Dobly DSS100

[Nalini Laveti]

We had power outage in short period of time, from then the DSS100 is not powering up, Was wondering the power supply gone bad or dead. Can any one suggest how to fix it without the replacement part of the power supply as I was not able to find the part in the market.

[Leo Enticknap]

It's a generic power supply unit made by a third party vendor. I don't have the model number info to hand, but you should be able to find it by pulling the suspect one out and reading the label on it. I have replaced power supplies on 200s and 220s with ones ordered on Amazon by this method several times over the last couple of years.

However, the reason why your 100 won't start might be a dead CMOS battery. I've encountered this with several DSS servers of all variants when their owners tried to start them for the first time after the pandemic. I can't remember if there is a recessed power button that you have to push with a poker on the front of the 100 - there is on the 200 and the 220. If nothing happens after applying mains power, but pushing this button makes the thing start, that is your problem. After replacing the battery (on the motherboard - ideally a BR2032, but the more easily available CR2032 will work), you will need to set the "boot automatically on power restore" setting in the BIOS, in order to make it start itself whenever power is restored after an outage.

[Steve Guttag]

The DSS100 does not have a power button behind the panel like the DSS200/DSS220 have...you have to go to the header pins on the motherboard, unfortunately. I'd agree that likely the CMOS battery is done and is probably worth replacing. I'm not as fussy on that one as Leo and use the CR2032.

From the Supermicro X6 manual...you are looking for the JF1 header pins 1 and 3 make the power reset (next to each other):

Screen Shot 2021-08-29 at 2.07.17 PM.png

If you look at the board layout below, JF1 is way over on the far right and just under half-way up below Fan2 and Fan3

Screen Shot 2021-08-29 at 2.10.44 PM.png

[Leo Enticknap]

Thanks Steve. I no longer have any DSS100/DSP100s among my regular "patients" : the last one was retired and upgraded to an IMS3000 in January; so my memory of the specifics of them is fading. I still have dozens of 200s and 220s, though.

If there is no button on the front of the unit, it would suggest that the power button pair of pins on JF1 is permanently jumpered. If so, the server should automatically power up when mains is applied, presumably. In fact, I have a dim recollection of replacing a dead CMOS battery in a 100 a couple of years ago, in that it did power up automatically when I plugged it back in, but threw a slew of error messages, and would not proceed to boot the OS until some BIOS settings had been changed. One of them was resetting the BIOS clock. I thought that the server would do that automatically from the media block. It didn't, and wouldn't even connect to the DSP100 until I'd reset the BIOS clock to within a minute or two of the DSP100's clock.

So if the server won't start up when power is applied, it likely is a bad power supply. Can't hurt to try a new CMOS battery ($2) first, though, and then progress to a power supply (likely three figures) if that doesn't fix it.

[Nalini Laveti]

Thank you for the response. First I checked the panel behind, Yes DSS100 does not have a power button. I opened the unit to find the CMOS for replacement. Unfortunately I was not able to find CMOS in the unit. For reference attached are the Pic. Pls guide me.

[Leo Enticknap]

That is the power supply module. The CMOS battery is on the motherboard of the server itself. You'll need to take the lid of the chassis off to get to it.

[Steve Guttag]

Leo,

No, the pins would be open, not jumpered. If one wanted it to wake up and power on, they would set that in the BIOS...but first, they would have to momentarily short the Power pins (1, 2...I think I was not clear above). This is a momentary contact just like a button would do.

As for the BIOS battery...again, refer to the board layout above and look near the middle...where there is a circle labeled "Battery." That would be it. Often, and particularly if the battery has drained to the point that settings like what to do when power is applied no longer are where they were, one has to reset the BIOS. Dolby has a list of how they set theirs. I've found that, depending on the actual equipment available at the time of manufacture, the settings may or may not match up.

This is what I have on the DSS100 BIOS and I don't see a confidential on it so it is attached. DSS100_Bios_Settings.pdf

[Marcel Birgelen]

Unless there are multiple DSS100 revisions, the OEM part number of the PSU should be GIN-6350P. I've replaced those in the past, as they're prone to capacitor rot.

If your CMOS battery ran empty, you should at least be able to boot the machine into the CMOS setup (BIOS setup) and apply the configuration Steve pasted or if the BIOS revision is a different one, just try some reasonable defaults, which should allow the thing to boot. If you want to solve your machines BIOS amnesia, you should replace the BR2032 battery in there.

[Ioannis Syrogiannis]

Unless there are multiple DSS100 revisions, the OEM part number of the PSU should be GIN-6350P...

Dolby has it as Zippy Technology GIN-635P (no zero). But zeros come and go...

[Dave Macaulay]

The primary symptom of a dead DSS100 battery is the failure to connect to the player. You need to set the BIOS clock to something close to real time for it to connect: if the time from the DSP secure clock is far off the DSS clock, they won't connect.
The battery is easy to change once you remove the ridiculous number of top cover screws and the cover. The battery holder has a tiny metal latch that pushes outwards to release the battery which springs out of the holder. The difference between the easily available CR2032 and rarer BR2032 is trivial, use what you can find.
Then reset the clock and BIOS settings to what Steve sent.
Don't mess with the DSP. Its secure RTC batter is not serviceable, and if that goes dead the DSP is trash. You can change a fan in the DSP but that is all. Do not remove the sealed media block module!!! Just unplugging it can brick it, some yes some no but do not risk it.
Be aware that the DSS/DSP100 is out of service: no parts available from Dolby, no repair available from Dolby. There is no possible way to repair a failed DSP100 media block - but the DSS is basically just a PC and can be worked on... the motherboard is way obsolete and NLA - used ones may come up on Ebay. The internal wiring is diabolical though and replacing anything is a real chore.

Bottom line - if the cinema is a business get a new projection system now while you have time to shop around, and avoid costly downtime when it fails and you need to scramble for new equipment immediately. If it's a hobby, don't forget that the server may fail - with no repair available - at any time.

[Marcel Birgelen]

Dolby has it as Zippy Technology GIN-635P (no zero). But zeros come and go...

Well, I've checked what I've ordered a few years ago and it was an EMACS GIN-6350P by "Zippy Technology"... I also can't find any "GIN-635P" for sale, so maybe that's an older model or simply a typo.

[Leo Enticknap]

Here is a cheat sheet on the difference between BR and CR battery chemistry, in case anyone is interested.

BR_vs_CR_batteries.pdf

Essentially, BR is optimized for low current draw over an extended period (i.e. maintaining CMOS memory while a computer is powered down), whereas CR is optimized for momentary bursts of high current discharge (e.g. a garage door opener remote). As a very rough rule of thumb, I've found that for a motherboard CMOS battery, a CR is good for around 2-3 years, whereas a BR will give you 4-5. However, for the specific model we're talking about (2032), CRs are very easily available - most supermarkets sell them, because they are used in a wide range of household devices: wireless keyboards, garage door remotes, you name it. BRs you have to buy from a specialist vendor (or Amazon). I keep a few in my field spares kit.

[Nalini Laveti]

I was able to find the CR battery inside and replaced it, still not able to woke up. Not sure, how we can set the BIOS clock to something close to real time for it to connect, hence there is no power coming thru.

[Steve Guttag]

Did you not locate pins 1 and 2 on the diagram above? You'll need to use a screwdriver to momentarily short those two pins (like pushing a button) to get it to wake up. Then, you can set the BIOS parameters.

[Marcel Birgelen]

If you have a pushbutton with compatible header, you can also connect it to those pins. In most computers, the power button on the chassis is actually connected to those pins. Dolby should probably have done the same and at least provide a backup power button somewhere on the chassis...

Here is a cheat sheet on the difference between BR and CR battery chemistry, in case anyone is interested.

Essentially, BR is optimized for low current draw over an extended period (i.e. maintaining CMOS memory while a computer is powered down), whereas CR is optimized for momentary bursts of high current discharge (e.g. a garage door opener remote). As a very rough rule of thumb, I've found that for a motherboard CMOS battery, a CR is good for around 2-3 years, whereas a BR will give you 4-5. However, for the specific model we're talking about (2032), CRs are very easily available - most supermarkets sell them, because they are used in a wide range of household devices: wireless keyboards, garage door remotes, you name it. BRs you have to buy from a specialist vendor (or Amazon). I keep a few in my field spares kit.

It's the same form-factor, but unless otherwise stated by the manufacturer, you should really opt for a BR2032 other than a CR2032, because they'll last you much longer. While most brick and mortar shops don't carry the BR version, I've ordered mine on-line, where there are usually plenty of suppliers.