Can a corroded TTY cable connector cause a 51c to INI?

[nessman]

A customer of mine has a 51c that's been mysteriously INI'ing for some time now - random times, no common denominator to tie them together. Just warm restarts - nothing serious. INI error codes point back to TTY ports 14 and 15 (which OTM ports, not physical serial connectors). So we replaced the call processor card, reloaded software, patched, etc. Problem subsided for a while then started coming back.

In the past few weeks, there's been lots of rain in this part of the country, and they had some minor flooding in the basement recently where the 51c is located. Around that time, we started getting cold restart INI's - and assumed it was power being turned off while their facilities folks did some cleaning up. But no indications from the system monitor that the power supply was being switched to battery and back to house power.

These INI's would cause the switch to throw SYS700, SYS702 and SYS706 errors until I could get out there to manually INI it.

So today after another incident, I noticed a cable coming out of the PBX just coiled up on the floor with a corroded connector on it - traced it back to TTY 0 which is enabled for CDR traffic, but no longer being used as they're collecting CDR in in TM now. (I'll have to post pictures later - customer's web filter isn't playing nice)

Is it possible that when water gets in the connector and/or just a very humid day it could cause the switch to INI because of corroded pins causing some continuity between pins in the DB-25 male?

I've been beating my head in on this PBX for the past year now after we swiped this account from one of our competitors. I'm hoping I found the problem finally. But wondering if you guys out there have seen anything like this over the years.

Thanks.

 

[allenmac]

I have seen faulty TTY ports cause the switch to INI.

Can you unplug the cable from the TTY port, and see if the problem stops?

 

[Firebird Scrambler]

Can you go into "pdt" and send us the rdtail all history please at around the times that it INI'd.

I've had an Option 11c TTY fibre port cause me hassle a while ago.

All the best

Firebird Scrambler
Meridian 1 / Succession and BCM / Norstar Programmer in the UK

http://www.linkedin.com/in/davidbromley

If it's working, then leave it alone!.

 

[nessman]

Fire... I'll check PDT tomorrow.

Here's a couple of pictures...

Found this down there too - connected to a modem that was still powered up but no longer on the PBX...

 

[Firebird Scrambler]

Ouch!. How did you mange to upload the pictures. Pretty good snaps!.

The last picture looks like it's in good condition?. Lol!.

All the best

Firebird Scrambler
Meridian 1 / Succession and BCM / Norstar Programmer in the UK

http://www.linkedin.com/in/davidbromley

If it's working, then leave it alone!.

 

[allenmac]

Wow!

You weren't kidding about the cable being in bad shape. It would not surprise me if that cable and connectors were the cause of your INIs.

 

[bad69cat]

WOW - that is ugly! I think you found your trouble - the modem could have been backfeeding voltage across pins that corroded together too....I'd lop the ends off and rebuild them unless you just don't need them anymore.

 

[nessman]

It's an unused TTY port anyway... disabled the port and tossed the cable. Just bad housekeeping in the last vendor's part. Unfortunately workload and the geographical spread of this customer's facilities makes it hard to spend any amount of time cleaning up switchrooms that are often shared with other building functions (i.e., IT, HVAC, storage, electrical switching, etc...). When I do have time, I try to identify what's no longer in use and remove it from the switch altogether and tidy up the area around the PBX, frame and maintenance terminal.

Downside to fixing the problem was this particular site was a source of steady overtime $$$ for me because of it! LOL! I won't miss the 2-hour drives at 5:00 am anymore though.