ROBWAY RCI-4100, Operation And Installation, Page: 59 / 187

OPERATION AND INSTALLATION
RCI-4100 SYSTEM
MAN-1111 Rev H ©Copyright 2015 LSI-Robway Pty Ltd Page 59
8. Troubleshooting
A trouble-shooting or fault-finding section is always a difficult document to write because things that
are obvious to one person can be anything but obvious to another. On the other hand, most times
when you read such a guide the fault you are trying to solve happens to be the very fault that has
been left out! The main purpose of this section is to help both us at LSI-Robway and you the reader to
find the problem and solve it quickly. Sometimes this takes patience, which isn't always easy when
you are on the site, your customer is angry because you haven't fixed it yet, and the LSI-Robway guy
at the other end of the phone wants you to tell him all over again what you just did!! We frequently find
that when a situation is described by the service person a couple of times new details come out in the
conversation that are vital to solving the problem. It seems that the more trouble we have finding the
faults, the more simple the cause was!
The RCI-4100 IS system incorporates a number of software features that are designed to help the
service person quickly identify a fault; however it must be stressed that these features cannot identify
everything. They can only be used as a guide to identify additional checks that can be made. Some
notes are provided below, followed by some example faults and possible causes.
Identify the symptoms
Take time to find out exactly what is happening to indicate a problem. If possible have the problem
demonstrated so you can "describe it in your own words". Sometimes what someone else has told you
is only part of the story.
Leave the calibration alone!
Too many times a re-calibration has been attempted in order to rectify a problem before the real cause
of the problem has been correctly identified. This leads to added confusion as the perspective is
generally moved from the real fault to "calibration problems". We have often received a message
indicating that our display has "not accepted the calibration data". Most times this is due to a fault in a
cable or sensor which was not identified prior to re-calibration. Re-calibration must only be performed
when all sensor inputs have been verified for correct operation. In actual fact re-calibration is rarely
necessary.
Do you have your simulator with you?
A simulator is a very quick way to verify if the fault is external to the display and will save you a lot of
heartache. A simulator is purely resistive and hence considered simple apparatus and can be used
freely in a hazardous area. Simulators can be purchased from LSI-Robway at very reasonable prices.
Have you read the manual?
When all else fails, read the manual! Your answer may actually be in there.
Know what information you need to gather
If you collect the correct information from the display the job is half done. Before you begin to suspect
faults with the system, you must satisfy yourself that the display is correctly configured for the crane
environment. In other words, check that the correct duty, falls, slew zones etc. have been selected.
Are all of the sensors connected? In general if sensors have been supplied with the system, they must
always be connected. The display will check them continuously and issue an error if that sensor
cannot be detected. Check crane duty/configuration, length, angle and radius against the load chart to
verify that the equipment is permitted to be in that situation. If there is still a problem once these have
been checked, then you will need to check the hardware.