GDC IMB error in Christie CP2220

[Marcel Birgelen]

Yeah, I didn't want to pronounce the thing dead yet, at least not until all reasonable resurrection measures have been tried. But the "Connection to IMB is lost" or similar error on the projector doesn't really inspire hope. But hey, hope dies last, doesn't it?

If you checked all the networking stuff, I guess trying to reseat it in the card cage might be a worthwhile follow-up... I suppose any form of extended support on the machine/setup has since been expired?

[Ryan Gallagher]

Yeah, I didn't want to pronounce the thing dead yet, at least not until all reasonable resurrection measures have been tried. But the "Connection to IMB is lost" or similar error on the projector doesn't really inspire hope. But hey, hope dies last, doesn't it?

If you checked all the networking stuff, I guess trying to reseat it in the card cage might be a worthwhile follow-up... I suppose any form of extended support on the machine/setup has since been expired?

Yeah we are out of warranty and don't have a regular tech. This is the 2nd IMB for this projector unfortunately, and it may have been a used one because I think decisions were made to find a like for like replacement when the last one died rather than upgrade our media server setup. That is my back of the mind worry, i'm not the maintainer of this room and I fear we may have seen a battery issue nuke another IMB considering I'm not sure we knew where in the maintenance cycle this IMB was at the time it was installed.

[Jason Raftery]

If this is a SX-2000AR or SX-2000TR, what color are the four indicator LEDs to the left of the AES audio ports on the IMB? Top left (SM) and bottom left (TAMPER) should be green.

[Ryan Gallagher]

If this is a SX-2000AR or SX-2000TR, what color are the four indicator LEDs to the left of the AES audio ports on the IMB? Top left (SM) and bottom left (TAMPER) should be green.

Top left is green. top right is blue (top meaning away from PCB)
other two bottoms not lit.

[Jason Raftery]

Top left is green. top right is blue (top meaning away from PCB)
other two bottoms not lit.

Unfortunately, that's not a good sign. If top right is stuck blue, that model IMB isn't fully booting. You can try shutting down, pulling the board, cleaning the edge connector, reinstalling and trying a cold boot, but it would be a good idea to pull logs and send them to GDC if you haven't already.

For what it's worth, unless this is on really old software, if the batteries on the IMB had gone flat, you'd be getting a different error and set of indicator LEDs lit up.

[Marcel Birgelen]

That missing faceplate its an indication it was recovered from some other brand of projector?

I guess Christie will strongly advise against running it this way, because of cooling and dust ingestion issues.

[Ryan Gallagher]

Unfortunately, that's not a good sign. If top right is stuck blue, that model IMB isn't fully booting. You can try shutting down, pulling the board, cleaning the edge connector, reinstalling and trying a cold boot, but it would be a good idea to pull logs and send them to GDC if you haven't already.

For what it's worth, unless this is on really old software, if the batteries on the IMB had gone flat, you'd be getting a different error and set of indicator LEDs lit up.

Based on the port layout (single eSata), pretty sure we are in fact dealing with an SX-2000AR/TR IMB.
https://www.gdc-tech.com/wp-content/...N_20220222.pdf

Would the RS232 debug port reveal anything useful about how far it is getting in the boot sequence? Or perhaps a VGA monitor on the what I presume is the console or interface port?

The card deoxit and reseat seems likely our next play. Opted to inspect prints today before that pile gets out of hand.

If she's not revivable easily. We at least have an about to be decommissioned Doremi DCP2K4 in the other space that is coming down for rennovations and replacement in very short order. Since we are SDI on that one we presumably might be able to bring over the 2K4 and just use the PIB SDI inputs? Would annoyingly mean getting all our summer keys changed.

The catch is we have a festival between now and then, that is using both rooms. So reviving would be preferred.

Glad to hear it is unlikely the battery based on indicators.

Sorry about the link below, it did not deep link apparently, and edit is not letting me remove it and save changes.

[Marcel Birgelen]

I've done some deep revivals on Doremi IMS1000 and 2000... and I know a bit about their architecture, but GDCs have been pretty rare until quite recently over here. I think what you have is generally known as the "HFR IMB". The thing comes with at least 3 different logos on the faceplate... if you have one. :P

Where the original IMB used PCIe to essentially extend the server, this one is practically a headless stand-alone player which takes most commands via Ethernet IP and uses eSATA for the raw file transfer. Unfortunately, GDC isn't the kind of company that publishes any of their deeper interfaces. I'm not aware of any VGA or HDMI interface to the system console like on this device. You can always try the COMM port, which is probably an RS232 interface. Maybe someone around here knows a bit of the port wiring, baud rates, etc. and if it offers direct console access to the OS.

[Ryan Gallagher]

I've done some deep revivals on Doremi IMS1000 and 2000... and I know a bit about their architecture, but GDCs have been pretty rare until quite recently over here. I think what you have is generally known as the "HFR IMB". The thing comes with at least 3 different logos on the faceplate... if you have one. :P

Where the original IMB used PCIe to essentially extend the server, this one is practically a headless stand-alone player which takes most commands via Ethernet IP and uses eSATA for the raw file transfer. Unfortunately, GDC isn't the kind of company that publishes any of their deeper interfaces. I'm not aware of any VGA or HDMI interface to the system console like on this device. You can always try the COMM port, which is probably an RS232 interface. Maybe someone around here knows a bit of the port wiring, baud rates, etc. and if it offers direct console access to the OS.

Yeah in my digging I found the "GDC SX-2000ATO User Manual" which refers to the upgrade IMB as a HFR IMB. That could be where this configuration arrived over time. The GDC predates this Christie, we used to have a Barco in that room but demanded a compatible IMB when we got the CP2220 about 3 years ago in an emergency context.

At least one manual did refer to the COMM port as RS232. I was mistaken in thinking there was a VGA port too... there is not, that would have been on the ones that can function standalone. My floppy ribbon cable without a faceplate to mount it to is COMM DB-9.

I haven't tried a full power down yet (not standby), I suppose that is something to try before I dig into the projector to clean card contacts.

[Ryan Gallagher]

Couple more bits of info:

The LED indicators upon boot: One starts cyan, then quickly we are to the mentioned state of green and blue. (I did try it from a fully cold/off boot today, but standby appeared to unpower the IMB anyway).

The christie CP2220 wake up screen also takes much longer than it should waiting for the ICP/IMB step. ICP eventually goes green but IMB doesn't. In diagnostics/configuration it's not even getting a name for the IMB.. just says "NA".

IP Scanning directly connected to the IMB from a laptop reveals the only other IP responding in that subnet to be 192.168.1.11, so presuming that is the IMB and at least it's NIC is alive. No response via HTTP to that IP though (maybe because not fully booted as stated, or was never a feature of this model).

Gonna talk to management and GDC Monday before I do anything in the card cage that requires re-marriage (although we know how).

Also pulled all our christie and GDC logs if anyone is good at looking at those, I don't have the service tech access to view interrogator logs with christie's software etc.

Also a correction to previous. I was not in front of it to confirm, our floppy ribbon cable hanging out is indeed a DB-15 (VGA)... presumably for a touchscreen. But that throws the SX2000AR/TR or ATO theory out of whack slightly, which are clearly pictured with a DB-9 in that location.

[Marcel Birgelen]

It could be worthwhile scanning for any other services alive on that 192.168.1.11 IP, like SSH or any other common services port.

Regarding that "COMM" port... it's an oddball situation, on the pictures of the thing it's clearly a DB9 connector. What makes it strange though, is that it's blue, which has become somewhat of the default color for VGA and that it's female. Most RS232 connectors are MALE on the equipment side...

Still, a blue port with 15 pins doesn't automatically make it a VGA port and those marketing pictures are deceiving, nobody knows how much of them are photoshopped. Unlikely, but maybe someone swapped the thing around with a VGA ribbon cable he/she had lying around when the swap-over happened? Depending on the design of the header, you can put such a cable onto a 9-pin RS232 header, if you're blunt and ignorant...

If you're in YOLO mode, you could always try to plug in a VGA monitor... I think not much bad should happen in general, but I don't want to be guilty of giving your IMB the last push over the hill...

[Ryan Gallagher]

It could be worthwhile scanning for any other services alive on that 192.168.1.11 IP, like SSH or any other common services port.

Regarding that "COMM" port... it's an oddball situation, on the pictures of the thing it's clearly a DB9 connector. What makes it strange though, is that it's blue, which has become somewhat of the default color for VGA and that it's female. Most RS232 connectors are MALE on the equipment side...

Still, a blue port with 15 pins doesn't automatically make it a VGA port and those marketing pictures are deceiving, nobody knows how much of them are photoshopped. Unlikely, but maybe someone swapped the thing around with a VGA ribbon cable he/she had lying around when the swap-over happened? Depending on the design of the header, you can put such a cable onto a 9-pin RS232 header, if you're blunt and ignorant...

If you're in YOLO mode, you could always try to plug in a VGA monitor... I think not much bad should happen in general, but I don't want to be guilty of giving your IMB the last push over the hill...

Will talk to GDC before just plugging a monitor into it. When we pull it to clean and reseat (likely tomorrow, all production staff are off today), the PCB may have markings that illuminate the DB-15 situation and actual model. But yeah I did not try port scanning that IP. Good thought, even what open ports it has might reveal more about the type of boot failure.

[Ryan Gallagher]

Is it possible to send DCP video data to a SX3000 IMB from an earlier box server like SX2000 or SA2100?

I'm realizing the IMB port layout would be correct for an SX3000 if you ignore the upper two eSATA ports (which likely would have been affixed to the faceplate, and may have been omitted in our case).

But either way I think we are to the pull, clean, reseat, and call GDC mode. True IMB model ID will come then.

Edit: Our TD just told me he is gonna schedule a Cinema Tech. So I'll probably lay off unless he agrees reseating is worth a shot before they are dispatched.

[Hong Sung Hyeok]

If you connect to the GDC server via FTP, the DCP file does not appear to be split.
You can extract the DCP as an entire folder.

You saw it correctly. If you plug an OS board into the empty slot of TR IMB, it becomes an SX-3000. Theoretically, but it's impossible in reality

Is that IMB without a faceplate the one originally used by Barco?
Did they remove it to install it in Christie?

Or is it a repaired IMB returned for RMA that doesn't have a faceplate.
Usually, they remove the faceplate from the original defective IMB and swap it out.


It seems like the IMB is dead, but clean the Goldfinger with isopropyl alcohol, pray, and try reattaching it.

[Ryan Gallagher]

For those following along, she wasn't "mostly dead", but in fact "all dead", she appears to have two disctinct issues. Confirmed by GDC support.

Cert batteries very dead (sub .1v on each) after metering.
Failure to boot past the solid blue LED that we noted.

I had the option to put it in our other projector to try to pull logs if it would boot there, but we are not going to risk causing a problem in our other projector (or carry the box server up 6 flights of stairs). Just gonna RMA it for analysis and possible re-cert, look for a stop gap until we know that answer.

The IMB model is in fact a "SX2000AR HFR". Rev9 board.