SIO (Serial Input/Output) boards are critical to Payment Terminal operations. This overview will cover the main troubleshooting considerations should you run into issues installing or using these devices.
Overview
SIO Board Troubleshooting Concept
Generally, troubleshooting the ICS SIO board will involve inspecting lights, wiring and jumpers to determine why the SIO board is not receiving or sending a signal needed for functionality. Using the following sections in this guide, you should be able to understand these functions and how to visually check for wiring that is needed for these functions, along with verifying function lights are activating when they should to confirm if the dysfunction is due to the device the function is tied to, or the SIO board itself.
This guide will not cover every possibility that can affect these boards. These instructions are best suited for persons directly involved with the installation and troubleshooting of electrical devices on a car wash site.
SIO Board Jumpers
The most commonly reported issues are directly related to the Input/Output jumpers on the SIO board. These jumpers allow for External Voltage or Internally powered (Dry Contact) electrical signals that are used between the SIO board and other devices such as the Gate or a Controller/inbay.
ICS Recommends using external voltage to power all of the electrical signals used here, however the internal voltage can be used, if needed. To switch between these two options, adjust the jumpers next to the Input/Output wiring ports.
- Refer to the Yellow Circle for an example of Jumpers set to “Dry Contact” which is NOT Recommended, but is required if we do not have an external power supply for these inputs.
- Please refer to the Red Box in the above image for the location of the SIO Port Select which should always be set to the Serial side (covering the left and center pins).
- Newly installed SIO boards may have this jumper set to the USB option, which will prevent all communication to the Payment Terminal.
- If both the Input/output jumpers and the SIO Port Select jumper have been set as needed, but operation is still impacted, please check the indicator light and wiring for the affected function(s), or if there is no functionality at all, check power related indicator lights and wiring.
SIO Board Lights
The most direct way to troubleshoot a specific function of the SIO board is to visually inspect the indicator lights on the SIO board inside the Payment Terminal to verify if the board is receiving/sending a signal.
If the SIO board is receiving sufficient power, the VHOP-12 and VHOP-24 indicator lights will be lit. If either light is out, replace the fuse with an identically rated fuse. If the light is still out after fuse has been replaced, trace the voltage from the 24VDC Power Port on the SIO board to the Power Supply in the payment terminal. Repair/replace any failing components.
If the VHOP-12 & 24 indicators are lit, but there is still a function that is no longer working, inspect the labeled indicator lights that are along the center of the board. Starting from top and working our way down:
- Car Sense: Indicates a signal is coming from the ultrasonic sensor in the podium of the payment terminal. This should be on when a vehicle is in the lane and off when the lane is clear.
- Wash Open: Indicates that the physical “Wash Open” signal is being sent to the board. This should be on when the car wash is open and should be off when closed.
- Gate Busy: Indicates a signal from the Gate is being sent to the board: This should be on while the Gate arm is in the Up position, and should be off when in the Down position.
- Wash Busy: Indicates a signal from the Controller/Inbay/StackNControl software is being sent to the board. This should be on when the Tunnel/Bay is full, and should be off when the Tunnel/Bay is ready to accept the next vehicle.
- RI 1-3: Indicates an external relay is sending a signal to the board. This is reserved for specific use cases and is not typically used.
- Serv 1-9: Indicates a signal is being sent to a directly connected controller/inbay. These lights are not used on sites using ICS Tunnel Controllers. These lights should be on when sending a wash service to the controller/inbay and should be off at all other times.
- Raise Gate: Indicates a signal is being sent from the board to the Gate. This light should be on when the gate should be raising and should be off at all other times.
SIO Board Wiring
If indicator lights and jumpers do not directly address our SIO related issue, we can check the wiring ports on the SIO board itself to make sure that cables are connected properly and in the correct placement.
Power Port & Cable
If the SIO board is not receiving power, inspect the SIO 24VDC power port. The 24VDC cable must be connected at all times for the SIO to operate.
Car Sense Port & Cable
If the Payment Terminal is not automatically playing the welcome video when a vehicle pulls in front of it, check the Car Sense Cable and Port. There should be a cable going from this port to the Car Sense Relay Wiring Terminal. If these are connected but the issue persists. Calibrate the car sensor and repair/replace the relay or sensor.
Speaker and Audio IN Port & Cable
If the Payment Terminal is having audio issues, inspect the following 3 locations on the SIO Board:
- Speaker (J15) port: This port should have a cable plugged into it that leads to the speaker on the front facing side of the payment terminal.
- Audio IN (J16) port: This port should have a cable plugged into it that leads to the audio jack on the Motherboard inside the payment terminal.
- Adjust the Volume Adjustment Dial if the volume is too loud/quiet.
Refer to the below pictures which show the Speaker port in Yellow, Audio In port in Blue, and Volume Adjustment Dial in Red.
COM Cable & Port
If the SIO is showing indicator lights but is not connecting to the Motherboard. Inspect the COM Cable Port on the board, this port should have a cable that goes to the Motherboard inside the Payment Terminal.
SIO Input/Output Terminal Ports
The SIO Input/Output Terminals are important for the following functions:
-
WO: Wash Open Indicates that the physical “Wash Open” signal is being sent to the board.
- If the Auto Sentry is Closed when it should not be, the wiring on this port could be a factor.
-
GB: Gate Busy Indicates a signal from the Gate is being sent to the board.
- If all gate arms are in the down position and the stack is not full, but the Payment Terminals are showing the “Please wait” stop sign message, the wiring on this port could be a factor.
-
WB: Wash Busy Indicates a signal from the Controller/In-bay/StackNControl software is being sent to the board.
o If the wash Tunnel/In-bay is not in operation and the Payment Terminal are showing the “Please Wait” stop sign message, the wiring on this port could be a factor. -
R1-3 (Inputs): Indicates an external relay is sending a signal to the board. This is reserved for specific use cases and is not typically used.
o If you have an In-bay Automatic or Tunnel Controller that is Directly Wired to the Payment Terminal, and washes are not activating as they should, these wiring ports could be a factor. -
S1-6 (Service 1-6): Indicates a signal is being sent to a directly connected controller/inbay. These ports are not typically used on sites using ICS Tunnel Controllers.
o If you have an In-bay Automatic or Tunnel Controller that is Directly Wired to the Payment Terminal, and washes are not activating as they should, these wiring ports could be a factor. -
RG: Raise Gate Indicates a signal is being sent from the board to the Gate.
o If you have an In-bay Automatic or Tunnel Controller that is Directly Wired to the Payment Terminal, and washes are not activating as they should, these wiring ports could be a factor. -
R1-3 (Outputs): Indicates an external relay is sending a signal to the board. This is reserved for specific use cases and is not typically used.
- If you have a security alarm tied to the Payment Terminal that is not able to be triggered while the terminal is closed, these wiring ports could be a factor.
Please contact ICS Technical Support if any assistance is needed:
Comments
0 comments
Article is closed for comments.