X32 Problem

[sclg]

We have a 9 year old X32 at our amateur-run theatre. It is only used by a couple of people and not heavily used. So far, it has been rock solid but over the last three days, getting things ready for the next show, every time I have started it up, it comes up with all the lights/buttons, etc only dimly lit and many of the displays not lit. So far, power off/power on has fixed it each time but it's obviously a little worrying. I'm pretty sure some of the channel strips have also randomly changed colour a couple of times.

Anyone ever come across this??

Thanks

[Lamplighter]

Hi Steve

That sounds as if the memory battery needs replacing.

Brian

[sclg]

Good thought. Clock/calendar keeping perfect time though??

S

[adamburgess]

I dare bet it's the power supply on the way out. My X32 rack has done this a couple of times.

One day it just won't start up so get those PSU caps replaced and uprated.

[J Pearce]

It was the MOV that died when my X32 rack’s power supply gave up.

[sclg]

Just an update...

As we were only a few days away from a show, the decision was made to buy a new one.
We'll try repairing the old one then either keep it as a spare or sell it.

Thanks for all the advice.

[dbuckley]

On 1/6/2024 at 2:44 AM, adamburgess said:

I dare bet it's the power supply on the way out. My X32 rack has done this a couple of times.

Our X32 Rack had a power supply failure.  Cap went BANG about 20 minutes to curtain.  FOH staff with very worried expressions entered tech room thinking the world had ended, or I'd blown myself up.  The digital part of the machine was working fine, just lost analogue I/O.  ("just").  Quickly grabbed digi stagebox and repatched.  Did the rest of the run that way, prior to X32R being sent to the menders for a replacement PSU.

It heightens my mood to see yours has done this a couple of times, so I now have a triggered new fear, living in expectation of it happening again.....

 

[kgallen]

There are a lot of X32 variants in service. Does anyone have more specific details of the PSU components that are known particularly weak in the design such that the "technically competent" amongst us can address our own X32s?

I have X32 schematics but I don't believe this includes the PSU[*] which is a canned Meanwell-type caged SMPSU. Indeed is there an off-the-shelf Meanwell that is a drop-in replacement?

If not, are there schematics or user-written docs about for the PSU, or at least refdes's for the caps/MOVs that we need to keep an eye on or could replace for a branded part - assuming those used at manufacture are "Wan-Hung-Lo" brand.

Thanks in advance!

 

[*] Edit, I was wrong, p69-70 of the schematics are the PSU.

Edited January 26 by kgallen

[timsabre]

I replaced the PSU module in our full size X32 a while ago, it was definitely a custom Behringer module which I got from the UK spares place in Southend (I think that has changed now). There were no bangs or anything, it just lit the scribble LCDs dimly and nothing else happened.

I didn't attempt to fix the faulty PSU module, although being an inveterate hoarder, I do still have it somewhere. Fixing SMPSUs freaks me out slightly as the potential for bangs is quite high, plus I hate faultfinding them as the nature of the circuit means that separating fault and symptom is difficult.

Edited January 29 by timsabre

[musht]

Used to know a guy who did lot of CRT monitor repairs, the low ceiling above his bench was peppered with chopper transistor shrapnel.

[themadhippy]

Quote

Fixing SMPSUs freaks me out slightly as the potential for bangs is quite high

The 2 essentials for working on such things is a decent isolating transformer and a few pairs of spare clean pants

[bruce]

I have attempted SMP repairs twice. After each one ended in a bang, I decided to not do them again. So last time I needed one done (A Zero88 frog desk I think!) I passed the job on to a mate who is a very experienced electronic engineer. That also ended in a bang....

 

[DrV]

I do quite a few SMPS repairs (fewer nowadays) and I also absolutely hate bangs but they can be avoided. If you remove the main switching transistor you can check that the control chip is producing a switching waveform without even connecting the mains by simply connecting an external supply to its Vcc and Gnd pins. You can put the mains supply in through a light bulb current limit (very old skool!) and wind it up slowly with a Variac. You can check components for shorts with a standard meter. Units that haven't actually gone bang in the first place are a bit easier as it's often the startup circuit for the chip that fails. Where the main switching transistor has popped just assume that the control chip will have died too and if it has then things like gate drive resistors have usually gone in sympathy. I'm not going to try and teach anyone to fix these - everyone has their own tricks, but generally there's a lot you can do without risking a bang. 

[jamieshurlock]

I have just repaired this one for the rack version, if anyones needs any repaired even  just as a spare...

3rd of these I’ve been asked to repair, seems to be a common failure point and they are of the age for it...

lost count of the smps’s I’ve repaired 🤓 

 

[jamesperrett]

I tend to only repair the ones where the fault is fairly obvious and can be diagnosed without powering it up - usually the big input capacitor or one of the output capacitors.