EZTRAK problems

[driveshaft]

Hi Guys!
Great site here with a lot of information. I have been having a problem with my EZTRAK for quite some time. It is a 97 model that I bought new and has very few hours of use on it. I am thinking my motherboard has gone kaplooey but I am not sure. I will try to describe the symptoms and perhaps someone will possibly be able to help me.

When I turn the machine on the screen is blank except for "del" and "F1" in the lower left hand corner. Nothing happens when I hit ANY button on the keyboard. Connect a full keyboard to it, hit "F1" boots up perfectly, BMDC count and all. Hit "move absolute" and homing starts, unplug the full keyboard and now the machine keyboard works and the monitor is working properly except for the the lower function keys, they are all blank. I have been using the machine by depending on my memory and a quick peek in the manual. Also I am unable to download a pgm with the floppy. The control is not recognizing the floppy drive.

Hopefully someone here can point me in the right direction with parts and a supplier.

Thanks in advance!

[machintek]

Sounds like your CMOS settings are gone. The battery may be dead.
One of the CMOS settings is to turn off the keyboard test which the small keyboard will not pass. Another CMOS setting is for the type of floppy. If set wrong it will not be able to read or write to it.

George

[driveshaft]

Thanks for the response

Your right about the battery, it was shot and I replaced it, but the machine still behaves the same. How can I restore the CMOS settings? The back up disk is no good since the a: drive can't be found, the manual doesn't specify the settings.
Any help will be greatly appreciated.

[machintek]

You need to be friends with a geek.
Attach a full size keyboard.
While the control is first booting, press delete (this varies with different motherboard) but you should get into CMOS and a warning page. Press enter twice and you should be at the first page.
Set the time, date, type of floppy, type of hard drive, and no keyboard test. There are more pages of CMOS but Bridgeport used many different mother boards and each was a bit different thus you need a geek that understands what is being asked. But this may get you running.
Press esc and F10 and it should save these settings.
Try it.

George

[driveshaft]

Thanks George
I am familiar with the CMOS page, I was there Friday and noticed the clock and date wasn't set but the floppy drive was correct then I got interrupted with customers and didn't get back to it.
I seem to recall from reading this forum that you are employed by a dealer? Is it possible for us to go over this over the phone during your business hours? Of course I don't expect this for free, I am more than willing to pay for the service. My experience with the local computer geeks is that they are too intimidated by "CNC" and are reluctant to agree to help, plus I would rather deal with someone that knows Bridgeport.

[driveshaft]

ok, I have the floppy drive working, the boot up procedure is correct, the machine keypad working properly at boot-up. The only thing that I know of that still needs work is the monitor. The function buttons ex. 3=ABS, the "ABS" is not visible and pages such as the "utilities" page is blank and the brightness dials don't help either. Any ideas? Would changing the colors (alt/F2)on the CMOS page help?

[machintek]

The CMOS page selections are for the CMOS page.
I would be adjusting the pots on the CRT board. Also go get a monitor from a PC and plug it up. It will tell you if it is your gray scale CRT or the video board.
UNLESS you have a non standard mother board or video board.

George

[driveshaft]

good advice George

I plugged in a color monitor from my balancer and it works perfectly! That got me to thinking, in the CMOS I tried to set the video on mono(initial setting) but it will not accept it. It automatically resets to EGA/VGA. Is this the reason for the original monitor will not work properly? I like the big color monitor, I just wish it fit in the same place.
Does anyone make a replacement color monitor for the EzTrak?

thanks again for all your help!

[Gncc50]

EMI makes up a complete pendant replacement. It is pretty expensive I think it is $1385. It has a large color lCD monitor and you get the complete pendant with new key pad, switches, Jog wheel, Hold button etc. I bought one it is very nice. Just plug it in.

You may want to check this site out. They list a 7 inch LCD monitor. I don't know anything about it, but it might work.

http://www.globalsources.com/gsol/I/...3185/16725.htm

Here is the info for EMI

http://www.emi-inc.net/Parts.aspx?pId=98&mId=26

Pete

[machintek]

The original EZTRAK monitor is a VGA gray scale monitor. Thus CMOS is set to VGA.
In all probability, you need to try tweaking the adjusting pots on the board beneath the CRT or finding a replacement.
Yes the color monitor looks better. I have more than one EZPATH and EZTRAK with a platform attached to the machine holding a color monitor.

George

[driveshaft]

Good info Pete, thanks a bunch, I'll check it out when I am absolutely convinced that I don't have problems somewhere else, because now my floppy isn't working again.
Oh, Gncc? your not a racer on the GNCC circuit are you?

George, thanks for explaining about the monitor, that helps me to understand more. As far as the adjusting pots, I think they were the first thing I checked and they seem to work properly. One last question I hope.
When editing the CMOS...example

reset
hit delete (on full size keyboard)

BIOS Features Setup

hit enter

Boot Up Floppy Seek :Enabled
hit F1(help)

Available Options

Default Type
Disabled <setup>
Enabled <Bios>

Is this the correct setting or should the BIOS and SETUP be the same?

Forgive me for being such a ditz on this subject.

[machintek]

Typically the floppy seek at boot is disabled unless you will be reformatting your hard drive. But somewhere it should be set to a 3.5 inch 1.44 MB.

Other CMOS is set as C then A. It depends upon the mother board.

George