Well, I had all three major issues during the kit installation: The ground wire had the screw terminal attachment to the chassis ground, there was the metal EMI shield running down the length of the chassis between the power supply board and Analog board, and, sure enough, the tolerance stackup was so high the holes on the analog board wouldn’t allow barely even one 6-32 screw to be installed, let alone 5 plus the two 4-40’s.
It was maddening. The shoulders of the new RCA jacks were just one millimeter too long and caused the analog board to miss the screw holes. I was all ready to grind down the plastic on the RCA jacks, then decided not to in order not to 1) damage the jacks or 2) cause ESD damage to the new analog board. I thought for a few seconds to use my Dremel on the rear chassis to thin it out, then decided against that.
I was all set to send it back to Boulder.
Then I figured out how to fix it without causing damage to the analog board. Here’s what you do:
Make sure the gold nuts on the RCA jacks are REMOVED. This will interfere with the fit no matter what you do.
With the analog board OUT of the chassis, remove the one black 6-32 SEMS screw from the back of the power supply board you had put in at step 3c. This screw attaches the power supply board to the back panel.
Along the underside of the back panel where all the connector cutouts are located, there are three 4-40 flat-head screws that attach the rear panel to the bottom plate of the chassis. Remove these.
With all those screws removed, the rear panel can now ‘float’ the one millimeter you need to get the screws into the analog board. Place the new analog board on the standoffs on the floor of the chassis. You can now apply just a little pressure on the board towards the rear panel and get the holes to line up where the 6-32 screws and threaded standoffs thread in easily through the analog board holes and into the chassis floor. The back panel will just move out of the way. DO NOT FORCE any screw to fit. Install the standoffs finger tight only, and the two 6-32s one-sixteenth of a turn after they bottom out. You can then put in the 4-40 SEMS screws at the front of the new analog board into the new 4-40 standoffs you installed earlier in Step 1
Once the analog board is mounted down, you can reinstall the 4-40 flat head screws on the rear panel where you took them out in 2), above. Reinstall the 6-32 SEMS screw you took out in 1), above.
This allows you to install the new analog board without forcing anything and causing damage to the board. DO NOT attempt to ‘drill out’ the plated holes on the new board!
Then after all that-- I finished up, did the reboot, and the screen locked up. Wouldn’t take any input. At all.
I was all set to send it back to Boulder.
Then I figured out it might work better if I actually installed the new cable between the digital board and analog board. Oops. I feel sheepish . . .
Then I figured out it might work better if I actually installed the new cable between the digital board and analog board. Oops. I feel sheepish .
Is it not amazing how one can miss the “obvious” when solving an unrelated major problem?
Excellent solution to the problem and well-described. Nicely done.
Yeah, it was getting late. I was using the instructions as a checklist and marking off every step I’d taken, but Step 5b actually does two steps where you connect the cable from the power supply board to the analog board, and I missed the one after that to install the new ribbon between digital and analog.
This is how I fixed the ground wire problem. I had one of these from a previous project: https://www.jameco.com/Jameco/Products/ProdDS/853767.pdf and just put it on the power input connector center ground pin, then connected the new wire from the new power supply board and the wire from the chassis to the new “Y” adapter; the extra old wire was then removed from the ground lug that had gone from the terminal to the old power supply board. Heat shrink tubing on all new connections, of course.
I’m trying to convince Paul to put the “Y” adapter into the kit for you guys . . .
Great solution, Streets. Mine went in with just a little “English,” but each chassis may be a little different. You might want to repost this in the “Instructions” thread, It’s good stuff!
I managed to get the analog board in without ‘floating’ the back panel (quite elegant solution by the way). Tightening up the rca’s did not work in my case. Instead I left them loose and tilted the board up at the opposite end. This raised the board enough to allow me to get the standoffs threaded, still difficult but doable. I then tightened the standoffs a little at a time until the board was pulled down into place and the remaining holes were then lined up. This may not work if the holes are much further off than mine were. If so, then I think ‘streets’ solution would probably work better.
For the ground I just cut and spliced the wires, didn’t have any suitable connectors around.
I also have the metal EMI shield. There are two potential problems, the ribbon cable and the power supply cable. On mine there is a small cutout where the ribbon cable passes over the shield, so the cover fits fine there. The power supply cable was just long enough to reach around the back of the shield, so no problem there either.
However, in my case the tolerance between the power supply connector and the ribbon cable connector (for the display) was too tight to allow the power supply connector to be attached; and if it could be squeezed in you would never be able to remove it without damaging something. I snipped off the plastic locking tab on that side and it fit fine. There is still the tab on the other side and the connector fits snugly, so I don’t think there is a problem doing this.
jerryd6 said
I managed to get the analog board in without 'floating' the back panel (quite elegant solution by the way). Tightening up the rca's did not work in my case. Instead I left them loose and tilted the board up at the opposite end. This raised the board enough to allow me to get the standoffs threaded, still difficult but doable. I then tightened the standoffs a little at a time until the board was pulled down into place and the remaining holes were then lined up. This may not work if the holes are much further off than mine were. If so, then I think 'streets' solution would probably work better.
For the ground I just cut and spliced the wires, didn’t have any suitable connectors around.
I also have the metal EMI shield. There are two potential problems, the ribbon cable and the power supply cable. On mine there is a small cutout where the ribbon cable passes over the shield, so the cover fits fine there. The power supply cable was just long enough to reach around the back of the shield, so no problem there either.
However, in my case the tolerance between the power supply connector and the ribbon cable connector (for the display) was too tight to allow the power supply connector to be attached; and if it could be squeezed in you would never be able to remove it without damaging something. I snipped off the plastic locking tab on that side and it fit fine. There is still the tab on the other side and the connector fits snugly, so I don’t think there is a problem doing this.
The problem with using the standoffs to ‘pull’ the board down is that you risk putting stresses onto the board and fracturing the traces (worst case) Then it doesn’t work. Then customers aren’t happy.
Let me try and convince Paul to put the back panel ‘float’ procedure into the instructions so other users don’t wind up breaking their boards.
I also had the EMI shield, but I just took it out–there are two 4-40 flathead screws holding it, so I just popped it off. I don’t like cables being squeezed between the lid and the knife edge of the EMI shield, or routing the wire with too little slack to where there are stresses in the wires to route it around the EMI shield. Both can cause the wire to chafe and then short to ground. That would be bad. So when in doubt, take it out.
I also had the problem with the main 12V power cable from the supply board to the analog board, but I wound up just trimming the latch feature with a knife to trim it as it expanded so it wouldn’t run into the connector to the display board. But I got it in to where it could seat down fully and latch on both sides.
My kit is waiting at FedEx for when I’m back in town on Monday. Woot got his kit installed Friday and had all the issues see. He did eventually end up getting the holes to line up enough, but your method seems a lot less stressful.
My kit is waiting at FedEx for when I’m back in town on Monday. Woot got his kit installed Friday and had all the issues see. He did eventually end up getting the holes to line up enough, but your method seems a lot less stressful.
Thanks,
T
Issues, smissues, it sounds great! I was pulling out hair for a while during the install though. My power wires were long enough to run around the EMI shield so no biggie, but I had to worry until the end of the install (nearly) to find out, or else I would have had to uninstall, dremil, re-install all. Thanks T for texting me down during the most stressful parts.
jerryd6 said
I managed to get the analog board in without 'floating' the back panel (quite elegant solution by the way). Tightening up the rca's did not work in my case. Instead I left them loose and tilted the board up at the opposite end. This raised the board enough to allow me to get the standoffs threaded, still difficult but doable. I then tightened the standoffs a little at a time until the board was pulled down into place and the remaining holes were then lined up. This may not work if the holes are much further off than mine were. If so, then I think 'streets' solution would probably work better.
For the ground I just cut and spliced the wires, didn’t have any suitable connectors around.
I also have the metal EMI shield. There are two potential problems, the ribbon cable and the power supply cable. On mine there is a small cutout where the ribbon cable passes over the shield, so the cover fits fine there. The power supply cable was just long enough to reach around the back of the shield, so no problem there either.
However, in my case the tolerance between the power supply connector and the ribbon cable connector (for the display) was too tight to allow the power supply connector to be attached; and if it could be squeezed in you would never be able to remove it without damaging something. I snipped off the plastic locking tab on that side and it fit fine. There is still the tab on the other side and the connector fits snugly, so I don’t think there is a problem doing this.
The problem with using the standoffs to ‘pull’ the board down is that you risk putting stresses onto the board and fracturing the traces (worst case) Then it doesn’t work. Then customers aren’t happy.
Let me try and convince Paul to put the back panel ‘float’ procedure into the instructions so other users don’t wind up breaking their boards.
I also had the EMI shield, but I just took it out–there are two 4-40 flathead screws holding it, so I just popped it off. I don’t like cables being squeezed between the lid and the knife edge of the EMI shield, or routing the wire with too little slack to where there are stresses in the wires to route it around the EMI shield. Both can cause the wire to chafe and then short to ground. That would be bad. So when in doubt, take it out.
I also had the problem with the main 12V power cable from the supply board to the analog board, but I wound up just trimming the latch feature with a knife to trim it as it expanded so it wouldn’t run into the connector to the display board. But I got it in to where it could seat down fully and latch on both sides.
–SSW
I turned your tips. Into an official How To. Thanks for the help.
Thanks guys and, as I said, please post any subject suggestions you’d like to see on the How To. In some cases, members submit them to us, in others we do it ourselves. Streets Still Works submits on a regular basis, and if any of you have suggestions or even submissions, they are highly prized and appreciated.
