GENICOM TechNote 38U-011
3800 Series - Three Beeps on Power-up
3-25-96 Ed Palmer
Revised 9-9-97 Jerry Babral

PROBLEM: On powerup, the printer repeatedly beeps three times.

CAUSE 1: The cable or device connected to the printer interface port is loading the +5V line.

The parallel and serial ports have a +5 VDC line that provides power for GENICOM connectivity devices.. If the 5 V line is shorted, the printer power supply will crowbar and shut the printer down completely. If the 5 V line overloads but does not crowbar, the printer will come up in an undercurrent condition, causing the three beep error.

CHECK: To check for 5 V overloading, remove the interface cable and power up the printer. If the printer passes the power on self test, the problem lies in the cable or device connected to the printer.

Re-connect the cable, but disconnect it from the host system. If the printer passes the power on self test, the problem lies in the host system or device.

On the parallel port, 5 V is passed through pins 18 and 35 and is protected by F4. On the serial port, 5 V is provided through pins 22, 23 and 24 and is protected by F3. If required, the fuse may be removed.

SOLUTION 1: Replace the cable or host that caused the problem.

CAUSE 2: Failure of the nonvolatile RAM (NVRAM) on the PHPM or PHPI board.

SOLUTION 2: Have a qualified technician check the printer, and make repairs as needed: