Wiring diagram neq6pro handcontroler

[Chrb1985]

Hi!

He hope this is right forum.

I found the need to make my own EQMOD cable. I have the right length but I did not like the whole USB to rj45 to rs232 thing. So I made a USB to rs232 insted. That worked out fine. But it don't look so good as I hoped.

So yesterday I bought all I need to make my own rs232 plugg. Before I start to solder thing up I could have really needed a diagram that shows neq6pro, rj45 to rs232 wiring.

Attached a few pictures of my progress. And why I want to redo it. It's not so straight forward as I though just from opening it up.

 

[Albir phil]

I would say if the one you have made work's use it sometimes looks aren't important, unless you know what you are doing be careful I blew my eq5 pro motor control box  but that's me 🤔😭

[Chrb1985]

I burnt something on y motherboard on this neq6pro... Fault wire, Wich was the cause off. It got stretched or something and it did not show, and that was that.. 2021 season down the drain. That's why I'm not doing anything on that front before om 1000% sure of thing first

Right now I shortened the cable and soldered the original rs232 plug to the EQMOD cable in place of the RJ45 plug and it works like I mentioned. But when I did it I had to replace 1 of the 8 wires with a 50mm wire to get the right length on the whole set before I sealed it up. That job is not 100% in my bokk also I think on 1-2 or many 3 of the other wires I did not get the sealing "hose(?)" Good/thought enough so I suspect that many some of the cobber wire is exposed just a little bit here and there.

it works, no problem, but my main concern is that in time with use (twisting cable and moving equipment in and out) it can "move" so much that what's now in a good enough position might move enough that some of the copper wires touch each other directly..

this is of course a worst case scenario, but I guess this might damage the motherboard again. That's my main reason for wanting to do the whole job again and this time 100% perfect. I got the tools. But I can't find a good wire diagram. And the once I found does not match what I saw last night when opening it up. It looks to me that from what I saw when examining the RJ45 to rs232 adapter thingy: first pin down(5pins total) that it is ground. Next one down is first cable from the side, second cable goes to the first pin up(4pins total) third cable goes to the third pin down. Forth cable goes to the second pin up. And so on. So its: up down up down up down etc.

I realize that was poorly explained. But the diagrams I found after a quick Google search is NOTHING like that.. the look like it's no system no order. And when splitting up the cables and adapters it's hard to know for sure. Because they are made  first by soldering everything up, than the whole connector/plug are put in a cast and a rubber/plastic composition is paired over it. Eventually when it's hardened and dryer the cables are more or less seals and hidden forever. They might look symmetrical or what not from both sides, but they might just as well cross each other inside the rubber/plastic composition. No way to know for sure.

I Hope this was somewhat understandable and that someone might shed some light on things for me. Diagrams are welcome. And opinions on if I'm overthinking this or not. And what a actual worst case scenario will be if my wiring eventually will touch.

As always my hat goes off to you guys! I always get good help and learn things from you 🏆

[malc-c]

All things EQMOD can be found on the EQMOD website.  Here's the prerequisite page https://eq-mod.sourceforge.net/prerequisites.html  with all the schematics for DIY EQDIR cables here which includes one for the EQ6

If you happen to blow the EQ6 motorboard, I have repaired replacements available on an exchange basis... 

[Cosmic Geoff]

I'm surprised you can't buy an off the shelf cable for this.  IMHO, making up a cable, with the risk of lower reliability, possibility of shorts, errors, and mount damage, etc, would be very much a last resort.

It also shows up how old-fashioned these systems are. Connecting to a Seestar S50 is 1000% easier.

[malc-c]

22 hours ago, Cosmic Geoff said:

I'm surprised you can't buy an off the shelf cable for this. 

You can...EQ6 EQDir Cable - £33 to £37 depending on length

[Chrb1985]

Im sad too say that this has now becomed a expensive affair. I now have mapped everything pretty good. Bit after buying wrong sex rs232 plugs yesterday I decided to just solder the cables from my cable directly to the cables on the other side of the rs232 plug ON the mount itself.

My problem now is that there are 6 wires coming from the mother board that goes to the rs232 plug. I assumed the colors where the same on that side as on the RJ45 that goes on the other side from mount to hand controller. This is not the case. So I need a picture of someone's motherboard connector/clip thingy that goes to the rs232 that is mountet on the mount itself. Hope this was well enough explained.

I'll attach a picture that shows what I need. It this picture it's not clear Wich cable goes where on the rs232 connector/plug.

[malc-c]

7 hours ago, Chrb1985 said:

 yesterday I decided to just solder the cables from my cable directly to the cables on the other side of the rs232 plug ON the mount itself.

My problem now is that there are 6 wires coming from the mother board that goes to the rs232 plug. I assumed the colors where the same on that side as on the RJ45 that goes on the other side from mount to hand controller. This is not the case. So I need a picture of someone's motherboard connector/clip thingy that goes to the rs232 that is mountet on the mount itself. Hope this was well enough explained.

I'll attach a picture that shows what I need. It this picture it's not clear Wich cable goes where on the rs232 connector/plug.

 

Nooo  - you learnt the hard way.....  True RS232 standard is +/- 12v around the 0 volt line, thus the full voltage is 24v.   These mounts use TTL 232 serial, which is 0 - 5v, so you have either been lucky and simply shorted the supply rails out, or if you have shoved 24v into the PIC's serial EUART port, have blown both PICs and the board is now useless and needs replacing.

Do you have any means to test and identify the pins and wires (such as a test meter?) - guessing what wire goes where is not how to do it, and the colours of the wires don't mean anything either.  Also with the RJ45 connections used on mounts like the HEQ5 only three wires are needed (Tx, Rx and Gnd). The reason there are more wires is two are used to power the hand set, so have 12v and GND running across them.   I also linked to the prerequisite page of the EQMOD website which shoes the pin outs and suggests how to wire the connections, but what's confusing me is the reference to the RJ45 socket... on the EQ6 the handset uses a DB9 socket for the handset, so any EQDIR cable that is replacing the handset also uses a DB9... 

All is not lost... worst comes to the worst I have a couple of EQ6 boards that have been repaired and one could be supplied on an exchange basis 

[malc-c]

EQ6  mount panel Female DB-9 connector wiring :

• Grey Wire - Pin 8 (+12v)
• Black Wire - Pin 1 (+12v)
• Red Wire - Pin 6 (TTL Rx)
• Orange Wire - Pin 9 (TTL Tx)
• Yellow Wire - Pin 4 (GND)
• Green Wire - Pin 5 (GND)

NOTE that the Tx and Rx lines are TTL voltage levels of 5v.  You can't simply wire a USB cables D+ and D-, and GND to the TX / RX lines.  You need a USB to TTL serial converter device such as the FTDI 232 5V cable.  Then connect its TX to pin 6, RX to pin 9 and GND to either pin 4 or 5.

The blown component on your board is L2 which is a 220 ohm ferrite bead use as part of the noise suppression on the 12v power rail.  My guess is that you managed to ground that causing it to blow like a fuse (which is not what it is intended to do)

 

[Chrb1985]

On 30/09/2023 at 22:04, malc-c said:

EQ6  mount panel Female DB-9 connector wiring :

• Grey Wire - Pin 8 (+12v)
• Black Wire - Pin 1 (+12v)
• Red Wire - Pin 6 (TTL Rx)
• Orange Wire - Pin 9 (TTL Tx)
• Yellow Wire - Pin 4 (GND)
• Green Wire - Pin 5 (GND)

NOTE that the Tx and Rx lines are TTL voltage levels of 5v.  You can't simply wire a USB cables D+ and D-, and GND to the TX / RX lines.  You need a USB to TTL serial converter device such as the FTDI 232 5V cable.  Then connect its TX to pin 6, RX to pin 9 and GND to either pin 4 or 5.

The blown component on your board is L2 which is a 220 ohm ferrite bead use as part of the noise suppression on the 12v power rail.  My guess is that you managed to ground that causing it to blow like a fuse (which is not what it is intended to do)

 

Quick replay. My board is intact. The picture is from Google. I fixed it now. I will post a more elaborate post later. Meanwhile. Is there a website I can order those components you mention? I'd really like to try to make one. And I love learning new things:) I'll attach a few pics of my project here too. Many you get what I did

 

[malc-c]

I assume the grey cable has a USB to TTL serial converter (looking at the size of the USB "plug") 

[Chrb1985]

On 02/10/2023 at 22:44, malc-c said:

I assume the grey cable has a USB to TTL serial converter (looking at the size of the USB "plug") 

It is a Eqdirect cable. And yes it was USB to serial. But its all good now my friend. It worked out quit nice. See attached photo