GDC IMB error in Christie CP2220

[Marcel Birgelen]

So, it's a she now, until she gets a new faceplate or what?

Yeah, the battery issue was to be expected. Interesting though that two separate issues develop simultaneously... Will be interesting what GDC will quote you for the re-cert, but actually, it's already positive they still offer the procedure for those EOS/EOL devices.

[Ryan Gallagher]

So, it's a she now, until she gets a new faceplate or what?

Yeah, the battery issue was to be expected. Interesting though that two separate issues develop simultaneously... Will be interesting what GDC will quote you for the re-cert, but actually, it's already positive they still offer the procedure for those EOS/EOL devices.

Yeah the battery issue is a bit confounding though. Bad on us for not having a tech out to check things on the regular, I think it was right at the 3.5yr range since we got it (but who knows how old they were at that time). I could have done it but IMB batteries has not been in my responsibility chart (especially in that venue, my role is mostly in the other room).

We had just shown a DCP on 4/21 without issue. Seems odd to go from a usable cert preserving voltage to completely flat (.05v and .07v) in under a month (with some ALT content projector uptime between then and now too).

We have some lines on an IMS to cover our festival need. TBD if our IMB can be revived or if we move the 2K4 over from the room going down for rennovation.

[Hong Sung Hyeok]

What is the server's software version? An update should have added the IMB low battery voltage warning feature... though that was a very long time ago.
Your IMB will revert to the latest version once the RMA is processed.

[Jason Raftery]

Ryan, what 9x SMS version was this on? Hong Sung Hyeok is correct that modern releases will give a warning when IMB battery voltage is low and the IMB itself will display a different set of LEDs if the batteries really have gone flat and caused the cert to be lost. You'll also get a big red 'X' in the top-right corner of the SMS.

[Ryan Gallagher]

Ryan, what 9x SMS version was this on? Hong Sung Hyeok is correct that modern releases will give a warning when IMB battery voltage is low and the IMB itself will display a different set of LEDs if the batteries really have gone flat and caused the cert to be lost. You'll also get a big red 'X' in the top-right corner of the SMS.

What is the server's software version? An update should have added the IMB low battery voltage warning feature... though that was a very long time ago.
Your IMB will revert to the latest version once the RMA is processed.

I'm at home but I believe I found the version info in the systemCheck logs I had produced:
/usr/local/dsr/bin/autod: GDC automation daemon version 1.0.2
Log Daemon: Version 1.1.2
/usr/local/dsr/bin/playerd: GDC player daemon version 3.0.13
NOC Daemon: Version 1.45
Software version: DSR Server 9.00-build501
adminPanel-2.46-3

To clarify, we don't run an SMS, just operator a room manually. So just the GDC series 2000 console interface.

Our projector lives in a catwalk in a sound enclosure... noticing tail lights and LEDs is not readily a thing. It would have to raise such a warning in either of the interfaces.

[Jason Raftery]

Software version: DSR Server 9.00-build501

Build501 is roughly five years out of date. I'd recommend upgrading to 9.0-build527 once on a replacement or re-certified IMB if you keep the SX-2000AR. The warning for a low battery is displayed in the VNC SMS interface. There's also a trap alert for it for those that monitor their servers using SNMP or through a NOC.

Build 501 had it in there, though it was not as prominent as in later builds:

GDC low battery alert 501.png

[Ryan Gallagher]

Build501 is roughly five years out of date. I'd recommend upgrading to 9.0-build527 once on a replacement or re-certified IMB if you keep the SX-2000AR. The warning for a low battery is displayed in the VNC SMS interface. There's also a trap alert for it for those that monitor their servers using SNMP or through a NOC.

Build 501 had it in there, though it was not as prominent as in later builds:

What is the path for doing GDC server build updates with out of service/warranty products... only accessible to dealers/techs? Require a support contract re-up? Does GDC provide a path for operators to download and perform those updates without? That right there would explain our behind-ness if it is the only way to get them.

I believe we "tried" to get the Y2K4 updates from GDC directly, but wouldn't provide anything to us without a paid support contract, perhaps because our versions were so behind we needed more than the simple patch.

[Marcel Birgelen]

Preferable route is always via the integrator, if there is none, without support contract you won't get any software update or somebody has to "give" them to you... It's a pretty standard route nowadays I'm afraid.

[Ryan Gallagher]

Thanks Marcel. That was my suspicion and explains why this unit had been so neglected.

Our TD priced out the GDC re-cert+labor (if it is revivable to get a re-cert), and it came out to more than we can get a used Dolby IMS2000 from a dealer for.

The plan became getting a rental IMS2000 from DTA Global to tide us over until closure of the other venue, then the DCP2K4 is going to move over, and we get to have fun getting all new keys issued for the last festival and summer series either way.

Wish us luck on the key chaos!

[Ryan Gallagher]

So we got through our festival with a rental IMS self installed with phone support. It's gone back from whence it came.

We have 3 films left in our big room before closure for renovation. As we are not electing to re-cert our GDC IMB in the small room, our plan is to move the Doremi DCP2K4 w/Dolphin Card over to that room. Other than the obvious key nightmare with already booked films... what gotchya's might we be missing?

Matching projector models (CP2220). We can perform marriage. Our SDI runs will be a pair of utility HD-SDI that were already run to the projector's location from the downstairs FOH booth where the box server will be installed.

Moving and testing will take place Monday the 15th with our first film using it Wed the 17th!!

[Marcel Birgelen]

What's the distance between your Front-of-House booth and the projection booth? For cheap-o RG59 coax cable, the maximum distance of your HD-SDI is 90 meters or just under 300 ft, unless it's a giant venue, that should be sufficient. Still, my personal preference is always to have the server close to the projector, For IMB-based solutions using PCI-e, the distances are far less.

Another potential issue is cinelink. Due to the presence of the cinelink encryption, any small error will automatically end up as a big error on-screen. Longer SDI leads can introduce more errors.

[Ryan Gallagher]

What's the distance between your Front-of-House booth and the projection booth? For cheap-o RG59 coax cable, the maximum distance of your HD-SDI is 90 meters or just under 300 ft, unless it's a giant venue, that should be sufficient. Still, my personal preference is always to have the server close to the projector, For IMB-based solutions using PCI-e, the distances are far less.

Another potential issue is cinelink. Due to the presence of the cinelink encryption, any small error will automatically end up as a big error on-screen. Longer SDI leads can introduce more errors.

I’d have to check, but we are under 50ft for the cable run. Concern noted. We are basically a floor below the projector which is on a repurposed mezz level.

on the audio side it should be pretty simple. The Doremi used to feed 1-8 on AP20 in 7.1, and will be moving to a room with a CP750 and 5.1 config. 750 is in the same rack.

[Ryan Gallagher]

So we got 75% of the way there today. DCP2K4 moved between rooms as well as the enigma link decrypt (LD) assembly. After some IP changes and re-marriage... we were able to play the dolby encrypted test content with all green status.

However, we did not get DUAL LINK 292 working (had to wait to end of day to throw image because of camp kids onstage). Link A channel config on the christie is working, but at the expected reduced color fidelity. Both DUAL and Link B result in no image right now.

We have tomorrow to troubleshoot. What do ya'll recommend to narrow it down. I'll call Dolby if I'm stumped. I'll pull Doremi logs first thing, and I own the vintage Doremi HDG-20 SDI test generator we can use to try to prove both our SDI runs are good. Run length is approximately 75'. We may just have a slightly bad SDI cable or crimp in these pre-existing runs. There is a 3rd run to same locations we can swap around with if we determine one link is no good, and have other cable and terminations if needed.

[Marcel Birgelen]

It's great to have an SDI test generator, but in the end it only proves that the projector is able to receive from the test generator. It doesn't do cinelink, so it's not a solid end-to-end test or "smoke test" like your favorite LLM would call it nowadays.

There is no single best-way to solve those puzzles, at least not without first doing a study of how to best solve them. But my approach is almost always to try to eliminate the obvious first:

Swap the "known to be good" SDI cable on Link A with the one currently on Link B to see if it's the cable or something else. If Link A works with the cable currently on Link B, then I'd say you have two working cables and can focus on other issues.

[Ryan Gallagher]

It's great to have an SDI test generator, but in the end it only proves that the projector is able to receive from the test generator. It doesn't do cinelink, so it's not a solid end-to-end test or "smoke test" like your favorite LLM would call it nowadays.

There is no single best-way to solve those puzzles, at least not without first doing a study of how to best solve them. But my approach is almost always to try to eliminate the obvious first:

Swap the "known to be good" SDI cable on Link A with the one currently on Link B to see if it's the cable or something else. If Link A works with the cable currently on Link B, then I'd say you have two working cables and can focus on other issues.

Thanks Marcel. That swap was also our first plan. Out of concern, Is there any mode where Enigma battery issues could cause this half functioning state? Like other batteries (except the Dophin battery which I replaced), this venue has not been servicing them. The factory enigma battery date on the LD assembly was 2015!

EDIT: it looks like there is also a way to do LD Bypass in the channel config, and I could test a non encrypted 12bit DCP over the dual link. Narrow the problem down to CineLink perhaps.