Smartseis Maintenance And Repair; Internal Seismograph Access - Geometrics SmartSeis Maintenance Manual

2.0 SmartSeis Maintenance and Repair
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If you are comfortable working with a personal computer performing circuit board or disk drive
installation, then you should be qualified to perform simple repairs on the SmartSeis .
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Alternatively, a local computer service center may be able to assist you in an emergency.
The SmartSeis is comprised of specialized components for seismic data acquisition and typical
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computer parts. You will recognize many of the elements since they have been previously
mentioned in the discussion on troubleshooting.
The system's specialized seismograph components are the multi-purpose OMNI board and one
or two acquisition boards, for 12- and 24-channel systems, respectively. The OMNI board
contains the IDE hard drive controller, LCD and VGA video controller, floppy drive controller,
key panel circuitry, and trigger circuitry. The acquisition boards perform the actual signal
amplification and digitization of incoming signal. There is also a power supply board that
provides the multiple DC voltages required by the system.
The standard computer system parts consist of selected components used in the manufacture of
standard personal computers. These include the 80386SX or 80486SX CPU boards with
memory, the 3.5-inch disk drive, and an IDE hard drive.
Generally, circuit board problems should be solved with full replacement of the board(s). The
boards are of a dense, surface-mount construction, and they themselves do not contain parts
that can be serviced in the field. Repair of the boards not only requires specialized training and
familiarity with the details of the circuitry and system, but also special tools for working on
surface-mount products. Do not try and repair the boards.
In addition to the boards, the hard and floppy drives, liquid crystal display panel, printer, and
keypad are also normally repaired by replacement. We recommend that you keep a standard
spares kit with replacement parts on-hand to prevent significant down time during surveys.

2.1 Internal seismograph access

The internal components of the SmartSeis are accessible by removing the instrument from its
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outer plastic case. Prior to removal, make sure that your work area is clean. If possible, work
at an anti-static work station. To remove the seismograph metal chassis from its plastic outer
case, undo the screws in the flange between the chassis and the case. Lift the chassis out of the
case by pulling it up with your hands positioned under the top edge of the opening to the floppy
drive (drive door must be opened) and the base of the geophone connector.
Touch the chassis prior to touching any of the seismograph components to discharge static
build-up. All board and other part removals and installations should be conducted with the
power off and disconnected. Once a board is removed, it should be handled only by the edges.
Store boards and other parts in anti-static bubble wrap in an anti-static bag, or similar
protective packing material.
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