MC2100 Motor Controller solid led problem

MaxHeadRoom

Joined Jul 18, 2013
30,661
20Hz was originally recorded from the console output, and the only one that will work in this range.
Any simulator uses this freq.
 

Thread Starter

hozone

Joined Dec 26, 2012
36
The board don't have some soldering lose In some component or area?
Don't have any lose of tracks?
Do you have something which show a big photo of the board to look?, like microscope etc?
Thanks, I've checked it under my microscope, but can't find anything. Also not this board is conformal coating, so it's not so simple to access all the components.
 

Thread Starter

hozone

Joined Dec 26, 2012
36
Small update. This morning, with TACK (HD5) not connected, the treadmill stop working. So I moved a little bit the HD2 connector and it start working again. It may not be the tack, I've yet resoldered the connectors some times ago so I doubt is something to do with that, but it may be the cable, or the connector itself. I'll keep you updated.
 

Thread Starter

hozone

Joined Dec 26, 2012
36
Update. At HD2 I've just connected VCC, GND and the PWM. It's 1 week that is working. My plan is to keep like this for 1 week more. Than adding one or two pins at time to check it there is something that interferes.
 

Thread Starter

hozone

Joined Dec 26, 2012
36
Update.
I've run the treadmill all the winter without problem. I've build a 6 wire cable with 6 switch from HD2. At first I just run with VCC GND and PWM connected, then every 2/3 weeks I switch-on another connection. All works.
Now it's 1 week I run with the original plug in HD2.
I bet if I close the enclosure within a few days it will start failing.
If not, I don't know... it must be something related to the connector that now disappeared. Strange issue.
 

Thread Starter

hozone

Joined Dec 26, 2012
36
And... it started again.
This morning. After 10 minutes I start notice something strange on speed, it seems a little bit slower. And finally after 24 minutes it stop working.
LED is solid red when it does not work. While it's blinking of course when it run.
Then I just move a little the HD2 and HD9 connector and it starts again.
Any idea?
 

MaxHeadRoom

Joined Jul 18, 2013
30,661
So it looks like a dodgy connection in either connector?
I would investigate this first by checking for poor connection , push wire connection down with a small insulated flat-blade screw driver, those connectors are not the best design!
 

Thread Starter

hozone

Joined Dec 26, 2012
36
Thank!
I'll try this in the weekend. Today (right 30 min ago), it worked no problem. Consider I'm using this 25min per day from monday to friday morning.
 

Thread Starter

hozone

Joined Dec 26, 2012
36
I've used it since yesterday, then yesterday I was running at 12km/h but it seems it goes up to 16km/h, constantly.
This morning indeed at 8km/h seems to go 10km/h or 12km/h, then it gets slower.
Usually when it perform like this it the day after or so on it stops working... we will see. By the way this behavior of changing the speed do you think it can be caused by the weak connector or do you have something else in mind?
 

Thread Starter

hozone

Joined Dec 26, 2012
36
So, I've removed and resoldered the connector and it seems to work.
Summer I run outside, I've just start reusing the mill and the issue is here again.
Today:
- it works for a while then speed change, and after this it stops
- I've notice an 8 times blinking led
- I've just remove the security key and plug it back again
- It restart working
Any idea?
 

MaxHeadRoom

Joined Jul 18, 2013
30,661
Never come across 8X blink?
Sounds like a need for testing the main board on the bench, you would need the 20Hz PWM signal to replicate the speed command.
 

Thread Starter

hozone

Joined Dec 26, 2012
36
yep 8x times blink after a while. Wired thing is that if I run the board with just 3 wires GND-VCC-PWM (on the mill and not in bench) it works, or at least it worked on the past years tries, on that tries I'll also add one wire at time and revert even the order on which I add them, I was not able to find which wire cause the problem, and if there is one. Tomorrow I'm going to solder a cable on the PWM line next to the MicroController, I would like to see if when this errors happens the PWM on the micro is still there.
 

Thread Starter

hozone

Joined Dec 26, 2012
36
And of course yesterday and today after I've connected the debug wire... it works! d'oh!... let's wait for the fail to happens
 

Tanoss

Joined Nov 16, 2025
3
Hi, were you able to figure out what the problem might be? I have an MC2100ELS board. It turns off randomly and the LED goes from flashing "in motion" to solid red. The strange thing is that when I press pause and start everything starts working again. When it's blocked, only the lift motor works, while the main one doesn't. Could it be the motion sensor? Or could something else be involved?
 

Attachments

Tanoss

Joined Nov 16, 2025
3
Good evening, thanks for your reply. Unfortunately, I'm not very good with electronics and can't do any in-depth tests. What I could do, to the best of my ability, was clean the entire casing, lubricate the belt and the treadmill with silicone, and clean the main motor, motherboard, and connectors with a specific product. I tried and tested, like the guy above, so I removed all the connectors and checked to see if they were broken or cut, but I didn't notice anything unusual. The only thing I noticed was that the blockage occurs when the incline motor is in a malfunction. It's as if the circuit is missing. Because it requires a little force, the plug fits into the position (HD8) of the board. I tried removing it and running the treadmill at maximum speed, and it didn't block. Can you suggest any other tests?
 

Attachments

Thread Starter

hozone

Joined Dec 26, 2012
36
No, I still don't get where the problem comes. From when I've installed the test probes, this thing works. So I'm thinking about emulating the probe putting a 10M resistor in parallel with a 50pF condenser between PWM and GND. I'm pretty sure as soon as I'll do this, and close the treadmill cover it will start again :)
 

Tanoss

Joined Nov 16, 2025
3
Good evening hozono, Today I tested it by excluding the connector corresponding to the hd8 from the motherboard, which is the cable that controls the up and down of the lift motor. For half an hour it held up at 13 speeds without any problems. However, I noticed that when the lift motor was connected, the treadmill would stop a few seconds/minutes after the up/down input. At this point, I might think, being ignorant in the matter, that it could be some switch/relay/sensor connected to the motherboard or directly to the motor.
 

Thread Starter

hozone

Joined Dec 26, 2012
36
It's maybe something related to the stepdown supply on the MCU side. But there's scope and multimeter involved there.
My first test was disconnecting all but the main connector, but I still have the problem. Then in the main connector (HD2 if I remember) I just connect VCC, GND and PWM... and I get no problem this way.
Anyway... guess that fucking bastard what it does today? Just yesterday I was thinking about closing this. Today the master keyboard does not work, or better... the display works, and just a few button works (like 6,8,10,12,14 speed .. any other button seems to work)... I'm lucky cause I use it at 8,10,12,14.. but now it has also something on the keyboard display side... so I've to disassembly it and give it a view. :-/ damn!
 
Top