Troubleshooting Guide 101
© 2018 Nortek AS
5.1 Communication Problems
To test communication; send a break by clicking Communication > Terminal Emulator, and click the
Send Break button. If the instrument is powered and properly connected and if the terminal is set to
use the correct serial port, the instrument will respond with the wake-up message.
If nothing happens when sending a break, initially check if
You have forgotten to power the system.
The RS232 to USB converter or the RS422 to USB converter is not working
The DB-9 connector has fallen out of the computer
You are using the wrong serial port.
You have forgotten that new instruments ship with the battery disconnected (applies to Vectors
only).
Computers do not always behave as they should and not all of them have serial ports available. If
one computer is giving you a problem, try another one instead.
Inspect the instrument communications cable for damage such as knicks, cuts, or crushed
sections. Broken wires or physical damage to the cable will cause communications problems. To
purchase a new cable contact your sales representative.
Make sure the connector on the cable is securely inserted into the bulkhead receptacle and the
connector pins are clean.
Check the section about Break Responses for more details.
If none of these points above solves the problem, continue with the troubleshooting tests described
next.
5.1.1 Test with battery and power supply
Cables are often exposed to heavy use and the power connector might break. To ensure that this is
not the reason causing problems, be sure to test the communication with both the power supply and
the battery inside the housing connected. Also:
Do a visual inspection of the power supply. Is a green power light on?
Measure the power supply and make sure it is stable
Do not exceed the maximum VDC listed in the technical specifications
Remember that Nortek instruments ship without the batteries connected
5.1.2 Cable Test
Inspect the instrument communication cable for damage such as knicks, cuts, or crushed
sections. Broken wires or physical damage to the cable will cause communications problems. To
purchase a new cable contact your local sales representative.
Make sure the connector on the cable is securely inserted into the bulkhead receptacle and the
connector pins are clean.
Perform a continuity test on the cable by "beeping" each pin to pin. If you are experiencing
intermittent connections try wiggling the cable around to see if there is a cable breakage.
Make sure you are using correct cable relative to your harness (f.ex RS232 communication on
both harness and cable)
Check the cable for electrical short circuits or discontinuities using a multimeter (resistance tester).
Keep the cable connected to the instrument, and disconnect the cable from the Interface box, PC
or power source.
Pin 1 & 2 should show similar magnitude of Ohm. The same goes for pin 3 & 4 and 5 & 6 (see
table below for approximate values).
To Next Page
Loading...
