[dresnerm]

I believe my VF0's memory got corrupted a few weeks ago. I had a few garbage characters popping up on the screen. I initially thought it was something with my keyboard and/or keyboard/video PCB.

I could clear the chars and reseting was working fine so it was more a nuisance than anything else... or so I thought.

Last week it got to the point where the machine would boot and just lock up. Sometimes I'd get a keyboard beep by pressing reset or any other key, most of the times I wouldn't.... but I could never get into any other screen but the main page.

Spoke with HAAS and my local HFO. They're immediate response was to replace the main processor board. I had read a few post regarding software reinstalls due to corrupted memory,etc.. Many were able to reload and things corrected themselves. The machine would only boot into the maintenance screen once every 20-30 resets...

Figuring I had nothing to lose and new board/reload looming, I was able to finally clear the BBU/RAM (did not clear the flash). Discovered after doing so this got the machine back booting consistently. Went to load my parameters though and discovered my parameter file is junk.

If my processor is bad, I'll find someway to eat this and do the full repair but I'd really like to exhaust all efforts to prove it IS bad as it's some serious money to dump into a 16 year old machine. It's puzzling to me now as all the proper status lights are on (processor and MOCOM & I/O PCBs), the machine is booting up every time now and I was able to use an old VF2 parm file that I adjusted as much as I could for my machine - with the correct steps, ratio, calculations as I understood them...etc.

Thoughts were to have my HFO come and simply reload my parameters. My closest HFO is 6 hrs round trip away though. It's at the point now the alarms are gone and I'm able to jog the X and Y Axis. The VF2 parms I had are not for the vector drive so I have the Z axis disabled right now but it's far enough I have no alarms and the voltage/diag screens look good.

I'm just hoping someone can share their 98 parms to get me a little closer to what I had. I've since been through the voltage checks and reset all the connectors. I'm in the fortunate situation this machine isn't a production dependency for me and plans are not to attempt any machining until the HFO does come out (I know losing the shuttle settings and such I'll need their expertise to make the fine adjustments). I just want to get a better comfort level she's going to run ok and/or more definite signs of bad board before I continue. If I can get closer and just watch the machine for a week or so to see if the processor starts acting up, it would make me feel better in my decision on what to have them do. Trying to avoid having them come out, spend the labor to reload parms on a potentially bad board .... it would then be my luck as they driving away it would start back acting up.

Thank you for any help or suggestions.


**** Several have provided older models and I have things close, just would like to actually see some from this vintage area ... 97/98/99 ... something around there. I'm willing to compensate for your time I just really want to cross out anything I can do here before the call back to HFO.

Thx


Mike

[Precision MT]

Dresnerm,

Be careful if you do find someone with a 98 machine, the parameters will be different with every option. I doubt you have this, but do you have the original paperwork that came with the machine when it was new? Haas provides a sheet with all the factory parameters on it. Usually you will find this in the door of the electrical cabinet.

Thank you,

Phil

[dresnerm]

Thanks Phil... unfortunately I do not have anything original. Will sure bet to dump a copy and put them back there when I get things running again.

[dresnerm]

Still struggling as time permits. I've been booting it and letting it engergize and been watching the screens. Last week I had it running a few days and the 'e's started back .. just an occasional 1 or 2 ...

I was checking voltage today though and discovered the low voltage PS fan isn't coming on! Didn't notice that before. Today it got hot but not scorching like it has been. I let it run 30-40 minutes. LPS got hot to the touch but the temp on the DIAGs screen never got past 90. I've seen it 92-95 over these last few days. Wondering now if it may be heat related. I know power can cause these boards to do some strange stuff.

How close to 5v/12v/-12v does this supply need to be? I'm noticing some small overages - like 12.14v, 5.05, etc... guessing that's not the issue but I am wondering now about the heat with the fan broken.

I'll try to find a LPS and get that swapped out. Haven't had any luck in finding parms for this year but if I can get the LPS in and watch it a few more days if the 'e's go away for good I'll just bite the bullet and get the HFO to make a trip down and reload my parms themselves.

[Precision MT]

Dresnerm,

+12/-12 should be 11.85-12.5vdc, 5 should be 5.0-5.25. I usually see issues start when the LVPS drops below 11.5/4.9vdc.

Good luck,

Phil

[dresnerm]

Thanks again Phil.

I think it may be the power. I let it run a few hrs today. Sporadically checked the LPS. The temp on the DIAG screen made it up to 94F and at during one check the 12 V was 12.0 even, the 5v had dropped to 4.9... these were random checks. I never did see any trash characters and today, while hot, wasn't as hot as it's been.

I'm curious now to catch it when it's throwing the garbage and see what the voltage may be. The fact that the fan is out I'm going to go ahead and replace the LPS.

Thanks again for the help and info!!

[dresnerm]

She's back up!!!! Looks like it was the LPS. Few bucks and it's back running. I got in touch with the company I got it from and they had a set of parms that worked for me too! All in all good day!

Thanks for the LPS info Phil. It helped me isolate the root cause and gives me the info to watch in the future!

[mandolin200]

Hello Mike, do you have a copy of the haas vf0 parameters? battery went dead & we need help
Charlie