New Eagle 160, Problems

[Abbott242]

Hey all - I just picked up an Eagle 160 with a BAE SCC500 core. The camera was in very good condition, and upon application of 9v, turns on. However, the screen does not display any video out - the display overlay and NUC shutter work correctly, but the core does not respond to the environment - the screen is blank. I've tried the good old "stick a soldering in in front of the lens" to no effect.

I'm suspicious of the "Cal" popup below the temperature readout - perhaps the camera is stuck in a calibration cycle or something? Nothing I do can edit or remove this tag. Furthermore, the temperature readout, while not responding to the environment, is climbing slowly while on - so it's receiving data from somewhere. Seems to have started at ambient and is climbing as the core warms.

Before I dive deeper into powering the core on its own, would anybody have an idea as to why this might be? Any advice would be appreciated.

[Abbott242]

For reference, these are the screens I'm able to reach via the left and right buttons. I assume CH-A/B is for the radio output, but "TC^tm" and the purple screen are still unknown.

[Abbott242]

More photos of condition - really excellent, barely a scratch. There is a green blinking light on the rear of the core.

[Abbott242]

I've checked the connections inside the camera, and everything seems file from the core to the screen, unless I missed something. No sign of damage to any of the boards. Could this be an aired microbolometer? Even then, shouldn't it still respond somewhat to temperature changes, like the soldering iron?

[Bill W]

Bolometer to air should:
1 - look noisy grey, not flat grey, and read as flag temperature
2 - yes a soldering iron should be visible and read about 40°C

Generally the software should simply behave OK, just as if the lens cap is on

Bill

[DaJMasta]

Are you sure the shutter is working correctly?  Maybe you're hearing the solenoid activation but it's not actually retracting the shutter itself, leaving your view one of the shutter alone.

[Abbott242]

Hmm, in that case I suppose it's not aired, there's some other issue. It isn't the shutter, I can clearly see it moving and the lens is free most of the time - it's operating as expected. I've talked to another person who has handled these cameras, he said he's run int othe same issue in the past, but hasn't fixed it. I'm disassembling things and going to try talking directly to the core shortly.

[Fraser]

The voltages on the microbolometer would be where I would start my investigation. I would want to know that the bias voltages and timing signals are present. I have the advantage of known good cores as a reference though.

As you have correct function except for the no image symptom, I think it unlikely any of the main power rails are absent.

Fraser

[Fraser]

If you can find a high speed ADC on the core, it will be the video converter to the digital domain. Check for a video signal at the ADC input as that will show whether the microbolometer is actually working correctly. I have not checked, but I do not think this cores microbolometer contains the ADC so you should be able to find it on the PCB's.

Fraser