Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Serial Automation failure after upgrade to DSS 200

This is topic Serial Automation failure after upgrade to DSS 200 in forum Digital Cinema Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Nate Anderson (Member # 2711) on 08-15-2015, 01:22 PM:

I recently swapped out 2 old DSS 100s for 2 DSS 200s and am having an issue getting the serial automation to work. One swap when off without a hitch and works perfectly, but the other processor is giving me issues. I have a Christie CP2220 with a Christie ACT automation

I doubled check all my IP addresses in the config setup and they are all correct.

The Dolby cues work (sound cues, DFC 100 etc.)

The ACT itself works (pushing buttons raises and lowers house lights and the masking) but none of the other cues work (bulb on, douser open, etc.)

The serial cable is the same cable that was connected to the 100 and the automation worked with the 100 so I have a hard time believing its the serial cable.

Could it be the serial port on the 200?

Any other ideas? Thanks in advance.

Posted by Stephan Shelley (Member # 8587) on 08-15-2015, 02:56 PM:

Check your serial connections. Did you disconnect the cable from the ACT? If so make sure it is connected to the correct input. There are several serial connections on the back of the ACT. Make sure the serial port on the DSS 200 is configured correctly. Correct baud, parity and stop bits. Make sure the commands sent to the ACT are correct. They have to match what was before exactly. Make sure the termination string is correct. The ACT does not necessarily require a termination string. Depends on how it was setup.

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 08-15-2015, 04:38 PM:

Yeah...I'd say to carefully watch the serial configurations too. Since Dolby defaults to "even" parity instead of none...that will nail you if you are doing things quickly.

Posted by Carsten Kurz (Member # 5396) on 08-16-2015, 07:00 AM:

Plus, serial automation actually has to be enabled at first in auditorium setup, interface configured properly, then the cues be imported, etc. Quite a few things to miss at first.

- Carsten

Posted by Marco Giustini (Member # 4544) on 08-16-2015, 05:28 PM:

I vote the configuration, it does not restore to what it was when cues are re-imported.

Carsten,
if the serial is not enabled, the whole page does not show up on the ShowManager.

Posted by Nate Anderson (Member # 2711) on 08-29-2015, 07:09 PM:

Thanks for the input guys. I think we tracked it down to a faulty serial cable and the automation is functional again. The only issue I'm having is the cues to engage and disengage the DFC100 have suddenly vanished. Is there a way to recreate them? I was thinking of exporting the cues from another 3d house and importing them but doesn't that only copy the serial cues?

Posted by Stephan Shelley (Member # 8587) on 08-29-2015, 07:20 PM:

With a DSS 100 or 200 filter wheel control with the DFC 100 is done via Ethernet commands not serial. Rerun the configuration script on the DSS 200 and make sure you said yes to having a DFC 100. It should pull the commands from the DFC 100 when it looks for it. Make sure the Ethernet cable is secure to the switch from the DFC 100. You may need to power cycle the server or DFC 100 or both.

Posted by Marco Giustini (Member # 4544) on 08-30-2015, 04:56 AM:

Exactly. Make sure the IP's are right and all every single Dolby product will be automatically automated (DFC, CPx50, NA10, DMA8+). No need for serial unless it's a dual projector.

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 08-30-2015, 08:33 PM:

Are you running a Dolby TMS mode, by any chance? I've seen where on current software that the DFC cues magically disappear in TMS mode though they are there on the server. If you have a DSL100 or DSL200 running the TMS, the cues will not appear there even looking at the screen that has the DFC100...but if you go to the screen that has the DFC100 and look on the local server, they are there. This can be confirmed by forcing the SMS mode on the local server (<CTL>Q then press <CTL>L during the 10-second count down).

Posted by Nate Anderson (Member # 2711) on 09-02-2015, 01:21 PM:

That's exactly what happened, Steve. They are there on SMS mode but as soon I went back to TMS they disappeared again. How can I make them stay? LOL

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 09-02-2015, 01:47 PM:

So I'm guessing you are getting the red "X" for the cue. Are the "X" just at the DSL or are you getting them on the local DSS servers?

I just checked the site where I saw this problem and it is now gone. They are running 4.8.5.21. I don't see anything in the release notes about this being fixed but I DID report it when I first saw it and I think it was on a beta version of 4.8.5. I see no mention of it in the release notes.

I'll say this...give it some time (hours) and see if they don't magically fix themselves. Note, everything must be on for those cues to show up. Furthermore, the DFCs MUST be visible to the DSL for it to acknowledge the unit. That is, if you were to ping the DFC100's address from the DSL, it should ping back. Dolby's little internal routers make all of this possible. All of the gateways must be properly set too so that the communication works between the DSL and the various devices including the DFC100.

Posted by Nate Anderson (Member # 2711) on 09-02-2015, 01:53 PM:

When the unit is in SMS mode the cues show up correctly, but as soon as I reconnect to the DSL100, they turn red X again. We just recently upgraded our last 2 DSS100s to 200s so we're running that retrograde version of the software that allowed them all to network. I scheduled a software upgrade with the Christie NOC to get us to the current software version. Any chance the software upgrade will resolve the issue?

Posted by Marco Giustini (Member # 4544) on 09-02-2015, 03:51 PM:

I've seen this before too

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 09-02-2015, 04:45 PM:

As I said, on a site with 4.8.5.21, everything is showing clean. I know that when I was running an earlier version of 4.8.5 I had the same issue you report.

The red cues did disappear after some time though...all on their own as the DSL100 builds its database. Have you given it some time with the servers all on?