Hioki 3532-50 LCR Repair (One major problem solved, SM still wanted)

[Martin72]

Today the regulator arrived and I must correct me, there are no ordinary 78/79XX types on the board, they´re LDO types..
The original one is hard to get so I took one from TI, but with non-isolated case.
Therefore I´ve ordered electric isolating heatpads and thermal paste additionally, everything from amazon, including the LDO.
I guess on friday I can exchange the both and then....we will see.
Martin

[coromonadalix]

Normally the metallic will be fine,  and if you have over minimum 2 volts between in  and out    it should regulate fine ....

That's why an LDO is preferred

Nice scope  BTW   

[Martin72]

That's why an LDO is preferred

I know and this is something it nerves me a little bit because I didn´t pay attention on the inputvoltage of the original LDO.
This I´ll do before exchanging it on the weekend.
But I must say, this is already done in my head, I expect this problem is solved then and my thoughts are with the touchpanel, which I couldn´t find anywhere in the www....

Nice scope  BTW

Absolutely, actually I´m very confident with it.

[coromonadalix]

Unless you have a slow rising voltage before the regulator ??  like an defective rectifier bridge, cold solder ??

Maybe take some measurements with everything connected normally??  even if it could or will do the boot problem ??

[Martin72]

Hi,

Indeed I must make some more measurements:
Today I wanted to desolder the original LDO at work because of the double-layer pcb ( more powerful solder station there).
Before I´ve powered it on with a external dc voltage of about 10V - And measured proper 5V at the output of the LDO and with less ripple noise.
This means it must be something wrong with the rectifier bridge, the cap or the ac source from the transformer.
Will look at it on friday.

[Martin72]

The new LDO ordered from amazon got a different pinout...
Before I´ve checked the AC-Voltages, all seems to be OK.
Rectified, the DC inputvoltage for the LDO is about 8.4V - that would be enough to use an ordinary 7805 for testing only.
More and more I think a cap was damaged, because without the regulator the DC voltage is clear without remarkable ripple noise.
Will find it out on saturday..
Still no response from hioki, I guess I won´t get any answer from them.

[TERRA Operative]

I'll send off an email in Japanese this weekend.

Maybe if they can read the email they won't ignore it....

[TERRA Operative]

I made a login for the Japanese website and scoured both Japanese and USA website for documents.
Doesn't look like there is a service manual available for download, but I'll still send that email and see what happens.

Below is a Google Drive link to what I found so far, you'll need to use google translate for some of them. But there are English and Japanese versions of most of the documents. (Installing google translate on your phone to use the camera to read the Japanese can get you by)

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1b338VuEMozyoGD3ITF6zMTojXjcmHjgN?usp=sharing

As a bonus I found LabView drivers and a sample application software thingo for pulling data via serial to generate csv files etc.

[Martin72]

Success !
With the ordinary 7805 regulator I get a clean 5V for the controllerboard, result: Immediately booting up after powering on...
Got slight problems of a mechanical nature because of the non-isolated package but this is nothing against the fact I´ve found the failure...
So one mature failure is solved, things to polish:
- Battery Clip, the old one can be used after cleaning, will follow.
- Original regulator (LDO) will be searched, in this time:
- Correct mounting the 7805 onto the backside.

Next mature failure is waiting, the touchpanel....
It´s getting more and more worse, nearly no response...must have it new, but where to buy..
Need the SM or at least a list of the spareparts part-numbers, in the hope I could buy it.
And then the very yellow frontpanel, but this is cosmetic, not top of the list.
To be continued with a summary todo list..

[coromonadalix]

There is some receipe on the web  to remove yellowish color from plastics

Peroxyde  or bleach   .....

https://cleaning.lovetoknow.com/cleaning-tips/how-whiten-yellowed-plastic-simple-safe-methods

[Martin72]

Interesting methods there, but are there no concerns about the labels on the panel ?
Not that I have a clean white front after this - And nothing else anymore...

[Martin72]

The frontpanel...
I would love to buy a new one...but let´s see what´s possible with this one.

[Martin72]

must have it new, but where to buy..

Find one in ebay:
new chinese panel

Nearly 200 bucks incl. shipping..

[TERRA Operative]

I've found the retrobrite thing (I usually use just plain hydrogen peroxide) works well, it has done some good work on yellowed HP buttons with no effect on the clear plastics or on the labelling.

Too bad the touch screen isn't a standard 4-wire thing. Maybe you could make a circuit to convert a cheaper touch overlay?

[Martin72]

Hi,

Must think about it (and find the right size, the right matrix).
Otherwise I´ve spend appx 300 for the defective unit, when adding 200 bucks or a little more, I´m still way under the price of a used one with 5Mhz...
But let´s see and let´s hope You got success what the SM concerns.
Martin

[coromonadalix]

I would buy the original right away 

For the 4 or 5 wires or even the 8 wires touchscreens  you have an interfcace ic, it depend how the matrix in it has been designed

[Martin72]

I´ve asked the ebay-seller for more pictures from the panel - on the only one the connections are looking different to mine and I don´t want to get a bad surprise..
At the same time I´ve started a request by an official german hioki seller what spareparts concerns.

[Martin72]

The seller told me it is the right one...Hmm, but will wait a little bit until an answer fron the hioki seller arrived.
Meanwhile I´ve bought two different cleaner against yellowing - both didn´t work for several reasons, now uv-lights and hydrogen peroxide are ordered..
Maybe I should ask the official hioki seller for a service manual..Worth a try.

[Martin72]

Nothing new...
No response from hioki, no reaction so far from the official distributor.
Time for the rebright thing...
Now I got everything together, will start tomorrow.
When succesful, a extra thread about will follow.

[TERRA Operative]

News back from Hioki Japan. Basically a big nope.

Essentially, they have completely dropped any and all support and have no intention of releasing any service information at all.

It's a bit polarised with this sort of thing in Japan, I've had some companies (Yokogawa, Advantest etc) go to great lengths to get me obsolete info, One guy at Advantest actually took their one remaining manual for a nixie frequency counter home to scan on his own scanner!
Other times, like this time, you just get stonewalled with a "Go buy our new model"......

All I can suggest is to try contacting other regional offices, or try to find a friendly third-party service agent that will sell or make a copy of the service manual.

I'll keep an eye out here too, maybe a manual might pop up one day on yahoo auctions etc.


[EDIT] I added a few more documents to the google drive link, mostly just sales stuff..

[Martin72]

Patiently waiting...

[Martin72]

After 4 days, it doesn't look perfect, but very much better than before.
Great thing.

[DavidKo]

News back from Hioki Japan. Basically a big nope.

Essentially, they have completely dropped any and all support and have no intention of releasing any service information at all.

[EDIT] I added a few more documents to the google drive link, mostly just sales stuff..

Same experience here. I have asked for SM for Hioki 7020 and got the same reply (it was quick, but useless). There is even no replacement device as far as I know and they had dropped the support (I have not asked, but I expect that they will even not calibrate it).

[mawyatt]

..... There is even no replacement device as far as I know ......

The IM3536 might be the replacement LCR Meter, it covers from 4Hz to 8MHz.

Best,

[DavidKo]

..... There is even no replacement device as far as I know ......

The IM3536 might be the replacement LCR Meter, it covers from 4Hz to 8MHz.

Best,

I meant, that they do not give you the support even if the device (in my case Hioki 7020 AC/DC signal source) do not have a Hioki replacement .