Hello guys,
I have been searching the internet on how to "change" batteries in the 5600/5500 series of trimble totalstations. I have recently acquired one for very cheap. Good working order but the battery is dead. That means that the main firmware of the total station is erased. I have seen various places that will replace 2dollar battery for 200 and clean the seals for free. (yeah right). Me being quite keen for electronics i can replace 2 batteries by myself. But the software is nowhere to be found on the internet.
Is there someone who researched such possibility to write the firmware at home ? I have taken apart the body and researched on how to load the firmware - that would be quite easy. Even dumping from existing station would be easy. But i don't have working one.
There's a few of us been battling this and other issues over the last few years. Presumably you're talking about the software on a CU keyboard like the one below - in which case I understand the software that controls the instrument is "volatile" so if the keyboard batteries go flat, the software goes. I understand that when you send the instrument (or keyboard alone) to the shop to get the batteries replaced - before they go flat - the shop copies the software, replaces the batteries, then flashes the software back onto the keyboard.
The other system is an ACU keyboard that runs Survey Controller software (many versions of it, and now obsolete) and in that case the software is not volatile, it is on a card inside the keyboard.
The other way to do it is without a keyboard, with a DC running say SurvCE, but I don't think that has the parameters for compensator, collimation, temp, etc - and may also not be able to start up the instrument to robotic mode.
Shops in the US offer to flash software back onto a CU keyboard for about $200.
I haven't seen a box of knowledge in a long time. It was a big deal for a season or so. There was a steering wheel contraption that allowed it to be hooked up to a GPS unit without losing power. So you clamped it onto the robot then released it and put it into the steering wheel thingy. Meantime you had a number of heavy radios and batteries to carry around. Good times, each setup took 15 minutes or so.
No i am not talking about CU, i am talking about the 5503 unit itself. If you open the side with servo knobs there are 2 boards. One board handles servo drive and second one is the main cpu board. This is the one you communicate with over serial cable or over radio. There are also two batteries and similar circuit that keeps data in memory, also similar memory chips as in CU.
I am trying to contact trimble over this issue, hopefully i will find someone who has the "service program".
@robots Not sure I know of any places that will service the 5600 (Geodimeter 600) anymore. Trimble discontinued them years ago. The company I work for had a 600 that we traded in for a newer Trimble robot for machine control about 9 years ago. The dealer took the robot and the radios but I still have the 360 prism. From what I understood from them was they were going to use the trade in for parts to repair other robots / radios. If you need a 360, let me know.
Transit and Level Clinic (NC) 919.467.7782.
Transit & Level did my 5600 about 8 months ago. $500
Ask for Charlie. He's an old timer. Great guy.
i am located in Europe.