Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: HELP: DSS100 intermittent booting and beeping sound

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Posted by Kevin Roudebush (Member # 1916) on 08-13-2019, 12:26 PM:

I have 2 DSS100s that I would like to keep working. One I gave up on and replaced. Now a second one is doing the same thing but I can get it to boot up eventually. After powering off, we turn it on and it has a low beeping sound coming from it, computer screen attached goes blank and all lights on the front go off other than the top power supply light. I can open the DVD drawer. Eventually after trying over and over again, it will finally boot up. I'm hopeful as it eventually boots up but would like to not stress about it eventually not booting up. The sound is a beep and not the steady sound of a power supply problem (like I get if I remove or don't plug in one of the power supplies.) I've tried swapping power supplies from the different units I have and it doesn't change anything. I've plugged in the power to all different plugs and circuits so I don't think it is an electric issue as I've gone back to the original power strip we were using and it has booted up off those. I know Dolby doesn't support these but if someone has seen this (I have 2 doing it so I wouldn't be surprise) and know what the problem likely is, then I can at least consider possible solutions like looking for one that does have that part working and replace it. Thanks in advance for any ideas you might have.

Posted by Marcel Birgelen (Member # 6801) on 08-13-2019, 05:22 PM:

In 8 out of 10 cases of machines intermittently booting up, it's a power supply related issue, mostly due to a defective capacitor.

If you have some working spare PSUs, I'd replace them both to start with. Otherwise, I suspect a defective cap somewhere on the power circuitry on the mainboard.

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 08-13-2019, 06:04 PM:

Marcel, agreed completely that this reads like archetypal FUBAR PSU symptoms, but I think you might have missed this sentence:

quote: Kevin Roudebush
I've tried swapping power supplies from the different units I have and it doesn't change anything.

If you have swapped in a pair of PSUs that you know for certain enables another DSS100 to work OK, and you have put the PSUs from the malfunctioning machine into another one and it boots OK, then it's not a PSU. I would suggest repeating this test (swapping both ways), because this will either confirm that you are dealing with bad PSUs, or definitively rule it out.

If you've ruled it out, I'd suggest replacing the CMOS/BIOS motherboard battery as a next step. In my experience, trying to boot any motherboard with a dead battery on it can be problematic. It will very likely take a CR2032, which are used in commonly found devices (e.g. garage door remotes), and widely available at supermarkets. While you have the case open, give it a good clean, and pull and reseat the various connectors to the motherboard. I've known pulling and reseating RAM boards to cure behavior like this, too.

If all that checks out, can you get into the BIOS setup screen? If yes, it would appear that the DSS100 is powered OK, but isn't booting the operating system for some reason. I don't know if, like the early 200s, it starts the boot sequence from an internal flash drive and then continues from the RAID, or if it boots completely from the RAID. If the former, the flash drive would be the next place to look. If the latter, try to get into the RAID controller's setup screen and see if it indicates any bad drives.

Posted by Marcel Birgelen (Member # 6801) on 08-14-2019, 01:02 AM:

Yes, I apparently skipped that line. But like I indicated, stuff like the motherboard also has its own power regulation on-board, which is also susceptible to caps going bad.

A singular beep is usually a good sign, also, this comes from the manual of the mainboard manufacturer:
1 beep: Refresh, Circuits have been reset.(Ready to power up.)
5 short, 1 long: Memory error, No memory detected insystem
8 beeps: Display memory read/write error, Video adapter missing or with faulty memory

Unfortunately, the mainboard doesn't have any real diagnostic LEDs, only a diagnostic port which requires special equipment to read. There are two LEDs though, that indicate where it is in its boot process:

DS7 DS8
On On PWR On
On Off SPD Read OK
Off On Memory Size-OK
Off Off Starting Bus Initialization

It should cycle through all 4 states, if it hangs somewhere before Off / Off, it's often an indication of some hardware gone haywire.

Alternatively, you may also check the "Event Log" in the BIOS/CMOS setup, when the machine boots and look if some errors are logged there. This is only true though, if the boot process even reaches the BIOS/CMOS initialization when it fails.

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 08-14-2019, 06:37 AM:

I'll say that I'm starting to see a definite uptick in motherboard issues, as of late.

Posted by Kevin Roudebush (Member # 1916) on 08-14-2019, 01:50 PM:

Thanks for replies.
Steve - have the motherboard issues exhibited this type of signal and behavior?
I replaced the battery and didn't seem to help.
So, to add or be clear. I have one DSS100 running and running fine. One in operation that has a hard time booting up so I'm leaving it running 24/7. I have an old one on the work bench that I can play with that has the same signs (beeping and not booting up) as the one in operation.
I'm aware these are on the last part of their life cycle but would like to get some more time. I have a DSS200 to replace the one I'm having a problem with but tech hasn't been here to install yet and, when he does, I still would like to have a good back up as we are all aware these may not last much longer.
Thanks again.

Posted by Marco Giustini (Member # 4544) on 08-15-2019, 11:30 AM:

Can you clarify what kind of beeps the motherboard emits? Can you link a video or a sound file?

I suppose you tried removing all the boards and cables from the MB (just RAM and CPU)? Did you reseat the memory modules? Did you try bypassing the filtering board to the power supplies?

Posted by Kevin Roudebush (Member # 1916) on 08-15-2019, 06:52 PM:

Marco,
The sound is a little longer than 1 second(ish) beep, then about a one second pause and then beep repeated over and over. Not 8 and then long pause or anything like that. Just continuous that way.
I did bypass the filtering board for the power supply. Didn't change anything.
I don't have the top open on the unit that is still in operation.
Was hoping to get maybe a definitive "I think it is this" before shutting it off again and trying anything else.

I've been looking at the other one on the work bench and can see where all the connections are on the motherboard. Can attempt that at some point (after I take it out of service maybe.)
Just realized the one on the work bench doesn't have any drives in the array. Since it is showing the same signs, I'm guessing it isn't a problem with the array.

The saga continues...