Flickering PV600

w0lfie · Jul 26, 2011

Has anybody ever had a problem with a flickering PV600? I have a SLC 5/03 networked with two PV600 (2711-T6C2L1). The three devices are connected via DH-485 through 1747-AIC link couplers.

One of the PVs is working just fine, but the other is flickering. Once it became unusable, I replace it with a spare from my office, but the replacement is doing the same thing after about a month. The one that was flickering is powered up here in my office and does not flicker anymore.

I tried replacing the 1747-AIC link coupler, because the original one looked like it had been tugged on a bit. It seemed to have solved the problem, but an hour later the PV was flickering again.

Unfortunately, I do not have any more PV600's that are exactly like the misbehaving ones. Besides, I'm disinclined to just drop in another unit, since it didn't work before. I do have an RS232 port on the SLC and a PV with a DH+ and RS-232 port on it (2711-T6C8L1).

Is it worth trying to program this other PV as a replacement? If so, are there any pitfalls to using both the RS-232 and DH-485 ports on the same SLC?

Lancie1 · Jul 26, 2011

The older Panelviews had a backlight lamp that could get weak, old, or loose in the socket.

w0lfie · Jul 26, 2011

Allow me to rephrase. It is not flickering like a light bulb, but the actual image on the screen is getting erratic. Like black lines briefly flashing across the screen, or portions of the screen going blank for a few milliseconds. I'm wondering if it could be the 24VDC power supply.

w0lfie · Jul 26, 2011

OK. So I left the old one on for about two hours now. It still looks fine in the program screens. Here's where it gets weird. If I go to the config screen, I start to get the flickering immediately. When I go back to the run screen, the flickering goes away. I'll have to try out the other unit and see if it's doing anything different on the config screen as compared to the run screen.

OkiePC · Jul 26, 2011

w0lfie said:
I'm wondering if it could be the 24VDC power supply.

That'd be my 1st suspect. Perhaps the lighting/coloring of the config screen changes the power draw and exacerbates the problem?

Try reading the 24vdc terminals at the Panelview with a meter set for AC, to find out how much ripple is coming from the supply...compare with the specs for the Panelview 600.

w0lfie · Jul 26, 2011

I'm getting 22.5VDC with a 7mV ripple. That should be OK.
Interestingly, turning it off and back on made the problem temporarily go away. Maybe I just need to add a power switch to the panel and tell the guys to flip it off for a few minutes once it starts acting up again. I hate such a brute force solution, but blowing nearly $2000 on a new PV that may or not fix the problem seems like a bad idea.

w0lfie · Jul 26, 2011

Hmmm... I'm beginning to think Lancie1 is right. What I was perceiving as black lines could be parts of the backlight going out. It took about an hour, but the flickering started again. However, I noticed that the edges of the screen start to dim before the flickering starts.
As I mentioned, I have a PV600 2711-T6C8L1, maybe I can pull the screen off of it and install it on the flickering one. Anybody know how user friendly the innards of the PV600 might be?

OkiePC · Jul 26, 2011

w0lfie said:
I have a PV600 2711-T6C8L1, maybe I can pull the screen off of it and install it on the flickering one. Anybody know how user friendly the innards of the PV600 might be?

I have not swapped parts with the 600 series, but I have done so with the 550s and the 1000s successfully. Like most electronics these days, if you are careful, you can swap major assemblies without damaging anything, or at least figure out if it is possible and put it all back if not.

You might also test that power supply during power down and power up to see if anything weird happens (meter on peak hold). It is suspicious that you have the same symptoms on two different Panelviews...makes me think it is environmental, not the PV itself causing the issue.

Mickey · Jul 26, 2011

w0lfie said:
I'm disinclined to just drop in another unit, since it didn't work before. I do have an RS232 port on the SLC and a PV with a DH+ and RS-232 port on it (2711-T6C8L1).

Is it worth trying to program this other PV as a replacement? If so, are there any pitfalls to using both the RS-232 and DH-485 ports on the same SLC?[/QUOTE

FYI, your 2711-T6C8L1 PV's RS232 port can only be used to program it or as a printer port. It will not communicate with your SLC's serial port.

w0lfie · Jul 26, 2011

OkiePC said:
It is suspicious that you have the same symptoms on two different Panelviews...makes me think it is environmental, not the PV itself causing the issue.

I know... I suspected thermal issues at first, but the other station is just as hot, and it's not having any problems. Then when it continued to happen in my nice air conditioned office, I pretty much ruled heat out.
The screen looks switchable, so I'll try that first. If that doesn't work, it looks like eBay has one going for a good price. (wonder what's wrong with it)

w0lfie · Jul 26, 2011

Mickey said:
FYI, your 2711-T6C8L1 PV's RS232 port can only be used to program it or as a printer port. It will not communicate with your SLC's serial port.

Ah. Thanks. I somehow missed that in all the posts about these ports and communications. I saw your post a while back about it not being only a printer port. I mistook that for meaning that it could be used as a comm port.
Well, I guess I have no reasons left to not try swapping the screens. It's not like I can use the other PVs. I don't have any DH+ networks. I'm not even sure where my predecessor was using these.

w0lfie · Jul 26, 2011

Update: it takes four screws and a little clip connector to swap out the screens. Easy. It's been fifteen minutes and no sign of dimming or flickering. The screen is qualitatively brighter, too. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Update: Still working an hour later! Thanks for the encouragement.

Flickering PV600

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