[Hythos]

Hi gang - I really need a few suggestions...

I've got a Bridgeport running 3-axis NC on an Anliam Crusader M. Over the ~3 years I've had it, the screen would power on to display static / snow / zig-zag lines, then warm up after a few minutes. Due to lack of work (and partially lack of motivation), I've had the machine powered off for a few months. I needed to cut some simple parts last week, and found the control now only shows static, and none of the control-buttons beep either (signifying input), so I'm understanding this to be an actual control issue rather than simply one of a failed display. Additionally, attempting to put the machine into NC mode from manual fails to energize the servo drives (further reinforcing my theory).

I have pulled and re-seated all of the boards, with no effect.
I have *not* (yet) replaced the battery, though that's gonna be the next thing I'll try.
I am fortunate to have a complete spare control (minus a CRT), so I can test each board one at a time - though I believe (hope) my main controls' boards are good.

----

As for the battery, someone had once mentioned I can solder several CR2032 batteries together in series... (I'd have to dig up that post again).

That's where I plan to start. If anyone has any thoughts, please reply!

Thanks in advance.

[MrWild]

I went to Batteries Plus and they had the exact replacement battery module. I used a solder sucker and solder braid to remove the original battery and took the battery to the store. Ten minutes later i was driving home. The cost was under $12 with tax.

I had snow last fall, but a power down/up cleared it.

[Hythos]

Thank you MrWild
I was able to find a replacement for the 3/V60R battery off the 'net.

I've soldered it in, however the control hasn't changed; I left the machine on for a few hours (believing it needed only to charge up), then power-cycled the control, but the static remains the same. I haven't yet tried swapping all of the boards to my back-up set...

[tpodgwaite]

I'd try the backup set. Or, sometimes prying up a little bit and re-seating all the socketed e-proms on the green, orange and white tabbed boards in the card rack clears up problems like that where it won't boot up.

[Hythos]

Well, I sifted through my bcak-up boards; And by swapping out the White and Green-tab (don't have the #'s at the moment) boards, the control will boot up fine. My main set is all Rev F, and my backups are Rev D (will mixing different revision boards cause a problem?)

While the servos do now engage, the scales do not - which causes the machine to stop as soon as the servos are jogged.

I hadn't thought of pulling + reseating the chips; while I wouldn't expect them to go "bad" (while the boards are properly protected from static), I know it's possible. How do some of these repair shops, repair boards? Are they capable to identify a faulty / failed chip? Or do they simply replace all...
Also - for my Memory board (Orange?) - can I as easily buy additional like-RAM chips and plug 'em in for added capacity?

Thanks again!

[tpodgwaite]

That's strange. As far as compatibility goes, the green, orange and white all have to have the same version# written on the e-proms. That's more important than the rev level silkscreened onto the board. Usually they will say 1A12 or 1B13 (I think...).
One thing to try for sure, pull out the e-stop and key in:
MAN-AUX-1611-START followed by MAN-AUX-1612-START. This flushes memory and often cleans things up. I would definitely do it after either reseating or exchanging any of the boards.
The red tab board handles motion output to the servo cards.
The black tabbed board is the counter card, which powers the scales and gets the feedback from them. If you pull any of the X, Y or Z plugs from the connectors on the edge of the black board, you can check from the center pin to the pin next to center on either side, and you should read ~5.1VDC on a meter. That is the supply to the reader heads in the scales. There are some places that still advertize that they fix those boards, but I don't know cost. The # of DALLAS ram chips on the CPU board can be increased to add memory. As far as faulty e-proms, if that were the actual problem you might be in a pinch. Anilam doesn't service them anymore, and I doubt they have the master e-proms to make copies from. You'd be better off looking for a used set online.

[Hythos]

Thank you *very* much for the tips!

I've only had to swap out board 901-161 (White-tab) which, as I mentioned before, did allow the system to engage the servos - but it remained locked. I did press down on ALL socket-able chips, just in case, and cautiously as to not crack anythin - each 'creaked' a little, but seated more-betterly...
After all - I believe it was flushing the memory as you directed which worked! I was able to jog servo's on all axis, which look like they're reading to .0002" accurately (I believe the CPU isn't fast enough to calculate 1-tenth's - it will read the scales when configured, but Feed set at even 10ipm seems to be too fast, and causes it to lag out)...
While I should have written a simple 'warm up' program to test true NC movement, I'll leave that til the weekend, to when I can run some parts
Being that the machine is finally on-line, I might try re-seating the chips on my original board and re-test...

But for now, it looks like I'm good to go!



Then for next week - finding out what the function is for the Blue-tab board (I don't have one, but have a position for it - Lathe function perhaps?) - and, also finding out if the control can handle a 4th Axis-A/B, since it has connections, wiring, and a 4th amp-position...

Again, many thanks!


Interestingly, the CRT looks much more clear than it had before it stopped working... Not that there was much flickering, but there seems to be none, presently.

[tpodgwaite]

Well, it sounds as if you are getting closer to success.
I think my next step would be to check to see if the resolution is corrrect on the axes. i.e.- move 6 inches and see with a tape measure if it is really 6 inches. The Crusaders usually only had resolutions of .0005 or .0002, and that is dictated by the scale or encoder used, and dipswitch settings on the red tabbed board. Once the resolution is set correctly, then we can look into speed. Most Crusader's default to 100IPM rapid, but can be re-programmed with AUX codes to run at 200 IPM.
As I mentioned, the red tabbed board is what they called thre D/A and Opto board. It can control 3 servo driven axes and 8 outputs for M-functions (spindle fwd/rev, coolant, etc.). The blue board was used when extra I/O was needed, and on the Crusader GXM which could handle 5 servo axes. The Crusader M can run 3 axes max, due to software limitations. If you'd like, PM me or e-mail me and I can give you #'s to call me at if you want to talk more about it. Cheers!

[puller482]

Hello,
I need help with a Crusader M. I have a Republic Lagun with this control. I was running the machine last week and all the servos die at once. I call a CNC repair guy when he checked it out he said the power supply that changes the 110 to 24 volts was bad. He replaced it but the servos still will not fire up. He charge me $600 and left. I found that the Z axis is not reading on the screen and a couple of time we got a red light on the drive card. A bit more to the story. Before it quit and for sometime now the CTR screen would go blank. When it was on it was bright but now it is very faint and does not want to light up. You have to tap on the cabinet to get it to flash. The X and Y are reading and we switch the plugs for the X and Z on the borad in the controller. The Z axis would read when I moved the X but the X would not move when I moved Z. I really need this machine and like it but I am not a repair person when it come sto controls. Can anybody help me.

[puller482]

Hello,
I need help with a Crusader M. I have a Republic Lagun with this control. I was running the machine last week and all the servos die at once. I call a CNC repair guy when he checked it out he said the power supply that changes the 110 to 24 volts was bad. He replaced it but the servos still will not fire up. He charge me $600 and left. I found that the Z axis is not reading on the screen and a couple of time we got a red light on the drive card. A bit more to the story. Before it quit and for sometime now the CTR screen would go blank. When it was on it was bright but now it is very faint and does not want to light up. You have to tap on the cabinet to get it to flash. The X and Y are reading and we switch the plugs for the X and Z on the borad in the controller. The Z axis would read when I moved the X but the X would not move when I moved Z. I really need this machine and like it but I am not a repair person when it come sto controls. Can anybody help me.