Edge 9000 not powering

[gandalftheman241]

Hello everyone! Recently bought this Edge 9000 and as it’s my first lightbar I’m just unsure if I’m doing something wrong or it’s broken. There are only 4 wires 2 red and 2 black and i hooked them up respectively and the bar doesn’t seem to power on. Anyone got any ideas on this?

 

[tsquale]

I'm not terribly familiar with Edge bars, but I believe you have a serial controlled bar. The fat cables are power/ground the thin ones are what goes to a control system like B-link.

 

[Nolines]

Give us a shot of the label on the underside.

 

[RS485]

Check out: this thread - I think you might have a "Diagnostix" edge bar which uses a special 2-wire controller.

 

[jdh]

That is a "Diagnostix" edge bar. The red and black small diameter (AWG) cables are a dead give away. If they were blue and white, that would be the B-Link series. Unfortunately, unless you received the controller with the bar, it is only good for parts. Unlike the B-Link, the controller must match the bar, and to find the exact controller match is going to be a task, if not impossible. Sorry for the bad news. What you can do is place a standard power supply(s) and a multi cable for the halogen options and get it to work that way. You would need to remove the serial control board and re-wire the bar to get everything to work.

Also, is that an Ohio State police bar?

 

[gandalftheman241]

Thank you all for your answers. Since I know this bar is a Diagnostix anyone know where I can get started? I don’t want this bar to go to waste as I paid $425 in total for this bar. (Including shipping). Plus I do not currently have the time in order to rewire it.

When the bar arrived I cut off the original corroded and rusty pin harness. It was an 8 pin and doesn’t match the wires at all. I’ll get a picture when I have time later.


Also I’m not sure if this is from the Ohio state police.

 

[gandalftheman241]

Here is the 8 pin I was talking about. Turns out it’s supposed to plug into something to power it. (Presumably a PCDS-9). The model number is barely legible but I read out “936 - - - DS1”.
I feel duped as the seller never informed me of these specifics, nor did he give me any controller, and he said he applied 12V to the wires and it lit up. I forgot to ask for a video of the bar and I feel dumb for not doing so.

 

[tsquale]

Here is the 8 pin I was talking about. Turns out it’s supposed to plug into something to power it. (Presumably a PCDS-9). The model number is barely legible but I read out “936 - - - DS1”.
I feel duped as the seller never informed me of these specifics, nor did he give me any controller, and he said he applied 12V to the wires and it lit up. I forgot to ask for a video of the bar and I feel dumb for not doing so.

I have to agree with you that the seller duped you... Both on price and the bar functionality. Hopefully not a member here!

Thankfully there are some knowledgeable members above that seem able to help

 

[Nolines]

It looks like the model says 936 something but I can't tell and I've never seen a pin setup like that holy hell that's corroded ...

 

[gandalftheman241]

I have to agree with you that the seller duped you... Both on price and the bar functionality. Hopefully not a member here!

Thankfully there are some knowledgeable members above that seem able to help

I called him over the phone and he said he had a friend that works for Whelen and they're looking for a controller tomorrow. Or I could take a partial refund. He's sells a bunch of these bars everyday and he was willing to work this out. So all hope isn't lost.

 

[JohnMarcson]

Hello everyone! Recently bought this Edge 9000 and as it’s my first lightbar I’m just unsure if I’m doing something wrong or it’s broken. There are only 4 wires 2 red and 2 black and i hooked them up respectively and the bar doesn’t seem to power on. Anyone got any ideas on this?

This bar requires a special controller. The only way to use the bar is with the controller that was factory programmed to go with it, or to find a properly programmed controller. My video below shows the OSP version (which might be the controller you need). The bar is a brick without the controller.

 

[Ranger-Services.com]

I called him over the phone and he said he had a friend that works for Whelen and they're looking for a controller tomorrow. Or I could take a partial refund. He's sells a bunch of these bars everyday and he was willing to work this out. So all hope isn't lost.

whelen wont have that, they were discontinued in the 90s. as for being able to use it you can get the chance to find a controller thats programmed correctly or close enough, which is slim to none on diagnostix bars. or you will have to completely strip the bar and rewire it, the strobe supplies are the same as a normal bar unlike someone else said, you just need a complete wire harness

 

[RS485]

For what it's worth, I have a PCDS-9 and a Whelen "Serial Controller Receiver" board (part #01-0266995-00C) and spent some time trying to make sense of the communications between the two.

Looks like they talk at 4800 bps,8,1,N though I'm not sure of the electrical format (i.e. definiteley not RS484, don't think its straight RS232).

For now, I just bypassed that detail and soldered a wire between PIN #29 of the MCU on the control board ("RDI on the 68HC7058N data sheet") and connected it to pin "D13" on a "SparkFun RedBoard" (Digikey part #1568-1768-ND).

For development, I use the Arduino IDE available at www.arduino.cc/en/software

With the code attached, I got the alleys/takedowns/scenelight and rear-flashers to work. I don't have a Diagnostix lightbar to test with so I can't observe the correctness of strobe (or other) behaviors - but I did measure voltage changes on the strobe connector port and they seemed to correspond with messages associated with the 4-way slide-switch messages.

I'll be digging a lot more into the message details and electrical details and ideally, be able to offer-up a "how-to" so anyone can build their own controller for "Diagnostix" lightbars.

For now though, for those with a little appetite for electrical adventure, this might help get you started.

For the record, the MCU in my PCDS-9 is labeled "OHIO Xmtr" which I assume means it is compatible with lightbars shipped to OSP.

The Serial-Receiver board I have had a Whelen repair ticket attached indicating it came from Massachusetts "Department of Public Safety" on the account of "MHQ", one of the big municipal supply houses in MA.

PS: Merry Xmas!!! ELB rox! Love the snow falling all over the page right now!

 

[JohnMarcson]

For what it's worth, I have a PCDS-9 and a Whelen "Serial Controller Receiver" board (part #01-0266995-00C) and spent some time trying to make sense of the communications between the two.

Looks like they talk at 4800 bps,8,1,N though I'm not sure of the electrical format (i.e. definiteley not RS484, don't think its straight RS232).

For now, I just bypassed that detail and soldered a wire between PIN #29 of the MCU on the control board ("RDI on the 68HC7058N data sheet") and connected it to pin "D13" on a "SparkFun RedBoard" (Digikey part #1568-1768-ND).

For development, I use the Arduino IDE available at www.arduino.cc/en/software

With the code attached, I got the alleys/takedowns/scenelight and rear-flashers to work. I don't have a Diagnostix lightbar to test with so I can't observe the correctness of strobe (or other) behaviors - but I did measure voltage changes on the strobe connector port and they seemed to correspond with messages associated with the 4-way slide-switch messages.

I'll be digging a lot more into the message details and electrical details and ideally, be able to offer-up a "how-to" so anyone can build their own controller for "Diagnostix" lightbars.

For now though, for those with a little appetite for electrical adventure, this might help get you started.

For the record, the MCU in my PCDS-9 is labeled "OHIO Xmtr" which I assume means it is compatible with lightbars shipped to OSP.

The Serial-Receiver board I have had a Whelen repair ticket attached indicating it came from Massachusetts "Department of Public Safety" on the account of "MHQ", one of the big municipal supply houses in MA.

PS: Merry Xmas!!! ELB rox! Love the snow falling all over the page right now!

Mass DPS is similar to the OSP setup but not close enough to run the whole bar. I just happen to have a controller for an unknown state agency I bought when trying to get the OSP one I have. Maybe it's closer, I'll dig it out.

Here it is, it may actually be the control you need, it is from a State Agency that used the options in your bar. It does me no good, I'll send it to you for shipping cost, or trade you for the OSP one. I'll label the wires before I send it.

I also included a diagram of how I wire my OSP serial bar.

 

[Ranger-Services.com]

Mass DPS is similar to the OSP setup but not close enough to run the whole bar. I just happen to have a controller for an unknown state agency I bought when trying to get the OSP one I have. Maybe it's closer, I'll dig it out.

Here it is, it may actually be the control you need, it is from a State Agency that used the options in your bar. It does me no good, I'll send it to you for shipping cost, or trade you for the OSP one. I'll label the wires before I send it.

I also included a diagram of how I wire my OSP serial bar.

there should be a sticker with he configuration number, that's what's important on these and what needs to be matched up

 

[Ranger-Services.com]

For what it's worth, I have a PCDS-9 and a Whelen "Serial Controller Receiver" board (part #01-0266995-00C) and spent some time trying to make sense of the communications between the two.

Looks like they talk at 4800 bps,8,1,N though I'm not sure of the electrical format (i.e. definiteley not RS484, don't think its straight RS232).

For now, I just bypassed that detail and soldered a wire between PIN #29 of the MCU on the control board ("RDI on the 68HC7058N data sheet") and connected it to pin "D13" on a "SparkFun RedBoard" (Digikey part #1568-1768-ND).

For development, I use the Arduino IDE available at www.arduino.cc/en/software

With the code attached, I got the alleys/takedowns/scenelight and rear-flashers to work. I don't have a Diagnostix lightbar to test with so I can't observe the correctness of strobe (or other) behaviors - but I did measure voltage changes on the strobe connector port and they seemed to correspond with messages associated with the 4-way slide-switch messages.

I'll be digging a lot more into the message details and electrical details and ideally, be able to offer-up a "how-to" so anyone can build their own controller for "Diagnostix" lightbars.

For now though, for those with a little appetite for electrical adventure, this might help get you started.

For the record, the MCU in my PCDS-9 is labeled "OHIO Xmtr" which I assume means it is compatible with lightbars shipped to OSP.

The Serial-Receiver board I have had a Whelen repair ticket attached indicating it came from Massachusetts "Department of Public Safety" on the account of "MHQ", one of the big municipal supply houses in MA.

PS: Merry Xmas!!! ELB rox! Love the snow falling all over the page right now!

id be interested in getting with you to try and decode these to be able to make controllers for them, I have hundreds of diagnostix bars and parts that are just getting stripped for my custom bar builds. I do have some full sets to be able to decode them properly, I just dont do programming kind of stuff to know how to reverse engineer it

 

[JohnMarcson]

there should be a sticker with he configuration number, that's what's important on these and what needs to be matched up

Mine is pretty worn on the outside, I'm pretty sure I couldn't make out anything on the tag but I'll look again.

 

[Ranger-Services.com]

Mine is pretty worn on the outside, I'm pretty sure I couldn't make out anything on the tag but I'll look again.

without the configuration number there is no way to tell what diagnostix bar it will work with. there is a chance its on the inside if you take it apart

 

[JohnMarcson]

without the configuration number there is no way to tell what diagnostix bar it will work with. there is a chance its on the inside if you take it apart

I'm going to go take a better look at it my only guess was that because the controller labels match the options in his bar. I also have been meaning to take some of the more sensitive meters I use at work and hook up to the outputs. I'll open up the controller I have and see what I can see.

When I bought the extra controller I have it was advertised as being the Ohio State Patrol controller and you couldn't see in the picture what buttons it had. I learned from that experience that the Ohio State Patrol controller is one of the only ones that lists the rear floods/work lights as an option so I was able to track mine down based simply on finding one with that option.

Regardless I'd be interested in getting the Ohio one as an extra if the owner of that one wants mine...

Here is the label I recovered and the internals; the handwritten configuration number on the label is 214.

 

[RS485]

Interesting...@John, your #214 seems to correspond with those DIP switch settings.
214 equals 11010110 in binary.
My PCDS9 is a #230 which is 11100110 in binary.

If you flip switches #5 and #6 does it work better with your lightbar?

Here's a pic

 

[JohnMarcson]

Interesting...@John, your #214 seems to correspond with those DIP switch settings.
214 equals 11010110 in binary.
My PCDS9 is a #230 which is 11100110 in binary.

If you flip switches #5 and #6 does it work better with your lightbar?

Here's a pic

It works!! My OSP controller also says "230" on it, so that number is defiantly the setup code. What a great idea with the binary=dip switches. Somewhat confusingly 1=OFF 0=ON, but it translates. It powers the bar 90% correctly. Some of the OSP specific options like the center halogen piercer don't work and front and rear strobe feature is reversed. However, this dip switch combo is the only combo that even comes close to making this controller power this bar. So I would say if you have bars with similar features (or you are willing to swap some outputs around in the bar) you could decode the controller using the 3 digit number to binary method (remember 1=off and 0=on).

 

[RS485]

It works!! 1=OFF 0=ON.

Really? AWESOME!!!

On my side, I soldered together a circuit electrically similar to the controller and can now drive the I/O board without any MCU pin hacks:

I'll spend more time now on the message content itself.

 

[JohnMarcson]

Really? AWESOME!!!

On my side, I soldered together a circuit electrically similar to the controller and can now drive the I/O board without any MCU pin hacks:

I'll spend more time now on the message content itself.

That's probably the direct way to do it, especially if your controller is really mismatched from the bar. The number of halogen and strobe elements need to be similar. To get 100% correct function the features need to be on the right outputs inside the bar. This is why my incorrect controller (with dip switches set to the right number for the bar) causes the front and rear strobes to be reversed, the alleys come on together (like takedowns), the takedowns come on one at a time (like alleys) and the center halogen piercer and rear work lights don't exist/work at all. But, halogen features power halogen outputs and strobe features power strobe outputs (even if it's the wrong ones). I think if you use the binary method and set your controller to the same number as your bar, in theory you have a huge chunk of the work done, you might just have to switch a few plugs inside the bar.

OSP bars and controllers are going to be the hardest to work with because OSP added the very nontraditional rear work lights and center halogen piercer (doubling as takedowns). I'm assuming adding the extra halogen functions/features moved all the halogen options "over a spot" inside the bar. Most other serial bars should translate much more easily to a different controller since the options in the bar a physically similar to one another, unlike and OSP bar. I have seen three or four versions of the serial controller with the same features but in different orders on the controller, in theory these could be made to work much more easily.

 

[Ranger-Services.com]

I'm going to go take a better look at it my only guess was that because the controller labels match the options in his bar. I also have been meaning to take some of the more sensitive meters I use at work and hook up to the outputs. I'll open up the controller I have and see what I can see.

When I bought the extra controller I have it was advertised as being the Ohio State Patrol controller and you couldn't see in the picture what buttons it had. I learned from that experience that the Ohio State Patrol controller is one of the only ones that lists the rear floods/work lights as an option so I was able to track mine down based simply on finding one with that option.

Regardless I'd be interested in getting the Ohio one as an extra if the owner of that one wants mine...

Here is the label I recovered and the internals; the handwritten configuration number on the label is 214.

View attachment 233819View attachment 233817View attachment 233818

yes 214, now his bar should have it on the label, and if not sometimes the main board will have it on there

 

[Ranger-Services.com]

Interesting...@John, your #214 seems to correspond with those DIP switch settings.
214 equals 11010110 in binary.
My PCDS9 is a #230 which is 11100110 in binary.

If you flip switches #5 and #6 does it work better with your lightbar?

Here's a pic

when I get back in a while from grabbing more bars, ill grab the few I have and see if it holds true on other numbers

 

[JohnMarcson]

when I get back in a while from grabbing more bars, ill grab the few I have and see if it holds true on other numbers

I found the 3 digit number on the main board of the other serial bar I had, that's where I would bet it's the least worn too.

The more bars we can test the theory on the better. I'm assuming the closer the controller setup is to the options in the bar the better, but getting them to power up at all with a "different" controller is a win in my book. Test as many as you can and let us know.

 

[Ranger-Services.com]

I found the 3 digit number on the main board of the other serial bar I had, that's where I would bet it's the least worn too.

The more bars we can test the theory on the better. I'm assuming the closer the controller setup is to the options in the bar the better, but getting them to power up at all with a "different" controller is a win in my book. Test as many as you can and let us know.

ill make a separate post for it in a bit, ill link you to it when i do

 

[gandalftheman241]

whelen wont have that, they were discontinued in the 90s. as for being able to use it you can get the chance to find a controller thats programmed correctly or close enough, which is slim to none on diagnostix bars. or you will have to completely strip the bar and rewire it, the strobe supplies are the same as a normal bar unlike someone else said, you just need a complete wire harness

I haven’t checked this thread for awhile. They did have it. I received a controller a couple days after I posted the message you’re replying to.
Fully refurbished. All functions work with my bar. I also messed around with the dip switches and the results are in video #2.

In the second video you can see my controller flashing as the dipswitch configuration doesn’t match my bar exactly but all lights still work.

 

[RS485]

I haven’t checked this thread for awhile. They did have it. I received a controller a couple days after I posted the message you’re replying to.
Fully refurbished. All functions work with my bar. I also messed around with the dip switches and the results are in video #2.

In the second video you can see my controller flashing as the dipswitch configuration doesn’t match my bar exactly but all lights still work.

Wow! That's cool!
Looks like it might be a piece of test equipment with that extra switch added and the way it behaves.

I'd really appreciate it if you could take a good close pic of the dipswitch positions (as they came from Whelen), plus where those wires from the extra switch go on the board.

In any case I really happy for you and kinda jealous

 

[Ranger-Services.com]

Wow! That's cool!
Looks like it might be a piece of test equipment with that extra switch added and the way it behaves.

I'd really appreciate it if you could take a good close pic of the dipswitch positions (as they came from Whelen), plus where those wires from the extra switch go on the board.

In any case I really happy for you and kinda jealous

I noticed that extra switch too, that could be important

 

[gandalftheman241]

Wow! That's cool!
Looks like it might be a piece of test equipment with that extra switch added and the way it behaves.

I'd really appreciate it if you could take a good close pic of the dipswitch positions (as they came from Whelen), plus where those wires from the extra switch go on the board.

In any case I really happy for you and kinda jealous

Just came back from vacation. What a shitshow in Lake Tahoe.

First photo configuration is how it was when it came.

Second configuration is better in my opinion, especially with that second switch attached.