Installation and troubleshooting of Renishaw PHC10-3 PLUS controller

The name and color of the LED light up indicate its meaning

POWER green power supply is normal

The STOP red controller is asserting PICS STOP; Flashing indicates that PI 200-3 is asserting STOP

HEADREADY green test seat is ready and can accept commands

HEAD ACTION yellow measuring seat is indexing (moving)

DATUM ERROR Red measurement base origin error (needs to be reinitialized)

OBSTRUCT ERROR The red measuring seat movement is obstructed or cannot be locked in place

OVERLOAD ERROR Red test seat overload (unlocked due to excessive force during locking)

TP7 green detected TP7 probe

TP200 green detected TP200 probe

STD green detected TP2/TP6/TP20 probe

SEATED green probe is in place (trigger mechanism reset)

DAMPED yellow probe damping activated

Typical abnormal combination:

DATUM ERROR is constantly on: The measuring seat has lost its origin point and needs to send a "return to zero" command or power off and restart.

OBSTRUCT ERROR is constantly on: Check if there are any obstacles on the movement path of the test seat or if the extension rod has collided.

STOP constantly on: There may be an external STOP signal (check CMM emergency stop circuit) or an internal fault in the controller.

The LED of the probe type does not light up: the probe is not connected correctly or the probe cable is damaged.

Common troubleshooting process

On site engineers encountering integration or operational issues with PHC10-3 PLUS can troubleshoot in the following order.

Fault 1: Controller power LED does not light up

Check the main power cord and IEC socket.

Measure whether the output of the power adapter is 24Vdc (allowable ± 5%).

Confirm that CMM is not in emergency stop state (some systems may cut off the power supply to the controller).

Fault 2: The test seat does not move in automatic mode

Communication failure: Verify that the RS232 baud rate is consistent with the CMM computer; Check if the CTS signal is raised (if using hardware handshake).

Command set mismatch: Ensure that the position of switch 9 is consistent with the expected CMM software.

Cable fault: Measure the internal resistance of the test seat cable (PHC side), and the maximum resistance of a single core should not exceed 2.5 Ω.

Check the HEAD READY LED: If it doesn't light up, it means the measuring seat is not ready and the origin may not have been found.

Fault 3: No response in manual mode (HCU2)

Check if the HCU2 cable is connected to a 9-pin D-type socket.

Confirm whether switch 8 (HCU1 button enabled) is in the UP position (if HCU2 is used, this switch also affects).

In manual mode, the measuring seat should be able to respond to slow jogging. If there is no response, try pressing the "emergency stop" release button on HCU2.

Fault 4: CMM computer cannot receive probe trigger signal

Check the probe cable: When using a standard two-wire trigger probe, a Multiwire bypass connector must be installed, otherwise the signal cannot pass through the internal relay of the controller.

Multi wire probe configuration: If using a scanning probe such as SP25M, it is necessary to confirm that switch 13=DOWN (Multiwire) and that the cable is correctly connected to the measuring socket and computer interface.

Measurement trigger output: When the probe triggers, check for any on/off changes between pins 5-9 of PICS (or measure directly from pin 7-DIN).

Fault 5: Poor measurement repeatability or decreased accuracy

Mechanical looseness: Check whether the mounting screws of the measuring seat and the connection between the measuring seat and the CMM spindle are tightened.

Probe damping incorrect activation: Confirm that the DAMPED LED is not lit during the measurement process (damping will reduce trigger sensitivity). If it lights up incorrectly, check if the CMM software incorrectly asserts the PDAMP signal.

Cable interference: Ensure that the measuring seat cable, PICS cable, and power line are routed separately and shielded and grounded as a whole.

Special case: XON/XOFF flow control under extended command set

If the extended command set is enabled, CMM computers can pause controller data transmission by sending XOFF (0x13) and resume by sending XON (0x11). Attention: If the output buffer overflows, the controller will lose response. Therefore, it is recommended not to frequently use XON/XOFF, but to achieve reliable transmission through CTS/RTS hardware flow control.

Maintenance and spare parts recommendations

There are no user repairable parts inside PHC10-3 PLUS. Any faulty unit should be returned to a Renishaw authorized service center for repair. Daily maintenance only requires:

Cleaning: Use soft and dry non-woven fabric to wipe the shell and interface, do not use solvents.

Cable inspection: Regularly check whether the measuring seat cable (especially coiled cable) has cracked outer skin or broken core wire.

Dial switch record: It is recommended to record the current switch setting value on the device label for quick recovery.

Recommended spare parts (for quick replacement):

A pre configured PHC10-3 PLUS controller (A-5863-0100 standard version, or A-5863-0200/0300 integrated PI 200-3 version)

A 6-meter PLM6 test seat cable (spare part)