How to test circuit board battery connection.RS-4i sequential stimulator

[Crrose]

Not sure where to post this but I have an RS-4i sequential stimulator that runs off rechargeable batteries and also has a VL2330 coin cell battery that retains the memory. If that battery doesn't hold charge or connection is bad then the unit will power on and say to recharge. Once it is charged it indicates it is charged but when you turn unit on it powers off saying to charge batteries. I replaced that coin cell battery and now it won't even indicate batteries need to be charged. I have tested the battery pack and it is fully charged at 6V but the coin cell only shows 2.97V which is a brand new battery I put in. It will not charge any higher and machine will not even turn on any longer.

I tested to pins and legs on both sides of the circuit board and it shows the power of the coin cell. When I put the new battery in I just cut of the solder tabs oh the old battery so I wouldn't mess up the circuit board and soldered the new battery legs to the old battery legs.

So shouldn't there be continuity between the 2 solder joints on the circuit board?

[CapLeaker]

Re: How to test circuit board battery connection.RS-4i sequential stimulator

What are you talking about? Continuity between what solder joints? It’s hard to picture something, one hasn’t got a picture off! Take some high resolution straight shot pictures and post them using the attachment function.

[Crrose]

Re: How to test circuit board battery connection.RS-4i sequential stimulator

Here are some pictures, put new battery in and still won't come on.

[Devil_rider]

Re: How to test circuit board battery connection.RS-4i sequential stimulator

Br2330 is not rechargeable and most likely there is no charging circuit so do not expect the voltage to increase on it.I can see couple of regulators , do they get voltage? Is the power button connected to processor ? Does the processor have power?

[CapLeaker]

Re: How to test circuit board battery connection.RS-4i sequential stimulator

Hmm… the VL2330 is a rechargeable battery. The BR2330 is single use only. So you put a non rechargeable battery into a rechargeable situation. That’s not that good.

The battery should be for memory backup only. So the device should work without in, if it’s plugged it. If nothing is working, the must be something wrong somewhere. Hopefully it is something simple like a missing voltage somewhere .

[Crrose]

Re: How to test circuit board battery connection.RS-4i sequential stimulator

Hmm I replaced with the VL2330 because I thought it was the same size being 2330 and it had the legs on it so it could be soldered on the board. I'll try looking for a BR2330 and try that. But shouldn't it still work being a 3v coin cell even thought it can't be recharged?

[Crrose]

Re: How to test circuit board battery connection.RS-4i sequential stimulator

This is the original recall letter I got years ago.

[CapLeaker]

Re: How to test circuit board battery connection.RS-4i sequential stimulator

Interesting piece of information. Usually things work fine without the backup battery, but I guess this unit turns off when the battery is depleted.
In your case a 3V coin cell battery is nearly dead if it measures 3.00V. Yours is 2.97V, so I'll call it almost dead.

How long did this device take to drain the new battery?
Question is what does the backup battery have for an exact function in order to render the unit useless when the battery is dead. Does this mean a chip lost some sort of programming and is in need of reflashing too? There were some other old devices that had the same problem. Backup battery dead, meant everything stayed dead because it lost its programming.
Looking at the TMS230LF2406A datasheet I see a boot enable pin. Maybe it has to do with something or not. I guess you can figure that out by checking the voltage on it (no battery vs with battery installed).

[Crrose]

Re: How to test circuit board battery connection.RS-4i sequential stimulator

I've tried 2 different LV2330 batteries and both came charged at only 2.97v so I don't know if being a rechargeable battery in a unit that does not use a rechargeable would make it not work still or if like you said since battery is below 3v it is considered dead. Neither battery worked in the unit. I don't know why I assumed it was a rechargeable battery other then me reading the recall wrong. Trying to find a BR2330 with solder pins that will fit and see if that will do it.

[CapLeaker]

Re: How to test circuit board battery connection.RS-4i sequential stimulator

We here have terrible times getting certain coin cell batteries, thanks to our government not allowing lithium cells to be transported in cargo airplanes. So I resorted into fitting coin cell holders from old motherboards and slip a something more common in there whatever fits.
For testing purposes, you can put a single use, non rechargeable battery in there, just don’t leave it in there, since it can swell up and cause damage.

[Crrose]

Re: How to test circuit board battery connection.RS-4i sequential stimulator

apparently it supposed to have a single use battery not rechargable, that's why i'm looking for a br2330 with solder pins. The battery was replace once for the recall and the one they put in lasted probably 7 years with very little use of the machine. Where is the boot up pin?

[CapLeaker]

Re: How to test circuit board battery connection.RS-4i sequential stimulator

Just google the chip with data sheet on the end. Post #8

[Crrose]

Re: How to test circuit board battery connection.RS-4i sequential stimulator

I can't figure that data sheet out. Could I just install a button cell holder instead of trying to find that battery with solder pins?

[CapLeaker]

Re: How to test circuit board battery connection.RS-4i sequential stimulator

That’s what I would be doing for testing purposes only. Put a regular cr2032 battery and holder in there and see what it does. Measure the 2032 before you put it in and see what happens.

[Crrose]

Re: How to test circuit board battery connection.RS-4i sequential stimulator

Now I just need to find a holder that will hold a BR2330 since it is larger then the CR2032..I don't want to keep soldering the board and taking a chance of messing it up.

[CapLeaker]

Re: How to test circuit board battery connection.RS-4i sequential stimulator

Not sure if there is such thing

[Crrose]

Re: How to test circuit board battery connection.RS-4i sequential stimulator

They do have them but I don't want to buy 500 of them, guess they sell them to people who make circuit boards.