Barco SP4K Firmware 1.2.3 released

[Leo Enticknap]

Got the email just now (though interestingly, the last one I received was for 1.1.9 - I presume that 1.2.0 through 1.2.2 were not publicly distributed). Upgrading from 1.1.9, the main new things listed in the release notes are as follows:

• Lots of tweaks, bug fixes, and UI improvements related to 3-D
• Support for the GDC SX-4000 with the ICP-D, including 2K 120 FPS playback
• Support for some new lens models (release notes don't specify which)
• Lasers can now be dimmed to 20%
• "Blocking of faulty laser"
• Graphical user interface for creating screen files, like in the old Communicator - no need to type in numbers anymore
• PNG test patterns can now be imported (presumably both to the ICMP and ICP-D)
• Fixes a bug that causes problems if more than one device on a LAN is trying to use the web UI on a single projector

Those of you registered on MyBarco should be able to download this now.

[Steve Guttag]

I don't think 1.19 was publicly released. 1.1.6 was the last one I saw posted. I will say that I received one of the ones closer to the release version to address a specific problem I was having at a site...that didn't make it to the release notes. I have a site with ICP-Ds and periodically, upon boot up you'd get a double boot and then an error would say that there were multiple problem on boot up. It was a "Blue" type error so, in theory, the machine would still run but power cycling it would fix it. This problem has been addressed and thus far I have not seen any new side-effects. Web Communication remains inferior to the traditional Communicator but they are getting closer.

[Ioannis Syrogiannis]

I tried to import a user cue file yesterday, modified, so to not add custom commands one by one, and to my surprise, instead of merging, the import replaced the cues already there.
I had a back up of them already, so no harm done, but I wonder if that is the SP4K way or just a 1.2.3.0 bug.
Same goes for adding manually a GPO user cue. I did, the button on the ICMP(-X) appeared, but the command didn't get through to the system.
I had to make a projector macro and then a user cue to be able to use GPO with SPLs. Is this normal?

[Leo Enticknap]

A suggestion for Tom Bert, if he's reading.

What would be the feasibility of developing an alternative software image for the DC Touch Panel (the one that is an option with B and C series projectors, and their laser phosphor variants) that would basically make it run the SP4K web UI, plus Commander for the ICMP?

We're working on a possible SP4K sale where this would be an issue. The existing projector is 10 feet up in the air, and driven from a DC Touch Panel on the desk below. If replaced with an SP4K, we'd have to provide a PC to replace this touch panel, running the web UI, because the SP4K's touch panel is built into the card cage and cannot be removed from the projector.

The option simply to reflash an SP4K image into the touch panel would enable us to re-use it.

Yes, I know that it's basically a mini tablet PC, and that I could hack it and put my own Linux image on it, etc. etc. But a quick and easy, Barco-approved ready to flash one would, IMHO, enhance the attractiveness of the SP4K as an upgrade path.

[Steve Guttag]

The other gotcha on the SP4K that repurposing the DC touchpanel may help is the lack of taillight. Where the built in panel is located is easily hidden by sound racks or, your case, the elevated hight. I think it was a huge mistake to omit the taillights on the SP4K series. They are a great way of quickly seeing if there is something amiss in the complex.

[Leo Enticknap]

Amen to that, especially as the SP4K is available without a touch panel at all. The tail light must cost pennies and, as you say, is a quick and easy way to see instantly if anything is up with the projector, and if so, to get a rough idea of what (all good, maintenance needed, something is slightly f****d, or something is seriously f****d).

[Steve Guttag]

There probably should be a concerted effort to convince Barco that the taillight omission was a rather large mistake.