a lot of grief! (experience talking!)
I also found that the EMC board of my machine had a lot of opaque scum on it so I cleaned the entire board with the CRC and canned air and have not had a problem since.
Good luck!
Steve

[hrhoward]

Steve, George, Thanks!
I accessed the EMC and while the "3" and "Wait" were displayed. Sure enough, LED's 3 and 4 where on solid. Powered the machine down and while I was getting ready to look at IC25, I noticed the whole board was loose on its mounts. Tightened up the three bolts and powered back up and wa-lah! Boots up dandy.

Are the mounting points part of a grounding circuit??

[hrhoward]

Ok, after running the machine for about 2 hours we turned it off and back on and the "3" came back. Took the operator's panel off, cables still attached, and watched the LED's on the EMC. LED's 3 & 4 stay on. I checked D4 and have -10.5 volts on one side and +.18 on the other. I turned the machine off and let it sit for several minutes. (had a smoke break) Turned it back on and it boots up ok. Hit the reset button, again, it boots up ok. Some of the chips on the EMC are now quite hot. Reset again, I get the "3" back. Have another smoke, no "3", but after a couple of tries, "3" comes back.

Any ideas?

[machintek]

So without a doubt, you have a thermal issue. Make sure all ICs are seated. It may also be a bad solder joint.

George

[Newby2]

I had the same issue with mine until I cleaned the board and all per my last post. Since doing this, I have run the machine all day long in an ambient temperature of 80 degrees with no problems. It seems that the EMC board is very sensitive to the years of "goop" buildup on the on the board when they are brought back to life.
As for the mounting screws acting as a ground, check the connectors on the left side of the board and see if any of the wires from the connectors are attached to one of these mounting screws. I don't recall (old age).
Steve

[hrhoward]

I have ordered a replacement IC25 just in case. The EMC board looks great. The machine was stored in a climate controlled building. How long I do not know. I'm going to clean the board anyway.

After I wait for it to cool down and it boots up correctly, It does not have any issues as long it is left on. Does this make sense?

[Newby2]

I have to admit that mine was acting exactly the same way. It would run beautifully till I shut it down. The problem would return when I would power it up again.
This was a very confusing and hidden problem as the board looked as is nothing was wrong. I believe the cause was the "goop" was in the socket which would not be visible looking at the board. Possibly just enough to allow contact at times, and then either insulating contact, or causing a grounding or shorting issue blocking the boot sequence.
Please let me know how things turn out!
Steve