FoC Troubleshooting

[Kyaryo Ysoyav]

Ok guys, so I rewired my first saber to test out a new connector (wire management can be a pain) and decided I would try to set up FoC again. Well...I basically have the same problem that I had before, except the whole thing doesn't crash when FoC is triggered.

My problem is this: the FoC die illuminates as soon as the kill key is plugged. As I'm sure they'll be necessary, here are pics of my electronics:

http://i1296.photobucket.com/albums/ag15/KyaryoYsoyav/FoC%20Help%20Pictures/IMG_3620small_zps7a752b81.jpg (http://s1296.photobucket.com/user/KyaryoYsoyav/media/FoC%20Help%20Pictures/IMG_3620small_zps7a752b81.jpg.html)

http://i1296.photobucket.com/albums/ag15/KyaryoYsoyav/FoC%20Help%20Pictures/IMG_3619small_zps434cf2e0.jpg (http://s1296.photobucket.com/user/KyaryoYsoyav/media/FoC%20Help%20Pictures/IMG_3619small_zps434cf2e0.jpg.html)

http://i1296.photobucket.com/albums/ag15/KyaryoYsoyav/FoC%20Help%20Pictures/IMG_3618small_zps3a052ab4.jpg (http://s1296.photobucket.com/user/KyaryoYsoyav/media/FoC%20Help%20Pictures/IMG_3618small_zps3a052ab4.jpg.html)

http://i1296.photobucket.com/albums/ag15/KyaryoYsoyav/FoC%20Help%20Pictures/IMG_3617small_zps28dd774b.jpg (http://s1296.photobucket.com/user/KyaryoYsoyav/media/FoC%20Help%20Pictures/IMG_3617small_zps28dd774b.jpg.html)

http://i1296.photobucket.com/albums/ag15/KyaryoYsoyav/FoC%20Help%20Pictures/IMG_3616small_zps62d8ebc6.jpg (http://s1296.photobucket.com/user/KyaryoYsoyav/media/FoC%20Help%20Pictures/IMG_3616small_zps62d8ebc6.jpg.html)

http://i1296.photobucket.com/albums/ag15/KyaryoYsoyav/FoC%20Help%20Pictures/IMG_3615small_zps110b3fb8.jpg (http://s1296.photobucket.com/user/KyaryoYsoyav/media/FoC%20Help%20Pictures/IMG_3615small_zps110b3fb8.jpg.html)

Any help would be awesome! Thanks in advance!

[Silver Serpent]

You have way too much exposed wire on your LED connections. It's possible your FoC die is shorting back to the negative terminal of your battery pack. Try to get the solder joints on your LED looking more like the ones on your PC. I'd clean up the bridge on your LED as well while you're at it.

[Kyaryo Ysoyav]

Stupid question, I'm guessing, but is thermal tape reusable? I'm guessing that it'd be impossible to redo my LED while mounted on the heat-sink. If it isn't...is there a good substitute for it? Thanks SS! I was worried that something like that was happening, but wasn't sure. I'll try rewiring it later today and see what happens. I think that LED was the first thing I soldered ever :-D

[Kyaryo Ysoyav]

So I rewired the LED and nothing has changed. Just to make sure I did better....here's the redo shot.

http://i1296.photobucket.com/albums/ag15/KyaryoYsoyav/FoC%20Help%20Pictures/IMG_3621small_zps0cdf9df4.jpg (http://s1296.photobucket.com/user/KyaryoYsoyav/media/FoC%20Help%20Pictures/IMG_3621small_zps0cdf9df4.jpg.html)

Could I have a bad PeX? Something where the remote portion of it doesn't function properly? Or maybe something's wrong with my PC? I can't really think of anything else that it could be...all the wires are properly isolated as far as I can tell.

[Jordandau]

I personally haven't wired a pex quite like you did. I don't see anything wired to the part where the resistor would go on the pex. I do see you have a larger resistor in there somewhere, but I don't know what it's connected to. If you're not using a resistor ON the pex, did you bridge the connection?

[Forgetful Jedi Knight]

I personally haven't wired a pex quite like you did. I don't see anything wired to the part where the resistor would go on the pex. I do see you have a larger resistor in there somewhere, but I don't know what it's connected to. If you're not using a resistor ON the pex, did you bridge the connection?

He bypassed the (+) side completely, which is ok.



Could I have a bad PeX? Something where the remote portion of it doesn't function properly? Or maybe something's wrong with my PC? I can't really think of anything else that it could be...all the wires are properly isolated as far as I can tell.

I would try everything outside the hilt (if you are not doing so already). I would also wire the FoC wire directly to the control pad on the PEX (no connector). Also where is the (-) wire specifically going to on the PC?

[Kyaryo Ysoyav]

See above. Simultaneous posts. :)

[Kyaryo Ysoyav]

I would try everything outside the hilt (if you are not doing so already). I would also wire the FoC wire directly to the control pad on the PEX (no connector). Also where is the (-) wire specifically going to on the PC?

I could try bypassing the connector, but I don't think that's the problem. That was how I had it wired the first time I had wired up my lightsaber and I had the exact same problem. :confused: The (-) wire is actually not connected to the PC at all, both the (-) and (+) wire are running from the recharge port. I figured it didn't matter where they got the power from. Is that wrong?

[Forgetful Jedi Knight]

I could try bypassing the connector, but I don't think that's the problem. That was how I had it wired the first time I had wired up my lightsaber and I had the exact same problem. :confused: The (-) wire is actually not connected to the PC at all, both the (-) and (+) wire are running from the recharge port. I figured it didn't matter where they got the power from. Is that wrong?

You should wire them directly to the main power pads of the PC.

[Kyaryo Ysoyav]

That's how I had it before, too. Out of curiosity, why does it matter? The wires they are connected with are the (+) and (-) wires that run to the PC anyways. I guess I should've been more specific in my above post. :( I have the wires that come of the power pads run into the connector, then I split the wires on the other side, so they are basically wired to the main pads. You can mostly see it in the last picture of my first post.

[Forgetful Jedi Knight]

That's how I had it before, too. Out of curiosity, why does it matter? The wires they are connected with are the (+) and (-) wires that run to the PC anyways. I guess I should've been more specific in my above post. :( I have the wires that come of the power pads run into the connector, then I split the wires on the other side, so they are basically wired to the main pads. You can mostly see it in the last picture of my first post.

It theoretically "shouldn't" matter, but you do seem to have a problem with the FoC LED ALWAYS coming on, correct? I would still try a wire directly from the FoC pad to the control pad on the PEX first, then if you still have a problem, then try wiring it the way I suggested.

Also check the PEX carefully and make sure you didn't accidentally bridge something on the underside of the PEX

[TrypWyr]

That's how I had it before, too. Out of curiosity, why does it matter? The wires they are connected with are the (+) and (-) wires that run to the PC anyways.

Not exactly sure in your situation, but let me share an example from one of my sabers... I have color mixing with a CF+CEx in a saber and I'm getting small flashing from the green die whenever I remove the kill key or go into the menu. Not a game-breaker, but kind of annoying. Turns out, it appears to be an issue with the way I wired the CEx ground to the CF ground. I tried to share a ground and it technically works, but provides too much interference, cross-talk, dirty voltage, whatever. It's amazing how little things like that can make a difference.