Electrical Interference Problem that is driving me Nuts - Anyone seen this

[Barry]

My name is Barry and I own a Business in Belfast called Citigolf. Citigolf set up in 2006 has 3 state of the art golf Simulators which allows anyone play real golf indoors with real golf balls and golf.

In 2008 I started to have a problem with one of these Simulators - Basically the sensors on the hitting mat (mat where balls is positioned) would start to light up on its own. The manufacturer said I had bad ground - and when all tests were done - showed all was ok - A new Electrical Box was fitted on the computer running the sensors - which solved the issue. This happens every 5-6 months and - Whereas an electrical box is supposed to last 5+ yrs - It was always changed and the problem stopped. Spikes on electricity was blamed as well as bad ground.


In the last 5 months this has started to happen every 3-4 weeks now. The manufacturer maintains its bad ground - But the thing is ground as required. Last week a stange thing happened. I touched, (lifted off floor) an electrical extension that was positioned behind the simulator and the sensor stopped lghting up as it should - gets even stranger - if I plug a Nintendo Wii on behind the sim - It stops & If I turn the store light on - it goes. I have no problem with any of the other sims. This sim is positioned right at the end of our building - close to the toilets, Store & outside.


Anyone able to shed some light on this - I have always dealt with computer technicians and its only in the 6 days I think its electrical interference. Is it? if so - What is the best thing I can do.

I appreciate your time reading this and even more so if you reply.

Barry

 

[trev]

First step would be to get an electrician in and check the CPC terminations in whatever accessory they are connected to and in the rest of that circuit. Once that has been eliminated as the cause then other things can be looked at but it is a job for a sparky mate. We have members over in your neck of the woods who would probably be happy to come to sort this for you.

 

[pennywise]

Capacitance maybe

 

[Marvo]

A new Electrical Box was fitted on the computer running the sensors

What was this electrical box that was fitted?


With problems like this you need a patient and thorough electrician and you also need to resign yourself to paying him to run the full barage tests on the electrical supply and on the building installation. There's any number of issues that could be causing the problem you're having. I would personally start by testing your main supply and visually checking everything from the main CU all the way through the premises to the plug point that the machine runs from. With this type of machinery I would be testing (amongst other things) for elevated neutral voltages, earthing integrity, harmonics and electromagnetic/radio freq interference.

 

[grantr37]

can you take a photo of the front of the simulator and whats behind it as well, if you could get the floor surface in there as well this would help, then I can see what you have there and quite probably help you out, a few photos will let me get a look to see what I think.....sounds like an easy fix....

 

[grantr37]

had a quick look at your website, you have optical sensors as opposed to motion based ones? (that use magnetic sensors) are these malfunctioning in terms of missing swings etc, or just emitting light? I'm looking into the design of these sensor mats now....

 

[Barry]

Thanks folks - Will take a picture Grant

The sensors are on a moulded plastic plate and number around 18 - About 7 on row 1, 11 on row 2

These I think are motion sensor - Once a club or a ball is moved over these sensors - these are then sent back to the PC holding the software. These are used to calculate ball club head speed and club angle. Once the ball hits a plastic mess sheet about 15 feet away there is Sound sensors whiich tri-angulate the sound made from the ball hitting this sheet and used to calculate the speed, ball flight and immediately the ball appears on the screen through a projector and its an arcurate location and ball flight on the screen.

I can hook at a key board onto the PC (this I am told comes as 2 pc - Top one controls graphic, below one is software which this relates to) Once I hit QT on the keyboard it brings up the sensor matt on the touchscreen. If I was to gentle glance my finger over the sensor - the screen would register this by lighting up green. Its very sensitive. Again it I was to run a agold club over these sensor it would maybe register 2 lights on first row on the sensor (2 for lenght of club) and 2 lights on second row of sensor. so it has identified a motion from one row to the next.

My problem is that all these lights just flash continuously. There is no pattern, it just goes crazy. Sometimes it can slow down and then just stop as it gradually gets slower. Recently it just remains crazy. I will take pictures tomorrow and put them up.

I apreciate your help

 

[Barry]

What was this electrical box that was fitted?


With problems like this you need a patient and thorough electrician and you also need to resign yourself to paying him to run the full barage tests on the electrical supply and on the building installation. There's any number of issues that could be causing the problem you're having. I would personally start by testing your main supply and visually checking everything from the main CU all the way through the premises to the plug point that the machine runs from. With this type of machinery I would be testing (amongst other things) for elevated neutral voltages, earthing integrity, harmonics and electromagnetic/radio freq interference.

Thanks Marvo

Gut instinct - Do you thinks its an electrical thing and not the sim?

Also who does the work you have outlined?

 

[grantr37]

am a trained IT repairer, so any problems I will have a go at fixing, would be good if you could tell me the type of sensor from a sticker/label anywhere on it, then I can have a think about the problem.....a lot now are optical sensors and the very newest ones use cameras in the mat and on the wall .....

- - - Updated - - -

I couldn't get a good look with the photos on your website....

 

[Marvo]

Gut instinct - Do you thinks its an electrical thing and not the sim?

To be honest I couldn't say but you point out that moving power cables around and plugging other things in affects the problem noticeably so it may be a supply problem that's causing communications issues.

It might be easier and cheaper in the long run to install a good quality UPS and an isolating transformer. If you choose a good one the UPS should iron out most supply problems with it's built-in filters AND THE TRANSFORMER WOULD ADDRESS ANY NEUTRAL ISSUES WHICH IS IMPORTANT WITH EARTH REFERE. The only thing is that I'm not a fan of treating symptoms, it's usually a lot less predictable and reliable than finding and treating the root cause but occasionally it .