Fetal monitors · FM-2 family

Philips FM-2: troubleshooting and error codes

The ServiceForge knowledge base holds 7 documented symptoms for the Philips FM-2, with 10 ranked causes, 11 diagnostic checks with test points and expected values, and 36 error codes. Each symptom below shows its causes and the first check; the rest is one connection away. Connect ServiceForge to your AI

Symptoms

Unit does not power on or display inactive

Display completely dark or very faint; no visible screen output after power applied

Ranked causes

1. Display backlight fluorescent tube or high voltage driver failed (common)
2. Internal battery exhausted or defective (occasional)
3. Monitor power supply or internal electronics failure (occasional)

First check

Examine display in dim ambient light

Test point: Display face
Expected: Faint outline visible if backlight failed only

3 corrective actions and part numbers are in ServiceForge. Connect ServiceForge to your AI

Monitor fails power-on self-test patient safety

Error screen displayed during startup; all monitoring functions disabled; error number logged in error log

Ranked causes

1. Program checksum failure during RAM load (unknown)
2. Watchdog timer failure (unknown)

First check

Press On/Off button and observe startup sequence

Test point: LCD screen and audio output
Expected: LCD illuminates blank; two-tone jingle plays; startup screen with Agilent logo, bootcode version, application version displayed

1 more check with pass and fail actions, 2 corrective actions, and part numbers are in ServiceForge. Connect ServiceForge to your AI

Battery depleted or faulty caution

Monitor battery does not hold charge, fails self-test, or does not power unit during cordless operation

Ranked causes

1. Battery depleted or not charged (common)

First check

Verify battery charge state before testing

Test point: Battery indicator or charge status display
Expected: Battery fully charged or at acceptable level per manual

1 corrective action and part numbers are in ServiceForge. Connect ServiceForge to your AI

Monitor and accessory damage patient safety

Visual inspection for damage to monitor body, cables, line cords, transducers, instruments that may affect patient safety or performance

Ranked causes

1. Physical damage from handling, impact, or wear (occasional)

First check

Visual inspection of monitor enclosure

Test point: Monitor body exterior
Expected: No cracks, dents, burns, discoloration, or physical damage

2 more checks with pass and fail actions, 1 corrective action, and part numbers are in ServiceForge. Connect ServiceForge to your AI

Monitor displays error screen and sounds tone patient safety

Display shows error condition, audible error tone sounds, and all monitoring functions stop

Ranked causes

1. Self-detectable error condition (unknown)

First check

Observe error screen display

Test point: Monitor display
Expected: Error screen displayed

2 more checks with pass and fail actions are in ServiceForge. Connect ServiceForge to your AI

Monitor shuts down without warning on undetected error patient safety

Operational error not self-detected by monitor; unit shuts down with no audible or visual warnings or indicators

Ranked causes

1. Undetected operational error (unknown)

Monitoring display degraded or unreliable patient safety

Display shows artifacts, gaps, or poor quality; FHR(s) or TOCO values appear unreasonable after successful power-up and self-test

Ranked causes

1. Defective or worn transducer (common)

First check

Examine display after power-up and self-test

Test point: Display screen
Expected: Clear, artifact-free display with reasonable FHR and TOCO values

1 corrective action and part numbers are in ServiceForge. Connect ServiceForge to your AI

Error codes

Code	Meaning	Trigger	Severity
`1`	Monitor memory corrupted	Memory integrity check failure	critical
`10`	Voltage out of range	Power supply voltage outside acceptable limits	error
`11`	Watchdog timer not functioning	Watchdog timer hardware failure	critical
`12`	System received too many resets	Excessive reset events detected	critical
`13`	Recorder software incompatible with monitor	Version mismatch between monitor and recorder	error
`14`	Flash memory type incompatible with software	Flash memory type mismatch	error
`15`	Phase lock loop lost lock (non-critical)	PLL synchronization loss	info
`16`	Failed to allocate requested memory	Memory allocation failure	critical
`17`	Problem with codec detected	Codec hardware or driver failure	error
`18`	High half-word of flash failed to program	Flash programming error	critical
`19`	Low half-word of flash failed to program	Flash programming error	critical
`1xx`	Algorithm errors	Fetal monitoring algorithm failure	error
`2`	Invalid internal software state	Software state machine failure	error
`20`	High half-word of flash failed to verify	Flash verification error	critical
`21`	Low half-word of flash failed to verify	Flash verification error	critical
`2xx`	Printer errors	Printer system failure	error
`3`	Unable to acquire software resource	Queue or semaphore allocation failure	error
`30`	Error in communications microcontroller	Communications MCU failure	error
`3xx`	Fatal operating system errors	OS system failure	critical
`4`	Stack overflow	Stack memory exhausted	critical
`4xx`	Fatal processor exceptions	CPU exception or fault	critical
`5`	Bad parameter value passed to function	Function parameter validation failure	error
`50`	Corrupt patient record (trend file)	Patient trend file integrity check failure	error
`51`	Corrupt file system	File system structure failure	error
`52`	Attempt to read deleted file	Read operation on deleted file	error
`53`	File system wrapped memory	File system memory wrap-around	error
`54`	Attempt to read corrupt file	Read operation on corrupted file	error
`55`	Failed to create file	File creation failure	error
`6`	Software in unexpected state	State machine error	error
`7`	Software assertion failed (coding error)	Internal assertion check failure	error
`70`	File corrupted - FM-2 viewer communication error	Communication error during FM-2 viewer data transfer	error
`71`	Invalid patient ID - FM-2 viewer communication error	Patient ID validation failure during data transfer	error
`72`	Invalid sequence number - FM-2 viewer communication error	Sequence number mismatch during data transfer	error
`73`	Remote error - FM-2 viewer communication error	Error message from FM-2 viewer system	error
`8`	Task watchdog timer check-in failure	Task did not respond to watchdog timer	error
`9`	Software CRC in memory invalid	CRC verification failure	critical

Likely causes and actions for each code are in ServiceForge. Connect ServiceForge to your AI

Community

0 fixes logged by technicians through their AI, with outcomes, for this model.

ServiceForge knowledge base record. Field-unverified unless technicians confirmed it. A teaching summary of the record, not a service manual. Export 2026-10-14.