Display problems

[Dave Rawn]

A few weeks ago I noticed a couple of lines in the display window then a few more and then a few more. Today I was cutting out plywood and when I went to put the cover down and start the next cutting sequence all of the information was gone and it was just flashing different colors and random lines. This lasted for a little while then the display showed up again. Has anyone had this problem, is there any thing I can check before I call tech support. I have a Epilog Legend 32 75 watt.

Thanks for any help
Dave

[Michael Hunter]

Sounds like a loose connector between the PCB with the buttons on it and the display itself.
Not too difficult to get to and check, but be careful about static electricity (all the bits are sensitive) and be aware that the fixings between the electronics bits and the plastic panel are fragile.

[AL Ursich]

LCD displays have been a big interest of mine over the years. I have fixed quite a few and it all came down to the connection between the glass display and the copper circuit board.

The glass has metalized edge contact points on it connecting to the internal display elements. The Circuit board will have matching contacts. What connects the 2 is a piece of rubber with graphite wires or strands like a graphite spark plug wire. The rubber is like a bundle of straws.

I have found that with careful disassembly with the proper static protection of a wrist grounding strap and work area you can fix the problem. Remove the rubber block one at a time and clean the glass and circuit board with alcohol. Then clean both ends of the rubber. Reassemble and your good to go.

While at Sony in San Diego (95-99) I took a LCD Display class and as a class project we each built a one inch square single bit display.

2 pieces of metal coated glass and copper tape. 2 small thin plastic spacers. Supper glue and a small AC power supply. The bottom was glued then with the spacers on the side acted like a cup and a eye dropper of liquid crystals was put in the top. The top was sealed with glue then the power was applied and the display turned black. Remove power and you see the gray like a LCD watch.... That was fun.

Found working in the Sony Calibration Lab that many Fluke Multimeter's could be fixed using this method. While working at the Philly Service Center (99-04) I again found my LCD skills useful fixing a box of Fluke Multimeters...

If you bend the glass you can crack the seal and it will turn all black.

I had seen an Epilog with thin black lines in the display but was just visiting and never heard the fix. It could be a LCD Driver Card problem too.

Good Luck,

AL

[Dan Hintz]

Al,

I'm envious... I would love to take such a "class", if for no other reason than to play with some new toys :)

[Gabe Gat]

This happened to me, it was immensely frustrating, I took apart the whole display, cleaned all the connections etc, etc with no luck. Mailed it back to ULS for them to tell me that it worked fine in their machine. Once I finally got it back I plugged it in and it worked. He's what it was... the tempature. I had my machine set up in an unheated shead, it was too cold and it was effecting the LCD and the elcetronics, by the time I'd messed around with everything, boxed it up, mailed it, they tested it and sent to back it was much warmer weather and it worked like a charm.
This could be your issue.

Hope you get it fixed.

Cheers,

[AL Ursich]

Al,

I'm envious... I would love to take such a "class", if for no other reason than to play with some new toys :)

The last 2 of 4 years in San Diego I worked in the Calibration Lab and every week we would make our rounds to all the labs in the Engineering Building picking up and dropping off test equipment for Calibration. The Anechoic Chamber was my favorite, HD TV's were being tested. I saw so many great things.

The Cal Lab had a budget for Training and I took every class I could.... Fanuc Robot Programming, Fluke Calibration School, Mitutoyo Mechanical Calibration school, Lepel RF Generators and a bunch of others. We had a Coordinated Measurement Machine so off to school we went....

A great place to work in it's hayday.... The buildings I worked in are now a dusty parking lot... The main Engineering Building is still there.:D

AL

[Dave Rawn]

Well after lots of research, dozens of phone calls I come to the conclusion that I have 3 options

1. Take unit apart and clean all connections. (did not help):confused:

2. Invest in a new unit. (BIG BIG BIG BIG BIG BIG Bucks) at this point not a good choice.:eek:

3. Live with the lines until it totally quits. For now I guess that is the choice I'm going to make.:rolleyes:

Thanks to everyone who posted trying to help.

The Creek is a great place to be!:)

Dave

[Bill Cunningham]

My 24TT has developed a line going across the LCD .. It was there then it wasn't and now it's there again.. I've wiggled every connector I could get to with no results, pressed, prodded, and poked every spot on the panel no results.. It was intermittent, but it seems pretty permanent now.. It's only there after the machine has booted right up. There is no sign of the line when the LCD is just lit before full boot, so I'm beginning to think its a glitch in the ROM software.. I wonder if I re-flash the chip it might clear up!

[AL Ursich]

Now that is an interesting thought... software driven display glitch....

I like that...

AL

[Bill Cunningham]

Now I don't know if thats sarcasm or not :D

All I know, is that when the display first comes on, it displays the company name software version etc..all through the same area, and all without the line.. As soon as it closes that display, and displays the control information, bingo the line appears.. Looks like a bug someplace to me?