Unit 5 giving "mixed signals"

[gwallman1]

I've been using the same CTB-16 controllers for several years without any problems.  Now I'm getting some errors that I can't make heads or tails out of for unit 5.

Hardware Utility refresh sometimes finds 4 units, sometimes finds 5 units.  When it does find 5, unit 5 says "unknown device???"  I've tried unplugging and re-plugging, rebooting the PC, changing CAT5 cables and the ports they are plugged in to.....nothing changes that outcome on the Hardware Utility.

HOWEVER, the unit itself displays the steady red light indicating it is communicating successfully with the PC.  If I unplug the CAT5 cable or turn off the LOR control panel, then it begins blinking like the other boards.  So the status light on the unit itself is giving me every impression it is receiving information from the PC without any issues.

 

Anyone have any ideas?  I'm about the unhook all of the lights connected to it and hook only this unit up to alone to see if the utility finds it, if I'm able to reset the unit id, etc.  That is the only other thought I have.

 

I did see reference in another thread to "resetting the unit."  But I've never had to do that and don't see that anywhere in the instruction manuals.  So if anyone thinks that might help, could you please advise how that is done?

 

Thanks in advance!

 

[Orville]

To Reset an older CTB16PC controller.

 

Unplug Controller

Remove the jumper from the pins next to the Cat5 jack {right side of cat5, jumper should be on 2nd set of pins}

Plug in Power

Red LED should flash quickly

Unplug Power

Replace Jumper from where you removed it.

Plug in Power

 

Unit will be reset! 

 

NOTE: This WILL NOT change or reset the units ID #, whatever ID it was assigned, it will keep until it is changed with the Hardware Utility.

[Brian Mitchell]

I have a couple older CBT08's that I have to reset about once a year.  They start causing random lights to flash occasionally throughout the display and not necessarily ones plugged into the units themselves. 

[gwallman1]

Thanks for the info, guys, but it did not solve the issue unfortunately.

I've disconnected all of the 16 channel wires and isolated the unit in an attempt to reassign a unit id to it, but now it isn't being detected at all.

 

I also noticed during that time of having only this board connected, the status light is beginning to act differently.  It will stay steady on for several seconds, but then start to blink (the slow steady blink).  It may blink 4 or 5 times, then go back to steady for several seconds, then back to blinking as many as 16 times, then back to steady.  It is like the communication is being interrupted from time to time, although I'm doing nothing more than just looking at the board.

 

It gets stranger.  When I connect it back in the series of controllers, when I do happen to get the hardware utility to detect it (although it still says Unknown Device), the utility does successfully control 12 of the 16 channels.  The other 4 are illuminated constantly any time the board is connected to the power supply.

 

I'm at a total loss.  The different messages I'm getting from the PC and Unit are really puzzling me.  I've never had any issues like this.

 

Appreciate the assistance.  I think I'm going to call it a night and try again to tackle it tomorrow.

[Orville]

Soyunds like you're going to have to probably send it back to LOR for repair.    Sounds like it now may be something out of the scope of your being able to repair it.  I'd open a help desk ticket and see if the LOR folks can better help you out with the issues you're having.  But kind of afraid this may require the controller be sent back to LOR for repair.

[gwallman1]

After continuous attempts to resolve, I believe you are right, Orville.

Thank you, all, for your ideas and suggestions.

[plasmadrive]

Before you do that.. With the power off...... carefully pull out the comm chip, clean the pins and put it back.. make sure you put it back in the right direction..   make sure it is seated in the socket correctly.. This has fixed the problem for others

[gwallman1]

After submitting a help ticket and emailing with LOR a few times, we isolated the problem to a handful of triacs going bad.  So, since they were the kits that I assembled myself, LOR sent some replacement triacs which I just finished removing the old and soldering in the new.  Viola, the 4 bad channels are now working fine!

And to make matters better, the Hardware Utility no longer says "unknown device" for this controller.  Instead, it recognizes it as the LOR CTB16 unit just like the others.  The triacs should not contribute to that, in my opinion, but maybe I accidentally wiggled something else just right in the process.

As always, a big thanks to the LOR staff and their excellent service.

[plasmadrive]

Update from my end.. I had that exact problem the other day.. I thought the LED was on solid but if you keep watching it, it would flash once or twice then back solid.. So.. I wound up tracing it to bad RJ45 jacks on the controller.  I doubt the Triacs had anything to do with it.. but you may have just wiggled the jack enough..

 

I would up running a loop sequence with all on.. then I smacked the controller.. the light would go off for a second then back on..