Common Problems and Guidelines
This section outlines common problems that occur. The section provides guidelines for the following subjects:
- what to look for
- what an error message means
- how to fix a problem
In most cases, warning messages flash on the screen or the full screen shows a message. These are explained in the Flashing Messages Section and the Full Screen Messages Section.
Common Problems and Solutions
Table 2 describes possible causes of common problems and suggests possible solutions.
| Common Problems and Solutions | ||
| Problem | Cause | Solution |
| All the LEDs on all the light bars are off. | There is no power to the light bars. | Check cables and connections. |
| No design is loaded. | Load a design. | |
| The LEDs at each end of the light bars flash repeatedly. | The error estimate limit set by the GPS accuracy mode has been exceeded. | Move away from obstructions and make sure that the data radio is working. |
| You are out of the area covered by the design. | Move onto the design or load another design. | |
| The selected horizontal alignment is not applicable at the current position. | Move to where it is available or select another alignment for guidance. | |
| The site or design avoidance zone file has failed to load. | Restart the system and reload the design. If the problem persists, see your site manager. | |
| The light bars show the "not communicating" pattern (that is, both the ends and the center LEDs flash). | The light bars have power, but are not receiving serial communications from the Display. | Check cabling and that the Display is running. |
| A Text View does not appear when you press the "NEXT key" | There is no information configured to appear on the Text View. | Configure the Text View so that it shows the information that you want to see. |
| In the Text View, "N/A" appears as the value of guidance parameters. | No design is loaded. | Load a design. |
| The error estimate limit set by the GPS accuracy mode has been exceeded. | Move away from obstructions and make sure that the data radio is working in the diagnostics. | |
| The machine is off the current design. | Move onto the current design area. | |
GPS Status
During periods of low accuracy, the AccuGrade System provides warning messages. Table 3 summarizes these messages.
| GPS Status Warning Messages | |
| If... | Then... |
| A GPS position is not available | a warning flashes repeatedly in the middle of the current guidance screen. When in the Setup Menu, GPS related warning messages will only appear in the valve speed and valve calibration dialogs. |
| in Plan View, the machine symbol disappears. | |
| in Cross-section View, the last available cross-section appears but no blade is shown. | |
| in Text View screens, real-time information fields (such as the Speed field and the Heading field) shows "N/A" (not available). Non-guidance values (such as the Satellites field) still appear, if they are available. | |
| on the light bars, guidance is lost and the LEDs at each end of the light bars flash repeatedly. | |
| Low accuracy GPS positions are available | a warning flashes repeatedly in the middle of the current guidance screen, valve speed dialog or valve calibration dialog. |
| the Plan View continues to be updated. | |
| the Cross-section View no longer shows the machine blade. | |
| GPS mode is one of: - Invalid GPS Configuration - No GPS Data (Right) - Old Position V. Low Accuracy (GPS) |
graphical guidance is no longer given. Both the machine and machine blade are hidden and no longer updated in the guidance views. |
Power Loss
When the power supply to the Display is lost, the display dims. If power is not quickly restored (within seconds) the Display turns off.
When power is restored, a message will appear that some of the required devices are not responding. The other devices do not have a battery.
Data Card
When the data card is in use, a small amber LED beside the card slot is lit. Removing the data card while it is in use can cause damage to the data card. Always wait until the LED is off before you remove the card.
Out of Guidance Area
If the current blade position (at the blade focus) is not within the design boundary:
- the LEDs at each end of the relevant vertical light bar flash repeatedly
- all design guidance Text Items appear as "N/A"
If both blade tips are outside the design boundary:
- In Cross-section View, the screen is blank except for the error message "Off Design No Cross-section Available".
- In Profile View, the screen is blank except for the error message "Off Design No Profile Available".
Note: Surface design files can have holes or gaps (such as lakes) in them, and there can be valid areas of guidance within the gaps (such as islands).
Disappearance of Road Alignment
If the alignment selected for horizontal guidance is no longer available at your current position:
- the LEDs at each end of the horizontal light bar flash repeatedly
- the Text Items for horizontal guidance appear as "N/A"
If the selected alignment reappears, horizontal guidance resumes.
If the road has been exported from the SiteVision Office version 5.5 or later software, and includes .svl roading linework, you can enable the Autoselect feature. When the roading alignment stops, the Autoselect feature searches for the start of the next alignment within a radius of 2.0 m (6.5 ft) from the blade tip that has focus. Continue in the required direction until the next alignment is selected.
Note: If no horizontal alignment is selected the horizontal light bar is turned off.
No Design Loaded
If no design is loaded:
- All the LEDs on all the light bars are off.
- In the Text Views screens, "N/A" appears as the value of guidance parameters.
- The bottom line of "Design: <Name>" shows as None.
- Cross-section View displays a "no design" message.
Visual Status Indicators
Some system components are installed on the machine in easily accessible locations, and a look at the status indicators of the components (typically LEDs) can help you to troubleshoot problems.
Lightbar System Status Indicators
As well as providing guidance information, the lightbar LEDs provide the system status information listed in Table 4.
| Lightbar System Status Information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Problem | Cause | Solution |
| All the LEDs on all the lightbars are off | There is no power to the lightbar | Check cables and connections |
| The LEDs at each end of the lightbars flash repeatedly | The error estimate limit set by the GPS accuracy mode has been exceeded | Move away from obstructions and make sure that the data radio is working |
| The ATS lock is unreliable | Check that you are within range of, and have a clear line of sight to, the ATS | |
| Both the ends and the center groups of LEDs flash | The lightbars have power, but are not receiving serial communications from the Display | Check cabling and that the Display is running |
GPS Receiver Status Indicators
The GPS Receivers have three LEDs next to the harness connector. The behavior of these LEDs indicate the status of the receiver. These LEDs are shown in Illustration 1.
 | |
| Illustration 1 | g01217076 |
(1) Power (2) Data Link (3) Satellite | |
The meaning of the receiver status LED activity is given in Table 5.
| GPS Receiver Status Led Activity | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Led | Off | Slow Flash | Flash | Fast Flash | On Solid |
| Power | No power | Beta test period expired (1) | Power on | ||
| Data link | No CMRs received or too few satellites | CMR type 0 being processed | 10 Hz CMRs being processed | ||
| Satellite | No satellites being tracked | Tracking 4 satellites or more | Tracking 3 satellites or less | Monitor mode (2) | |
| ( 1 ) | In addition to the power LED, the data link and satellite LEDs will also be flashing, and at the same rate as the power LED. |
| ( 2 ) | In addition to the satellite LED, the power LED will also be on solid, and the data link LED will be flashing. |
When GPS is working correctly in a single-GPS system, the power LED for the receiver will be on solid, the data link LED will flash at 1 Hz, and the satellite LED will flash slowly.
When GPS is working correctly in a dual-GPS system, the LEDs on the left GPS Receiver will behave as described above in the single-GPS case. The power LED on the right GPS Receiver will be on solid, the data link LED will be on solid, and the satellite LED will flash slowly.
Sonic Tracer Status Indicators
 | |
| Illustration 2 | g01217031 |
(6) Over grade LEDs (Down arrow) (7) On grade LEDs (8) Under grade LEDs (Up arrow) | |
The LED display of the Sonic Tracer indicates some common error conditions. Illustration 2 shows the display of a sonic tracer.
Table 6 lists the meanings of the patterns for the LEDs on the Sonic Tracer.
| Sonic Tracer Status | |
|---|---|
| LED Pattern | Meaning |
| Down arrow flashing | Above the sonic gate. |
| Up arrow flashing | Below the sonic gate. |
| Up and down arrows flashing together | Elevation error. The sonic tracer may not be benched. |
| Up and down arrows flashing alternately | No echo detected. The sonic tracer may not be benched. |
Data Radio Status Indicators
 | |
| Illustration 3 | g01217044 |
(11) Power I/O Connector (12) Data/Power Indicator LED | |
The bottom cap on the TCxxx Data Radio is fitted with a Power I/O Connector and an Data/Power Indicator LED. Refer to Illustration 3.
The LED can be orange and/or green depending on the situation, as shown in Table 7.
| TCxxx Status LED Activity | |
|---|---|
| LED Color | Status |
| Orange (solid) | Power is available. |
| Orange and green (both solid) | With the TCxxx configured as a repeater or rover, power is available and the radio is synchronized. Even if the radio is synchronized, the radio may not be receiving data. |
| Orange and green (both flashing at 1 Hz together) | Radio is in flashloader mode. To resolve this, turn the power off and on. If this mode returns when the radio is turned back on, contact your site manager. |
Note: The status LED for the Data Radio can be difficult to see.