Thursday, March 28, 2013

SONY LCD TVs - TROUBLESHOOTING - TIPS



DISPLAY TROUBLESHOOTING
   The video and audio processing circuits are virtually identical to those used in other display devices (e.g. CRT and Plasma). Particular attention will be given to the circuits that control and drive the panel. The Key components common to all LCD displays include the LCD panel assembly (there will be 3 of them in a projection unit), a method of passing back lighting through the LCD crystals, and circuits to scale the incoming video data to the resolution of the panel.
   Regardless of the signal source, the video signal is in a digital format. The initial video process circuits digitize all analog signal sources.  LCD panels can only accept digital signals. Most designs accept the individual RGB components in an 8 or 10-bit word size. The RGB signal will have been scaled to meet the fixed resolution of the panel. This digital RGB data is allocated to the correct pixel position on the panel by the panel logic circuit.
Failures occurring with the LCD panel itself or the above mentioned circuits usually manifest themselves in an easily recognizable symptom.
The most common are:
  • No picture
  • Missing or fully lit horizontal lines (individually or in groups)
  • Missing or fully lit vertical lines (individually or in groups)
  • Distortion in the displayed video.
   This last bullet can be more difficult to discern since the video process circuits can cause the distortion rather than those used to control pixel lighting on the panel. Tips will be provided later in this chapter to point out some of the unique symptoms of panel-caused distortions versus those that are usually seen when the video process circuits are at fault. 
   Other failures can occur such as a unit that will not turn on or turns its self off for protection purposes. The latter will usually generate a diagnostic indication that may help in determining what the cause is. Failure of the audio processing and amplifying circuits must also be considered. All of the previously mentioned items are diagnosed in different ways that are unique to the chassis/model design. This chapter is geared towards generic approaches to servicing LCD televisions. Additional chapters in this manual will contain troubleshooting flowcharts specifically tailored for a model or group of models.
   Diagnostics procedures that are unique to specific models are best followed with troubleshooting flowcharts specific to them. This manual will contain such charts located in individual chapters labeled with the model or chassis they are designed for.
NO VIDEO
   A trues “no video” condition assumes that none of the various inputs or tuner sources are displaying a picture. As mentioned earlier, it is important to immediately isolate the cause and determine if it lies within the video process or the panel control circuits. All Sony televisions generate what is known as “On Screen Display” graphics (OSD). Any display of on-screen graphics (such as channel, video input numbers, or customer setup menus) immediately disqualifies the panel and the drive circuits as the cause. On-screen graphics can be a powerful troubleshooting tool but its use is unique to the design of the unit. A flowchart specific to that chassis or model should be used.
BACK-LIGHTING
   All LCD televisions, whether a direct-view or projection type, require a light source be present to pass through the LCD crystals and out to the viewer. In direct-view units the current choice is multiple fluorescent tube lamps whose light output is spread by a diffuser panel. Projection units utilize a high-intensity lamp. In Sony LCD projection units, the lamplight is split into red, green, and blue light components. These light components are sent to individual LCD panels for pixel control and recombined for projection to a screen.
Since current LCD technology is unable to completely block back-lighting  a small amount of light passes through the LCD crystals and can be seen as a dark gray raster. Ambient room lighting will determine how easy this is to see. In most cases it is easier to watch the screen as the unit is being turned off to see if the raster becomes slightly darker.
   All Sony LCD televisions contain protection circuits to monitor the circuits driving the back-light lamps. If the ballast control circuits or the lamp(s) fail, the unit will usually shut down and display a diagnostics indication. How this is done is unique to each model. Utilizing a troubleshooting flowchart for that specific model is the best way to isolate the cause. Verification of back-lighting should always be the first step in isolating a “no video” condition regardless of the presence of protection circuits.
NO-VIDEO WITH BACK-LIGHTING
   If back-lighting is confirmed, the next step is to observe for the presence of any on-screen display (OSD) graphics. The main microprocessor or video process circuits generate these. The presence of OSD is a clear indicator that the LCD panel and its associated drive circuits are functioning. The focus of attention is now in the video input and process circuits. Use a troubleshooting flowchart for the specific model to assist in isolating the problem.
DISTORTED VIDEO
   Distortions in the video can be a difficult challenge since it can manifest itself in many ways. Fortunately, many of the distortion issues that are caused by the panel control and driver circuits are unique and usually easy to identify. Distortions can be classified into the following groups:
  • Unlit or fully lit rows or columns of pixels
  • Digital distortion across the screen
  • Improper video level
  • Dark or colored spots on the screen.
ROWS OR COLUMNS OF PIXELS STAYS LIT OR UNLIT
   Fully lit rows or columns of pixels are more common in LCD panels than ones that are not lit at all. Drive circuits that are linked to the panel via flexible PC cables control the horizontal and vertical address lines. These cables are bonded to the outer edge of the panel. If the bond is lost at one or more of the lines, the control voltage will be lost. This allows the liquid crystals to twist to their normal position and allow full light to pass through. Since an entire line is affected all of the red, green, or blue pixels will light. This is a clear indication of a panel failure since very expensive and specialized equipment is needed to repair the bond. Any unit under warranty will need to have the panel replaced. Figure below illustrates and example of this failure.
DIGITAL DISTORTION ON ENTIRE SCREEN
   Unless the LCD panel has been damaged in any way, the process circuits for the video signal usually cause this type of distortion. The proper step is to isolate the cause to a particular board. The two key circuits for processing video are the initial circuits to perform analog to digital conversion, and another to scale the incoming video data to the panel resolution and allocate that information to the proper pixels.  Distortions caused by digital process circuits are unique and, in most cases, easy to identify as to the source. Random points of pixel lighting and loss of detail in the displayed image are examples of distortion caused by the initial video process stages. If this happens, using the OSD functions of the unit can help to verify this. OSD is usually inserted near the end of the digital processing, before it enters the panel scaling circuits. Figure 2-2 illustrates an example of a digital process failure in the front end of the process circuits. Note how the OSD is unaffected. The OSD has made it clear that there is nothing wrong with the panel or the scaling and drive circuits.  Distortions caused by the scaling and panel drive circuits usually generate symmetrical patterns. Erroneous highlight and black level can also occur here since gamma correction is performed at this stage.