iank99

Have you calibrated the touchscreen? There's an option in the system menu's to do this...

Peter, it sounds like the transformer that supplies the control voltage supply and sync pulse for channels 3&4 has failed. Sadly it's not an unknown fault on the Beta 3 which is attributed to an issue with the manufacture of the transformer. From the Serial number you supplied Zero they'll be able to tell if it's from an affected batch of transformers. The usual course of action when we get the fault on units here is to replace the powerboard as a 'just in case' but it is possible to replace just the transformer (but this will take some swearing with a soldering iron). Swapping the powerboard is easy to do if you feel comfortable working on dimmers and it takes about 30 minutes to do - otherwise your local Zero repair centre should be able to do it for you.

They both had 'Go' button playbacks.. This made it possible to program/record a series of memories and then replay them 'theatre' style using a 'Go' button. The Sirius series (the 24/48 and the 250/500) was the foundation for the Frog range in that many of the basic concepts in operation for the Sirius evolved into the advanced control of Frog (and to a degree Jester).

ZOS6351 looks interesting - I don't have to get my head round 'part' cues

*coughs* There isn't an output to run a desk lamp on the FLX so you can use pretty much anything. You could try a USB LED gooseneck in one o the USB ports but try and keep it as low current as possible - the internal hubs are limited for power I think, same as the ORB series. Littlite do some freestanding lights to plug in to a wall wart type of PUS (or so it seems from a cursory look at their site just) or you could use something from the Swedish furniture store or that well know electronics provider with 3 letters.

I've never needed to bother - the few LED's that I've used with my Illusions all had dimmer channels too

Well - you live & learn

I think this is to do with the fact it's a Fat Frog (but if I fudge long enough - Jon will come along and set me straight) and the way that intensities and attributes are controlled. If the LED's are defined as fixtures on your desk and they have a 'master dimmer' channel as part of the hardware in the LED then the software in the Frog will dim them as it would a dimmer. If the LED's are being used simply as a 3 channel dimmer with RGB then the Frog has no intensity to dim (as far as it's concerned - you have 3 somethings attached but they're not dimmers, so when you do things that you do with a dimmer - it leaves them alone). There is the capability in the Fixture Editor to create virtual dimmer channels so that when using simple 3 channel fixtures - the desk can be fooled in to believing there is a master dimmer involved. However (and this is the part that's testing me) I don't believe that Virtual dimmers work on Fat Frogs (or Illusions) but only on Leap Frogs and newer. I would look at the manual for your LED's and see if there's a mode of operation that can be used that has a Master Dimmer (or sometimes simply called 'dimmer') channel and then see if there's a fixture in the library for that mode (or ask Keith/Jon to build one for you).

Try formatting the floppy on a PC if you can find one with a drive - the Illusion may not be able to format a drive but it might be able to read one. I bought a USB Floppy drive to keep around (in spite of much laughter by my work colleagues) for just such occasions - the number of Fat Frogs we still see that need OS upgrades

From memory - the "illusion.osf" file must be the only file on the floppy disc. Fully insert it in to the drive and power up the desk - as part of it's boot routine - all Illusions check the floppy drive for this file and it's there will boot it rather than the internal disk image. It takes about 3 to 5 minutes to complete and again (if memory serves) there is stuff output on the external monitor to show it's progress.

I think 'Lock' is intended to lock off recording functions or anything that could corrupt the show in the desk - so you can leave it behind for an inexperienced operator to just use faders or push buttons.

The mouse is at maximum current for a "unit load" on USB - each port should take 500mA, of course the issue might be the startup current for the mouse but it's difficult to say. It might be worth trying an alternative mouse for 'peace of mind'?

Generally you'd create a basic 4 or 5 step chase for the channels where you want the 'candlelight' to be. The channel levels are random but never fully off (so the light never goes out like a candle) and set the direction Random with crossfade steps and a quick (ish) step time. Try not to go mad and have the whole rig doing it though - it needs to be just where you'd expect to see the candlelight. Of course - depending on what you're doing, you could use real candles but be aware of your fire proofing

Gordon - generally I don't see a lot of issues with Solutions crashing on startup but I'm aware that they can crash from conversations with Keith & Jon. The most common causes are USB keyboards and mice pulling too much current or using the USB port to charge mobile phones - a powered USB hub is the best "belt & braces" solution. There shouldn't be any lag that would affect the boot up of the desk from the PSU - it's a switch mode PSU so pretty much "instant on" - there's no magnetic saturation of transformer coils needed and so on... The Compact Flash card may be the issue - there are two positions for it in the desk and Keith should be able to advise them which to try (if your distributors technician isn't sure). The remote switching option shouldn't be a factor unless there's a problem on the cable that's connecting the remote switches (from memory the port can be twitchy if you short the wrong pins) unless you really need them - I wouldn't bother with them. If you really need remote operation then consider a USB extender for the keyboard and a monitor extender - the remote position then has more meaningful control.

Does the desk lock even if you have the keyboard & mouse plugged in? If it does - then it may be that the compact flash card inside the desk may need reseating, the dealer who supplied it should have a technician qualified to open the desk & do this. If the desk is crashing/locking with the keyboard & mouse plugged in - they may be drawing too much current from the USB Hub power supply rails. If you're intent on using a mouse & keyboard you need to ensure that they're low current devices or they can pull the desk over - try a boot without them plugged in. You also need to bear in mind that boot times for the Solution is about 45 seconds or so - what you think is the desk locking may be the desk booting. What do you see on a video monitor connected to the video port? That can give a good indication of the booting process as you see almost everything happening as ZerOS loads and starts the window manager and so on.

Is it actually a Frog 2 PSU? The Frog 2 variant has a switch on the PSU case and (from memory) gives a higher current. Your Frog 2 would probably start up with a Frog PSU but it might well run warm and the USB hub might not have enough current to drive peripherals.

No inconvenience at all

Did you notice what the DMX LED was doing on the packs before you started replugging the DMX?

The Chilli range of dimmers are installation dimmers so the terminals for all the connections that make it work are inside the unit. Doing so means that people who aren't sure what they're doing can't just plug stuff in (or unplug it). If you take off the front cover of the unit and look below the keypad you will see the terminals for the external control signals.. The DMX terminals are the left set of four - to get DMX out of the dimmer, all you need to do is connect a cable to these terminals to carry the DMX Through. This is all detailed in the manual for the Chilli dimmers

No - you can't use a Cat5 converter - the Cat5 connector has CanBus signals on it and some of the data lines from the processor for updating firmware and doing diagnostics. There isn't a DMX output inside the dimmer - all you need to do is remove the cover, get a cable inside neatly and terminate the cable on to the DMX In terminals. They're screw terminals so easy enough to get another set of cables in to

It's also worth bearing in mind folks that whilst the software on FLX is ZerOS - the processor and internal architecture of the desk have no resemblance to the Solution and Orb range processors & mainboards (apart from having Zero88 screen printed on them). The processing power of the ARM made it relatively easy for Jon and his team to port ZerOS over and have it work with the control surfaces but now they're had reaction from FLX's launch and folk are piling in with feature requests, they're working on using the internal architecture (and the additional processor cores that are as yet unused) to do this and still keep the desk responsive. The pace of development is about inline with what I remember from GeniusPro when it first appeared on the 430 - the first 6 months, we updated the software about 6 times as bugs and features were enabled on the desk we'd bought. Nowadays of course, Jon has an easier job of getting updates out because of more folk having broadband (no more screeching modems for 900K downloads!) - he's not going to rest easy until it's doing what he wants and how you want it to - he's just that sort of person...

It may not even be the power supply but the processor/main board - when did you last replace the rechargeable battery? If the battery has never been replaced - it may be leaking and eating the mainboard, if the battery has been replaced - what state was it in & was the main board cleaned up? The battery is located above and to the right of the processor - if it has leaked then it's not far for the acid to creep and start eating other tracks. You need to get the desk to a Zero88 Repair centre for them to check the mainboard over but given it's age - it might be time to replace the desk altogether

If the analog output is only showing 7v then that would suggest the problem isn't the DMX card but either the faders or the output stage on the processor. There are circuit diagrams available but I'm not sure what Zero88 policy is about releasing them - Keith or Jon will probably answer that one for you.

I would use a multimeter to check the analogue outputs to see if they're doing the same i.e. only giving 70% at maximum (or use an analogue dimmer) which might then suggest it's an issue with one of the preset masters or the Grand Master. You need to isolate the DMX output as the source of the problem and there's nothing on that circuit that could act as a level limit - it only reads the internal data bus of the desk and translates it to a digital format. Faults on the Sirius DMX cards usually mean lots of flickering or no output at all... If there's a consistent low level then it's elsewhere on the desk - my first guess would be master faders failing or an issue with the A2D converters on the processor.

Are you plugging the stick in to the PC before you start the Phantom Jester software? If I recall there were issues with not reading USB sticks on Jesters if the stick was plugged in once the desk was powered - this was likely a software issue with the software not recognising the stick was there (and so might have found itself in to the Phantom software). Some sticks can be slow in being mounted by a PC as well - it's just the way they're made - try inserting the stick, let Windows tell you that there's a new stick inserted (the Autoplay window) and how do you want to treat it (just close that notification) then start Phantom and try reading the stick.