5 Troubleshooting
5.1
Chopper Head Cable Shield Grounding
Jumper J503 can be used to select the grounding configuration of the
10P10C chopper head cable shield at the controller RJ50 connector. With
the jumper selector in position 2‑3, the shield is connected to the con‑
troller’s chassis ground (earth ground). With the jumper selector in po‑
sition 1‑2, the shield is left floating. A grounded shield (J503 in position
2‑3) is the default factory configuration, as it is found to provide the best
noise immunity for signals on the chopper head cable.
On the other end of the cable, at the chopper head’s RJ50 connector, the
cable shield is connected directly to the chopper head chassis. There‑
fore, when bolted to a grounded optical table, there is the possibility of
a ground loop if the cable shield is grounded at both ends.
WARNING
Dangerous voltages, capable of causing injury or death, are present in
this instrument. Use extreme caution whenever the instrument covers
are removed. Do not remove the covers while the unit is plugged into a
live outlet.
The procedure for adjusting J503 inside the SR542 controller is as fol‑
lows. First, turn off and unplug the unit. Wait one minute after remov‑
ing power to reduce the risk due to residual voltages inside the instru‑
ment. To remove the top cover, first remove the two large screws from
each side of the top cover. The cover can now be removed by carefully
sliding it back towards the rear of the instrument.
Locate J503 near the RJ50 connector for the chopper head cable, and se‑
lect the grounded (2‑3) or floating (1‑2) configuration as desired.
Replace the top cover of the instrument before reconnecting to power.
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SR542 Precision Optical Chopper