ADVANTEST R9211C repair - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / repair

author: vaualbus
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 15, 2025, 06:51:31 pm
content: Couple of month ago I found a rather cheap ADVANTEST R9211C on eBay and though to buy it but then didn't do that. Eventually due to the store having problem with eBay, the price was lowered to 150 pounds so eventually I decide to buy it (and wait another month for the international sipping to be available). The instruments had a visible problem with the screen from the eBay photo and the listing was implying that the instruments was bought before but got damage during shipping.The unit arrived last Monday and drop damage was obvious.The unit tuned on but nothing was happening and no front LED was on. Initially I thought that not even the CPU was running but than I realize that the optional printer was working; So I finished the little roll of paper left to print what was on the screen and I found there was an error relating the signal generator board.Well out of curiosity I disassembled the board, look at it, and re assembled it and now that error is gone and it seems the instrument is booted.The screen is still not workingand what I see is what is shown in the images attached to this blog.That image is moving across the screen so I think I have vertical action.I than remove the main board, that require the dissemble of all the other board....and found out that the NiCd internal battery leaked a little bit; I replaced the battery, clean the leak and reflow some of the chip that seems more "bad" and I check for breaks on some of the tracks but it seems the leaking was minimal or I was lucky to found it in time!Any idea on what to check?Later next week i will be back home and have an oscilloscope to see If I have any HSYNC/VSYNC signals at the internal CRT connector.Best regards,Alberto

author: m k
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 19, 2025, 08:00:35 pm
content: Picture data seems to be there, but sync is clearly somewhere else.Rear has many connectors, another video output should be one of them.

author: vaualbus
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 20, 2025, 10:18:32 am
content: Yeah indeed!Thanks for the answer!When I'll back home where I have a scope, I will see If I have a sync signal.What a found by inspection is that a resistor seems to be dodgy. It seems not fully inserted in the board 'hole' but I cannot determine if it is making or not contact without removing the CRT board.Also, I need to figure out how to view the back panel video output; It is no VGA of curse that would have been too easy.I have one cheap USB recording device but has a broken USB connector, gonna see If I can fix that so I can try to acquire some video on PC.

author: m k
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 21, 2025, 05:40:55 pm
content: Not much for video output.Maybe old b/w TTL monitor would do it.

author: vaualbus
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 25, 2025, 08:01:08 pm
content: Well well well, situation has been resolved!As anticipated I disassemble again the CRT to take a look at the board, what I found is that the resistor that looks dodgy was connected, guess it was a production issue and the through all resistor wasn't inserted completely.Anyway nearby that resistor I found the problem, board was cracked! And one of the tracks, the one that going to HV pin 2, was open! Guess when the instruments fall the HV transformer put weight on that side of the board and damage it.After fixing the open line with some solder, and mad some adjustment (I messed with that before, my bad), the screen come back to life and the instruments seems to work as the image shows.I will eventually open this it up again and change every SMD bypass caps because some of them looked as they were going to leak "soon".Any way not a bad kit for 150 pounds, now I can characterize some op-amp noise and do some cool stuff with the advanced instrument features.