IFR-1600 Question

[pholman]

Greetings
I have a 1600s that does not keep the instrument settings. Upon power down and then powering up, nothing is returned to the last operating state. The Gen and RX freqs are both 10.0000, freq lock is OFF, Meters are all reset, etc etc. I replaced (4) DS1235YW-120 in the memory board...thought this might be a good start, but alas, even with new ones (dated MUCH newer) the same problem exists. Anyone have any ideas on what to look for. Of course, I don't have any manual this unit other than the "alignment" book.
BTW, it passes all the self-tests except for the power meter, which reads about 1/2 what it should. I have NOT tried to cal the power meter yet.


Phil

[jry]

Sounds like you have a very early unit with the discreet EPROM's instead of flash.

It may be the RTC module on the UP card . Not sure where the cal data was kept ...thought it was on the firmware card as well.

Does it keep the date and time or is that lost as well ?


It may have lost it's options aand SN as well if the RTC batttery died

[pholman]

The Realtime clock runs while the instrument is on. However, when it's turned off and then back on, it resumes at the value it was at when last on. It does not keep updated time while it's off.

I have another 1600 also. It is apparently a newer version. One of the cards has several Flash memory chips on it unlike the one I'm having problems with, which has lots of UV Eproms on one of the cards.

[jry]

It sounds like the RTC may be bad at least. Clock should be updating while off.

It has some area on the RTC that keeps the SN, runtime hours and maybe the instrument state ...not sure about the last though

[pholman]

I have the Dallas Semi RTC on order. We'll see what happens.

Thanks for you input!!
Phil

[jry]

I would install a high quality socket for the RTC chip.

You will loose any software options if you haven't already since this chip needs to be programmed to match.
It should work fine otherwise.

[pholman]

I'd already installed a socket for the RTC chip. Came in today, installed it. Keeps time perfectly now....still won't save the instrument state. Both my 1600's show "no options", however both show installed options on the rear sticker. I can't find any remaining docs. on what those option numbers refer to.
Kinda at a loss.

[jry]

Most of the options on the back were software / Cellular testing features ...option 02 was the OCXO hardware. Ops manual had some of it documented.

Some software may still be on the memory card but without the Filesystem option enabled you wouldn't be able to see ans some where firmware based that also required the option flag being set.

Not sure they are of any value any more anyway.

As to the power off state retention ...that may the memory card / firmware.

Did that unit always forget it's last state at power off ? There are other places to save the machine state as well ...not sure if any of the saved information is being saved or if its just the last state.

In order to upgrade to the later flash memory card the CPU card firmware has to updated as well so you cannot mix and match those boards from another later set.

[pholman]

The "STO' function does not save even the name of the stored configuration much less the desired setup.....Even thought it is an older version, seems like it should store the last state and the STO RCL functions should work??????
Oh well.........

[n0czv]

How can you tell if the machine is early or late? Is there a serial number range?

Steve

[jry]

Serial number would be a start.
Also look at the configuration screen and look at the firmware levels.

Should be 4 listed IIRC ...for a standard commercial 1600 main should be 4.02 for the latest, the other two or three versions should be 3.X
Internally the firmware /flash card is two separate boards so there are no empty slots. The firmware and flash cards use discreet components.
The later version is a single card for firmware and flash so will have an empty slot.