Synth-DIY Yahoo! Groups Archives

Faulty light pen issue

2017-08-26 by FJReggiani@hotmail.com

Hey there everyone, just looking for some advice for a direction to proceed... Appears the light pen for my IIx is stuck in the HIT mode, only the issue is not in the actual pen but I believe somewhere else. Anyone experience something like this before? I can't get a cursor to display, adjusting the screen has no effect. Using the USB mouse adapter results in similar experience. Could there be a fault on a card? Hoping for some ideas. Thanks for your help in advance!

- Frank

Re: [Fairlight-CMI] Faulty light pen issue

2017-08-26 by John Smith

Hi Frank,

The fact that the USB-mouse also gives problems is an indicator that light-pen is not at fault I think.
I suggest you join Facebook and become a member of Fairlight CMI group. This Yahoogroup is pretty low in activity.
Try reseating flatcables and card.

Regards,

Peter Kersten.

From: Fairlight-CMI@yahoogroups.com on behalf of FJReggiani@hotmail.com [Fairlight-CMI]
Sent: Saturday, August 26, 2017 5:25 AM
To: Fairlight-CMI@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [Fairlight-CMI] Faulty light pen issue

Hey there everyone, just looking for some advice for a direction to proceed... Appears the light pen for my IIx is stuck in the HIT mode, only the issue is not in the actual pen but I believe somewhere else. Anyone experience something like this before? I can't get a cursor to display, adjusting the screen has no effect. Using the USB mouse adapter results in similar experience. Could there be a fault on a card? Hoping for some ideas. Thanks for your help in advance!

- Frank

Re: [Fairlight-CMI] Faulty light pen issue

2017-09-01 by britt@shapetable.com

Hi Frank,

Could you try:

- Keep the USB mouse adapter plugged in
- Unplug the lightpen from the Fairlight monitor (VDU)

And see if it still looks like HIT is stuck?

The USB mouse adapter will prioritize the HIT from the lightpen and hide the mouse cursor.
This is so you can switch back and forth between the lightpen and mouse.

If HIT or TOUCH are stuck active, that could confuse the mouse adapter.

Also, if HIT were stuck active, I would expect the entire display to be inverted. HIT works by XOR'ing (so inverting) the pixels that are being drawn.

If you are seeing a normal (non-inverted) display but no HIT, *and* you are on a IIX (not a I or a II), check to make sure that the Q219 connections are correct. The VDU cable has a blue band and goes to the upper connector on Q219, the lightpen cable has a white band and goes to the lower connector on Q219.

The upper Q219 connector *only* has video out, and the lower connector has video AND lightpen inputs. One of the original mouse adapter buyers had never had a lightpen, and those connections were reversed. As a result, he had video (since it is on both), but the mouse could not simulate the lightpen since it was connected to the video-only connector.

Fingers crossed!

Joe

Re: [Fairlight-CMI] Faulty light pen issue

2017-09-01 by FJReggiani@hotmail.com

Hey there Joe!

Thank you SO MUCH for this message! I know you're a busy man, so I sincerely appreciate your time and the great info!

Ok, so here's where I'm at currently:

Checked and cleaned all connections, and re-sat the Q219 card. Still the same issue. Monitor graphics are NOT inverted, and there is just the faintest trace of the crescent cursor when you look closely. Not sure if it's flickering or not. This is what led me to believe it's stuck in HIT/TOUCH. I can confirm the two connections to the Q219 are correct.

Unplugged the lightpen and the USB mouse adapter works perfectly. Although after cleaning there was a slight continuous flicker of the cursor, but it doesn't effect functionality.

My IIx lives in a studio on the east coast, and I will get to see it again at the end of September. I do have a spare lightpen, so I'm going to see if switching it out solves the issue. The current lightpen was original to the machine, was used extensively, and was already repaired once. Hoping it's just a bad solder point... Then I'll just need to find someone to take a look at it (I don't wanna try myself, not brave enough LOL).

Thank you again Joe! I'll report back at the end of the month with my findings.

Best - Frank

Re: [Fairlight-CMI] Faulty light pen issue

2017-09-01 by britt@shapetable.com

Hi Frank!

No worries, and wish I had more time to spend on this stuff. :-)

Glad to hear the mouse adapter works if you unplug the lightpen. That narrows the problem down significantly.

That means that the Q219 is good and the cabling/connections from the Q219 to the VDU connector on the back of the CMI is good.

So I think this means it could be:

- bad connection in cable from VDU <-> mouse adapter
- bad connection between connector on the back of the VDU and the lightpen connector on the front of the VDU
- bad connection in lightpen plug or at lightpen itself
- defective component in lightpen

Since you can see a faint crescent when you bring the lightpen to the monitor, I wonder if maybe there is a broken/intermittent/corroded ground connection.

If you haven't already, please try this the next time you are at the machine:

Use the new(er) 5-pin XLR cable that came with the mouse adapter to directly connect the VDU to the CMI. (Rather than the cable that originally came with the CMI).

This will tell you if there is a problem in your old(er) XLR cable.

Joe

Re: [Fairlight-CMI] Faulty light pen issue

2017-09-24 by FJReggiani@hotmail.com

Hey Joe! Just wanted to update...

Thank you again for your time and suggestions of help. Turns out it is the lightpen that was at fault. So now it's a process of finding someone to repair it. Any recommendations?

Also, just wanted to ask in case you had any ideas: Monitor currently has these tiny horizontal flicker lines that appear randomly all over the screen about a second apart (maybe when it refreshes?). These are independent of the USB mouse adapter, so I know that's not the issue, although this does cause the mouse cursor to blink. Any idea what's causing it? Thinking it could just be the age of the system/tube. Just a small issue, nothing urgent. Wondering if anything comes to mind...

Many thanks again for all your assistance!!!

- Frank :)

---In Fairlight-CMI@yahoogroups.com, <britt@...> wrote :

Hi Frank,

Could you try:

- Keep the USB mouse adapter plugged in
- Unplug the lightpen from the Fairlight monitor (VDU)

And see if it still looks like HIT is stuck?

The USB mouse adapter will prioritize the HIT from the lightpen and hide the mouse cursor.
This is so you can switch back and forth between the lightpen and mouse.

If HIT or TOUCH are stuck active, that could confuse the mouse adapter.

Also, if HIT were stuck active, I would expect the entire display to be inverted. HIT works by XOR'ing (so inverting) the pixels that are being drawn.

If you are seeing a normal (non-inverted) display but no HIT, *and* you are on a IIX (not a I or a II), check to make sure that the Q219 connections are correct. The VDU cable has a blue band and goes to the upper connector on Q219, the lightpen cable has a white band and goes to the lower connector on Q219.

The upper Q219 connector *only* has video out, and the lower connector has video AND lightpen inputs. One of the original mouse adapter buyers had never had a lightpen, and those connections were reversed. As a result, he had video (since it is on both), but the mouse could not simulate the lightpen since it was connected to the video-only connector.

Fingers crossed!

Joe

Re: [Fairlight-CMI] Faulty light pen issue

2017-09-25 by britt@shapetable.com

Frank,

Your horizontal flicker lines clue is very interesting. Let me make sure I understand:

1. With *no* USB mouse adapter connected, just CMI->Monitor

a. With lightpen connected to monitor, random tiny horizontal flickers are seen
b. With lightpen disconnected, *still* see tiny horizontal flickers

2. Connecting USB mouse adapter:

a. Same behavior as (1) above
b. When tiny horizontal flickers are seen, the USB mouse cursor disappears

Here's why this is interesting: If the USB mouse cursor disappears, that's because it "saw" the lightpen HIT signal go active. This is so you can use either the lightpen or the mouse: when you bring the lightpen to the screen, the mouse cursor automatically turns off.

*That* makes me think that the HIT signal from the monitor to the CMI, independent of the lightpen, appears to be randomly and briefly going active.

That could be a poor/flaky connection. Since it sometimes "looks" like it goes active, I would also suspect the ground signal.

I would closely visually inspect the signals all the way from Q219 to the monitor, they go through several conenctors:

- BERG-style connector on Q219 to 2 small coax cables which go to 5-pin XLR on rear of CMI
- 5-pin XLRs at each end of monitor cable
- 5-pin XLR on monitor
- wiring inside monitor to lightpen connector

If it all *looks* OK, I would use a multimeter to measure the resistance all the way through for each signal and ground.

Maybe this is your problem rather than the lightpen itself!

Joe

---In Fairlight-CMI@yahoogroups.com, <FJReggiani@...> wrote :

Hey Joe! Just wanted to update...

Thank you again for your time and suggestions of help. Turns out it is the lightpen that was at fault. So now it's a process of finding someone to repair it. Any recommendations?

Also, just wanted to ask in case you had any ideas: Monitor currently has these tiny horizontal flicker lines that appear randomly all over the screen about a second apart (maybe when it refreshes?). These are independent of the USB mouse adapter, so I know that's not the issue, although this does cause the mouse cursor to blink. Any idea what's causing it? Thinking it could just be the age of the system/tube. Just a small issue, nothing urgent. Wondering if anything comes to mind...

Many thanks again for all your assistance!!!

- Frank :)

---In Fairlight-CMI@yahoogroups.com, <britt@...> wrote :

Hi Frank,

Could you try:

- Keep the USB mouse adapter plugged in
- Unplug the lightpen from the Fairlight monitor (VDU)

And see if it still looks like HIT is stuck?

The USB mouse adapter will prioritize the HIT from the lightpen and hide the mouse cursor.
This is so you can switch back and forth between the lightpen and mouse.

If HIT or TOUCH are stuck active, that could confuse the mouse adapter.

Also, if HIT were stuck active, I would expect the entire display to be inverted. HIT works by XOR'ing (so inverting) the pixels that are being drawn.

If you are seeing a normal (non-inverted) display but no HIT, *and* you are on a IIX (not a I or a II), check to make sure that the Q219 connections are correct. The VDU cable has a blue band and goes to the upper connector on Q219, the lightpen cable has a white band and goes to the lower connector on Q219.

The upper Q219 connector *only* has video out, and the lower connector has video AND lightpen inputs. One of the original mouse adapter buyers had never had a lightpen, and those connections were reversed. As a result, he had video (since it is on both), but the mouse could not simulate the lightpen since it was connected to the video-only connector.

Fingers crossed!

Joe

Re: [Fairlight-CMI] Faulty light pen issue

2017-09-25 by Frank Reggiani

Hi Joe! Thank you again for the response!

I actually did not get to test this without the USB mouse adapter AND without the lightpen both plugged in. All other assumptions made below are correct. I should clarify that the mouse cursor just blinks ever so slightly/quickly when these tiny lines appear.

I did replace the lightpen and that solved the "continuous HIT" issue I was having earlier with the system, so I feel confident that was one part of this equation. Also took your advice and swapped cables to/from the monitor to the rear of the CMI - all cables seem to be fine.

My CMI resides out-of state, so next time I can visit it I will try to unplug the lightpen AND mouse adapter, and see what results that gives. I'll also try to clean the contacts again and look at all the connections you mentioned below. May be a while, but I'll report back when I get the chance.

Sincerely appreciate your time and help!!!

Best always - Frank

From: Fairlight-CMI@yahoogroups.com on behalf of britt@shapetable.com [Fairlight-CMI]
Sent: Sunday, September 24, 2017 7:09 PM
To: Fairlight-CMI@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [Fairlight-CMI] Faulty light pen issue

Frank,

Your horizontal flicker lines clue is very interesting. Let me make sure I understand:

1. With *no* USB mouse adapter connected, just CMI->Monitor

a. With lightpen connected to monitor, random tiny horizontal flickers are seen
b. With lightpen disconnected, *still* see tiny horizontal flickers

2. Connecting USB mouse adapter:

a. Same behavior as (1) above
b. When tiny horizontal flickers are seen, the USB mouse cursor disappears

Here's why this is interesting: If the USB mouse cursor disappears, that's because it "saw" the lightpen HIT signal go active. This is so you can use either the lightpen or the mouse: when you bring the lightpen to the screen, the mouse cursor automatically turns off.

*That* makes me think that the HIT signal from the monitor to the CMI, independent of the lightpen, appears to be randomly and briefly going active.

That could be a poor/flaky connection. Since it sometimes "looks" like it goes active, I would also suspect the ground signal.

I would closely visually inspect the signals all the way from Q219 to the monitor, they go through several conenctors:

- BERG-style connector on Q219 to 2 small coax cables which go to 5-pin XLR on rear of CMI
- 5-pin XLRs at each end of monitor cable
- 5-pin XLR on monitor
- wiring inside monitor to lightpen connector

If it all *looks* OK, I would use a multimeter to measure the resistance all the way through for each signal and ground.

Maybe this is your problem rather than the lightpen itself!

Joe

---In Fairlight-CMI@yahoogroups.com, wrote :

Hey Joe! Just wanted to update...

Thank you again for your time and suggestions of help. Turns out it is the lightpen that was at fault. So now it's a process of finding someone to repair it. Any recommendations?

Also, just wanted to ask in case you had any ideas: Monitor currently has these tiny horizontal flicker lines that appear randomly all over the screen about a second apart (maybe when it refreshes?). These are independent of the USB mouse adapter, so I know that's not the issue, although this does cause the mouse cursor to blink. Any idea what's causing it? Thinking it could just be the age of the system/tube. Just a small issue, nothing urgent. Wondering if anything comes to mind...

Many thanks again for all your assistance!!!

- Frank :)

---In Fairlight-CMI@yahoogroups.com, wrote :

Hi Frank,

Could you try:

- Keep the USB mouse adapter plugged in
- Unplug the lightpen from the Fairlight monitor (VDU)

And see if it still looks like HIT is stuck?

The USB mouse adapter will prioritize the HIT from the lightpen and hide the mouse cursor.
This is so you can switch back and forth between the lightpen and mouse.

If HIT or TOUCH are stuck active, that could confuse the mouse adapter.

Also, if HIT were stuck active, I would expect the entire display to be inverted. HIT works by XOR'ing (so inverting) the pixels that are being drawn.

If you are seeing a normal (non-inverted) display but no HIT, *and* you are on a IIX (not a I or a II), check to make sure that the Q219 connections are correct. The VDU cable has a blue band and goes to the upper connector on Q219, the lightpen cable has a white band and goes to the lower connector on Q219.

The upper Q219 connector *only* has video out, and the lower connector has video AND lightpen inputs. One of the original mouse adapter buyers had never had a lightpen, and those connections were reversed. As a result, he had video (since it is on both), but the mouse could not simulate the lightpen since it was connected to the video-only connector.

Fingers crossed!

Joe