Scale System Troubleshooting Guide
Contents
1. Tare Het ross DE Sark Ta kano Ss gt O O EZ 150 O O O Zero O On E oft Pronat 1218 250 ee 7 8 9 Toro 3 E ES ee O Hem Dista e O O o EZ 210 O O o Pr rogr rom Timer Zero Q On H oft Program Motion Pome Pm 4 2 3 5090 Regine 7 8 9 z Tars 3 ies oan e reor O Help Diksar desk ie O o EZ 320 Introduction There are many scale applications each using a variety of load cells and indicators Platform large decks and animal Mobile Grain Cart 3 or 4 point Stationary Mixer Bulk Feed Tanks poultry veal Others This guide includes troubleshooting flowcharts and step by step procedures for troubleshooting problems commonly found with most Digi Star scale systems Required Tools Multimeter AC DC Volts and Resistance Simulator sold by Digi Star Small Screwdriver straight blade 2 Phillips Screwdriver Digi Star Scales The basic elements of the Digi Star scale system are Indicator Load Cells 3 to 8 cells per system Junction Box Power Supply Battery or AC DC Converter Figure 1 Typical Scale System Junction Box Paws Sune Indicator Flashes RANGE Indicator Flashing RANGE y Remove Junction Box Cable from Indicator J9022. Indicator is Defective Return Indicator to Factory EZ Series Indicator 1 With the power ON disconnect the junction box from indicator 2 If indicator continues to flash RANGE replace the indicator 3 If indicator stops flashing RANGE and stabilizes at a weight reconnect the junction box and inspect the junction box wiring see page 10 4 If all connections in the junction box appear good and the display continues to flash Does Indicator Stop Flashing RANGE Replace or Repair Junction Box Continue Yes Check Junction Box see page 10 Is Junction Box Good p Test Load Cells see pages 11 12 RANGE disconnect all load cell wires from junction box 5 If the display continues to flash RANGE and the indicator checked out OK the junction box is defective Replace the junction box and continue to test load cells to assure that they have not been damaged see page 11 6 If the display stops flashing and stabilizes at a weight the junction box is OK Test Load Cells see page 11 Indicator will not come on Indicator Will Not Come On y Check for Bad Power Cord Bad Connection or Bad Ground New Cord w Green Stripe Red Wire POS Black Wire Neg Check for Bad AC DC Converter see note Bad Replace Battery Battery with Known Good Batte
3. of the deck If one of the corners has noticeably less resistance the deck may require shimming or adjustment of the leveling screws if present On FEED BIN applications rock the bin back and forth and check the mounts for any movement or play Insure that each mount has equal pressure and is secured to the slab Defective Load Cell If you suspect that you have a defective load cell test them using the procedure on page 11 Load Cell Up Side Down If one load cell is mounted up side down the corner with the upside down cell would read negative Visually check load cells for proper orientation see below The load cell should deflect the same direction as the black arrow on the end of the cell NOTE Each load cell is manufactured so that the cable comes off of the same side of the cell see diagram Decals are also placed on the same side of each load cell Figure 3 Load Cell Cable Orientation Indicator Will Not Balance Zero Observe the display and watch for the Zero indicator to appear for two seconds after performing a balance to verify that the indicator has balanced Low Battery Indicator will not balance if you have a low battery less than 10 5 volts loaded The LO BAT indicator should appear in the bottom of your display Check the ground connections on a mobile unit if voltage reads above 10 5 Volts and LO BAT is indicated on display Battery OK 1 Test the indicator using the sim
4. changing variations on an empty scale i e snowfall or temperature drift Zero Track is not functional while weight is applied or in NET mode 1 If rapid or intermittent changes in the display occurs test the indicator by disconnecting the junction box from the indicator and short pins 2 and 3 on the load cell jack e If the symptoms persist replace the indicator 2 Inspect the junction box wiring See page 10 NOTE Moisture inside the junction box can cause unstable or drifting readings 3 Test the junction box See page 10 4 Test the Load Cells See page 11 Mobile Units Uneven terrain causes weight shifts Always seek smooth flat terrain to make weight readings Wheel alignment toe in toe out can cause weight shift when unit moves even on smooth flat terrain System Inaccurate Inaccurate systems are usually caused by Indicator with wrong set up An indicator that was set up for another scale application Debris under around mounts or structure Mounts platform or cart not shimmed or supported properly to provide equal load to each load cell Defective load cell Load cell up side down new installations First determine if the inaccuracy is caused by the indicator or something else To do this stand in the middle of the scale and note your weight tough for mobile systems Stand or hang at each load cell and note each reading If the readings are all within 1 display count the indicator is
5. the indicator to a Known good power source your service vehicle battery is a good choice If the indicator works OK check into the vehicle battery and ground connections or replace the battery If a tractor power cord is used make sure that it s RED wire is connected to the RED wire of the indicator power cord and its BLACK wire is connected to the WHITE wire of the indicator power cord Bad Indicator If the above power checks are OK replace the indicator Indicator Will Not Weigh If the indicator flashes LOW BAT along the bottom of the display turn to Indicator Will Not Balance page 9 1 Test indicator using simulator See page 9 2 Inspect the junction box wiring See page 10 3 Remove load cells and test junction box See page 10 4 Test the load cells See Page 11 Indicator Unstable Drifts Slow Drift Variations of 50 lbs with 1 DB cells and up to 350 Ibs on 2 DB and larger cells are normal for most scale systems with daily temperature changes Temperature compensated cells minimize temperature drift but do not eliminate drifting entirely Balance indicator before use to prevent drift from causing inaccurate weight readings except for feed bins where you want to save inventory data For feed bins scale must be empty before balancing it Zero Track EZ Series indicators with Zero Track turned on will hold the indicator on zero Zero Track is designed to compensate for slow
6. Digi Star Y Scale System Troubleshooting Guide for Digi Star Scales with EZ 150 EZ 210 and EZ 320 Indicators F3214B December 1997 Troubleshooting Guide Table Of Contents Symptoms Digi Star Indicators oooooooooo 1 INTPOOUCIONae ot ctw ee boa cos 2 Indicator Flashes tRANGE 3 Indicator Will Not Come On 4 Indicator Will Not Weigh 5 Indicator Unstable Drifts 6 System Inaccurate 7 Indicator Will Not Balance zero 9 Testing the Indicator Using Simulator 9 Inspect Junction Box Wiring 10 Test the Junction Box 10 Testing the Load Cells 11 Load Cell Resistance Chart 11 EZ Indicators ESTA
7. cator or junction box is not available load cells can be tested using a multimeter NOTE This method is not fool proof A load cell may pass this test and still have a problem For best results test load cells using a working indicator 1 Identify the load cell type and use the chart on page 12 to determine the resistance values between the wires on the load cell 2 Using an ohm meter measure the resistance between leads on the load cell 3 Replace the load cell if it measures more than 15 above or below the value listed in the chart on page 12 NOTE Bad load cells will typically show no reading or double the correct value Load Cell Resistance Chart Wire Color White amp Black Blue Black Blue amp Tan 350 395 350 700 White amp Green 350 350 350 700 Red amp Green 262 297 262 525 Green amp Black 262 307 262 525 Black amp White 262 307 262 525 White amp Red 262 297 262 525 Shield to any other Infinite open Infinite open Infinite open Infinite open wire
8. causing the problem If you find that one or more of the readings are more than 2 display counts different from the others then continue to one of the other possibilities in this section Indicator with Wrong Set Up or Miscalibrated Verify that the indicator has the proper set up Compare the system configuration size type and number of load cells to the decal on the bottom of the indicator Inaccurate calibration If the indicator needs re calibration it is best to contact your dealer first See scale operation manual for calibration instructions Debris Under Around Mounts or Structure Readings will be less than actual if debris is lodged under or around the mounts and platform Insure that the mounts load cells and weighing structure are free of ice and debris Inspect around the edges of platform for any gravel or product that may have fallen through the cracks around the deck On Weighmasters you can often clear the object without raising the deck Use a piece of stiff wire like welding rod and a needle nose pliers to dislodge debris System Inaccurate continued Mounts Platform or Cart Not Shimmed or Supported Properly to Provide Equal Load at Each Load Cell On MOBILE applications side pressure on a wheel or tongue can cause inaccurate readings Make sure wheels are on a level surface and there is no draw bar pull on tongue On PLATFORM applications use a large screwdriver or pry bar to pry up on the corners
9. ry Check 12V Voltage at Source Check Fuse in Supply Check 110 VAC Outlet Replace Fuse Replace AC DC Check AC Circuit Converter Breaker etc NOTE A battery may check good with a meter but still may not be strong enough to power the system Indicator Will Not Come On Two conditions cause the indicator not to come on They are No Power to Indicator 12 Volts DC Bad Indicator No Power to Indicator Check AC Power Source if applicable Check outlet with a multimeter or plug in another device to the outlet to make sure there is 110 volts present to the power supply Check for DC Power to Indicator Measure the DC output of the power supply or battery on mobile units using a multimeter The indicator requires between 10 5 and 14 5 volts DC Make sure battery or power supply terminals are tight Remove the power supply cover and tighten terminals if necessary Check the fuse on the power supply fuse may be on rear or inside power supply Make sure the RED wire is connected to the positive terminal and the BLACK wire connected to the negative terminal of the DC power cable Remove the power connector from the indicator and use multimeter to measure between PIN 1 POS and PIN 2 NEG The meter should read between 10 5 and 14 5 volts DC Mobile Applications A bad vehicle ground or a weak battery can cause problems even if voltages check OK Connect
10. ulator See page 9 2 Inspect the junction box wiring See page 11 3 Remove load cells and test junction box See page 10 4 Test Load Cells See page 11 Stability Feature is On Motion Detection EZ Series indicators will not allow you to balance if the stability feature is turned ON and the display is unstable NOTE On EZ Series indicators a will appear under the word Motion to indicate an unstable condition Testing the Indicator Using Simulator With the power ON disconnect the junction box from indicator Set simulator on middle position zero and connect to indicator Balance the indicator Switch the simulator to either 2 or 4 Verify that the indicator displays the calibration number for you setup See calibration sticker on rear of indicator E 6 If the indicator does not register any weight using the simulator replace the indicator Inspect Junction Box Wiring 1 Connect the junction box to the indicator 2 Open the junction box cover and check wiring for the following e Wires connected to proper connection point by color code e Terminal blocks are clamped onto metal lead not insulation e Connections are tight 3 Check for water or condensation in the junction box If damp dry the entire box and printed circuit board thoroughly with a hair dryer NOTE No hazardous voltages are present in the junction box Test the Junction Box NOTE Test the indicator using a sim
11. ulator and inspect the junction box wiring pages 9 amp 10 before testing the junction box 1 Disconnect all load cell wires from junction box 2 If the failure mode does not change and the indicator checked out OK earlier page 10 the junction box is defective Be sure to test load cells using an ohm meter See page 11 to assure that they have not been damaged 3 Ifthe display stops flashing and stabilizes at a weight the junction box is OK Testing the Load Cells Using Working Indicator amp Junction Box 1 Disconnect all load cells from the junction box 2 Connect one load cell to any junction box terminal Be sure connections are tight and connected to proper locations by color code 3 Observe a positive weight change after each load cell is connected Record the reading of each load cell Load cell is bad if it causes e indicator to flash tRANGE e indicator to display a negative weight check for upside down load cell e indicator to become unstable 4 Stand over or hang on each load cell and observe increase in weight reading on the indicator displayed weight will not be correct 5 Disconnect load cell and repeats steps 3 through 6 for each load cell 6 After all load cells are checked compare the readings If one cell is substantially different than the others it is bad NOTE Be sure to check each load cell to insure there are not two bad cells Using a Multimeter If an operational indi
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