Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Component Engineering Automation timing

This is topic Component Engineering Automation timing in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

To visit this topic, use this URL:
https://ft-forum.com/ft/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=008131

Posted by Christopher Meredith (Member # 3767) on 07-09-2006, 05:38 PM:

We have 14 projectors, all with FM-35 failsafes/cue detectors. 10 of them use an older Strong automations and 4 use Component Engineering, I'm assuming TA-10. The cues are interpreted slightly differently between the two automation types.

For the older Strong automations, the douser closes at the press of the start button, then 7 seconds later, it opens, sound goes into analog, and lights go from full to mid. An inboard cue at the head of the policy brings lights from mid to low. A second inboard cue at the beginning of the credits brings the lights back to mid, then an outboard cue at the beginning of the blue band causes the dowser to close and processor to back into non-sync after about 4-5 seconds.

With the CE automation, it is very similar except rather than using a second inboard cue to bring the lights back to mid, this is done with a center cue.

In order to build the prints so that the cues work in both types, I have to place an inboard cue at the beginning of the credits then a center cue a foot later. There's only one problem...

For some reason, the projectors w/ the Component Engineering automations take FOREVER to respond to the outboard cue. Whereas the older Strong machines shut the dowser and switch back to non-sync in a matter of seconds, the CE autmations don't do the same until well after the film has dropped. It takes upwards of 30 seconds before the dowser shuts.

I perused the TA-10 manual and didn't see anything about the timing of the end-show cue. Is this adjustable?

Thanks!

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 07-09-2006, 05:52 PM:

What version is the older Strong automation - CPA-10, SPA-7 or any of the CNA series..?

If it's the CPA-10 Automation, your "batch line" commands are all out of order due to defective programming, The SPA-7, the 4 format knobs are in a wrong placement, and the CNA series, once again programming issues.

You can check out the TA-10 automation setup in the manual section of this site.

-Monte

Posted by Ken McFall (Member # 845) on 07-09-2006, 07:21 PM:

You can alter the length of the intermission sequence easily on the TA10.

Look in the manual at page 3-9 and it explains how to set the desired time from reading cue to dowser close.

Hope this helps.

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 07-09-2006, 09:36 PM:

On the MCU board is agroup of dip switchs that set the timing function also the other dip switchs setch the address so don't change it

Posted by Jack Ondracek (Member # 1466) on 07-09-2006, 10:55 PM:

You may not be able to resolve the cue problem with the TA-10. It just passes cues along. It doesn't "process" them. Unless you design some "custom circuitry", or there's something in there I've seriously missed, you'll need one cue for lights down, and a cue in a different place for lights-to-mid. You won't be able to use the same placement for both, like you're doing with the Strong.

If you want the same placement for both, you might need to explore whether you can get the Strong automation to work with your TA-10 setup... not the other way around.

Posted by Christopher Meredith (Member # 3767) on 07-09-2006, 11:27 PM:

Wow, I should have RTFM before I posted; my question is explicitly answered on page 3-9 (page 18 of the PDF) of the TA-10 manual.

Thanks Ken!

And thanks all for the help.

Posted by Matt Hollis (Member # 2954) on 07-10-2006, 11:10 AM:

We use a Component Engineering TA-10 in one of our auditoriums and I really like it. Your problem seems to lie in the way your intermission sequence time is programmed. Like Gordon said, on the MCU board there is a series of 6 switches which all represent different lengths of time. They are in binary format. The first switch is one second, the second 2 seconds, the third 4 seconds and so on...

If you want your douser to close at the end of the rating band, I suggest engaging only the first switch and placing your intermission cue at the beginning (or thereabout) of the rating band. This will allow the rating band to be visible for a moment (due to the time it takes for the film to get from the aperture to the failsafe) and then the douser will close.

Note: Flipping none of the switches will set the intermission sequence to a standard 7 seconds.

I hope this helps.

Matt

Posted by Christopher Meredith (Member # 3767) on 07-10-2006, 06:48 PM:

Okay, this should complicate matters. We don't have the TA-10. We have the UA laser barcode automation system into which we dropped the FM-35 with the QX-20UA interface board.

All I have been able to find on this interface board is here:http://www.componentengineering.com/tech/qx-20ua_product_guide.pdf
This might not be a bad document to add to the manuals section of FT.

Anyway, IO may now be barking up the wrong tree. It looks like the QX-20UA is merely a translator and that the UA laser barcode automation is actually what handles the events. So in short, I need to figure out how to adjust the timing of the end-show cue at the UA automation, right?

Posted by Brian Long (Member # 2964) on 07-11-2006, 11:10 AM:

Christopher,

Some of the UA barcode automations have a timed end of show cue. So yes, you will need to adjust the timing at the automation. Please feel free to call our office at 206-284-9171 and ask for me.

Thanks,
Brian

Posted by Tristan Lane (Member # 1169) on 07-11-2006, 03:30 PM:

Christopher,

I highly reccomend that you contact your technician before making any modifications to the equipment.

The QX-20 was designed to replace the barcode scanner and instead use an FM 35 or other 3 Cue failsafe/cue reader. The QX-20 takes traditional foil cues and interperets them into event pulses that the UA barcode automation can use.

-Tristan