My super reliable G2-8300 Moravian camera seems to have lost the plot. I've written to Moravian, but no reply yet. The attachements show the problem. The 1x1 image was taken in room light/shutter open, but I get the same result taking a dark frame. The 2x2 image was also in room light but looks totally different. Any ideas? These were taken with TheSkyX, but I get the same result from Moravian software (SIPS).
The FW, cooler, shutter are all working as expected.
Peter that looks very much like a cable connection error or faulty cable itself, very similar to the noise you'll see on a monitor with the same thing.
In saying that I know nothing of the high quality cameras, were it a Philips spc900.......
Wait, we knocked a little capacitor off a circuit board while doing up a not after doing the yes yes mod (without cutting wires or tracks, I made an adapter up), similar result, much less hit to the hip pocket.
Moravian wrote back with words to the effect of it obviously being a “hardware” failure but impossible to say what…with no offer to repair. I’ve written to ask about repair but without too much hope.
Perhaps it just a capacitor failure on the board? Does anyone know of someone locally with the skill to check this out?
Yes, old camera and technology but the chip size is still super useful to me.
Thanks,
Peter
PS. I’m certain it’s not the cable, but I will try cleaning the connector in the camera.
It could be any components but I do remember seeing this issue (near identical results) recently on an old astronomy camera I was given. The pins on the CCD chip and accompanying socket were covered in corrosion. My son removed the sensor chip and carefully placed it in a container with just enough electrical contact cleaner (not the stuff from Supercheap auto) to cover the pins but not get near the sensor to soak the pins and eventually took a tooth brush to the pins gently, We also soaked the board in another container and carefully scrubbed the socket with toothbrush (white glo toothpaste comes with a new brush in every pack so we have plenty to spare for cleaning stuff (and use electric things ourselves anyway)).
The end result is a working camera.
A device doesn't have to be used near an ocean (constantly being exposed to moisture and the atmosphere), oxidisation happens frequently in IC sockets and other components in electronics due to current flowing and oxygen. Add in any electronics shipped across and 80% of the time my son and I find internal circuit boards all have corrosion on them (we pulled apart an Xbox Kinect just the other day with the same problem). It doesn't matter where the product comes from, if shipped not air freighted there's a probability of salt air corrosion on the circuit board. Possibly just from sitting on the dock but I suspect China simply float the containers across and avoid the cost of the ship itself.
To the possible capacitor issue, I used to have qualifications in electronics and be capable of soldering but my eyes are not great, everything is so small and now I get my son to solder anything small for me. This is upsetting (he's amazing, it's not that) but I used to solder hearing aid components under a microscope many years ago at a position where I worked. I could see then.
Now many of the boards use multi layer tracks, many are only a dual sided board but many now have multiple layers inside the board material. With double sided boards soldering components can become very tricky where they use a via (pass through copper pipe type connection to join upper and lower layers of the boards) in the design and the component is soldered top and bottom. Soldering any component into a new board is relatively simple, removing an existing component not so much. It's not uncommon to damage either upper or lower track on the board and very common to accidentally remove the via which is the tiniest little copper track within the component hole joining both sides of the circuit board.
My son has in the past made small replacement via's from adhesive copper tape rolled around a component leg and inserted into the hole, very time consuming but it fixed the board.
The big issue with removing components is the heat required to remove the component unless it's a simple surface mounted device and there's always a risk using a heat gun, other near by components can get affected too. Add in current lead free solder which has a higher melting point and fixing electronics has become quite an issue for older idiots like me who studied it through the 70s and 80s (I even learnt valves) We've planned on making a re-flow oven but being on a pension doesn't give me a lot of money for all of our projects (currently working on building our own CO2 laser cutter/engraver and slowly gathering bits as finances permit).
Peter I know you are a very smart gentleman, if the CCD chip is inserted in an IC socket and removable I'd strongly suggest having a look there. Even just a toothbrush with some contact cleaner sprayed on it and clean the pins and socket as best as possible while being VERY careful not to touch/damage the sensor.
And I apologise, I only just remembered having this issue. We play with too much junk, just the other day trying to fault find on a Hyundai ECU for a friend (without any way of testing it), I'm currently helping a 68 year old widow clear her house and her late husbands big shed (he taught ceramics, art, lead lighting and languages as well as formerly being a Mercedes dealer and mechanic). Formerly a German Luftwaffe pilot through WWII. A very smart man and close friend who passed away at 98 after being shot by firing squad 3 times for refusing his duties (interned in a camp at 15).
There's so much stuff and I'm trying to help her clear the lot as she's sold and she has no one to help. It's taking a lot of time when I'm well enough to get over there.
Many thanks for your detailed answer! As I've decided not to send the camera back to Moravian (due to cost of postange not to mention, repair if even possible), I've really nothing to lose by looking at the chip to see if I might get at it. Perhaps it isn't soldered into the mother board. I do have very high quality cleaner. Maybe I will get lucky!
Thanks again,
Peter
PS Greg, I did image from North Curl Curl until 4-5 years ago so I guess over time maybe this caused some corrosion. But there is no evidence of such corrosion anywhere else on any of my gear...and, the camera was working fine a couple of months ago. Thanks for commenting in!
