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CDM1250 shuts down w/ tone and errors

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eportel6607

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Hi Guys,
Just had a CDM1250 sitting on the bench turned on. It suddenly sound a few tones and the screen goes black. It continues to beep at what seems like random intervals and then after about 4 to 6 minutes of this beeping the screen shows ROM CP ERROR. What the hell just happen to this radio?
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RKG

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It probably says "ROM CS ERROR," where CS means "check sum." This happens the codeplug has become corrupted. It can sometimes be cured via CPS (some versions have a CS fix routine; sometimes just rewriting the codeplug from archive is sufficient); sometimes it cannot and the radio had to go back to Depot.

I strongly believe there is a battery or something inside the deck to sustain the codeplug, and this fails. However, I've never taken the time to disassemble a CDM mobile to find out for sure.
 

eportel6607

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My friend, you are correct it does read "ROM CS ERROR". The weird thing is that this problem happen without it being connect to the PC. I'll try messing around with it. I'll take it apart and look around also. If I find anything that resolves this problem I'll repost here and let everybody know.
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RKG

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We've encountered this before; it has nothing to do with being connected to a programming computer. The codeplug data is stored in memory in the radio, apparently volatile memory (which, to my way of thinking is not really ROM), and, I'm guessing, requires some sort of power source to keep it alive. When a battery is connected to the radio (Pro series portable), that could supply the required "keep alive" power, and, I'm still guessing, to keep codeplug data alive when the radio battery is removed (or depleted), or in the case of a mobile when external power is removed, there is a button cell inside the radio. If the button cell dies, or becomes depleted, the data stored in the "ROM" becomes corrupted and, when the radio tries to read it on power up, you get this message -- remember, I'm guessing. Motorola does not supply internal schematics for these radios, and there is no mention of any such battery in the maintenance manual for the CDM/Pro series.

What we have found is that, sometimes, applying power to the chassis and coming back after an hour or two, we could re-write the codeplug data (from an archive file stored on the computer) and resolve the problem. Then again, sometimes this hasn't worked and the radios have been Depot'd.

Most of the departments for whom I do work have since moved off the CDM/Pro lines, so I've sort of lost track of the issue.
 

eportel6607

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Ok thanks again for the details. I'll try that trick of leaving it on for a while and coming back to it. It does seem likely because the longer it has power applied to it the more intermittent the beeps get. So something is going on there. I'll try and force a code plug down it's throat to see if it makes any different and report back to this post for any changes.

Thanks again,
Chris
 
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eportel6607

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Jan 1, 2012
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Location
South County, Rhode Island
Hemm so much for that. It beeps randomly for a while then the beeps stop sounding and the screen reads "ROM CS ERROR". Is there anything that can be done to fix this? This is a huge waste of a radio. Is there maybe an IC or eeprom that can be replaced? Anything?
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eportel6607

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South County, Rhode Island
Hey Cmdrwill,
Yeah I tried that. I've tried it when it's in it's beeping fit and after it stops and the error shows on the screen. Nothing. When I send the code plug data it just begins beeping again and the RSS errors out that it can't find the radio.
 
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