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Author Topic: Barco Cinema Controller Harshitkumar Thakker Film Handler Posts: 5 From: Scottsboro, AL, USA Registered: Oct 2016 posted 11-04-2016 03:25 PM                     Hello Everyone. I've been visiting film-tech.com for years now and have found the information here extremely helpful. We have roughly 40+ Barco Projectors in our Cinemas for the past 5 years+. Over the last few months, though, we've had to replace 12+ Cinema Controller boards. It seems to stop working after an extended period of Power outage (we have UPS for the Projector) or after turning off the projector for cleaning, etc. One of two things happen - Either the projector does not boot completely, i.e. the green light at the back keeps flashing Or the Network Communication fails, in which case, I can still login via serial connection, but there is an error about Link Decryptor no communication. I wanted to find out if anyone has that happened, and if anyone knows how to prevent it from happening. Also, has anyone been able to repair these? It just seems to me that, the flash memory is being corrupted. Thank you in advance for your help.  |  IP: Logged Darryl Spicer Film God Posts: 3250 From: Lexington, KY, USA Registered: Dec 2000 posted 11-04-2016 03:32 PM                    With the green flashing tail light...I have had this happen due to there being some kind of glitch if you have something plugged into the DVI input. By disconnecting the input and rebooting it will normally boot completely up. We then just plug the input back in. With the loss of communication, this happens if the IP address reverts back to default. You have to go back in and change it to the correct IP address. If it keeps dropping the IP after every power down, then the board will need to be replaced. I have had both issues occur that I have listed above.  |  IP: Logged Marco Giustini Film God Posts: 2713 From: Reading, UK Registered: Nov 2007 posted 11-05-2016 05:27 AM                     One of those boards died on me during a routine power cycle and the green light kept flashing but the projector would not boot up. I have a feeling those boards may just need the firmware re-flashed but who knows.  |  IP: Logged Carsten Kurz Film God Posts: 4340 From: Cologne, NRW, Germany Registered: Aug 2009 posted 11-05-2016 09:16 AM                     It should have been pointed out to you by Barco or your installer, but did you think about backup batteries? A lot of boards in DLP Projectors have backup batteries or rechargable batteries/goldcaps. Not running these systems for a longer period may leave them depleted. I remember some NEC controllers suffering from serious brain damage after their batteries died with a specific firmware version. That could, however be fixed by installing a software update early enough, or, after it happened, by NEC at the factory. So many systems dying around the same time...? - Carsten  |  IP: Logged Marco Giustini Film God Posts: 2713 From: Reading, UK Registered: Nov 2007 posted 11-05-2016 10:01 AM                     Hi Carsten There are no batteries I am aware of in a Barco - besides the ICP one.  |  IP: Logged Harold Hallikainen Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 906 From: Denver, CO, USA Registered: Aug 2009 posted 11-05-2016 12:34 PM                        Speaking of batteries... On the various systems out there, is the battery that powers the security circuitry field replaceable or soldered in? I've wondered about the durability of battery holders over many years. I know that switch and relay contacts have problems with very low currents. Similarly, telephone lines have a DC "sealing current" that keeps splices from failing. On connectors, I've used gold on gold contacts if the current is very low. But, coin cell holders and coin cells typically do not gold contacts. So, the question is, does the equipment you work on have a replaceable coin cell, or is it soldered in? Thanks! Harold  |  IP: Logged Gavin Lewarne Master Film Handler Posts: 278 From: Plymouth, UK Registered: Aug 2009 posted 11-05-2016 01:08 PM                     Marco, there is a CR2032 cell on the CCB boards. Ive had many many issues with CCB boards on my single projector, its been replaced under warranty upwards of 10 times over the last few years. Ive had all sorts of weird sporadic faults that don't make sense, and 99% of the time once DcineX send me a new CCB problem is resolved. Ive got the board replace, remarriage, reflash, reprogram and Dallas key reset process down to a T now  |  IP: Logged Carsten Kurz Film God Posts: 4340 From: Cologne, NRW, Germany Registered: Aug 2009 posted 11-05-2016 02:23 PM                     I have seen a few replacement manuals with different solutions. Some have soldered in rechargable Li cells. Some use 'classic' button cell holders/clamps. Special issues left aside, I guess that the contacts and cells are produced to stay in good shape, if ordered from quality manufacturers. Some manufacturers use pairs of cells to be exhanged one by one to keep the circuit powered during exchange. Some use a rechargable cell or supercap in addition to a battery to buffer the circuit while that battery is exchanged. That buffer-cell may need a considerable time to reach a charge level safe for battery exchange. Some exchange operations simply fail even if the instructions are followed. A backup-backup battery may be dead without the user seeing an indication, because the primary cell is still okay. I have seen corrosion on cheap button cells. I guess not much humidity will set in electronic equipment powered regularly. Some manufacturer recommend to use gloves during battery change, and, of course, non-conducting tips to peel out the cells of their holders. Planned vs. unplanned obsolescence is an interesting topic I'd like to see discussed. Soldered batteries/sealed circuit boards, contact corrosion in also sorts of low-current detector circuits, but also expiring certificates come to mind. One could question wether a server, IMS, or circuit board/module is expected to be running over a period of more than 10 years. 10 years is the quoted life span of a rechargeable, soldered-in button cell one prominent IMB/IMS manufacturer uses. - Carsten  |  IP: Logged Marco Giustini Film God Posts: 2713 From: Reading, UK Registered: Nov 2007 posted 11-05-2016 06:03 PM                     Gavin, I did check before posting, I have a Cinema Controller Board in front of me now and I don't see a battery on it. Any chance there are different revisions of it? Mine (a faulty one) is Rev 6.0.  |  IP: Logged Gavin Lewarne Master Film Handler Posts: 278 From: Plymouth, UK Registered: Aug 2009 posted 11-06-2016 07:24 PM                     Marco, ill double check when I get back to work on Tuesday but I'm 97% sure the CCB has a battery. If it doesn't, then I must be thinking of another board. If it does however, ill take a photo and note the revision number for you  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 11-06-2016 07:42 PM                     WOW! All these multiple failures of the same board. Lots just in this thread but then there are lots more Barco projectors out there using this board. Its amazing they haven't had a class action lawsuit arise. Mark  |  IP: Logged Carsten Kurz Film God Posts: 4340 From: Cologne, NRW, Germany Registered: Aug 2009 posted 11-06-2016 09:13 PM                     Maybe compare the production numbers/serials of the defective boards from the OP. A bad batch? - Carsten  |  IP: Logged Marco Giustini Film God Posts: 2713 From: Reading, UK Registered: Nov 2007 posted 11-07-2016 12:28 AM                     I've always thought it was a software issue to be honest. Haven't seen many failures recently - not that it's ever been a massive issue though. Harshitkumar, is that still happening or was it something more frequent on pre-1.10 software? If Barco could at least try and repair those boards, I have a feeling they just need to be plugged to something that can re-flash them at chip level.  |  IP: Logged Gavin Lewarne Master Film Handler Posts: 278 From: Plymouth, UK Registered: Aug 2009 posted 11-07-2016 03:55 AM                     Marco - I think they do perform some sort of cursory re-flash at least. I doubt it goes as deep as wiping the FPGAs and then reuploading via JTAG I would swear that one of the CCBs I got back under warranty was one of the ones I had previously sent back. Same scratches on the front and even the remains of one of my labels on it. It worked fine again for a long time (I did try a full reflash with it in my projector before it was replaced) before it finally just completely died. No LEDs or anything  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 11-07-2016 06:33 AM                     I think I might have had 1 or 2 CCBs fail on their own. I recently had one die due to 2.1.12 but that is a known problem and likely will be recovered by Barco (it went back to them). 1.12.160 and 1.13.190 (both had long field times as the latest software) have been very stable for me. I don't trust 1.13.191 as it has gibberish on the lens selection page and there were reports of corrupt lens settings plus it doesn't bring anything substantive that 1.13.190 didn't already have.  |  IP: Logged

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