Megapoints fails to boot

[clecklewyke]

I wonder if anyone can assist with a problem I am having with my Megapoints system?

The system has been working well, controlling eight points, with one multipanel processor and a servo controller board. I have yet to instal any signals.I

However, often when I switch power on there is no chatter of servos adjusting their positions, just a whistling sound akin to the sounds of modems. The light on the multipanel processor comes on properly but the reassuringheartbeat light on the servo controller does not nor do the servos respond to the switches. However, sometimes it powers up properly and works fine.

I am tempted to try a reboot and if that fails swap to a spare servo controller card but I am worried that I have done something wrong and would damage the replacement card.

Any thoughts?

Ian
Ian

Edited April 5, 2019 by clecklewyke

[Gordon H]

Most likely a power supply problem - the power supply probably can't provide sufficient current to overcome the initial surge at power-up.

[Enterprisingwestern]

 

Dave at Megapoints is an exceptionally helpful chap, a call to him would be my first move.

 

Mike.

[clecklewyke]

1 hour ago, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

Dave at Megapoints is an exceptionally helpful chap, a call to him would be my first move.

 

Mike.

Thanks, Mike but I’ve already taken up too much of his time. He’s one man running a very complex business very we’ll.

 

i also suspect their might be a power issue. I have a 6amp supply which should be beefy ynough but maybe the wiring has too much resistance. I’ll check all connections and try thicker section wire.

[clecklewyke]

1 hour ago, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

Dave at Megapoints is an exceptionally helpful chap, a call to him would be my first move.

 

Mike.

Thanks, Mike but I’ve already taken up too much of his time. He’s one man running a very complex business very we’ll.

 

i also suspect their might be a power issue. I have a 6amp supply which should be beefy ynough but maybe the wiring has too much resistance. I’ll check all connections and try thicker section wire.

[njee20]

Seems unlikely. Before re-wiring why not remove some boards (or servos) and see if that cures it. 

 

When I exceeded the capacity of my power supply it was very different - all the servos would start but would twitch perfectly in unison, there wasn’t quite enough ‘kick’ to get them through the start up cycle. Removing a few would ‘reset’ it and enable start up. Yours sounds quite different. 

 

Edit: that was about 20 servos on 2 boards on a 1 amp power supply. 

Edited April 6, 2019 by njee20

[Rowsley17D]

Hi Ian, I had a problem with one of my servo boards and after an exchange of emails Dave replaced it. You seem to have enough supply at 6 A. He's very obliging , so why not give him one more try? He wants all his customers to be happy.

[Nigelcliffe]

As others have said, it will come down to asking the maker about it.

Check the wiring, but if it worked before, I don't see why it now fails.   Check power supply, but 6A should be more than enough. 

 

Dave at Megapoints queried a failure I was involved with.  He asked the owner various questions about power supply, wiring, etc..   Once he was happy that the installation had a more than adequate power supply (one of the types he recommends), he accepted it was a board failure and a swap was arranged.  New board worked as soon as it was installed.   

 

- Nigel

[clecklewyke]

Hi, all.

 

Thanks for your suggestjikons. I know Dave is very helpful - he’s already swapped one board which seemed to have a faulty “mode” button.  I was hoping that users could take some of the load off Dave by supporting each other.

 

I will check all wiring and connections. Intermittent faults are infuriating. It booted correctly twice yesterday with no problems but this morning, without having changed anything it failed again. I bet it’s a loose connection somewhere.

 

Ian

[roy h]

next time it dose this check the connections on the network cable between both boards. also just unplug them to see if they boot up on there own so to speak. had a similar issue where the some times all was well and other times not. i  traced it to faulty terminal crimp on the cable in the end.

Edited April 20, 2019 by roy h

[Enterprisingwestern]

On 08/04/2019 at 10:43, clecklewyke said:

  I was hoping that users could take some of the load off Dave by supporting each other.

 

Whilst not criticising your laudable aims, but as the fault/problem is an unknown quantity it could be a board problem that only Dave could solve, and the rest of us pitching in with ideas and suggestions could cause further issues and in a worst case scenario blow the board taking it out of warranty, As with life, what works for some doesn't necessarily work for others.

 

Mike.