The Yamaha AN1x Synthesizer mailing list

I don't believe your diagnosis is correct.  Long before I did the
surgery you describe, I would check the power supply for proper
operation.


rich






--- In AN1x-list@yahoogroups.com, Dave Silvester <sly@m...> wrote:
> Hi Everyone,
> 
> Just joined due to a kinda emergency situation - I think my AN1x is
> dead!  :-((((
> 
> What happens is that after a short while of being on, it will reboot
> itself, and then more-or-less continually reboot itself (between
every
> couple of minutes and almost as soon as it has booted up).  If I
turn it
> off and turn it back on again, this still happens.  If I leave it
for
> half an hour or so, it seems to be OK for a few minutes and then
starts
> rebooting all over again.
> 
> I had previously thought that this was due to a midi error causing
the
> reboots, but have done plenty of testing, and there is nothing
going up
> and down my midi cables according to MidiOX.  Also, the AN1x still
> reboots itself when there is nothing except the PSU plugged into it.
> 
> I had also thought that it was due to a malfunctioning knob or
wheel on
> the AN1x, as sometimes when it rebooted while I was recording a
> sequence, the mod wheel appears to have moved just before it
rebooted.
> 
> I've tried factory resets and all the usual problem solving
techniques,
> and this problem is almost certainly something out of the ordinary.
> 
> My friend (who is into overclocking PCs) seems to think that the
> rebooting may be due to the DSP chip getting too hot and being
unstable.
> This seems to make sense, since if the DSP in the AN1x mirrors the
> behaviour of a PC processor that is running a bit too hot for a long
> time (but not hot enough to crash) then after several years the
chip can
> become a lot more unstable and although it works OK some of the
time,
> it's tolerance for heat seems to deteriorate.
> 
> So, our theory is that the DSP has been running quite hot for the
four
> years that I've had my AN1x, and that now it has reached the point
of no
> return, where it needs cooling in order to be able to run stably.
> 
> This behaviour pattern also seems to be displayed in the fact that
if I
> turn it off and straight back on, it still keeps crashing. 
However, if
> I wait a while (in which the chip would cool down a bit) it seems
to be
> stable for a few minutes before the crashing starts again.
> 
> So, what we are thinking of doing is opening up the AN1x and
attaching a
> heatsink of some kind to the DSP chip using thermal epoxy.  I have
a few
> old Pentium heatsinks lying around which I think will probably do
the
> job, and my overclocker mate has plenty of other bits and pieces
which
> we could use.
> 
> I just have a few questions:
> 
> Has anyone else experienced a similar problem to this?
> 
> I've never opened up my AN1x - is there enough space inside for the
> addition of a heatsink, or is it all very closely packed in?
> 
> Is it difficult to put back together again (am I likely to end up
with a
> pile of pieces and a ruined synth if I take it apart)?
> 
> Do you think my reasoning about the heat seems to make sense, or
could
> it be something else that I've not thought of yet?
> 
> Incidentally, if I do end up taking the case off and attaching a
> heatsink to the DSP, I'll probably document it with photographs and
> stick it online somewhere.  Would that be useful?
> 
> OK, here's hoping that all your AN1xs are healthier than mine!
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> ~Dave
> 
> -- 
> 
> Dave Silvester
> Music Technology Junkie
> Web: http://www.mu-sly.co.uk/
> Email: sly at mu hyphen sly dot co dot uk
> ICQ: 165159988