gerber plotter HS 15 / non plus /

[lubo-is]

Hi
i am one of dinosaurus in signmaking./ since 1990, location Slovakia/. I own Gerber HS 15 since 1994 / product from 1990 / , it has worked over 30 years and few months ago it broke down.
I could put it away, but i like to repair it..
Problem, i didnt find any information about HS 15. / users manual, service manual etc / It looks like HS 15 didnt exist ?
I wrote to Lectra/gerber, Hayatt, plotterdoctor, ..ok they answered but i didnt get any usefull info. Yes, from Lectra/Gerber sent me users manual - HS 15 PLUS. But it is newer plotter different from HS15/non-plus/. I went through archive. org, bilion of pages, timeline of Gerber pages /www.gspinc.com/ since 1996 untill lectra but no word about HS15 / non plus/. e.g. they have among legacy products on www / march 2010 / only HS15 plus...

So i am looking for some other dinosaurus, maybe someone has any technical information / service manual would be great, or layout of mainboard/ . i can share , what i figured out..My plotter really broke down, died...only red LED and fan were working. I have found broken C on mainboard, so +15 V was on 0. /tantal/ i changed it. Now +15V is ok, HS 15 alive, after switch on processor is testing motors, but one motor / Z/ is still not working , plotter beeps 7 times, disconnect all motors. I checked signals on mainboard, but it is very hard to find problem without layout, manual, or any information / mainboard is 4 layers board/
And one information more, all servomotors and feedbacks from opto are ok , problem is on the mainboard ...

So anyone to help me ?

lubo

 

[brdesign]

Maybe the Plotter Doctor could help?

Home

Repair, Sales and Service of Gerber Plotters, Monument cutters, Monument Design Software and Computers.

www.theplotterdoctor.com

 

[lubo-is]

brdesign thx for answer.

yes maybe could, but last answer from 26.7.2021 was:

--------
i understand
we don't have any diagram for the boards

Thank you
The Plotter Doctor LLC
8410 Somerset Blvd
Paramount, Ca 90723
Office: 562.633.4132 Fax: 562.531.1184 http://www.theplotterdoctor.com
--------
so i am posting here, maybe someone can any documetation or information?

Its funny, that i have few pages of manual HS-15 / non-plus/, pages 26-31 + some pages of specification for this plotter. I got it in 1994, from seller, because i didnt want to buy plotter without any documentation. And i dont want to believe, that in 2021 nothing more exist...
L

 

[jfiscus]

Going to be hard to find much info on that old of a plotter, most of that knowledge base is lost to time. You can probably find a used plotter for parts on ebay, probably cheaper than buying a mainboard.
We still run HS15+ plotters here and maintain them ourselves, but we don't deal with circuit board issues.

 

[lubo-is]

Going to be hard to find much info on that old of a plotter, most of that knowledge base is lost to time. You can probably find a used plotter for parts on ebay, probably cheaper than buying a mainboard.
We still run HS15+ plotters here and maintain them ourselves, but we don't deal with circuit board issues.

ok jfiscus, i understand. To be service my job, i will not deal board issues. But i am only amateur trying to repair my old timer car / HS 15 non plus/ and its not problem for me to share some knowledges accidentally i have. e.g. I can post here beep code for HS 15 non plus, if you or anyone likes / beep codes are different from beep codes of HS-15 plus /.

It looks , that service manual doesnt exist for HS 15 non plus. I am not interesting for your know-how / knowledgees about circuit board issues for HS 15 plus /, but one question ..service manual with layouts of boards and components of HS-15 PLUS does exist ? Do you have it?

 

[netsol]

Hi
i am one of dinosaurus in signmaking./ since 1990, location Slovakia/. I own Gerber HS 15 since 1994 / product from 1990 / , it has worked over 30 years and few months ago it broke down.
I could put it away, but i like to repair it..
Problem, i didnt find any information about HS 15. / users manual, service manual etc / It looks like HS 15 didnt exist ?
I wrote to Lectra/gerber, Hayatt, plotterdoctor, ..ok they answered but i didnt get any usefull info. Yes, from Lectra/Gerber sent me users manual - HS 15 PLUS. But it is newer plotter different from HS15/non-plus/. I went through archive. org, bilion of pages, timeline of Gerber pages /www.gspinc.com/ since 1996 untill lectra but no word about HS15 / non plus/. e.g. they have among legacy products on www / march 2010 / only HS15 plus...

So i am looking for some other dinosaurus, maybe someone has any technical information / service manual would be great, or layout of mainboard/ . i can share , what i figured out..My plotter really broke down, died...only red LED and fan were working. I have found broken C on mainboard, so +15 V was on 0. /tantal/ i changed it. Now +15V is ok, HS 15 alive, after switch on processor is testing motors, but one motor / Z/ is still not working , plotter beeps 7 times, disconnect all motors. I checked signals on mainboard, but it is very hard to find problem without layout, manual, or any information / mainboard is 4 layers board/
And one information more, all servomotors and feedbacks from opto are ok , problem is on the mainboard ...

So anyone to help me ?

lubo

Lubo,
gerber didn't have that many circuit designs, the hs15 will either be almost the same as a hs15 plus or very similar to the circuit in a smc 4b

in the hs15 plus manual there are quite a few "beep codes" but always with the recommendation to call factory service

Determining Error Numbers - Gerber HS15 Plus User Manual [Page 52]

Gerber HS15 Plus Manual Online: Determining Error Numbers. The number of beeps and blinking lights signify the type of error that has occurred. Error conditions are assigned a 2-digit number. The number is displayed by flashing lights and beeping, one digit at a time. The RUN CONT...

www.manualslib.com

it would seem, if one motor doesn't turn that would be related to your problem, BUT, have you unplugged all the connectors?(every gerber edge owner can tell you how important that is!) you can also look at underside of the circuit board and resolder all the heavier connectors, reseat any plug in chips, etc

if you are comfortable using a meter, check all of the output transistors, and possibly test electrolytics with an esr meter ($15 on ebay) it isn't going out on a limb to say a 30 year old capacitor can go bad

 

[lubo-is]

Lubo,
gerber didn't have that many circuit designs, the hs15 will either be almost the same as a hs15 plus or very similar to the circuit in a smc 4b

in the hs15 plus manual there are quite a few "beep codes" but always with the recommendation to call factory service

Determining Error Numbers - Gerber HS15 Plus User Manual [Page 52]

Gerber HS15 Plus Manual Online: Determining Error Numbers. The number of beeps and blinking lights signify the type of error that has occurred. Error conditions are assigned a 2-digit number. The number is displayed by flashing lights and beeping, one digit at a time. The RUN CONT...

www.manualslib.com

it would seem, if one motor doesn't turn that would be related to your problem, BUT, have you unplugged all the connectors?(every gerber edge owner can tell you how important that is!) you can also look at underside of the circuit board and resolder all the heavier connectors, reseat any plug in chips, etc

if you are comfortable using a meter, check all of the output transistors, and possibly test electrolytics with an esr meter ($15 on ebay) it isn't going out on a limb to say a 30 year old capacitor can go bad

Hi Netsol,

thx for answer. I agree, HS15 nonplus and HS15 plus can be similar, but i didnt see "opened" HS15plus, so i cant compare. Maybe someone can post pictures of mainboard of HS 15 plus ? I only know. that in manual for HS 15 plus on page 53 - Replacing board/ accidentaly without pictures/ is written, that it has two boards, LOGIC and CONTROL. Older HS 15 nonplus has only one big mainboard.

here link on manual HS 15 plus

https://www.gerbertechnology.com/downloads/PDF/fastfacts/literature/LG_hs15plus_manual.pdf

What i can say, and thats true, beep codes are different. HS15 nonplus has beep codes only 1-13 and in two modes / Gerber and RS232 /. HS 15 plus has beep codes 1-29 / and only one mode/ . For example problem with Z motor /Z axis/ - for HS15 nonplus has 7 beeps..... and for HS15 plus - Z motor Encoder has 11 beeps, and Z axis 16 beeps. / you can check it in manual for HS 15 plus /

About my skills, yes i am comfortable using meter. I checked signals with osciloscope, motors, encoders, backfeets from opto are ok...of course wires and contacts
among motors and mainboard are ok too..and i checked many components on mainboard / i downloaded many datasheets of components/. My last action .. i started to draw layout, but its really hard work / this mainboard has 4 layers, 2+3 inner layers is not possible to draw without damage of board/

And about old components...yes yes, not only old "C" have problems. For example in datasheet for resistor-network is written "LOAD LIFE 1.000 hours"/ this component is used more times on the mainboard, signed Zx, red component with many contacts / . So its wonder if this resistors are OK after 30 years of sign production.

So please, if someone has more information about HS 15 nonplus, post it. thx

L

L

 

[lubo-is]

Lubo,
gerber didn't have that many circuit designs, the hs15 will either be almost the same as a hs15 plus or very similar to the circuit in a smc 4b

in the hs15 plus manual there are quite a few "beep codes" but always with the recommendation to call factory service

Determining Error Numbers - Gerber HS15 Plus User Manual [Page 52]

Gerber HS15 Plus Manual Online: Determining Error Numbers. The number of beeps and blinking lights signify the type of error that has occurred. Error conditions are assigned a 2-digit number. The number is displayed by flashing lights and beeping, one digit at a time. The RUN CONT...

www.manualslib.com

it would seem, if one motor doesn't turn that would be related to your problem, BUT, have you unplugged all the connectors?(every gerber edge owner can tell you how important that is!) you can also look at underside of the circuit board and resolder all the heavier connectors, reseat any plug in chips, etc

if you are comfortable using a meter, check all of the output transistors, and possibly test electrolytics with an esr meter ($15 on ebay) it isn't going out on a limb to say a 30 year old capacitor can go bad

Hi netsol,

i forgot to reply about smc 4 B. / i think , you mean Signmaker IV B, older product from Gerber than HS 15 non plus/

Signmaker 4B has stepper motors, and HS15 nonplus has DC motors with encoders. So control of motors /and components on board / has to be really different.
Maybe HS15 nonplus and HS15 plus have more similar components on the board, if they have same DC motors with encoders.

And funny, if you look for manual for Signmaker 4 B, you can find it on the net , it has pictures, its great source of information and this maschine is older than HS15 nonplus !!! But if you look for manual HS 15 nonplus...you find nothing.

Yes and about CALLING to GERBER SERVICE about problem with HS15 nonplus :-D really good joke :-D :-D :-D :-D sorry for my comment.
I have found Only one usefull information about HS 15 nonplus on deleted web www.gspinc.com / check www.archive.org/ . Fastfact 5255 - last modified 2/10/03 - Gerber has no replacement boards for this plotter..so no parts, ne effective service and it was 18 years ago. And of course i wrote to Lectra/Gerber about this
plotter, no support no parts. And in database only manual for HS 15 plus.

L

 

[netsol]

let me look, maybe i can post pictures for a hs15 + plotter. i have at least 2, one is a gs, not sure about the other one

i am really surprised that jimmy the plotter dr can't help you, he is normally a life saver

 

[lubo-is]

let me look, maybe i can post pictures for a hs15 + plotter. i have at least 2, one is a gs, not sure about the other one

i am really surprised that jimmy the plotter dr can't help you, he is normally a life saver

thx, it would be fine, if you can post any pictures of boards HS15 plus.

About Jimmy, hm..maybe he wants to keep his secrets ?

I wrote that i have some official information about HS15 nonplus / i got them many many many years ago / So i am posting here 4 pages from my archive, it can help someone who own this old plotter.

 

[packratsigns]

Would this board work ?
On eBay....

Main Motherboard PCB Circuit Board for Gerber HS15 | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Main Motherboard PCB Circuit Board for Gerber HS15 at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

 

[lubo-is]

Would this board work ?
On eBay....

Main Motherboard PCB Circuit Board for Gerber HS15 | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Main Motherboard PCB Circuit Board for Gerber HS15 at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

thx for this link.. I emailed with seller. He wrote, that he doesnt know if this board is OK. And if you check the picture, you see, that near white label " 15" " integrated
circuit IC16 looks, like someone tried to change it / I believe that someone tried to figure out any problem on the board/. So to pay 299 USD for this board +
70-100 USD for postage, and to get another broken board...to expensive fun for me.
L

 

[packratsigns]

Geez, you can't sell an untested board for that kind of money.

 

[lubo-is]

yes, I agree. Maybe once someone will sell old damaged HS-15 /non-plus/ plotter cheaper than this ebay seller. I need only mainboard / broken, damaged, unreparable, wtihout ICs etc. / i could figure out the layout of pcb.
L