Author Topic: COMPUTER MAKING NOISE TO BOLTEK STORMTRACKER PCI-CARD  (Read 6813 times)

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Offline ts20

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COMPUTER MAKING NOISE TO BOLTEK STORMTRACKER PCI-CARD
« on: August 07, 2010, 02:46:07 PM »
 :-) First time in this forum!

Yes -  I have posted this in another weather forum -  but maybe somebody in this forum might give me a hint!

I am currently having an issue with my new system:
Computer: Nexcom NISE 3110P2 fanless industry PC:
http://www.nexcom.com/ProductModel.aspx?id=5156c6d8-0629-4eee-b35e-439bf56dfc6e

Intel’s Core 2 Duo 533/667 MHz FSB and DDR2 667/533
3 GB RAM, 64 GB SSD
No mouse, display or keyboard
2 PCI Expansion Slots, used for WLAN + Boltek Stormtracker PCI
Windows 7 Home Premium
Connecting to PC remotely with Teamviewer



The PC is at the moment only running one of the two lightning detector programs; Lightning/2000 or NexStorm Lite.
The problem is that the Boltek card picks up electrical noise, Lightning/2000 says 25.000/minute, NexStorm Lite detects about 4000/minute. Different SW, gives different results, that is not the problem…..
But all this electrical noise makes this computer totally useless for the purpose of detecting lightning. Lightning/2000 with all the noise is using 50% CPU, less for the NexStorm Lite. It Seems that it is not detecting any lightning when all the noise is present. I think the SW/PC has too much to do, working/filtering all the noise.
Noise is there with and without antenna, so it is an internal PC-problem I believe.

The PC is capable of Input Voltages from 12V-30V DC. There must be a DC-DC converter on the motherboard that convert this 12V-30V DC to another voltage or stabilize it  (at 12V?); maybe this one is the source to the problem?

I have tried the following:
1.   Put the card in another computer: No problem with noise in the other computer, works very well.
2.   Powered the Nexcom PC from 12V battery: Noise still there, the 19V External Switching Power supply is not the problem.
3.   Tried with and without WLAN-card, still noise.
4.   Changed the Boltek card to the other PCI-slot, still the same.
5.   Changed to standard 250 GB HD, instead of SSD, still the same.
6.   Moved HD outside the box, no difference.
7.   Changed to Windows XP, still the same.
8.   Put the Boltek card in a protective antistatic bag while in the PC, same problem.

I have checked the grounding, 0V has same voltage as the chassis.
Removed all unnecessary wiring/cables in the cabinet: like wiring for VDU etc.

I also powered this way: +12V from battery to +12V input, and 0V directly to the chassis. Then the chassis was connected to ground.

Problem is still there. It must be an internal PC problem.
In my old noisy (from fan!) computer - there is no electrical noise problem at all.

My new US$ 2.000,- equipment is useless at the moment  :-x .

If you have any other ideas, please tell me, I really want to have this new valuable PC up and running with the Boltek card w/SW and the Weather-Display software!
 
« Last Edit: August 07, 2010, 02:50:36 PM by ts20 »

Offline mackbig

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Re: COMPUTER MAKING NOISE TO BOLTEK STORMTRACKER PCI-CARD
« Reply #1 on: August 07, 2010, 04:05:10 PM »
Sorry ts20, for your issue and that I have nothing more to suggest.  The tests you have performed already include everything I would have suggested.

Andrew

Andrew - Davis VP2+ 6163, serial weatherlink, wireless anemometer, running Weather Display.  Boltek PCI Stormtracker, Astrogenic Nexstorm, Strikestar - UNI, CWOP CW8618, GrLevel3, (Station 2 OS WMR968, VWS 13.01p09), Windows 7-64

Offline dalecoy

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Re: COMPUTER MAKING NOISE TO BOLTEK STORMTRACKER PCI-CARD
« Reply #2 on: August 07, 2010, 04:50:43 PM »
You've eliminated almost all of the possibilities, with your tests. 

I am rather certain that the electrical noise comes from the "DC to DC power on-board to support 12 to 30 VDC", which is undoubtedly a switching converter without sufficient filtering (i.e., sufficient for normal use, but so noisy that the Boltek card detects it).

If possible, try one more test.  Get a "regular" desktop PC power supply.  Totally disconnect all power wires coming from (and to) that on-board converter, and substitute power from the regular power supply.  That means also disconnecting the external (19v) power.  See if the noise goes away.

If the noise goes away, you have the (messy) fix to the problem.

I couldn't find a technical description of the EBC 576FL mainboard used in your system.  Unfortunately, looking at a picture of the EBC 575 mainboard, it looks like the DC/DC converter may actually be built into the mainboard, so that test isn't possible.  If that's the case, you are "stuck".  I don't know of any way to fix your problem.  You could ask the manufacturer, but ....

Let us know how this goes.
« Last Edit: August 07, 2010, 04:56:47 PM by dalecoy »

Offline DanS

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Re: COMPUTER MAKING NOISE TO BOLTEK STORMTRACKER PCI-CARD
« Reply #3 on: August 07, 2010, 07:30:42 PM »
If you have good eyes and steady hands you could locate the power supply pin(s) on the card slot that the Boltek uses and solder a filter capacitor to it and a ground pin.

Offline dalecoy

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Re: COMPUTER MAKING NOISE TO BOLTEK STORMTRACKER PCI-CARD
« Reply #4 on: August 07, 2010, 08:00:19 PM »
If you have good eyes and steady hands you could locate the power supply pin(s) on the card slot that the Boltek uses and solder a filter capacitor to it and a ground pin.

I don't think that would fix the problem.  I suspect it's noise being radiated by the DC converter oscillator (rather than noise on the output lines).

Offline dalecoy

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Re: COMPUTER MAKING NOISE TO BOLTEK STORMTRACKER PCI-CARD
« Reply #5 on: August 08, 2010, 10:52:28 AM »
ts20 also posted the question in http://www.weather-watch.com/smf/index.php?topic=46457.msg379136

Got essentially the same comments.  Hasn't reported back yet.


Offline prmullen

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Re: COMPUTER MAKING NOISE TO BOLTEK STORMTRACKER PCI-CARD
« Reply #6 on: August 09, 2010, 07:03:30 PM »
TS20:

Saw this on the NEXCOM website:

>> DC to DC power on-board to support 12 to 30 VDC (Max: 120 Watts)

The Boltek lightning detection systems use a powered directional antenna.

In addition, the StormTracker PCI card sucks a lot of power.

Looks to me like you ran out of watts...Get a more powerful computer [we use HP Quad Core Vista 64 systems with 500 watt power supplies].

The last time I tried using a cheap, low power computer [no-name AMD Athlon clone with only a 200 watt supply] the StormTracker never worked well [I thought it was broken until I switched it to a new machine].

Good Luck !

Cheers !

-- Pat Mullen / MSS


Offline dalecoy

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Re: COMPUTER MAKING NOISE TO BOLTEK STORMTRACKER PCI-CARD
« Reply #7 on: August 10, 2010, 04:05:59 PM »
Well, TS20 hasn't come back to answer questions.  The claim is that this is a $2,000.00 box. 

However, TS20 says it's "Intel’s Core 2 Duo 533/667 MHz FSB" - which is clearly strange.  The bottom end of the Core 2 Duo CPU series is the E4300, which is a 1.8 GHz CPU but specifies 800 MHz FSB.  [Of course, it might run at 533 or 667]


Offline ts20

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Re: COMPUTER MAKING NOISE TO BOLTEK STORMTRACKER PCI-CARD
« Reply #8 on: August 11, 2010, 05:17:00 PM »
Hi,

The system is bought from Orbit Micro, and with win7, 64 GB ssd, 4 GB RAM its quite close to 2K.

Orbit Micro support - eh - not so much technical support from them, but I thank you all for your answers.
Since the cards works flawlessly in other computers I have tried, I think the problem might be as prmullen says: system running out of power.
 
I'll look for another computer! :?

Offline dalecoy

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Re: COMPUTER MAKING NOISE TO BOLTEK STORMTRACKER PCI-CARD
« Reply #9 on: August 11, 2010, 07:24:34 PM »

Orbit Micro support - eh - not so much technical support from them, but I thank you all for your answers.
Since the cards works flawlessly in other computers I have tried, I think the problem might be as prmullen says: system running out of power.
 
I'll look for another computer! :?

It would be useful for others to know which of the two possible problems is actually the cause.  Assuming that the Boltek card conforms to the PCI specification, it is not using more than 25 watts.