Samsung PN43D450A2D help needed

[Krenzy]

Re: Samsung PN43D450A2D help needed

I'd have to go buy one as I don't know anyone else with one. Can you recommend a cost effective one? With a baby on the way I have to keep the spending down.

[tom66]

Re: Samsung PN43D450A2D help needed

Is there a non-bankrupt RadioShack near you?
You can get a usable digital meter for under $10.
Harbor Freight have them for something like $5.
They're very basic, and I wouldn't expect them to last long, but they'll work ok for some simple work.

[Krenzy]

Re: Samsung PN43D450A2D help needed

Alrighty I went to Menards and bought a $10 DMM. DMM set at 1000 DVC, TV ON before the issue, VS reads 210, VA reads 059. After the issue, TV still powered on, VS reads 015 (and you can watch the digital gauge drop a few numbers at a time, it isn't instant, maybe 10 seconds until it settled), and VA reads 002.

When the TV is powered off, VS reads 000, VA reads 000.

[Krenzy]

Re: Samsung PN43D450A2D help needed

Vsc on the Y board comes back as -179. Following another post I've seen, the next spot to check is the Ve, but I cannot find it. Is it on the Y board?

Sticker shows values at: VS: 207, VA: 58, VSC: -180.

[sordids999]

Re: Samsung PN43D450A2D help needed

Ve should be on the Xsus

[Krenzy]

Re: Samsung PN43D450A2D help needed

I found it; tests at 92.

[tom66]

Re: Samsung PN43D450A2D help needed

Seems main voltages are there. Below the power board there's a small green board (logic/ctrl) which should have an LED on it. How often does the LED blink? Once/twice a second, or longer, around 5-7 seconds? Also, does the flashing change after it faults?

[Krenzy]

Re: Samsung PN43D450A2D help needed

When it's running normal, the flashing is about once or twice every second. After the fault, it switches to one flash lasting five seconds, with about two or three seconds between flashes.

[tom66]

Re: Samsung PN43D450A2D help needed

Ok, looks like a protection fault is being triggered somehow.

Could you upload the photo of your control board from that thread here? I'm on lunch break at work, but imgur/photobucket/etc are blocked here.

[Krenzy]

Re: Samsung PN43D450A2D help needed

I think I figured this attachment thing out.

[tom66]

Re: Samsung PN43D450A2D help needed

Ok... see attached

Start with TV off and unplugged.

Place a jumper across pins 3 & 4 of the highlighted 4 pin connector (you can use jumper used on hard drives, or a piece of wire.) Pins should be marked on the board.

Disconnect the right hand LVDS cable: to do this lift the latch up and carefully remove the cable.

Plug in the TV. Do you get cycling test patterns on the display? Are they steady?

[Krenzy]

Re: Samsung PN43D450A2D help needed

I just got to work, but I'll run home in a few hours on lunch and test it. Any other tests I should run while I'm there?

[tom66]

Re: Samsung PN43D450A2D help needed

That's all for now, we'll have to see what it does.

[Krenzy]

Re: Samsung PN43D450A2D help needed

Ok so I have a jumper wire across the 3 and 4 prongs, and when I turn the TV on, the boards buzz like normal, I get a small glow that almost immediately disappears, along with that buzzing. The control board is doing the blinking pattern noted above during the fault.

[tom66]

Re: Samsung PN43D450A2D help needed

Can you check and see if you get a very brief white flash? The fault symptoms are pointing to an issue with the power board or one of the sustain boards.

[Krenzy]

Re: Samsung PN43D450A2D help needed

The glow I mention I guess I could describe as a flash. It isn't blindingly bright, however, but it is instant and fades immediately.

[tom66]

Re: Samsung PN43D450A2D help needed

Ok, put the TV back to the original configuration so you get the user menu appearing.

Once you plug the set in, take an insulated screwdriver and start lightly tapping on the heatsinks on the power supply and main boards. Hold the screwdriver by the metal end, and tap using the plastic/rubber end. Note: Do NOT touch the heatsinks yourself, as they are LIVE and could give you an electric shock.

I'd like to see if the set cuts out when you tap on a particular heatsink - it could be that thermal expansion is happening, causing the set to shut off. This would probably mean a cold solder joint (easy fix.)

If I were a betting man, I'd say the power board sounds like a culprit. I can't think of an easy way to test it right now, other than the basic multimeter tests.

I'm thinking that as soon as a bright screen appears, the power supply is shutting down / output sagging for some reason, this is tripping the control board fault detect.

[Krenzy]

Re: Samsung PN43D450A2D help needed

Perfect, I'll do this as soon as I get home in an hour or so.

Regarding updating the firmware, Does anyone know if there was stable firmware produced past the date of the "update" on Samsung's site? I don't want to have a board go to crap simply because the firmware wasn't the most recent. I ask because once I installed the new X board from ShopJimmy, I tried to install the update I got off the net that day, and it gave me a message saying something like "Same Firmware". On the SJ site they state to install the update immediately, making me believe the unit the shipped would have older firmware.

EDIT: ShopJimmy's customer service suggested the possibility that this board was purchased by someone who updated the software, then returned it. And while it passed the testing at SJ, they didn't know it had the update applied. I feel better now

[tom66]

Re: Samsung PN43D450A2D help needed

The X-main doesn't have firmware, but it's possible when you bought your TV, or whoever you bought it off, it was updated to the most recent firmware. There is a tech support bulletin out:

[Krenzy]

Re: Samsung PN43D450A2D help needed

Alright I tapped on them and the static didn't cut out at all. I tapped in the board in the Power Supply, X board, Y board, and Main, but nothing happened.