Promethean Pen Problem

[Fatima]

I have a Promethean Board that is having pen problems for the second time in a year. Last year we had problems and Promethean sent a new set of electronics and the problem was solved for about 4 months. Yesterday the problem returned.

 

When the pen is used the pencil image (icon) is about 2-3 inches from where we place the pen point. The image that comes out on the board is non-sense.

 

Thanks in advance for any helpful tips!

[FN-GM]

Have you calibrated the board? Right click the promethean icon in the system tray then click calibrate.

[Fatima]

Yes we have calibrated the board. Something of interest is that the board seems to work better at the top of the board than at the middle and bottom. You can calibrate, but once calibration is completed the same problem occurs 100% of the time.

[FN-GM]

Is the image a perfect straight square on the board?

Is the image fitting nicely within the area?

[synaesthesia]

Had this with a couple of SMART boards but never Promethean - there are some adjustment screws which tighten/loosen something within the board itself. Last time we tried to get it solved RM wanted teachers who barely wanted to use just a pen on a board to alter these screws, let alone repair the ruddy thing. Ended up getting them out to do it instead. Are there similar adjustment devices on the Pro boards? (Not looked myself!)

[kearton]

Has the board's surface been damaged at all?

[MrEprise]

Have you tried updating the drivers for the board?

 

One of our ACTIVBoards developed a problem very much like this where the mouse cursor was nowhere near where the pen tip was being placed, tried re-calibrating, tried different pens, tried another PC (which happened to have the same driver installed), then as soon as I updated the driver - Problem Solved!

 

If by some chance you already have the latest installed - may be worth trying to get a slightly older release of the drivers.

Edited August 15, 2009 by MrEprise

[steve]

Is the point jumping around when you bring the pen towards the board?

 

If so have a look on the Promethean KB : http://us.prometheankb.com/ and search for Spiking.

[deKay]

Do you have power cables running behind the board (in the wall, perhaps)? Do you have the board on a wall backed onto another board on the other side? Is the board PSU too close to the board?

 

We've had the same problem as you, several times, and the above three things have been the reasons. They all cause interference on the newer (as in, post 2004/5-ish) boards which don't have the thick metal shielding in the back.

[Fatima]

Several great suggestions here. I'm going to look for the screws. I think the image is perfect, but I'm going to check that out as well.

 

The image is not jumping, and I do have the latest drivers installed.

 

If I take the pens to another classroom they are perfect, and pens from another classroom on that board do the same thing.

 

There is no damage to the surface of the board.

 

I cannot thank you enough for your responses. I'm not the perfect IT person, but I get teh job done. This problem is driving me nuts!

[elsiegee40]

We had this kind of problem on a Promethean board that was starting to delaminate. Fortunately it was under warranty and, after the engineer's visit to inspect (& diagnos) it, it was replaced under the warranty.

 

We never did get an explanation as to why it had happened.

 

The only way to tell what had happened was to press your head against the wall and peer across the surface of the board... you could then see that the board surface wasn't perfectly flat!

[Fatima]

I think I have finally found the problem, and will know for sure Monday.

 

The USB cable where it enters the electronics on the back of the board has a bad connection. This was tricky to find because there were several times when I was told to uncable/recable/restart after we reloaded drivers and so on. It always looked like what we had done via the computer that solved the problem.

 

The same problem kept returning and finally it made sense to me that the problem was the connection between the cable and the board. Yesterday the problem returned twice and both times we reconnected the USB and the problem went away, and eventually returned. It only makes sense that this is the problem.

 

Monday prior to the start of school I'm going to recable the USB connection. Being a rather large man (6'1", 250 Lbs) this is easier said than done. The board is only 3 inches from the wall, and the cabling runs behind the board. I'll let you all know if this works as a permanent fix.

 

Thanks to you all for your suggestions. It was the step by step process that allowed me to eventually find what seems to be a rather simple problem.

[kearton]

Being a rather large man (6'1", 250 Lbs) this is easier said than done.

If that makes you "rather large" then I'd like to hear a description of me

 

Glad you've got it sorted

[Fatima]

Today I changed the cable and downloaded a new version of firmware and right now things are doing well. I still think it was a cable problem, but as of 2 hours ago things were working fine. I'm throwing out the old cable and assuming I was a genius. That's good for my ego!

[Fatima]

Update:

 

Installing a replacement board when it arrives!

 

Promethean said that we did everything that could be asked of us, and they are sending a board that has been refurbished. I'm a little concerned about this "refurbished issue". A board came in last week and I refused it because it was not in good condition, but I think that the issue was with teh shipping company, not with Promethean.

 

I was very happy to see that Promethean stands behind the boards enough to send us a replacement.

[hyms4u]

We have several boards installed throughout our district and on a few of the boards we see pens making octagon lines when trying to write any rounded letters. We have updated drivers and software and it is still making these strange lines. Any one out there with a fix?

Thanks

[5tu]

hyms4u - we had this issue. Simply power cycling the board sorted this out for us.

[markrobinson]

Promethean has worked directly with Edugeek to set up a Direct Support Section on the Edugeek Forum. This is intended to help streamline and improve the support Promethean provide and it contains a lot of useful information and links.

 

You can find the new direct support page here: EduGeek.net - Promethean Support

 

A new Edugeek forum area is also organised here: Promethean Support Direct

 

There are a lot of very old threads now about Promethean products on Edugeek, so hopefully a unified section will allow the most up to date information to be always available and easy to find.

 

Look forward to the feedback.

[glennfarias]

Hello!

I have exactly the same problem of Fatima << after calibrating, When the pen is used the pencil image (icon) is about 2-3 inches from where we place the pen point.>>with the ActivBoard, I tried upgrading the firmware of the board with ActivManager but without success. Therefore I ask where you downloaded the firmware, since I have already updated the driver.

I’m Sorry about my English because I am Portuguese.

Glenn