Field PG 4 problem

Hi all

I've got a Siemens Field PG 4 that's been running ridiculously slow. I tried all the usual stuff like defragmenting the HD, repairing the registry, tweaking XP to make it faster etc etc. but to no avail. After the system had been on for about ten minutes it just ran at 100% CPU usage. Even when nothing other than task manager was running!

I am now trying to reformat the drive and reinstall everything but I'm sure it isn't going to work (it has taken 6 hours to copy the necessary windows files to the C drive in order to start the install).

One of the other Field PG's that is the same age as this one has just returned from getting a new motherboard because the fan stopped on the old one and burnt out the chip. I'm thinking that this will need the same treatment.

Does anyone know where I can get a cheap motherboard for a Siemens Field PG 4?

Are they easy to fit?

The last one we had repaired cost £1,500 just for the motherboard! So I'm hoping to get this one done a lot cheaper.

Anyone any ideas?

BTW the Field PG is around 4 years old.

Many thanks for any help you can give me

Cheers

JT ;-)

Sorry to ask, but what is the advantage of using a Field PG over using just a normal PC? It seems that you could get a PC with specs to run the programming software for pretty cheap.

There's a few advantages (and, as you say, a few disadvantages)

The main advantage is that you get a Field PG with all the software pre-installed and it also has an MPI port on it so you can plug straight into a PLC with just an RS232 lead.

The disadvantages are that they are ridiculously expensive for a poor performing laptop that's just been screened, had some plastic 'armour' nailed to it and rebadged as Siemens...

;-)

Hmm.. I know the older type pg's (pc Based) had a problem, when the battery failed (would not charge very much) this slowed it down, we used to dissconnect the battery & it would speed it up god knows why, however I have a field pg (800mhz Pentuim) the battery is now defunct & it does not slow it down but it is worth trying to run it without a battery.

Thanks Parky.. will give it a go. Its 54% through loading the necessaries for installing windows. If it freezes again (like it has done the previous two times) then I'll disconnect the battery and see what happens.

Cheers

JT

Finally got Win XP loaded on the Field PG. Had to have the computer sat outside my back door last night to keep it cool enough to allow it to load the OS.

I've run it up without the battery but its still the same problem. The CPU is running at 100% and the chip is getting VERY hot.

Has anyone any ideas what could be causing this? Could it be bad RAM and, if so, does anyone know how I could check it out? I'm not sure if this is relevant but I've noticed a really high pitched whistle from the laptop (a bit like the old TV's used to give off)...

Many thanks for any help you can give me.

Cheers

JT

PS. I'm still trying to find out what type of Motherboard they run in these things as well if anyone knows?

;-)

Tharon said:

Sorry to ask, but what is the advantage of using a Field PG over using just a normal PC? It seems that you could get a PC with specs to run the programming software for pretty cheap.

Click to expand...

The ease of use. No adapters, just cables. No premature baldness from pulling out my hair trying to get the USB-Serial or MPI adapter to work. No hassle with installing all the software.

Stations reachable through ethernet I use desktop, for all else nothing beats the good old Field PG (and trusty DOS boot-stick for the ancient machines)

Now on topic:

What uses 100% of the CPU?
When does the fan start blowing at 100%? (usually indicates CPU is running at 100%)during booting, after booting?
What happens when you boot from CD/USB/floppy?
Tried complete reset of bios/motherboard?
Fast format or complete format?

To test the RAM I think it was Sisoft Sandra that was good, and try to download the HDD tool for your HDD and run it (or try running it)

We also have 2 Field PG's, one of them works great, the other one has been sent back and got the motherboard replaced 2 times now and it still had the same problem. Although it's working fine now. (problem just seemed to vanish)

Hi Jeebs... to answer your questions:


What uses 100% of the CPU? Nothing, its just at 100% with no programs running

When does the fan start blowing at 100%? (usually indicates CPU is running at 100%)during booting, after booting? After booting. But can be before just depending on whether it has heated up or not.

What happens when you boot from CD/USB/floppy? The same thing

Tried complete reset of bios/motherboard? Yep.. but to no avail

Fast format or complete format? Complete format but to no avail

I think the RAM is soldered to the board so I can't change it.

I'm pretty sure it's either the RAM or the CPU itself that's knackered.

I've found out the motherboard, it's a VIA Technologies VT8751 ProSavage DDR P4M266 System Controller. Anyone know where I can buy one?

Cheers

JT ;-)

Johnny T said:

What uses 100% of the CPU? Nothing, its just at 100% with no programs running

Click to expand...

What process does the Task Manager say is using the CPU Power? Is it 98-99% Idle Process (Seems the norm when nothing is happening) or is there another process that it shows using it? Even with no applications running, there are usually 20-30 processes running that it will show how the cpu power is being distributed.

The power is constantly fluxuating but even the task manager itself can be hogging 70% or more. If there is ANYTHING else going on then that makes it up to 100%.

There's no particular process hogging the CPU cycles. Even when the computer was reformatted and initially loading the windows installation files to /I386 it ran painfully slow (around 7 hours to copy the contents of 1 CD to a folder on the newly formatted C drive!)

This is why I'm thinking hardware problem..

JT ;-)

Johnny T said:

I think the RAM is soldered to the board so I can't change it.

I'm pretty sure it's either the RAM or the CPU itself that's knackered.

I've found out the motherboard, it's a VIA Technologies VT8751 ProSavage DDR P4M266 System Controller. Anyone know where I can buy one?

Cheers

JT ;-)

Click to expand...

If it does the same when boot from floppy/CD, then I think it's HW also.

The ram look like normal laptop ram modules. On the bottem of your PG there are 2 thing u can remove one is the battery, the other is a square lid (requires torx-screwdriver). When this lid is removed you will find 2 RAM-slots. Modules can be removed by correct use of the click-system. (just open mine to make sure)
Put ram in next slot/or remove one module....
Sad thing is you can't reach the HDD....can't test that.....