Hey Guys,
Diagnostics are one of the strongest selling points of ISIS. Built into the MASTERCELL is the inSIGHT diagnostics module. This LCD allows the installer complete visibility to what is going on in the system. You can push a few buttons on the MASTERCELL and poll the critical functions from any POWERCELL attached to the system. You can get voltage at the POWERCELL, operating temperature of the board in the POWERCELL, and the status of each output node.
Troubleshooting of problems is very easy. Here's the path that you can follow:
First, everytime you close a switch, you get a written acknowledgement on the inSIGHT module. It tells you which switch closed and which POWERCELL and the output node that is supposed to react. Your switch is good and connected properly if you get the indication on the LCD screen. If you do not get any indication on the screen, you have a problem with your switch, the connection to the input harness or the connector on the MASTERCELL. If you get indication on the LCD, but it tells you that the target output node is incorrect, then your switch is connected to the wrong input wire.
Second, there is a "heartbeat" indicator on the MASTER & POWERCELL boxes. When these light blink, it confirms that each cell in the system is recognized and that they are communicating properly. If there is no heartbeat, it means that there is a problem with the CAN cable between the boxes or the connectors.
Third, each output node on the POWERCELL has a LED indicator and it does two things. First, this light is used to identify whether the output is on or off. You can flip the switch, confirm the switch closure on the inSIGHT module. If the light turns on when the switch is turned on, everything is working correctly. Second, the LED indicator on the output node also shows the status of the connection from the box to the load to ground. We continuously sink a few hundred microamps through each output node. Every load (lights, motors, solenoids) is connected to ground through some resistance. If the load is connected properly, the few hundred microamps leaks through the load to ground. If the load is not properly connected, those few hundred microamps have no place to go. The current passes through the LED and it glows, but at a lower brightness than when the output is on.
So here is the common diagnostic scenario. "My headlights have stopped working."
The first thing that I do is check the switch. I flip it and get the acknowledgement on the inSIGHT module. So I know that the switch is good and the connection to the MASTERCELL is good.
The second thing that I do is check for the heartbeat on the MASTERCELL and POWERCELLs. If I have a heartbeat, I know that the cells are communicating, the connectors and the cables are good.
The last thing that I do is check the LED indicator on the node on the POWERCELL. If the LED turns on, I know that the switch command is making it alway to the MOSFET that controls the output. If the LED is glows at half-power when the output is turned off, then I know that the the connection is broken somewhere between the output of the MOSFET and the ground connection. That means that a wire has broken, the fuse has opened or the filament in my headlight has burn out.
If you plan on being at SEMA...Check it out @ booth 11153.
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