Pearl 2000 Ram memory issue

[jamieshurlock]

Pearl 2000 Ram memory issue

More of a technical issue about a hardware problem, not urgent enough to contact tech support but an annoying problem i could do with some advise about and i know the guys watch the forums...
I have 2 Pearl 2000's, both have Boris 2 pcbs, i've had mine for over a decade with no problems and the other was bought to repair.
On looking inside to see any differences or missing chips i found one of the ram battery backup chips (ds1210 IC114) was missing on the model i just bought.
It was known to have memory issues, switching off loses the show from memory and also has issues loading and saving to disk.
I had intended to use the chip from mine to try in the other, i took it out of the ic holder ready to try in the desk but before i put it in the other desk i put it back in (the right way round) and i now have the same issue with both desks.
It's a fairly easy to find chip so i'm ordering some now but does this sound like what the problem is or could there be anything else to look at?

[niclights]

Normally losing memory when turned off is a battery problem. If you haven't already I would check the battery voltage/replace before looking at other things.

[jamieshurlock]

Hi Nic
I did check them, just failed to mention it, i have 3.6v's on both of them.

The chip appears to be a controller chip to do with the battery backup and probably to do with the power for the ram, i'm not sure if by taking out the chip i've damaged it or possibly the chip next to it as well (ds1221)
Wish i'd left my original desk alone and just bought the missing chip.

Neither of them can save or load a show from/to disk

Had battery problems on other desks in the past but not an AVo, other than fixing problems with switch-mode psu's, dmx ics, many faders and badly seated chips on tour i've been pretty lucky even when doing other peoples consoles - this is a new one on me...

Prl1516 (Josephine) is re-united with prl1511 (Jane Doe) and sharing a room in the hospital after a minor faderoptomy and possible contagious senilety ...

[jamieshurlock]

So...
Went back to these with replacement chips for another go.
The battery leaves the 1210 chip live all the time so for safety i lifted a leg on the pcb of the original broken unit and put in the missing chip - No change.
Then i realised that the memory clear shorting plug was in place to bridge the connection, removed it and the desk works 100%
Restart meant the show i kept losing was already in memory, it loads/saves fine, holds a show on switching off, dmx out etc.

On my original pearl with the inherited fault, the memory clear plug was also in place, i've had it for years and i swear i've never taken it off or changed the setting but it should have cleared the memory everytime i tried to use it, removed it and the desk works 100%

Two fully working Pearls.
If i put the plug back in the normal position on either of them, the fault returns, as it says on the boris 2 if bridged it wipes memory.... Weird part is my pearl has always had this bridged so there must have been a minor fault there before i broke it.

Added a bit to my knowledge base, might help someone in the future, a good ebay punt for me too.
Now to add usb in the 2nd one...

Thinking of it, i've been ridiculed before about using an old desk like these (i have titan as well as other pork based etc ...) but it is a good horse for a film where it's almost all conventionals, quick access to real faders. No software or touch-screen problems, just Good stable desks...

[Snoop40]

Where is the memory clear shorting plug located ?