Error Message:

ALE: Picker obstructed by separator|picker in

Applies to:

• Trendsetter_400/800_Auto

Operator Action:

Select the RESUME button on the workstation dialog box. If this fails to correct the problem, open the plate cover and inspect the plate separator arms and the picker head. The picker should be in the OUT position (i.e. AWAY from the plate stack) and the picker out magnetic reed switches should be tripped. The plate separator arms should be in the outboard position and should be activating their microswitches. If everything looks normal, then Creo Service should be called.

Service Information:

This error is reported when the picker is attempting to move up or down and the firmware detects that either the picker is NOT in the OUT position (i.e. is NOT away from the plate stack) or that the plate seperator arms are NOT in the outboard position.

This error is most likely caused by someone putting the picker or separator arms in the IN position using the diagnostic commands or by a problem with the picker or seperator arm sensors.

The sensor status may be checked by using the PICKER command. The sensor status should read TRUE if the sensor is activated. The sensors are wired in series, so both of them need to be tripped for the status to read TRUE.

It may be useful to set the 'verbose alcmd' parameter to 1 in order to obtain further diagnostic information.

Cause:

• Move Picker or Separator arms OUT.
• If the error message was "Picker obstructed by picker in", then check if the picker is in the OUT position (i.e. AWAY from the plate stack). If it is, then refer to the service information for the E_ALE_PICKER_TIMEOUT error.
• If the error message was "Picker obstructed by separator", then check if the seperator arms are in their outboard position and are both tripping their microswitches. If they are, then refer to the service information for the E_ALE_SEP_TIMEOUT error.
• If the picker IS in the OUT position, then the picker out sensors may be temporarily masked off by setting al pios to 0. Masking off these sensors will get rid of the error message but will cause the machine to run significantly slower than it used to.
• If the separator arms ARE in the outboard position, then the separator out sensors may be temporarily masked off by setting al ss to 0. Masking off these sensors will get rid of the error message but will cause the machine to run significantly slower than it used to.
• WARNING: Masking off sensors disables proper error checking!

See Also:

• Command: picker
• Command: resume
• NVS: al pios
• NVS: al ss
• NVS: verbose alcmd
• Error: E_ALE_PICKER_TIMEOUT
• Error: E_ALE_SEP_TIMEOUT