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Author Topic: AP20 software update 1.05.01 - Details? Leo Enticknap Film God Posts: 7474 From: Loma Linda, CA Registered: Jul 2000 posted 03-13-2016 04:29 PM                        Our AP20s are telling me that this update is available to install (both are currently on 1.05.00). However, I can't find anything online in the way of release notes or information as to what functions this update patches, adds or removes. Datasat's website says that there are no product support documents for the AP20 available - just the manuals. Does anyone have any details of what this update does? My rule of thumb with updating the software or firmware in mission critical equipment is only to do it if the new version adds or fixes something that we use or are likely to use: otherwise, I see no reason to risk destabilizing functions that we need to work reliably and are known to do so with the existing version. Thanks in advance.  |  IP: Logged Marco Giustini Film God Posts: 2713 From: Reading, UK Registered: Nov 2007 posted 03-13-2016 05:12 PM                     I know it works with Dirac 2 and that the advanced System screen - where you can access everything - has been re-designed. There is also an HDMI section where you can see the status of the signal, cannot remember if it was there before.  |  IP: Logged Carsten Kurz Film God Posts: 4340 From: Cologne, NRW, Germany Registered: Aug 2009 posted 03-14-2016 08:33 PM                     Datasat tech support will supply a release-note file to you on request, as their website suffers from some issues. In short: ---- Version: 105.01 Build Date Wed Dec 2 14:18:58 PST 2015 1. Dirac version 2 support. May now choose between Dirac 1 and Dirac 2 on the System Setup 2 screen (Menu → System → More). When Dirac 1 is selected the Home screen will display “Dirac”. When Dirac 2 is selected the Home screen will display “Dirac 2”. 2. HDMI: a. Added support for HSR-41 board including firmware programming and latest firmware version. b. Added HDMI status screen (Menu → System → Formats → Format Options → Decoder Setup → HDMI). Note: To access this screen the input source needs to be HDMI. c. Added additional 4K resolutions and Chroma sub-sample rate 4:2:0. d. Changed display of HSR firmware from Rel Ver Rev to Ver Rel Rev. 3. Updated layout of Expert Nav Mode screen. 4. Automation Serial Port – Added parity options: None, Even, Odd. 5. Increased length of Identity Screen field (Menu → System → More) from 19 characters to 39 characters. 6. Fixed Channel Invert setting not being saved. 7. Fixed display of H539 option board voltages. 8. Fixed issue with multiple format changes in Macro in which only the last format change takes effect. This was due to format changes deferred during RUNMACRO command received from the network. 9. Removed Cs/Hcs channel labels from the Digital Cinema Format Options screen. ---- - Carsten  |  IP: Logged Leo Enticknap Film God Posts: 7474 From: Loma Linda, CA Registered: Jul 2000 posted 03-14-2016 11:11 PM                        Thanks Carsten - much appreciated. So this update is mainly about HDMI. We don't use the HDMI board at all on one of our machines, and use it for audio input only on the other (i.e. we don't pass video through it). The serial port options could be useful if we ever use them with another DCP server that does not allow us to set them per the AP20's current, fixed requirements, but are not needed at present. My inclination is to install it on the non-HDMI machine and test it thoroughly to see if its behavior with our existing sources changes significantly, and if that doesn't reveal any gremlins, try it on the other (much more important and mission critical) one. My understanding is that we can roll back to 1.05.00 if that causes any problem (unlike with DSS200 updates, which are a one-way ticket), which makes it a bit less risky.  |  IP: Logged Carsten Kurz Film God Posts: 4340 From: Cologne, NRW, Germany Registered: Aug 2009 posted 03-15-2016 05:17 AM                     At first it seems strange such a minor number establishes something like a seemingly big thing like DIRAC1 vs DIRAC2, but... I will install it today. Never had issues with reverting back to previous numbers, though only did it for test purposes, never had a real need to revert. - Carsten  |  IP: Logged Carsten Kurz Film God Posts: 4340 From: Cologne, NRW, Germany Registered: Aug 2009 posted 03-16-2016 08:36 PM                     Wow - a tiny xx.xx.01 version step, but it brings a full HDMI signal and EDID monitor. Now that IS very useful. The HSR-41 board is a new version of the previous HDMI switcher board. This new version supports 4k/30p for full HDMI1.4a signal compatibility. Datasat tech support tells me this board can be retrofitted to existing older AP20. Don't know about the price. I guess it was must for the RS20i where 4k HDMI is important for high-end home cinema users, and as such, fit's the AP20 as well, as they share a common hardware platform. (New RS20i now support HDMI 2.0) Interesting, the new HDMI status page has a dedicated firmware upgrade option just for this board. - Carsten  |  IP: Logged Magnus Eriksson Expert Film Handler Posts: 121 From: Stockholm, Hägersten, Sweden Registered: Jan 2011 posted 03-17-2016 02:21 AM                     Recommended update? I´m passing a site with two AP20:s in an hour or so... /M.E.  |  IP: Logged Carsten Kurz Film God Posts: 4340 From: Cologne, NRW, Germany Registered: Aug 2009 posted 03-17-2016 12:01 PM                     I'd say so, yes. - Carsten  |  IP: Logged Trevor Cable Film Handler Posts: 22 From: Hillsboro, OR, USA Registered: Jan 2011 posted 03-17-2016 02:32 PM                     We updated to this latest upgrade while troubleshooting some HDMI image banding. As the update didn't fix our issue we upgraded the HDMI firmware. Big mistake! HDMI firmware update FAILED and now we have no HDMI use. Unlike many people here we use HDMI all the time. Still waiting to hear back from support. Unlike the System software there is no going back to an earlier version with the HDMI version. Going back on the system version didn't it.  |  IP: Logged Magnus Eriksson Expert Film Handler Posts: 121 From: Stockholm, Hägersten, Sweden Registered: Jan 2011 posted 03-17-2016 06:55 PM                     I did stop by the mentioned site and the update to 1.05.01 went fine (two units of different age) Regarding Trevor´s trouble I think I will put further updates on hold /M.E.  |  IP: Logged Carsten Kurz Film God Posts: 4340 From: Cologne, NRW, Germany Registered: Aug 2009 posted 03-17-2016 07:24 PM                     I was hesitating to update the HDMI firmware for a few seconds as well - then went on, as I never had issues with Datasat firmwares. No problem for us. Not clear which benefits the HDMI-only upgrade has. I guess it's safe to do the 1.05.01 main update, but leave out the HDMI update for a while. Good luck, Trevor! - Carsten  |  IP: Logged Trevor Cable Film Handler Posts: 22 From: Hillsboro, OR, USA Registered: Jan 2011 posted 03-18-2016 10:39 AM                     I tried upgrading again this morning and it did work. 5th times a charm I guess. HDMI working again as it should.  |  IP: Logged Carsten Kurz Film God Posts: 4340 From: Cologne, NRW, Germany Registered: Aug 2009 posted 03-18-2016 06:57 PM                     Good to know, there seems to be a (more or less) solid fallback for failed updates. Doesn't pay back the adrenaline, though ;-) - Carsten  |  IP: Logged Carsten Kurz Film God Posts: 4340 From: Cologne, NRW, Germany Registered: Aug 2009 posted 03-19-2016 03:13 PM                     Hmm, we have a slightly different behaviour of the HDMI connection after this HDMI firmware update. I am not yet sure what is gping on, but it causes some confusion around the window allocation of our ad-player windows PC. It seems that before the update, the AP20 maintained the EDID from our Sony, or signaled a generic 1920/1080p60 sink to the PC all the time, so, the PC saw a steady 1080p sink, no matter if the projector was actually turned on or not. Now it seems that when our projector is switched on, the connection between PC, AP20 and projector is reinitialized. That is no big thing under normal conditions, but it seems for us that the PC is notified a secondary display change for a short time, and thus reorganizes the window/display allocation. That alone wouldn't be so bad, but when we have applications running, their windows go onto the secondary display and do not come back. For now, we have developed a fall back procedure for our staff to deal with this until we have time to further analyze the problem. I don't think this is an issue for most users, especially not for Bluray/DVD/Set-Top boxes. But if you use a PCs secondary monitor output through an AP20 HDMI, I would be careful with the HDMI firmware update. It seems safe, though, to only upgrade the AP20 base software to 1.05.01. Just stay away from the HDMI update on the new HDMI status page until this issue is fully understood. The new HDMI and EDID monitor works without the HDMI upgrade just as well, so you can use that new functionality without performing the HDMI firmware update. - Carsten  |  IP: Logged Marco Giustini Film God Posts: 2713 From: Reading, UK Registered: Nov 2007 posted 03-20-2016 04:06 AM                     Thanks Carsten for the heads up!  |  IP: Logged

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