[Elecraft] KAT100 - Reluctant to come on, K2 often displays "not inst"

Bill Coleman aa4lr at arrl.net
Mon Aug 6 07:05:03 EDT 2018


I pulled out the KAT100 PIC chip and re-inserted. No change. 

I can confirm that transition ARE reaching Pin 40 on the KAT100 PIC chip. I see roughly three bursts. Two come shortly after turn-on, the third comes a second later. 

I think you’d need a storage scope or logic analyzer to reverse engineer the AUXBUS. I don’t have that kind of equipment available.


> On Aug 5, 2018, at 7:02 PM, Don Wilhelm <donwilh at embarqmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Bill,
> 
> If it were a bad PIC chip, the results would be consistent. Reseat the KAT100 firmware Ic to clear away oxidation.
> Look for a flaky connection on the Control cable - at both ends.
> 
> There is not much that you can diagnose with a 'scope other than to determine that the chip is getting transitions to it.
> If you want to reverse engineer the K2 AUXBUS, then you could make some determination of the AUXBUS correctness, but that is a difficult exercise in futility IMHO.
> 
> 73,
> Don W3FPR
> 
> On 8/5/2018 5:36 PM, Bill Coleman wrote:
>> Jack screws appear to be tight on both ends.
>> 
>> After I cycle the power 6-12 times, it will eventually come up. I wonder if I have a bad PIC chip in the KAT100. I may try an older version of the firmware, I think I have one. That will take a few days.
>> 
>> I can put a scope on Pin 40 of the PIC chip. I see transitions. Anything I can diagnose with a scope?
>> 
>> 
> 

Bill Coleman, AA4LR, PP-ASEL        Mail: aa4lr at arrl.net
Web: http://boringhamradiopart.blogspot.com
Quote: "Not within a thousand years will man ever fly!"
            -- Wilbur Wright, 1901



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