Ruida6442G Wind always active

I have read through numerous posts and so far I have yet to come across one that I can understand what is going on here, so forgive me if this is a repeat.

I have a brand new Omtech 100W with a Ruida 6442G-B controller.
Verified that the controller vendor setting for enable air assist is true

When the machine is powered up I always have a complete 24 volt circuit between the +24 volt pin and the wind pin when testing with a meter.
I do not see a change in this reading between the machine sitting idle, or when the laser is active.
However there is not enough current on that output to drive the air solenoid directly, either when idle or when the laser is active. With the solenoid valve wired to those 2 ports, I see 2.9 volts when the machine is idle and 2.6 volts when the laser is active.
Using a solid state relay with wind and +24v to the control side, I find there is enough current at idle to trigger the relay so that again the air assist would always be active.
What am I missing here?

I run my solenoids directly off the Status and Wind sinks on a 6442g-b. It should sink at least 300mA according to the manual.

This is a short video of power up, cooler fail then a running job using Status, out1 and out2.

I’ve never heard of a new one that failed, but anything is possible.

When you read 2.x volts, is that across 24V and status?

I’d drop a note to support for the OMTech and them on it… it’s 24 hour turn around time for email, if you hit them at the right time, it may be faster but I wouldn’t count on it.

:smile_cat:

The 2.x volts are on the wind and +24 with the solenoid wired in.
With the solenoid wired in the +24 and status pins show 24v

BTW, Thanks for the quick reply!

The output transistor is destroyed: it is now a resistor.

The wreckage doesn’t pass enough current to turn the solenoid on, but does pass enough to turn the SSR on.

The transistor is not switching in response to the controller’s signals, because the SSR should not be active when the controller doesn’t activate that output.

Unless you’re handy with surface-mount soldering, the only solution is replacing the controller.

Thank you,
I had started leaning in that direction as well.
Off the top of your head, you wouldn’t happen to know the part number for that would you?

Not at all.

A previous thread suggested the controller outputs have optocouplers:

You gotta pop the top and see what’s in there, but the output transistor is dead.

Which is why I put SSRs on the outputs of my controller:

They’re way less hassle than repairing the controller after a whoopsie. :slightly_smiling_face:

This is a new machine according to @DarkStar, I’d try to get the vendor to replace it instead of attempting to fix it.

It’s always a hassle to deal with them, especially if you get someone new, whose English isn’t at the same level. I’d try to get them to suggest a fix, but if you are forced into it and you purchased it with a credit card, I’d tell the vendor I was going to have the credit card company cancel the sale and return the funds… this is a last resort – not a good idea to threaten them, if you can help it.

But in the end you purchased a product they won’t make work and you deserve your money back… then it’s in their lap, either a new controller or they refund all the money and pay to have the machine returned to them. I know which option I’d take if I were a business.

Remember that purchases with credit cards have a limited time warranty, so don’t dawdle.


Any photos I have have come from RDWorks leaning lab site, which has been resurrected at LaserUser.com forum…

If you want to attempt to fix it yourself, here is a photo of a Ruida, dont’ know which model and it’s marked where the status, wind, out1 and out2 are located… At least I’ve been told this, and I don’t know the order… As far as I can know the optical isolators were not damage… just the driving transistor.

Good luck

:smile_cat:

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