CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Mon Nov 16, 2009 6:58 pm Post subject: Barco software questions

OK, I'm breaking new ground here.

I have a couple of system boards that are dead on a 909, and two others that are flaky/ Spent ALL DAY yesterday working on the two that do fire up, and got nowhere.

So, I want to try and fire up the two dead control boards with the Barco software. I've got this software on CD ROM, and it's also downloadable on the website in the downloads section.

So... I downloaded the file from CD Rom (and from the site)...and nothing happens.

have any of you used the BArco control software, and why isn't it downloading?

Also, I have a binary file for new software for these control boards, as apparently the first version was flaky.

How do I load the new software into the control board?

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Mon Nov 16, 2009 7:13 pm Post subject:

OK, problem 1 solved. Rebooting my computer now allows the software to open. Stupid Microsoft.

Still need to know how to flash the new software into the CPU...

macgyver655 · Joined: 22 Aug 2007 Posts: 8508

Are you using the BR909 software utilities program?

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Mon Nov 16, 2009 7:56 pm Post subject:

Yes I am. NOw I need to find a laptop that works. One has a USB port only that won't communicate via USB to serial port adapter, one can't extract zip files, and my main one blew up.

macgyver655 · Joined: 22 Aug 2007 Posts: 8508

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Mon Nov 16, 2009 8:59 pm Post subject:

Well, I need a new computer. All of the laptops I have won't work for some reason or another, and I'm not lugging a desktop into my shop.... yet.

macgyver655 · Joined: 22 Aug 2007 Posts: 8508

You probably should check for shorts to gnd at the pwr and chip lines (CE, OE, WE and RY/BY and reset).

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Mon Nov 16, 2009 9:54 pm Post subject:

Apparently, glitches in some of the 909 software is a 'known' problem. The set goes dead, or the hour meter doesn't increase. I have the firmware upgrade, just need to get a ^%$& computer working to upload it.

macgyver655 · Joined: 22 Aug 2007 Posts: 8508

r.bauer · Joined: 08 Apr 2006 Posts: 280 Location: The Netherlands

The barco software can be downloaded here:

http://www.barco.com/en/virtualreality/product/1301

The firmware itself can be found on the Cine9/909 servicemanual CD.

The helpfile in the program should really help you:

Emergency repair for a projector
A projector that has no firmware installed can be programmed with the Barco Explorer software. We will refer to such a projector as a 'brainless' projector. In order to program this projector, a jumper has to be placed inside the projector, and the Barco Explorer software has to be started with some specific command line options as is explained below. The jumper has to be placed by certified Barco personnel (please contact Barco to do this).
In order to start the Barco Explorer software in emergency repair mode, use the following command line options:

BarcoExplorer -e 2 -a BR909

For more details go through the command line options..
When the application is started up from the command line, the tree view will display a Network. A projector group will be displayed containing a projector with the name Emergency repair. This is a 'brainless' projector so only the Flash Programming tab will be enabled. In order to connect the Barco Explorer with the daemon, set the required parameters in the option dialog. There is no need to specify the address range in the option dialog tab because the scan projector button in the toolbar is disabled for emergency repair. Press the connect icon in the toolbar, a login screen will be displayed, enter the password to start up the connection.

Now the 'brainless' projector is ready for the firmware. In the Flash Programming tab, enter the firmware file name or use the Browse... buttons to locate the firmware files. Press the Upload button to upload the firmware file to the projector. When the upload is successful, restart Barco Explorer for normal operations.

Mark_A_W · Posted: Tue Nov 17, 2009 2:13 am Post subject:

While, not related to Barcos directly...I've never had any luck with a USB-to-Serial converter.

Has anyone got one to work at all?

TbX · Joined: 06 May 2006 Posts: 94 Location: Sweden

nope you should not use them i killed a909 with a usb to serial converter it was hard to get it to work again

What software version are you trying to load

akajester · Joined: 09 Jul 2008 Posts: 934 Location: Wisconsin

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Tue Nov 17, 2009 1:50 pm Post subject:

USB-serial adapters. Apparently it's a crapshoot. I had one device here that 'almost' worked every time with one adapter, and no other ones have worked with anything I've used. Bottom line is, I have a laptop with a serial out for all my programming needs.

**AnalogRocks** · Posted: Tue Nov 17, 2009 4:48 pm Post subject:

I remember when you were looking for one a few years back. Did you ever get the PCMCIA to serial card?

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Tue Nov 17, 2009 4:54 pm Post subject:

Nope. THe laptop is going in for repair today, apparently the supplier says that bad software is telling the laptop not to charge the battery. Go figure. They say it will be an easy fix.

secstate · Joined: 20 Mar 2006 Posts: 720

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Wed Nov 18, 2009 2:50 am Post subject:

OK, in way over my head now. BArco's instructions are as clear as mud of course. Waiting for some overseas assistance.... Smile

Got the laptop going though. Get this: Symptom was a flashing screen, went from bright to normal, back to bright. The wife kept using it, I told her not to. Finally we got the 'critical battery low' message, and then the laptop won't power up. It's an older Dell.

I figured being the tech, I'd open the battery. Wow, massive PC boards within the battery case, OK, it's shot. Order a new one on eBay for $34. It arrives, I charge it, it doesn't charge. Laptop still dead.

I try to open it, no go. I can get part of it apart, and it gets stuck. I'm close to throwing it across the room, wife convinces me to take it to the place where we bought it, an independent computer store around the corner.

They look at it, try another AC adapter. No go. I look at them a bit strange, since the AC adapter is powering it up.. sort of until it crashes. So they get a brand new Dell AC adapter, and the little bastard powers up fine. It starts charging the battery, and I'll be damned if the flashing of the screen doesn't stop as well. $125 later, it's working again.

For fun, I take the old AC adapter apart to check the capacitors with my new capacitor tester. All of them check fine. It's a pretty simple switching supply.

Piss me off. My eBay battery ends up being OK as well, but I bought their battery because I felt like an idiot. SHITE!

**AnalogRocks** · Posted: Wed Nov 18, 2009 3:37 am Post subject:

I've seen that with other laptops too. I grabbed one for a friend one day at a pawn shop that had the wrong power adaptor. It was the same voltage amperage but he bought the proper one on Ebay for it and the battery charged up and lasted longer than 15 minutes. Weird.

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Wed Nov 18, 2009 3:39 am Post subject:

Friggin' computers. I'm telling ya, my negative aura has spread through the house. 3 days working on damn 909s and haven't gotten anywhere.