One Channel won't turn on

[sjmiller]

I have a controller that I used last year and all channels worked fine. I'm starting to set up for Christmas and Channel #1 won't turn on, 2 through 16 work fine. I pulled the connections from channnel 1 and hooked the pigtail to channel 2 and it works so it's not the wiring.

In reading through the forums it looks like triac problems are usually indicated by the channel not turning off, does this also sound like a triac issue?

Thanks

Steve

[Guest guest]

Have you tried a reset of your controller?

If not sure how to do that, post the type/model, and someone will take you thru the steps.

Yes, it could be a component issue, but many times, a reset clears the issue if not a component failure.

[JBullard]

Don, I'll just go ahead and post the reset procedures for both models.

To reset the 1600 series:
Remove power
Turn the dials to 00
Reapply power for approx 10 secs
Remove power
Reset the dials to the correct ID number
Reapply power


To reset the PC series:
Remove power
Remove the jumper from the 2nd row on the header
Reapply power for approx 10 sec
Remove power
Replace the jumper
Reapply power
Reset the controller to the correct ID number

[sjmiller]

Thanks for the quick replies, I have the CTB16PC V1 controllers. I did the reset,

- Turn off Power

- Remove jumper from block 2 on J0

- Applied power for approx 10 sec, removed power

- replaced jumper, applied power

- the hardware utility found the unit at address 1

Channel 1 still won't turn on, a random check of other channels (2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11,13,15) all worked.

[Guest guest]

JBullard wrote:

Don, I'll just go ahead and post the reset procedures for both models.

To reset the 1600 series:
Remove power
Turn the dials to 00
Reapply power for approx 10 secs
Remove power
Reset the dials to the correct ID number
Reapply power


To reset the PC series:
Remove power
Remove the jumper from the 2nd row on the header
Reapply power for approx 10 sec
Remove power
Replace the jumper
Reapply power
Reset the controller to the correct ID number

Thanks. The board admin should make reset steps a sticky...I've lots track of the number of times we've all posted it.

As far as the OPs issue, if you're skilled with a DVM, you can do some quick checks and compare a working channel with channel 1. Triac would be the first place I'd be looking, as they go bad much more often than an opto, etc.

[TJ Hvasta]

Have you gone thru the Troubleshooting Guide .pdf? (LOR webpage, Support). Did the channel work before? If you built the board, I would reflow the solder on the pad. If that doesnt fix it, open a Trouble ticket, also on the Support page and ask for a replacment triac..

If you built the board, it'll be easy to replace the triac, snip the leads off, use the soldering pencil to heat the pad, pull the snipped leads with needle nose pliers, blow out the hole for the new triac, resolder..

[sjmiller]

I built and used this controller last year - and all channels worked. I was going to use it for Halloween - but channel 1 wouldn't turn on, Channels 2 through 16 work fine. so I used another of my controllers.

I did the hardware reset, no luck.

Using the Harware Utility Console I hooked up lights to channels 1 & 2 and turned the channels on. The lights to Channel 2 turn on - ch 1 is dark.

I used a DVM to measure the voltage from neutral to A1, A2, G of the triac.

Ch 1 Ch2

A1 0vac 120vac

A2 120vac 120vac

G 0vac 120vac

Would this point to the triac or opto isolator as the problem?

[cmoore60]

I would think this would point to the opto. The gate voltage as i understand is switched by the opto. Also there is a resistor in the circuit for the gate. The value should be 220 ohms.

Chuck

[Guest guest]

That said...failure rate of the opto, versus the triac, makes one tempted to try the triac first..and save wrestling a 6 pin chip off the board (depending, of course, on the skill level of the OP).

Also, I haven't had to t'shoot a channel problem in awhile, but 120V on the gate of the triac on a working channel doesn't sound right...but I may be wrong there. Would need to go check one...or maybe someone can chime in.

You should also be able to compare voltage on a good channel versus bad channel on the opto side of the 220 ohm resistor.

[Mtrumbull]

had same symptoms channel not turning on, got the board dug out ready to trace out, noticed that the resister was black, not sure how. replaced and all was good. have replaced several triacs in the past but they were all shorted on.

[sjmiller]

Wanted to keep everyone in the loop. I opened a ticket with LOR. The first suggestion was to short the middle leg (A2) of the triac to the Gate pin (right leg). The triac fired and the light string turned on.

The next test was to measure the voltage on pin 1 of the opto isolator - as soon as the probe touched pin one - the lights turned on - and I have been using the Hardware Utility to run tests for the last few hours - I can't get channel 1 to fail :-(

Steve

[Guest guest]

reheat the pins on the opto (solder side of the board, not component side)..sounds like a couple cold solder joints. I wouldn't trust it to keep working if that is the root cause.

[sjmiller]

Problem fixed.

When reflowing the solder joints on the opto didn't help the problem - I updated my ticket. The next thing to do was reflow the solder joints on R15 & U4 - problem fixed!



Great support in both the forums and with LOR.



Steve