1 Topic by zamrate (edited by zamrate 2022-07-07 12:03:25)

  • Registered: 2022-06-21
  • Posts: 9

Topic: Fireface 400 Overheating

My Fireface 400 sometimes overheats so much that it stops working. When it overheated and I turn it off and on, lights on the front panel will light up for a fraction of a second, then turn off again. When I touch the case of the Fireface 400, it's quite hot (not so hot that you couldn't touch it, but still..).
If I let it cool down for about 10 minutes (or more), then it works again normally.
I can repair electronics myself. What would be the first thing to look at? Could it be due to faulty electrolytic capacitors?

  • From: Germany
  • Registered: 2007-04-10
  • Posts: 9,690

Re: Fireface 400 Overheating

This is definitely not normal, so likely defective components, but I couldn't tell you which, sorry.

Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

RME Support's Website

  • cyrano
  • DAW Mastermind
  • Offline
  • From: Belgium
  • Registered: 2015-04-28
  • Posts: 701

Re: Fireface 400 Overheating

I'd start with recapping the PSU part. One really leaky electrolytic in there is enough to cause overheating and it might cause voltage regulators to fail eventually too.

It's fairly easy to spot the PSU components just by looking at the board. And while you're in there, you might spot some bulging on the output caps too. If that's the case, I'd replace all 8 of them.

I've had to do a full recap on one of my FF400s recently. Not for overheating, but for a failed FW part. My 2nd FF400 will be up for a recap in the future. It's still reliable, but the recapped one sounds better.

MB Pro - 2 X FireFace 400, FF800 & DigiFace USB
ADAT gear: Korg, Behri, Fostex, Alesis...

cyrano's Website

4 Reply by zamrate (edited by zamrate 2022-07-08 16:46:55)

  • Registered: 2022-06-21
  • Posts: 9

Re: Fireface 400 Overheating

It overheated again today. I disassembled it and checked for bulged caps but couldn't find any. My Fireface 400 doesn't seem to work anymore now. The LEDs just blink in a pattern when it's turned on. At the time of capturing this video, the FF400 was cold.
Here's a video of it: https://youtu.be/3eOxKwPUkPo

EDIT: After turning the FF400 on and off multiple times, it seems to work again now. But something is wrong here obviously.

  • cyrano
  • DAW Mastermind
  • Offline
  • From: Belgium
  • Registered: 2015-04-28
  • Posts: 701

Re: Fireface 400 Overheating

Looks like the PSU is trying to ramp up, failing, trying again...

Have you tried another 12-15 V external PSU, or is this on FW bus power?

MB Pro - 2 X FireFace 400, FF800 & DigiFace USB
ADAT gear: Korg, Behri, Fostex, Alesis...

cyrano's Website

  • Registered: 2022-06-21
  • Posts: 9

Re: Fireface 400 Overheating

FW bus power. Never used any external PSU. Like I said in my Edit: It works again though. But I'm sure the next overheating will happen again, eventually.

  • cyrano
  • DAW Mastermind
  • Offline
  • From: Belgium
  • Registered: 2015-04-28
  • Posts: 701

Re: Fireface 400 Overheating

If it's bus power, it could be the computer's PSU, the FW card or even the FW cable...

MB Pro - 2 X FireFace 400, FF800 & DigiFace USB
ADAT gear: Korg, Behri, Fostex, Alesis...

cyrano's Website

  • Registered: 2022-06-21
  • Posts: 9

Re: Fireface 400 Overheating

cyrano wrote:

If it's bus power, it could be the computer's PSU, the FW card or even the FW cable...

I'll try with the RME Power Supply, but I don't believe for a second this will change something. It's btw completely impossible that a "broken" FW cable would make the FF400 overheat - worst thing that could happen due to a broken cable would be that the FF400 wouldn't work because not enough current being supplied.

  • cyrano
  • DAW Mastermind
  • Offline
  • From: Belgium
  • Registered: 2015-04-28
  • Posts: 701

Re: Fireface 400 Overheating

Just ruling out all possibilities...

Remember my first guess was PSU? It still is, but without opening the FF400, these tests can be easily done.

If this fails too, it's surgery.

And an external power source that's on the brink, can make the FF400 overheat. I've had that with one. Worked fine on bus power. External brick no longer could supply enough current and the FF400 kept trying to start up.

Mind you, I had to recap that unit a while later too. At that moment, it worked fine on the new external PSU, but no longer on bus power.

It's fine after the recap.

MB Pro - 2 X FireFace 400, FF800 & DigiFace USB
ADAT gear: Korg, Behri, Fostex, Alesis...

cyrano's Website

10 Reply by zamrate (edited by zamrate 2022-07-13 20:33:08)

  • Registered: 2022-06-21
  • Posts: 9

Re: Fireface 400 Overheating

cyrano wrote:

Just ruling out all possibilities...

Remember my first guess was PSU? It still is, but without opening the FF400, these tests can be easily done.

..

Mind you, I had to recap that unit a while later too. At that moment, it worked fine on the new external PSU, but no longer on bus power.

It's fine after the recap.

Like I said in my post above, the caps do look fine. They are not bulged. No idea if they can still be faulty if not bulged. Visually speaking, the electronics do look OK.

  • cyrano
  • DAW Mastermind
  • Offline
  • From: Belgium
  • Registered: 2015-04-28
  • Posts: 701

Re: Fireface 400 Overheating

If they're bulging, they're bad, but if not they're not necessarily ok.

MB Pro - 2 X FireFace 400, FF800 & DigiFace USB
ADAT gear: Korg, Behri, Fostex, Alesis...

cyrano's Website

  • Registered: 2022-06-21
  • Posts: 9

Re: Fireface 400 Overheating

cyrano wrote:

Just ruling out all possibilities...
And an external power source that's on the brink, can make the FF400 overheat. I've had that with one. Worked fine on bus power.

OK I tried using an external power supply, and then it works again. I still have to check if the Fireface 400 also gets that hot with the external power supply. But what's sure is that when the FF400 fails, and starts endlessly restarting, as soon as I attach an external power supply, it works again.