DCP2K4 Dolphin Secure Battery Procedure

[Ryan Gallagher]

Just wanted to ask if there is any updated advice for this procedure on these aging DCP2K4 servers with dolphin cards (no projector IMB here).

I've read the docs here, and know it's a CR1220 battery type. Any reliable battery brand recommendation? Panasonic is cited by the KB article.
https://kb.dolby.com/CinemaKnowledge...olphin-DCI-1-2

I've also skimmed a couple prior threads, and it seems many techs do this with the server on with proper precautions out of abundance of caution considering the age of the capacitors that would have to keep the cert alive. I also know to check the expiry of the battery packaging and voltages ahead of the swap. And it seems re-marriage might be required afterwards? Or maybe that depends on if you do it with the server off vs on?

Better to do it now(ish)? Or put it off until we do our other update to extend our certificates (which seems it will require a vendor or tech with the appropriate dolby account to accomplish)?

I don't believe our unit is racked with rails, i think it would have to come all the way out, any issue with powering it up on the bench without monitor/keyboard/network while doing the swap? Should we consider adding rails in the same move?

According to the nag it is time for us to tackle it.

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[Leo Enticknap]

Agreed on doing it with the server on. If you do so, the battery will be vertical, so it might be an idea to wrap some sticky tape (sticky side out, obviously) around your finger, so that you can lift the battery out of the chassis without it falling and possibly damaging a trace on the motherboard.

Definitely measure the voltage of the new battery before installing it: you should see 3.2 to 3.3 from a new and fresh one. Also check the expiration (of shelf life) date. Use a drinking straw as a "condom" over the spring loaded positive terminal on the battery holder while removing the old battery and inserting the new one, to avoid the risk of a short.

There shouldn't be be any remarriage needed if you don't touch the projector.

If you have the rails, your rack is deep enough, and it has vertical pieces with threaded holes at the back as well as the front to which to anchor the back of the rails, there is no harm in putting them in, and it will make future maintenance inside the server (e.g. replacing the processor fan) significantly easier.

[Ryan Gallagher]

Agreed on doing it with the server on. If you do so, the battery will be vertical, so it might be an idea to wrap some sticky tape (sticky side out, obviously) around your finger, so that you can lift the battery out of the chassis without it falling and possibly damaging a trace on the motherboard.

Definitely measure the voltage of the new battery before installing it: you should see 3.2 to 3.3 from a new and fresh one. Also check the expiration (of shelf life) date. Use a drinking straw as a "condom" over the spring loaded positive terminal on the battery holder while removing the old battery and inserting the new one, to avoid the risk of a short.

There shouldn't be be any remarriage needed if you don't touch the projector.

If you have the rails, your rack is deep enough, and it has vertical pieces with threaded holes at the back as well as the front to which to anchor the back of the rails, there is no harm in putting them in, and it will make future maintenance inside the server (e.g. replacing the processor fan) significantly easier.

Thanks, we may not have rear/middle rack rails so i'll investigate that. It's just in a pedestal.

[Jim Cassedy]

I've done this once for someone several years ago. Because of the way they
had their Doremi mounted, I did it out-of-rack on a table. I had some insulated
tweezer-like tool and a wooden coffee stirrer that I whittled down a bit to use
as sort of a pry tool to help get the old battery out. Dolby's 'three minute
warning" was a bit nerve racking so I mentally rehearsed the procedure
several times and I had someone standing near me with a 2nd spare battery
just in case I somehow slipped and dropped the replacement battery I was
trying to insert. In the end the battery swap went without incident, but I
was glad when it was over.

[Leo Enticknap]

It's especially nerve wracking when it's an out-of-warranty unit and/or one that the manufacturer no longer offers a re-cert service for. Last week I did an SX-3000 at a small nonprofit theater. The "change out the batteries now" warning had already appeared. In my experience, if you get to SX-2000/3000/4000 batteries well in advance of this happening, you stand a 99.99% chance of success. I've only ever lost one. However, if the battery has already discharged to the point at which the warning appears, the risk goes up significantly. These batteries measured in the 3 point teens. Thankfully, the swapout was successful. If it hadn't been, they'd have had to return their SX-3000 to GDC for recertification, and wait 2-3 weeks for it to come back (they no longer offer a RXO service if the warranty has expired). So either they'd have had to buy a new server, or live with their theater being down for weeks.

If it's an Alchemy or an SR-1000 that is in warranty, I don't worry about it too much beyond suggesting that the battery swapout be scheduled for a quiet time, when the theater being down for 1-2 days will have minimal impact. But if it's an older, out-of-warranty media block that uses one time batteries, I hate having to do that job. But if you do nothing, then sooner or later you'll lose the cert anyways, so the risk has to be taken.

[Magnus Eriksson]

I got into a terrible situation doing Dolphin battery swap some years ago.
Out-of-rack, on a table and powered down. But: when the new battery slipped in the holder cracked on one side and the battery could not make proper contact. So I just stood there like an idiot, holding the battery holder together with my fingers. Alone. And my phone out of reach
After an hour or so someone finally came into the booth. I told him to go outside and grab a wooden clothespin from the back yard (I watched a lady hanging laundry there through the window during that hour). With the clothespin the battery holder could be held together with the battery inside.
It still works. But I think it's time to swap battery again soon.
I don't want to go there

[Marco Giustini]

Magnus,

As you saying that the battery swap kit should also include a wooden peg?

[Mark Gulbrandsen]

Not sure why all the paranoia here... I replaced many clock batteries, mostly in GDC, and in a few Doremi's. No problems doing any of them. One interesting thing did happen on a three year old SX-3000 though. One day I get a call from the customer, who was up in Idaho. I remotely logged in, and couldn't access much of anything. Drove there the next day and was able to download the logs from the server, but nothing else. Sent them off to GDC and it turned out the clock batteries had died. This happened literally three years and one month almost to the day that I had originally installed it. Anyway, GDC called me back and said the clock batteries were bad, and that there was nothing I could do except install a replacement that was going out over night. They also said they were not expecting those batteries to go out that quickly, that they were supposed to last as long as the SX-2000 batteries, or change every 5 years. So this is why the SX-3000 Tech data was changed to state "Change SX-3000 batteries every three Years". According to GDC, this was literally the first set of batteries that died in a 3000. Future units I changed out the batteries in always happened before the 3 year mark went ding. Apparently some brands of batteries will last longer, but not all of them will...

[Leo Enticknap]

As you saying that the battery swap kit should also include a wooden peg?

I've never seen British/European type clothes line pegs on sale in these parts (though I might ask my relatives to bring one over the next time they come to visit), but I am going to learn that lesson and put a large plastic bulldog clip into my tool bag, just in case.

[Magnus Eriksson]

Available online 067-1200x1200.jpg

[Carsten Kurz]

Yes, now definitely swap the cell in a running server. Put the server on a table for best accessibility. Leave the mouse connected so you can shut it down gracefully afterwards.
If you do it the first time, it can be discouraging to notice how hard you have to pull on the battery to get it out of the holder. I sometimes managed to push it out from the back through the holder with a thin plastic spudger. Leos hint using (doublesided) sticky tape on a finger is a good one, though I have similar good experience with using non-powdered vinyl gloves that show excellent grip on the battery, helps both with pulling it out and not losing it afterwards. I suggest trying the gloves and pulling it out straight from the front first, I heard about brocken battery holders as well, but never experienced it myself.

I have yet to find a plastic peg or clamp that has enough grip to pull out the cell.

Good batteries come in a blister pack with an expiry/shelf life printed on them. Using the gloves, I always measure the new cell voltage before I put it in as an additional safety measure. I usually put some sheet/cloth on the mainboard beneath the battery to prevent it from falling onto the circuit board. Putting in the new cell is usually very easy.

No remarriage necessary with a classic Dolphin board.

[Dave Macaulay]

I change them with the server running. The CPU fan is pretty close so keep your fingers away. I put a kimwipe or tissue under the battery holder in case one drops, hitting the motherboard could short something out (not good). I don't recall a lot of trouble getting the battery out but I do have a plastic tweaker (thanks, Dolby!) with the end filed to a chisel point (mostly for ICB batteries) and it's pretty good at pushing batteries around. Without the risk of losing the Dolphin I don't rush the swap. If you take the duct out you can also change the motherboard battery without losing the time and BIOS settings but I stick some masking tape to the old one, they love to pop up and out when the catch is pushed.
Note on ICP RTC batteries - I had one battery holder come off the board when removing a battery. I'm super paranoid about that now and put as little force on the holder as possible. Luckily it was in a Christie and they don't seem to care about the ICP clock. On a Barco it would be a big deal.

[Ryan Gallagher]

Cheers for the tips everyone. Battery swap while powered went smooth today.

Also took the time to finally install the rails that weren't bothered with during integration. Can definitely tell why, it was a chore. Had to shift the mid support column aft to permit the rail kit to mount internal to the rails, rather than over them (over was causing rails to be narrower than the DCP2K4). To get the Christie rack face plate back on I even had dremmel off 4 rack screws to shorten them because the cage nuts had to be reversed in this config. None of which is easy with a Century JJ pedestal and switcher right up against one side! Full day project, and lots of booth yoga, but worked out nice in the end.

For easy access next time! (or when I get a cmos battery soon).

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