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Topic: Load500/Dras10 serial cable

Antonio Marcheselli
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1260
From: Florence, Italy
Registered: Mar 2000

posted 05-23-2001 07:59 AM

Hello everyone.

Someone perhaps remember my difficulties connecting my laptop with my CP500.
I thought was a laptop's problem. I tried with another laptop with the same result: no connection.
I wonder if my cable is correct: it is a pin to pin cable.

Thanks
Antonio

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Gordon McLeod
Film God

Posts: 9532
From: Toronto Ontario Canada
Registered: Jun 99

posted 05-23-2001 08:37 AM

Standard 9pin straight through cable

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Mark Gulbrandsen
Resident Trollmaster

Posts: 16657
From: Music City
Registered: Jun 99

posted 05-23-2001 12:04 PM

Should work fine but double check your com port settings on the laptop to be sure they are correct. Also try a second cable.....
Mark @ GTS

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Steffan Laugharne
Film Handler

Posts: 15
From: Biggleswade, Beds, UK
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 05-23-2001 02:13 PM

Hi Antonio

Remember that Dras10 and Load500 work best when run via DOS and not DOS through Windows. Also, I seem to remember that on the Dolby course for the CP500 there was some discussion about the order in which the laptop and CP500/DA20 are switched on in order to get the two to communicate properly. Try both combinations ie. boot up DRAS10 first while connected to CP500/DA20 switched on and then if this fails switch on CP500/DA20 with the laptop already running DRAS10.

Incidentally, Dolby will shortly be releasing a Windows version of DRAS program which will work with CP500 and DA20 processors shortly. These will appear as downloads on www.dolbysecure.com

Steff

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Antonio Marcheselli
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1260
From: Florence, Italy
Registered: Mar 2000

posted 05-23-2001 02:28 PM

Steff,

Thanks for the info, I will try.

I wonder why my old tech that needs a paper with "instrucion" on how to upgrade the software is able to connect without problems while I have a lot of problem and I am a network administrator in the spare time...

I will try to register myself on dolbysecure...

Bye
Antonio

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Scott Norwood
Film God

Posts: 8146
From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99

posted 05-23-2001 03:26 PM

I wonder if Dolby ever thought about putting network interfaces on the CP500s and CP 650s? Actually, this would be kind of neat in a new multiplex with cat5 cable installed to each screen. Theoretically, the processors could be monitored and adjustments (like volume, etc.) could be made from a central location. More importantly, upgrades could be made centrally by putting the software image on a central server computer and then using a standard protocol like tftp to load it onto each processor without having to walk around with a laptop.

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Pete Naples
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1565
From: Dunfermline, Scotland
Registered: Feb 2001

posted 05-23-2001 05:05 PM

The CP650 has an ethernet port, I have no ideo what U can do with it though.

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Gordon McLeod
Film God

Posts: 9532
From: Toronto Ontario Canada
Registered: Jun 99

posted 05-23-2001 05:30 PM

Also Dras10 and Load 500 are 16bit programs and wont run if you are useing win2000

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Aaron Sisemore
Flaming Ribs beat Reeses Peanut Butter Cups any day!

Posts: 3061
From: Rockwall TX USA
Registered: Sep 1999

posted 05-23-2001 09:35 PM

>>Also Dras10 and Load 500 are 16bit programs and wont run if you are useing win2000<<

They don't work with Win ME either.

-AS

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Randy Stankey
Film God

Posts: 6539
From: Erie, Pennsylvania
Registered: Jun 99

posted 05-23-2001 11:33 PM

I suggest two things:

1) Boot straight into DOS. Those probrams get cranky when they run anywhere near Windows.

2) Get a nice, heavy serial cable with good shielding.

I had a problem with my laptop not connecting to the processors. With the SDDS it would connect and then quit on me. On the DSP-60 it would connect OK but then it would start making funky noises like a video game. Buying a cable with good shielding solved the problem in both cases. (Yes, I used a Null-Modem connector for the SDDS.)

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Brad Miller
Administrator

Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99

posted 05-24-2001 06:57 AM

It is interesting that SDDS actually has different programs that work best with different laptops. I have a somewhat high end laptop (aka: top of the line about 3 years ago) and can not use ver 1.4, but ver 1.7 works perfectly. Another tech using a

laptop connects just fine with ver 1.4, but cannot make ver 1.7 work.

(Forgive me if I have the version numbers mixed up in my head. I "think" those are correct, but if I have mistated I'm sure someone will be along shortly to correct the error.)

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Jon Bartow
Master Film Handler

Posts: 287
From: Massachusetts
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 05-24-2001 07:00 AM

The CP650 (all versions) has an ethernet port on it. Currently the software does not exist to use it but it is supposed to be in a version of the software sometime later this year.
I've never had a problem using Dras10 or Load500 in a dos window under Win98 (first version

) The THX R2 software however does require DOS mode.
Now if we could just get all of those software enginneers to write these programs for LINUX we would be set

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Gordon McLeod
Film God

Posts: 9532
From: Toronto Ontario Canada
Registered: Jun 99

posted 05-24-2001 02:52 PM

The only caution of running dra210 under win 98 is getting the commport settings set up correctly and also allowing the correct settings
I was supprised that the latest R2 software was not win98 based

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