The AC Locomotive Group
89001 Microprocessor Control Investigations
89001 Microprocessor Control Investigations

Work on recommisioning 89001 continues with a number of exam and inspections having been completed. One area of the 89 that has been identified as a risk to the locomotive's overhaul is the Microprocessor control system. Whilst the Microprocessor has been powered up and partially tested in the past it represents a significant 'unknown quantitity' in respect to its' current condition and function. In recent weeks the 89 has been powered up several times and on each of these the Microprocessor has failed to sucessfully 'boot up' and indicated an error somewhere in the locomotive's traction control system.

Following an inspection of the various cards that comprise the Microprocessor Control Rack (in addition to a card containing the Motorola 68000 microprocessor there are a number of buffer and input/output translator cards) it was concluded that the fault could not be resolved on the locomotive and the decision was taken to remove the entire Microprocessor Rack for assessment and fault finding off site; the picture shows the Microprocessor Control Rack removed from the locomotive prior to dispatch to the ACLG's electronics specialist.