ST100 Troubleshooting

List of Problems and Fixes

• Altrac Offline
  • Altrac Does Not Have Power
  • Altrac Does Not Have Cell Signal
  • Altrac Is Damaged
• Machine Does not Start and Stop as Expected
  • Control Cable Damaged or Removed
  • Amarillo Wind Machine Shows "SD" ERROR
• Incorrect Telemetry
  • RPM Calibration is Incorrect
  • Temperature Probe is Disconnected
  • Amarillo Wind Machine Temperature is High
  • Autoswitch Shows as OFF When Physical Switch at Machine is ON
  • Amarillo Wind Machine Shows Autostart Disconnected When Off
  • Amarillo Wind Machine Shows Autostart Disconnected When Running

If this list of issues does not fit the problem you are experiencing, please email [e-mail].

Altrac is Offline

Altrac Does Not Have Power

The Altrac device's modem will have a red light the comes on and stays on or flashes when it has 12V power from the connected machine

To determine the power state and device start press the "RESET" button on the Altrac device modem:

1. If pressing the RESET button results in the Application LED doing the following, then the device has power and is likely connected to the cloud:
   • LED on to WHITE -- the device is doing some preliminary checks
   • LED flashing GREEN -- the device is connecting to a cell tower
   • LED solid GREEN -- the device is registered with the nearest cell tower and cell network
   • LED OFF -- the device connected to cloud and went back to sleep
   • Sometimes the following will occur:
     • LED flashing and then solid CYAN -- the device is doing some error reporting
2. If pressing the RESET button results in the Application LED turning WHITE and then back off:
   • The device's LiPo battery is functional, but has less than 20% charge
   • The device is not getting power from PWR and GND ports
3. If pressing the RESET button results in no change to the Application LED:
   • The device's LiPo battery is unplugged or completely drained
   • The device is not getting power from PWR and GND ports
   • The modem is damaged and needs replacement
4. If pressing the RESET button results in the Application LED turning WHITE and then BLUE:
   • The SIM (Altrac non-LTE devices) may be loose or have fallen out. Remove the cellular modem and remove then replace the SIM card.
   • The modem may be damaged. Try pressing reset once again. If still stuck with a blue LED, you will need to contact [e-mail]

If you encountered outcome 1, and the device is back online: this device is likely OK

If you encountered outcome 1, and the device is not back online: this is likely some sort of cellular or network issue. Elevate the issue to [e-mail].

If you encountered outcome 2 or 3, the Altrac device may not have power: To troubleshoot this, do the following:

• Check the power supply
  • If connected to a 12V battery, check that the 12V battery has at least 11.4V
    • Use a multimeter if necessary
    • An alternative to a multimeter is to start the machine (e.g. if you can start the wind machine with the battery, there is enough power to power an Altrac device)
  • If connected to a wall supply, check that the power adapter is plugged in and the outlet is powered
• Check the wiring:
  • Confirm the 12-pin and 6-pin connectors used by the Altrac to integrate with the machine are firmly seated and locked in
  • Confirm the pins within the connectors are fully inserted and lock in place with the green wedge lock. 
  • Confirm the ring terminals and other means of connecting wires are connected to the 12V power source and Ground. The wires are usually red for 12V+ and black for Ground.
  • Confirm all wires are intact and no rodent damage has occurred
  • Confirm the Control Line running from the Altrac device to the 12-pin connector is intact and not damaged
    • It's possible to damage the control line inside the wind machine tower if not installed properly
• Measure the power at the Altrac device
  • Using a multimeter, check the DC voltage between the PWR and GND terminals inside the Altrac device
    
  • If the multimeter shows > 9V, the Altrac device should have power and the Application LED should come on when you press RESET as detailed above

If you've completed the above troubleshooting, and the Altrac device still does not have power, either the modem or the full device should be replaced. Please contact [e-mail] and describe the issue with pictures. 

Other Power Issues

In the process of testing for these issues, you should also verify the solar panel and charge controller are functional and charging the 12V battery. These systems vary between machines, but they typically have a LED that will indicate status and / or fault or can be tested by a multimeter.

Altrac Does Not Have Cell Signal

Refer to this article: Poor Cellular Signal

Altrac Is Damaged

Damage can come in many forms, so review the full Altrac system when reviewing for damage.

Altrac Device Damaged Internally

Examples of this include:

• Altrac device shaken by a grape harvester until the battery and modem came loose
• Altrac device door left open to rain and elements
• Altrac device run over by a tractor and broken solar panel
• LiPo battery damaged

To ensure the device is not damaged, check for the following:

• Modem is correctly seated and powered
• Water damage inside the enclosure: corrosion will be on components if there is water damage
• The LiPo battery is attached to the side wall of the enclosure and is plugged into the Altrac device PCB. The LiPo battery does not have any marks or bulges.
• All wires are soldered to Altrac PCB -- none have come undone due to breakage or other event

Altrac Wiring Damaged

Examples of this include:

• Control Line inside Wind Machine tower is damaged by drive line
• Wires have pulled out of crimps or connections at base of tower
• Wires have been damaged by rodents or other pests
• Control Line or other wiring damage due to greater than expected vibrations

To ensure the harness or control line are not damaged:

• Inspect each termination for the wiring harness on the engine
  • Check splice connections and other terminals by gently pulling on them
  • Check ring or fork terminals are screwed in tightly to their attachment point
  • Check wires are still intact and free of rodent damage
• Inspect Wiring Harness to Control Line connectors
  • Pull apart connectors and inspect for insect damage
  • Push connectors back together until they lock
  • Check that no wires have come unseated or pulled out from the connectors
• Inspect the Control Line from the connector to the Altrac device
  • Check control line at pinch points for vibration or over-tightening damage
  • Check control line is not in contact with wind machine drive shaft
  • Check control line has no heat damage from exhaust
  • Check control line for rodent damage

Altrac Firmware Corrupt

The ST100's firmware can be damaged in certain electrical environments where the device receives low fluctuating power for significant periods of time. For example if an ST100 is connected directly to a solar panel with no charge controller and no 12V battery, it can receive "brown-out" levels of power repeatedly. 

When this happens, the ST100's modem will go offline and a normal reset will not resolve the issue. When the modem has power, a faint blue light will turn on indicating firmware failure, as shown in the picture below:

This problem requires a modem replacement. Please contact [e-mail] for replacement.

Machine Does Not Start and Stop as Expected

Before leaving any sort of control setup, be sure to test the machine operates as expected!

Control Cable Damaged or Removed

For All Machines

Check wiring harness is not damaged. Common damage to wiring harnesses include:

• Rodent damage
• Heat damage (wire touching exhaust)
• Theft and Vandalism

For Orchard-Rite Wind Machines

Check that the temperature probe signaling device is in place, refer to Installation Instructions. 

Amarillo Wind Machine Shows "SD" ERROR

Example:

This is an error from the MPC-20 Wind Machine autostart indicating it shut the machine down for a ECU or sensor failure. Contact Amarillo Wind Machine for assistance.

Incorrect Telemetry

RPM Calibration is Incorrect or Missing

If RPM information is missing, the wiring harness may be damaged. Refer to Installation Instructions for your specific machine to diagnose. The most common damage to RPM sensing equipment is rodent damage.

If RPM information is present, but not correct, please refer to Finaling a Wind Machine Install for information on calibrating RPM. 

Temperature Probe is Disconnected

• Check the probe is connected to the temperature probe port. 
• Check the probe wire is not damaged. Even small amounts of damage can make the probe show as disconnected.

Damaged temperature probes can be repaired by connecting the wires back together by color. However, its usually cost effective to replace the probe. Contact [e-mail] or your local dealer for a new probe.

Amarillo Wind Machine Temperature is Higher Than Expected

Example:

If the temperature displays between 112F and 116F, your temperature probe is disconnected. First check the temperature probe fuse, if it is intact see section above: Temperature Probe is Disconnected.

If temperature probe is intact, the probe head may be exposed to direct sunlight. If this is the case, use a cover to shade the probe or buy a solar radiation shield ([e-mail]).

Autoswitch Shows as OFF When Physical Switch at Machine is ON

Example:

First, double check the autoswitch is turned to Auto. Second, check the autoswitch is connected to the wiring harness correctly. You can find this information in the installation manuals: Installation Instructions.

Amarillo Wind Machine Shows Autostart Disconnected When Off

Example:

• Ensure autostart switch is on (up) position
  • MPC-20 screen will turn on and buttons will be responsive
• Wait for Altrac system to update the cloud (could take up to 15 minutes, if Altrac device was asleep)
• If tiles do not turn white and show as connected, please contact [e-mail] for next steps.

Amarillo Wind Machine Shows Autostart Disconnected When Engine is Running

Example:

• Replace Amarillo / Altrac Engine Wiring Harness
• If this does not fix the issue, please contact [e-mail] for next steps.