Re: Ballots not processed

["Steve Ricke" <steve@dieboldes.com>]

> Steve Ricke wrote:
>
> > We are occasionally receiving tabulators from the field
> > with the following problem. User complaint:  During
> > election the tabulator LCD will display "BALLOT JAMMED IN
> > READER" while the tabulator continues to accept ballots.
> > These ballots are passed through the tabulator without
> > being processed or recognized by the tabulator.We have fed
> > thousands of ballots through these units and have been
> > unable to duplicate the complaint.
>
>   We're coming up empty on this one.  As I've mentioned,
> this suggests an AV crash but since 1.94w stops the motor
> BEFORE displaying the ballot jam message, we're starting to
> suspect a ballot scanner crash.  A couple of questions.
>
> 1) Steve, what firmware was in the returned tabulators?
> Problems like this have existed in older versions.

Tried most of the morning to duplicate the fault using 1.94w roms without
success.  Then remembered Charlie C. likes to test using the recirculation
mode.  When set in recirculation mode, the fault is easily duplicated using
the proceedures of my first E-Mail on this subject.  The fault can be
duplicated in both diagnostic and count test ballot modes.
Did not try with earlier firmware levels yet.

> 2) When in this motor run-on condition, do you get the POWER
> FAIL message flashing if you pull the power cord?  If so,
> then likely the visible light scanner has crashed.  If not,
> then the AV processor has crashed.

It is the tabulator that locks up.

>   This condition is rather serious so we appreciate all the
> help that we can get.
>
>             Guy

I hope this will help.

Steve R.