Watchdog PC500 error on fanuc 10TA

I have an old victor TNS-2 lathe 1986 that has worked great for decades. Unfortunately, it seems that the battery died and I lost all of the parameters. My original parameter backup was on an old 3.5" floppy that was stored in the machine cabinet for years and is no longer readable. I called victor but they did not have the parameter sheet anymore. They did have the parameters for another very similar victor TNS-2 lathe but not the same serial number. When I tried to start the machine I got a watchdog PC500 error and an "E" on the motherboard. I could not load any parameters other than the 9100 series as the machine would not boot other than in IPL mode. I input all the 9100 parameters in IPL but when you exit (Pressing 6) it hangs up and there is an "L" on the motherboard. It does not boot up. Victor CNC thought maybe the motherboard had failed. I got another refurbished motherboard and switched it out (along with swapping the eproms) and I got the same exact PC500 error. Next, I got some other PMC cassettes (cassette A K002) off of ebay. They were for completely different machines. However, when I put one of those in my lathe, it now boots up! However, it is the wrong ladder so it won't run. Now, with a bootable machine, I was able to hand input all the parameters again from the data sheet. Next I thought maybe the PMC cassette had lost its eprom data so that might be the issue. I was able to read off the eproms using my eprom reader GQ-4x4 (4 of them each MBM27128 chips) and the code seemed fine. Hard to tell as it is compiled but the eproms were readable and the flow of the HEX data seemed coherent with offset memory locations like I would expect. Next, I gave the cassette to someone else who has another fanuc 10T and unbelievably that machine booted up fine when this PMC was put into the PMC slot of the other machine! In fact the cassette booted up on three other fanuc 10T machines (alas none were the victor TNS-2 lathe). So next I swapped out the motherboard back to the original. Same thing, PC500 watchdog using my cassette, but no error using another cassette. Thus, I think the motherboard was fine all along. So what could be giving me the PC500 watchdog error, and only when I put in my cassette in my machine. No error with another cassette (but wrong ladder) and no error when my cassette is put into an unrelated machine with a fanuc 10T controller?? I called fanuc tech support (numerous times) and they were very nice but said that this is such an outdated machine that no one is left that remembers much about these controllers and it would be worthless to have a service call. The motherboard is not even made anymore (not that the motherboard is even the problem from what I can now see)

No real info anywhere on what the PC 500 watchdog error means. I was suspicious of the parameters, especially the 9100 parameters as the data sheet is for a similar TNS-2 lathe but not the exact serial number. I next changed the 9100 series parameters all to 00. Again, my cassette gave me the PC500 error, but another cassette booted up fine. I can't figure this out. I do have a printout of the ladder diagram for the machine (about 60 pages) but I can't see anything obvious. I next wanted to know about these 9100 parameters. No info ever given on them. Well, not exactly. Somehow I then managed to obtain the coveted fanuc factory service sheet of all the 9100 parameters for the 10,11 and 12 series controller which lists exactly what they are. There is no mystery to them now. It lists descriptions for each of the bits 0-7 for all parameters 9100 to 9132 so now I can see exactly what each of these does. I have changed some of them here and there for the options that this machine has (it basically had very few options) but again same thing PC500 error, but no error on another cassette.

So now I am at a loss. I am thinking it is still a wrong parameter, but why would other cassettes allow this machine to boot up, and why will other machines with fanuc 10 boot up with my cassette?

So my next approach is to start from scratch and make my own PMC program. I have a working cassette A which I now have sockets put in for the 4 eproms 001, 002, 005, 006 so I can put in and take out the eproms (vs the original hard solder joints) I have just obtained an old system P model G FAPT programmer. What I am going to do is use the ladder that I have from the hard printout, and start line by line from the beginning. I will program in the ladder for the first few pages of the original ladder, compile it into the P code, burn it into the eproms and put them into the cassette and see how far I can get before the PC500 error starts. Just don't know yet how the 4 eproms are staged as the code must be split and written to the 4 separate eproms somehow. I see that there is also another cassette A that has just 2 eproms (MBM27256 chips) vs the 4 MBM27128 chips. However, from my eprom reader of the original chips and manual GFZ-55193E I can see some patterns as to where the code is written as well as what must be reserved areas (K002 cartridge seems to have 200 bytes from address D300 to D499 where nonvolitile memory is put into RAM

Most would have given up by now, but this hasn't gotten the best of me yet. However, any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I can't believe how much work this has been from what must have been a worn out battery pack.

what is the serial number of the machine?

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Originally Posted by zavateandu

what is the serial number of the machine?

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Thanks for the response. The label on the machine itself says Model TNS-2 S/N NF 246. NC system 10 T-A Date 1986. The hard copy parameter sheet I got from Victor says TNS-2 10 T series parameter list No. NT-0266 Type: T-2H. Victor could not find a S/N NF 246 in their records even though that is what is stamped on the label.

send me an email at :[email protected]

check your email.

I have Fanuc 10T Lath
It comes in IPL mode. I entered all option parameters but after restart it gives error '' PC500 Watchdog" Alarm
can anybody help meThanks

How a very interesting case-story this is. I wish we could have had the chance to find out what was the end of it.

While going through the description that you have provided so accurately, I would have suspected the problem was been originated somewhere in between the socket area where the PMC cassette and the motherboard. I have seen some very bizarre coincidences in my life. Perhaps there was this unfortunate combination male-female (pin-receptacle) that was "just weak enough" to prevent a good contact from happening, while the same contact was "barely" made while trying out a different cassette or mother board. Just a thought.

send email on [email protected] i can solve this problem dont worry