Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: NEC NC2000C error 140 DLP CommR fail

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Posted by Justin Hamaker (Member # 2165) on 11-28-2016, 06:37 PM:

I received a DLP CommR Fail error in the middle of the show on one of my NEC NC2000C machines. Manual indicates no communication with Cinema Board.

Just starting to trouble shoot. Plan to shut down the projector and re-seat the board. Any other thoughts on this error?

Posted by Leslie Hartmier (Member # 7053) on 11-28-2016, 06:57 PM:

Can you provide the exact error?

It's likely 140 DLP CommR Fail(Param1,2,3,4), which means that the ICP is misbehaving. This is caused by:
- attempting to update without being in 'Special Mode',
- the ICP was reset by ICP & Enigma Control Program,
- the projector 'just' had a hiccup on booting,
- the ICP needs to be reset (and/or maybe just reseated),
- the connection between FSB and MOTHER PWB needs to be examined, and perhaps reseated
- or there might be some issue with the supply of power to the ICP.

Obviously, there are things listed that it cannot be.

If there was the smallest noticeable (to the projector) change in power, the ICP might have tossed an error about the power, and it is not an actual problem.

Without more information, there's not a lot that can be suggested. As you can see, there is a wide range of what might be wrong, although it basically relates to the Integrated Cinema Processor itself.

If you can enter in the entire error, that might help us with giving you a hand in narrowing it down.

Posted by Justin Hamaker (Member # 2165) on 11-28-2016, 07:21 PM:

Here's the only information I could find in the logs.

Fortunately the reboot and re-seat seems to have resolved the error.

Just to provide a little more information, I received an email and text in the middle of the show indicating the error. At that time I was not able to log into the projector using the DCC software, but the show played without interruption. When I attempted to log in with the DCC software, it was like the software was momentarily connecting, but then would fail and it would be in this loop of attempting to connect and then failing.

The projector also had red taillights at this time.

When I rebooted after reseating the boards the only error was the marriage error. After remarrying, everything worked fine. Communication with the DCC software was fine as soon as the projector was rebooted.

Posted by Leslie Hartmier (Member # 7053) on 11-28-2016, 07:48 PM:

Perfect!

That was solely a communication error (CommR is RS-232, and CommE is ethernet).

It sounds like you had a minor power fluctuation, the ICP lost contact with the other components or the internal router lost itself for a moment.

Either way, the ICP could not talk to other components, and that is what caused the issue.

It also explains why you could not log in using DCC for S2.

Checking the logs might give some insight as to exactly what went wrong, but as far as errors go, it was a comm error, and those rarely stop shows. If the ICP was in trouble, the show would not have continued.

Not that it wasn't irritating, I'm sure.

Posted by Justin Hamaker (Member # 2165) on 11-28-2016, 08:08 PM:

Thank you Leslie. Hopefully it was just a glitch and not indicative of a potentially larger problem.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 11-29-2016, 02:22 PM:

USUALLY... it is the internal router that is starting to fail. Once it actually fails you will get a "Router Fail" readout on the LDC screen. The router is the most common item to fail in S-2 NEC's, although I only personally know of three that have failed. The new router is also different than older routers and also requires an installation kit. So if you do order a new router to have on hand as all large plex's should do, then be sure which version of the router is presently in all your projectors so you know to get the extra kit or not.

Mark

Posted by Leslie Hartmier (Member # 7053) on 11-29-2016, 07:05 PM:

This is true that the router is a pretty easy target for failure (we have not had to replace any yet, although we are enjoying the warning signs at one of our locations). It is one reason we have a couple replacement routers waiting for the eventuality. The new ones work fine to replace the old ones, but it is necessary to buy the enclosure for it as the new ones do not come with one, and the old ones come as a complete item (they look kind like a switch you can buy at a computer store, and no, you cannot just replace the internal router with a generic router or switch.)

They are, like most of the internals of most of the NECs (at least, I find it this way), quite easy to replace, but you do have to get the router from NEC/Strong/etc.

If you do order a router, and you are replacing an old one, just a warning - the router enclosure is not a kit. In addition to the router, you need to buy seven separate parts to build the enclosure.

If it comes to the event that you have to replace the router, and you need the parts list, just ask, and I'll dig up my purchase order from when we bought some.

Leslie

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 11-30-2016, 04:01 PM:

If you order from MIT its a no brainer. They will send all the parts if you need them. I had both go down at a Twin and one at a four screen. But no others.

Mark