Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Barco/GDC Marriage Tamper Error

This is topic Barco/GDC Marriage Tamper Error in forum Digital Cinema Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Andrew Heller (Member # 9664) on 04-22-2017, 08:26 PM:

Each time I clean the filters on the Barco 2k-15c, I'm given a marriage tamper alert from the GDC viewer. I looked up in my digital cinema guide, and it seems like it has been set up to do this, and then using the Dallas key, or a power-cycle of the server, to clear the error. Is it possible to disable the tamper alert?

Posted by Dave Macaulay (Member # 813) on 04-22-2017, 08:43 PM:

The marriage tamper should only be tripped by opening the secure are (light engine cover) or removing one of the boards from the card cage. Removing the filters should not give any errors at all.
Strange. maybe a board has a poor connection that gets disturbed by removing the cover panel?

Posted by Marco Giustini (Member # 4544) on 04-23-2017, 04:53 AM:

Do you unplug the network/video cables from the projector in order to remove the plastic panel that hides the filter?
You say you get a marriage tamper on the GDC - does the projector status tail turns RED as well?

Posted by Andrew Heller (Member # 9664) on 04-23-2017, 09:59 AM:

Marco- No. The last time especially, I took special care to ensure the panel did not touch the wires. I thought that could have been an issue. The projector tail light stays green, which is another thing I'm curious about. All seems fine until starting the movie, then the error occurs and the playback stops (all with a green tail).

Would this error occur if the front panel is moved? I'm not taking it off, but it is being moved around from removing the right side panel.
Maybe shutting down the server before doing maintenance would prevent the error?

Posted by Marco Giustini (Member # 4544) on 04-23-2017, 10:59 AM:

There are no tamper switches on the external, plastic panels. Next maintenance round you may want to ask to your engineer to have a look at the tamper switches, reseat/clean the boards.

I have a feeling you could cause a tamper event by simply tapping on the side of the projector. But I wouldn't push my luck [Wink]

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 04-23-2017, 12:48 PM:

quote: Andrew Heller (my emphasis)
...then the error occurs and the playback stops (all with a green tail).

If the projector tail light remains green throughout, then the projector doesn't have a problem: it doesn't think it's been tampered with. It would appear to be the server that is complaining of molestation.

Maybe if the server loses the TLS handshake with the projector's gore board, or the secure network link with the IMB, in a chaotic way and without having been shut down first, this causes a tamper alarm on the server?

Shutting it down and powering it down before doing likewise to the projector would seem to me to be a sensible thing to try. This is the first server I've heard of that has anti-tamper stuff in it, though (apart from the secure covers in the media block or IMB).

Posted by Marcel Birgelen (Member # 6801) on 04-23-2017, 06:15 PM:

Removing the filters will trigger some events in the projector. Maybe those get interpreted as a tamper event by the server?

It would indeed be interesting what would happen if you properly shut down both server and projector when removing the filters.

Posted by Andrew Heller (Member # 9664) on 04-23-2017, 09:26 PM:

I'll test and update tomorrow.

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 04-24-2017, 08:14 AM:

Can you name a single "event" that is triggered in a DP2K-15C that happens when a filter is removed? At best, it will see the fan speed change due to the reduced restriction. They only have a lower-limit though on fan speed.

With a green tail light, the projector isn't issuing any tamper events.

Note, the OP has not specified the server just a general "GDC Viewer", whatever that is. Does he have a GDC TMS system and its SNMP is reporting an error? Who knows?

If a GDC server, which model? There are MANY to choose from and depending on which one will cause the diagnosis to vary.

Posted by Marcel Birgelen (Member # 6801) on 04-24-2017, 09:45 AM:

Yeah, the tail light stays green, so the projector doesn't register any tamper event itself. This should rule out any problems with lose cards or other lose contacts in the projector.

But if I remember correctly, it does have a switch to recognize the presence of the front cover plates, so this could trigger some kind of e.g. SNMP trap which might be seen by the server as a "tamper event".

Posted by Marco Giustini (Member # 4544) on 04-24-2017, 09:55 AM:

quote: Marcel Birgelen
Removing the filters will trigger some events in the projector.

Marcel, removing the filters SHOULD NOT trigger any warnings/events in the projector. This is assuming you follow the official procedure and you do not remove any internal panels.

If your projector gets upset when removing the filters, then your projector has a problem!

Posted by Marcel Birgelen (Member # 6801) on 04-24-2017, 10:00 AM:

I agree, it should not trigger errors or warnings. But doesn't it trigger an SNMP trap for example? Such a thing could also just be an informational message, which gets misinterpreted by the server.

Posted by Tim Sherman (Member # 569) on 04-24-2017, 11:49 AM:

There are no sensors or switches that sense the filters on any of the Barco machines. Something else is going on here.

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 04-24-2017, 12:01 PM:

There are no sensors/switches for any of the plastic "skins" on the DP2K-15C. The only projector that seems to care about removing that sort of cover is NEC but not Barco.

Posted by Marco Giustini (Member # 4544) on 04-24-2017, 12:16 PM:

What Steve and Tim said [Smile]

Posted by Marcel Birgelen (Member # 6801) on 04-24-2017, 02:48 PM:

So, instead of a technician he should call a ghost hunter? [Razz]

He indicates the error dispersal when he power cycles the server. The projector doesn't indicate any problem. So, either something upsets the projector without itself noticing it or the server is the problem, I'd say.

Posted by Tim Sherman (Member # 569) on 04-24-2017, 05:12 PM:

What GDC server, IMB, IMS are you running?

My guess here would be that something is getting unplugged or flexed enough when taking off the plastic card cage cover that it is loosing connection to the server momentarily. Like the cat6 or pcie cable depending on what GDC system it is.

I have been on many service calls where there is no strain relief service loop and was surprised that the cables still worked.