- check the components are correctly placed and oriented (display overlay. sensor overlay)The North and 0 speed LEDs light but spinning the sensor has no effect on them.
- check that wiring is connected correctly
- check that each wire and component lead is properly soldered to the PCB track
- check that there are no solder bridges between the tracks
and remedy any faults found.
The North and 0 speed LEDs light but spinning the sensor has no effect on them.
Diagnosis:
There is probably a fault in your sensor or in the wiring from the sensor to the display board. There may be a fault in the area of R8, R9, R10, Z3, C3 and Q2.Procedure 1:
Connect the sensor to the anemometer.If either of the above voltage readings are outside the specified ranges then it is most likely there is a fault in your sensor or in the wiring from the sensor to the display board. Check these for faults.
Connect a digital voltmeter between "0V "and "sensor -" on the left hand edge of the display board.
Power up the anemometerRotate the sensor shaft until a gap in the chopper disk lies directly between the LED and the phototransistor, so IR from the LED falls on the phototransistor.
The volt meter should now read between .83 volts and .9 volts, the higher the better. If it reads less than .83 volts, then try slight pressure on sides of the LED and/or the phototransistor to see if you can improve their optical alignment. If this increases the reading, bend the leads slightly so they stay in this position. Take care not to short the phototransistor leads while the power is on, as this will destroy the transistor.Rotate the sensor shaft until the chopper disk obstructs the light path from the LED to the phototransistor.
The meter reading should now be between .42 and.46 volts.
If the above voltage readings are within the specified ranges then :
Procedure 2:
Connect the sensor to the anemometer.If the voltage does not switch as described then check for faults in the area of R8, R9, R10, Z3, C3 and Q2.
Connect a digital voltmeter between 0V and pin 6 of the PIC. (Take care not to accidentally short between adjacent PIC pins with the meter probe, as this may damage the PIC.)
Power up the anemometer.Rotate the sensor shaft slowly. The meter reading should switch between less than 1 V and more than 4 V.
Email us if the voltage switches as described but the display does not respond to spinning the sensor.
No LEDs light when the anemometer is powered up.
Diagnosis: The processor is probably not running.
Procedure:
Confirm there is + 5V on pin 4 of the PIC.Email us if the problem remains.
Check for faults in the area of R12, C4, C5 and X1.
Check remainder of display board for faults.
Diagnosis: Most likely there's either a solder bridge between two or more tracks connecting the PIC to the LEDs via the 180 R resistors or there's an open circuit in one or more of these paths.
Procedure:
Print off a copy of the display board overlayAt the end of this, you should have marked off each LED on the PCB overlay printout once.
Depower the anemometer.
Remove the PIC from its socket.
Connect a flying lead to 0V.
Connect a second flying lead to +5V.Connect the 0V flying lead end to pin 7 of the PIC socket.
Power up the anemometer.
Connect the +5V flying lead end to each of the other pins of the set of 7 thru' 13, one at a time. Each time one and only one LED should light.
Each time, mark off the lit LED on your printed copy of the overlay.Repeat with the 0V flying lead connected to pin 8 of the PIC socket,
then pin 9 ... thru' pin 13.
If more than one LED lights or no LED lights for any of the 42
flying
lead connection arrangements then there is a fault in the display board
(open circuits, shorts, faulty LEDs or wrong value (not 180R) resistors
to the LEDs).
In this event, this board detail may be
helpful.
Email us if your display board passes this test but the wrong LEDs still light.
"Comms error" using Rotorvane for Windows
Diagnosis: There's a fault in either the configuration of the Windows program, the wiring to the anemometer or somewhere on the anemometer board.
Procedure 1:
Confirm you have used a 5K6 resistor for R5. This was originally specified as 1K, but this value won't work with some laptops and other PCs with serial ports which deliver less than approx +/- 6V.Procedure 2:
Ensure you have selected the correct Comm Port under "Settings".Procedure 3- Loopback Test:
(Select "Connection", "Disconnect" before attempting to change the comm port.)
Disconnect the DB9 socket from the anemometer PCB.The speed display should indicate a fixed, non zero speed, typically that corresponding to a pointer position around 3 o'clock, and the direction display should be fixed about SE.Connect together pins 2 and 3 on the DB9 socket.
Plug the socket into the computer serial port.
Run Rotorvane for Windows.
If you've not already set the "Connect on startup" option,
- Select "Connection"
- Select "Connect"
If you see these non-zero readings on the dials and the "Comms error" message has gone then the PC serial port and Windows SW are working, and there's a problem with the anemometer or the wiring between the DB9 connector and the anemometer.
Procedure 4 - Incoming data path:
Depower. Remove the serial port connector from the PC. Power up.If either of the above voltages are incorrect then there is a problem either with the wiring to the serial port connector or in the region of D3, R4, Z1 and R5, or the track from this area to pin 18 of the PIC.Measure the voltage from 0V to pin 18 of the PIC. Take care not to short between the PIC pins with the meter probe when you do this, as this may damage the PIC.
Expect close to 0V.Depower.
Temporarily connect +5V (the top end of R11 may be a convenient point to take this from) to pin 3 of the anemometer serial port connector.
Power up.
Measure the voltage from 0V to pin 18 of the PIC. Again, take care not to short between the PIC pins with the meter probe when you do this.
Expect 3.5 to 4.3V.Depower.
Remove the temporary connection from +5V to the serial port connector.
Procedure 5 - outgoing data path:
Depower.If either of the above voltages are incorrect then there is a problem either with the wiring to the serial port connector or in the region of R5,R6, R7 and Z2, or the track from this area to pin 17 of the PIC.
Remove the serial port connector from the PC.
Power up. Measure the voltage from pin 5 of the anemometer serial port connector to pin 2 of the anemometer serial port connector.
Expect close to 0V.Depower.
Remove the PIC from its socket.
Temporarily connect +5V to pin 17 of the PIC socket. (If you used a pressed-contact socket for the PIC, take great care not to distort the contacts.)
Power up. Measure the voltage from pin 5 of the anemometer serial port connector to pin 2 of the anemometer serial port connector.
Expect close to 5V.Depower.
Remove the temporary connection from +5V to pin 17.
Email us if all the above check out OK but the "Comms error" message
remains when you connect your anemometer to the PC.
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