Kaput

[Captain Midnigh]

Hi,
I still need help with my Partner 4 with century 4 controller. Was working good. Next day just stoped. When I hit restart, I get nothing. All voltages OK. Fuses OK. Switches on controller OK. Screen blank. Replaced battery on board, nothing. Help.

[ksimmons]

Try disconnecting the machine monitor and hooking it to an external monitor to see what messages you're getting.

[Captain Midnigh]

I don't know where I would ever find another monitor.

[Zug]

The monitor on the Partner MB 20 at work died so we bought a $70 flat panel off Ebay, fabbed up some mounts quick and saved about $1200. Still working great after a few years.

[Captain Midnigh]

I wish the Centurion 4 didn't use a monochrome monitor, then I would replace it with a flat screen like you did. I'm going to pull the connector plugs and clean them. See if that helps.

[trevj1]

The monitor on our Cent V was monochrome, but the outut to it was VGA color.

We stuck a Philips LCD screen on it and it works fine.

Try grabbing any old computer monitor and plugging it in. Should work. No further behind if it doesn't.

Cheers
Trev

[Ben Colby]

The Centurion V's have a standard pc-type video connector. The Centurion IV's do not.
If your Centurion IV is the same as mine? it has a flat rectangular connector not a
pin connector . The monitor is a Toshiba monochrome. The Brother CNC's of this era
used the exact same monitor. I'm not sure if there is a any kind of adapter that might
get you worked up to a external monitor.
I believe from your user profile, that you reside in Washington state. There is a company
in Lynden, Wa. that handles this kind of problem and stocks legacy CNC monitors.
CNC Repairs and Sales Inc.
cncrepair.com
408-331-1970

Good luck
Ben

[Captain Midnigh]

I'm not really having a problem with the monitor. It's the machine that won't start. When I hit restart I get nothing.

[Captain Midnigh]

Can I replace the controler with something else?

[Kevin Taylor]

Check the overload protection on the powersupply and all the fuses including the service pannel I'v had the main fuses in the machine blow one on startup the reset relays in any contactor's in the machine may be triped do you have power in the machine time to get out the VOM and check out the power supply be carefull around the big capasators lott's of volt's seem's to always be the end of a voltmeter that is set on to low of setting outside influence like lightnen or the power co working in your aeria Good Luck Kevin

[trevj1]

Originally Posted by Captain Midnigh Can I replace the controler with something else?

Yup. How much money do you want to spend?

The solutions range from getting Milltronics to install a new one of theirs, getting a third party to install a controller, down to the cheapest option, which is getting dirty with a bunch of hacked together components and Mach3 on a PC or laptop as the control. Or EMC.

Varying levels of commitment, both in dollars and in time invested.

Probably better to spend a few hours tracking voltages and checking circuits up front.

Good luck!

Cheers
Trev