Malibu Touch Command Issues

[braindamage]

It’s been a long time since circuits class. Are you talking about these IC’s?

and yes, the big red wire disappears into the panel that holds the MCB right next to the big red wire that comes from the battery 

lastly-it’s a medallion c/b

Edited April 20, 2020 by braindamage

[braindamage]

I completely disconnected the MTC, and with the fuse in "bypass", the blower operates.  Independent of the "on" button or key switch.  I do believe the bypass is completely independent of any electronic permissives.

[justgary]

3 hours ago, braindamage said:

It’s been a long time since circuits class. Are you talking about these IC’s?

and yes, the big red wire disappears into the panel that holds the MCB right next to the big red wire that comes from the battery 

lastly-it’s a medallion c/b

Nice!  Thanks.

BTS6143D = "Smart Highside Power Switch"

Product Summary

Operating voltage Vbb(on) 5.5 ...38 V

On-state resistance RON 10 mΩ

Nominal current IL(nom) 8A

Load current (ISO) IL(ISO) 33 A

Current limitation IL12(SC) 75 A

So each channel can drive 8A max (I'd keep it under that unless you add a heat sink).  That first channel has two in parallel (16A) but a 5A fuse....

What about the lonely IC near the input connector (I think is was on the very right side in one of your original photos)?

[braindamage]

2 hours ago, justgary said:

What about the lonely IC near the input connector (I think is was on the very right side in one of your original photos)?

50mph wind and storms. I’ll look tomorrow afternoon 

[martinarcher]

Haha, I totally overlooked the big ole' power buss feeding those wires.  Yep, certainly power distribution chips.  I see some diodes and rectifiers on the board as well but I'm not sure what that lone chip to the side would be.

I'm still shocked that's not a coated board.

[braindamage]

Finally got a pic of the chips near the input connector.

[braindamage]

So...this whole thing started because my screen was glitchy on the ride back during my sunset cruise the other night. It flickered a couple times, then faded out and came back.

i called the PO dealer and they said I have the wrong software, but they are shut down due to covid19. I called my local dealer and they downloaded it for me.

My local didn’t think software is the problem. They said that the units aren’t really ever glitchy. They delaminate or just stop working. They said that they’ve never had a software update accomplish anything.

i think I’ll check the grounds and power circuits for loose connections.

[justgary]

59 minutes ago, braindamage said:

Finally got a pic of the chips near the input connector.

Sorry, the other end.  The digital input connector, beyond the digital output connector.

[justgary]

56 minutes ago, braindamage said:

So...this whole thing started because my screen was glitchy on the ride back during my sunset cruise the other night. It flickered a couple times, then faded out and came back.

i called the PO dealer and they said I have the wrong software, but they are shut down due to covid19. I called my local dealer and they downloaded it for me.

My local didn’t think software is the problem. They said that the units aren’t really ever glitchy. They delaminate or just stop working. They said that they’ve never had a software update accomplish anything.

i think I’ll check the grounds and power circuits for loose connections.

What I have seen so far looks pretty clean, but a loosen/tighten cycle on everything you can find is always a great way to start.

[braindamage]

11 minutes ago, justgary said:

Sorry, the other end.  The digital input connector, beyond the digital output connector.

Ahhh...tomorrow 🤷‍♂️

[justgary]

Just now, braindamage said:

Ahhh...tomorrow 🤷‍♂️

Yeah, I figured.  You're a trooper for putting up with this!

[braindamage]

11 hours ago, braindamage said:

So...this whole thing started because my screen was glitchy on the ride back during my sunset cruise the other night. It flickered a couple times, then faded out and came back.

i called the PO dealer and they said I have the wrong software, but they are shut down due to covid19. I called my local dealer and they downloaded it for me.

My local didn’t think software is the problem. They said that the units aren’t really ever glitchy. They delaminate or just stop working. They said that they’ve never had a software update accomplish anything.

i think I’ll check the grounds and power circuits for loose connections.

I got an email from the PO dealer, who indicated that the SW update solves glitches all the time.  I'm a bit skeptical, as I worked for a company that made electrical/electronic equipment and updating SW was a way to fix glitches.  It seems weird to me to go backwards to a prior version.  I would understand if the hardware platform wasn't updated, but in this case, it's the HW is the 2014 version, which matches the SW. 

or maybe it's because the viper sw isn't updated and therefore needs to match the MTC?

Not sure what to do.  has anyone had a SW update eliminate glitches?

Edited April 22, 2020 by braindamage

[braindamage]

10 hours ago, justgary said:

Sorry, the other end.  The digital input connector, beyond the digital output connector.

This?

[justgary]

1 hour ago, braindamage said:

I got an email from the PO dealer, who indicated that the SW update solves glitches all the time.  I'm a bit skeptical, as I worked for a company that made electrical/electronic equipment and updating SW was a way to fix glitches.  It seems weird to me to go backwards to a prior version.  I would understand if the hardware platform wasn't updated, but in this case, it's the HW is the 2014 version, which matches the SW. 

or maybe it's because the viper sw isn't updated and therefore needs to match the MTC?

Not sure what to do.  has anyone had a SW update eliminate glitches?

As a software guy, it would not surprise me to learn that a downgrade would fix it.  It's hard to fully test software changes in the first place, and I doubt they really do it right anyway because it's too expensive. 

Can they show you a change log that tells what the current version was supposed to fix?  The fix may not matter to you, like Russian language support or something like that. 

A downgrade won't hurt as long as you can upgrade again if you don't like it. 

[justgary]

1 hour ago, braindamage said:

This?

Yes, thanks! 

Now I'm stumped.  The chip next to the connector marked "BGR" has huge pads, but a tiny trace.  I'm guessing that it is a shunt resistor to measure current. 

[justgary]

Maybe it doesn't say BGR.  Can't quite tell. 

[braindamage]

1 hour ago, justgary said:

Maybe it doesn't say BGR.  Can't quite tell. 

It says BGR

[justgary]

3 hours ago, braindamage said:

It says BGR

Found it.  It appears to be a Littelfuse brand Transient Voltage Suppression Diode.  It clamps the voltage going to the parts so they don't poof out when your alternator regulator fails.

[4skinuts]

On 4/20/2020 at 10:19 AM, braindamage said:

Alrighty...I’m an idiot. Found the cover and verified that if you place a fuse into the bypass then it turns on whatever is connected...at least it turned on the blower when I did it.
crappy that the manual doesn’t match the reality.

@justgary @martinarcher Could a new panel of rocker switches be wired in between the red wires and the terminals on the board they are connected to? I realize this would group some things together, but I don’t have the power wedge, so it would just be grouping the anchor light with the dash lights. And possibly the bilge with the ignition? I haven’t tested to see if the key would work to start the engine while cutting power to that last terminal.

[braindamage]

1 hour ago, 4skinuts said:

@justgary @martinarcher Could a new panel of rocker switches be wired in between the red wires and the terminals on the board they are connected to? I realize this would group some things together, but I don’t have the power wedge, so it would just be grouping the anchor light with the dash lights. And possibly the bilge with the ignition? I haven’t tested to see if the key would work to start the engine while cutting power to that last terminal.

Absolutely. The space is large enough for 10-12 switches, more than enough. You can’t control the ballast bags directly through this board, but you could do the interior, running, anchor, and docking  lights, bilge, blower, and power wedge. You’d have to directly wire ballast fill/empty and gauge separately.

[4skinuts]

On 4/20/2020 at 2:33 PM, braindamage said:

49 minutes ago, braindamage said:

Absolutely. The space is large enough for 10-12 switches, more than enough. You can’t control the ballast bags directly through this board, but you could do the interior, running, anchor, and docking  lights, bilge, blower, and power wedge. You’d have to directly wire ballast fill/empty and gauge separately.

I have a TXI without ballast, wedge, or docking lights so the replacement with rocker switches should be less complicated in my boat. my touch screen is still working; but, has started bubbling along the edge. I’m following the conversation to prepare for the day mine fails. 

[braindamage]

1 hour ago, 4skinuts said:

 

I just updated the SW so we’ll see if that fixes mine. Otherwise once it’s out I’m replacing it with switches for sure.

[justgary]

13 hours ago, 4skinuts said:

@justgary @martinarcher Could a new panel of rocker switches be wired in between the red wires and the terminals on the board they are connected to? I realize this would group some things together, but I don’t have the power wedge, so it would just be grouping the anchor light with the dash lights. And possibly the bilge with the ignition? I haven’t tested to see if the key would work to start the engine while cutting power to that last terminal.

Leave the red wires where they are and run a new set of red wires off of the big lug on the left side of the photo.  This new set would feed your switches through its own fuse block.  The switched wires would then come back to this board and plug in with a (potentially dangerous) male spade in the fuse connector.  Best to use a hooded male spade to keep the sparks down if one decides to jump off.

[braindamage]

8 hours ago, justgary said:

Leave the red wires where they are and run a new set of red wires off of the big lug on the left side of the photo.  This new set would feed your switches through its own fuse block.  The switched wires would then come back to this board and plug in with a (potentially dangerous) male spade in the fuse connector.  Best to use a hooded male spade to keep the sparks down if one decides to jump off.

I was going to wire from power side of the fuse clip through an in-line fuse block to the switch, then from switch to load side of the fuse clip. 

@justgary plan removes one of the potentialy dangerous male spade connectors.

Edited April 26, 2020 by braindamage

[justgary]

1 hour ago, braindamage said:

I was going to wire from power side of the fuse clip through an in-line fuse block to the switch, then from switch to load side of the fuse clip. 

@justgary plan removes one of the potentialy dangerous male spade connectors.

I like your plan better.  A male spade into the powered side of the fuse is not dangerous.  In fact, that's how you should do it on that side of the fuse connector. 

The basic idea with connectors is that you should never make something that has power on it able to make random contact with things if it gets loose.  On any connector, the powered side should be the protected side, which is female on most connectors.  Micro-D is one connector series where the male side is better protected than the female side, but you won't find them on your boat.  As you work on your boat or car, look around for connectors and check their polarity.  The side with power gets the protection.

So your first male spade isn't powered until it is plugged in, and thus is safe if it gets loose.  The second male spade, however, *is* powered if the first one is plugged in.  That's what makes it dangerous.  Using hooded connectors for both is a good plan, though.