Overview

The PSS8 touchscreen uses a compact flash card that is loaded with the various screens used to interact with the operator.

Each flash card is loaded with screens that match the version of the controller software running on the control board.

The touch screen runs independently of the controller, communicating with it via a serial cable. The controller tells the touch screen which screen to display to the operator. This communication link is usually where problems happen.

There are three basic problems that have occurred in the field:

Problem 1: The touch screen shows a gray hatched background with the INTERACT logo listed and does not change after a few minutes (refer to Photograph 1). Typically, this happens when the controller and touch screen are not yet in synch with each other.

ADD PHOTOS Photograph 1 – Problem 1

Remember, on startup, this screen will sometimes be visible for 2-3 minutes as the system initializes but should be replaced when the controller and screen begin communicating.

Problem 2: The touch screen shows the PRIMUS or TRINITY logo with a green (or sometimes red) REFRESH message box in the upper right corner (refer to Photo 2). This typically happens when there has been an interruption in the communication between the screen and the controller.

Photograph 2 – Problem 2

Problem 3: The touch screen shows the MachineShop Shell menu (refer to Photograph 3), rather than the standard start screen. In this case, there is actually nothing wrong with either the screen or the controller.

What has happened is the Interact software used to display the screens has failed to start. This problem is typically caused when the touch screen configuration file was not set correctly to auto-start the Interact application.

Photograph 3 – Problem 3

In the case of either Problem 1 or Problem 2, the same cause has occurred. The touch screen has lost communication with the PSS8 controller. There are several possibilities for this:

  • The controller is out of sync with the touchscreen
  • The connection between the controller and touch screen is faulty
  • The controller or touch screen is faulty
  • The touchscreen program is corrupt

Note
Typically, toggling power to the touch screen is not effective in resolving the problem.

These problems normally affect a single touch screen. But, if the sterilizer is a double-door unit, then there is a second touch screen involved. The second touch screen needs to be checked to see if it is also having the same problems.

If one of the touch screens is working correctly and the other is not, then the cause is most likely a communication problem with the single touch screen. If both touch screens show the same screen, then it likely is a problem with the controller.

Try the following, regardless of whether the sterilizer is a single or double-door unit:

  1. Open the control box and ensure the controller is running correctly. There will be a small green LED that will flash every few seconds to show the board is operating correctly.

    If there is not a green light, there may be an orange or red light showing, indicating there is a problem. Reset the controller using the small white micro pushbutton switch or cycle power to the control box. If the green light is still not showing, try holding in the reset button. While holding it down, remove and replace the software module to make sure it is firmly set. Finally, release the reset button.
  2. Check the two communication LEDs (L60 and L61) located on the control board on either side of the touchscreen connector TS1. For double-door units, the second screen is connected to the TS2 connector which has its own set of communication LEDs (L62 and L63). These two communication status LEDs: red (receive) and green (transmit) are located immediately on the left and right side of the TS1 (and TS2) connector. This communication check must be done when the touch screens are turned on.
    • If there is NOT a flashing red LED, this means that the touch screen is not requesting information. The problem likely lies with the touch screen or cabling. Check the cable and connections. If necessary, power the touch screen off using the power switch located on the back of the screen and then power it back on to reset it.
    • If the red LED blinks periodically, but there is NOT a green LED blinking on the opposite side of the connector, the touch screen is requesting information, but the controller is not responding. Usually resetting the controller using the micro pushbutton switch or cycling the control box power will solve this problem.
    • If the red LED blinks and the green blinks in response, but it seems to do so at a predictable interval and nothing changes on the screen, the controller and the touch screen are likely out of synch. Again, resetting the controller with the white micro pushbutton switch or recycling power should solve the problem.

If the problem is with the Door B touch screen of a double-door unit, and the Door A touch screen is operating correctly, then the controller most likely thinks the sterilizer is a single-door unit and will ignore Door B. Check the Factory Configuration settings from the Maintenance screen to make sure the configuration still shows Double Door on Configuration Page 1.

Troubleshooting Problem 3

The touch screen shows MachineShop Shell menu. This problem rarely occurs.

There is actually nothing wrong with the touch screen to controller communications. However, the touch screen configuration file has not been set to automatically start the Interact screens. This is easily corrected by simply starting the application using the MachineShop shell commands.

A MachineShop Shell menu is displayed with the following entries down the left-hand side of the touch screen: RUN, SETTINGS, INFO, UTILITIES, LANGUAGE, and EXIT.

Select the “RUN” command by touching it. A menu bar will appear to the right with the first field showing “INTERACT” (refer to Photograph 4).

Photograph 4 – MachineShop Menu Screen

On the new menu bar, select “INTERACT” by touching it on the screen.

This will launch the Interact application and load the appropriate operator interface screens. An “INTERACT APPLICATION” screen (gray hatched background) will appear. After a few minutes, the “INTERACT” start-up screen will be replaced with the PRIMUS or TRINITY logo on the touch screen.

If the PRIMUS or TRINITY logo does not appear after a few minutes, power off the controls, wait 30 seconds, and then power the control box back on (alternatively, pressing the reset button on the control board, holding it down for 2-3 seconds and then releasing it can be used instead of powering the controls on and off). This action should re-initialize and re-synch the controller board and touch screen.


Have a question or having difficulties? Talk to Dave Schall, our PRIMUS sterilizer expert who is here to assist you anytime at 877.679.7800 extension 1212 or email at dschall@spire-is.com.

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