Help, new box dead.

[DaMacFunkin]

Hello, I'm in a bit of a panic I was running vix 005 for 3 days fine, then this morning my box wouldn't switch on, i tried turning the power off and on, the light came on the front, but wouldn't boot, so I switched off and left for a hour. Turned box on and it booted, as soon as I got a TV picture, the bottom of the screen went garbled and the box crashed. I tried to ftp in and ssh in but there was no response. I again turned the box off went and prepared a zeus image on a stick and reflashed, the flash went correct till the end bit of the reboot when the screen went garbled and the box crashed again. I then read that some people have problems and have to unplug their HDMI cable till it has booted. So not only did I unplug my hdmi cable I went and got a differnet cable, bypassed my amp straight into a different port into the tv, I booted the box, then when it had booted I plugged the new cable in, choose retore settings and the box booted, on the tv picture coming back on the screen went garbled at the bottom and the box froze.
I have since tried to flash the stock vti image from the vuplus website and everytime I get to the config page it garbles and crashes. The box won't then restart until it has been powered off at the back button for a while.
Yikes.....
???

[marty]

Sounds silly but try a scart cable (to rule out the HDMI) ?

[DaMacFunkin]

I am going to do when I can get it to reboot, last two times ive tried I'm just getting the light on the front and nothing else.
Is there software to flash by rs232, I'm hoping I don't have to but I want to be prepared just in case.

[marty]

If it was me I would UNPLUG EVERYTHING inc HDD wait a few mins and try a fresh reflash (download again) but re-format the USB stick 1st.
Have NOTHING connected except the USB stick/mains cable and HDMI (or scart)

[DaMacFunkin]

I've opened the case, unplugged the hard drive, but now I'm just getting the light on the front when I switch on, nothing else, Ive just tried to putty into the box with a usb to serial cable but I get no response...

[marty]

I've opened the case, unplugged the hard drive, but now I'm just getting the light on the front when I switch on, nothing else, Ive just tried to putty into the box with a usb to serial cable but I get no response...

Are you 100% sure the usb/serial cable and putty is set up right? got another box to test it on?

[DaMacFunkin]

Hello, I just realised i didn't have the null cable, was plugging the adaptor straight in, now i can connect, putty identifies the chip then starts relaying eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeee...
i have to exit the window?

[marty]

Not good :( do you have any other box you can test it on (to verify it does work)

[DaMacFunkin]

Hi, i mean i now have the null cable, i can try on my solo2, if you really need me to verify, but i'm sure the adapter and cable is working because it identifys the the duo2 before it goes mad.
Is there a way of flashing the duo2 by serial?

[marty]

Hi, i mean i now have the null cable, i can try on my solo2, if you really need me to verify, but i'm sure the adapter and cable is working because it identifys the the duo2 before it goes mad.
Is there a way of flashing the duo2 by serial?

Try it on your Solo please :) I went through the same scenario a couple of months ago with my TM-SINGLE. Until you know for certain that the cable/usb-serial and putty is working you don't know for sure if what you are seeing is correct :thumbsup:

I'm not 100% sure but I don't think you can flash the VU's via serial (some STB's you can)

Can you post a screenshot please :)

[DaMacFunkin]

Screenshot of what?
Thanks.

[marty]

Screenshot of what?
Thanks.

Putty or what ever program you use to get the bootlog :)

[DaMacFunkin]

Hi, plugged into solo2 and all is fine, reads everything out perfectly..

[marty]

Hi, plugged into solo2 and all is fine, reads everything out perfectly..

OK, sounds like bad news for the DUO² then :(

At this point I would get a screenshot of what's happening with the duo and contact your supplier (might be worth posting the screenshot here too in case anyone else has a suggestion)

[DaMacFunkin]

After being unplugged for 20 mins, i plugged it back in with a usb with v2 bootloader on it, and that updated fine.
Rebooted and and just for testing i have inserted usb with VTi on it (thats what it came with and if i have to send it back i'd like it to be not working with that on it).
Flashed fine, rebooted machine using composite av cable.
Machine powered fine, powered down, plugged in hard drive, rebooted and re-intialised hard drive so it is clean.
Powered down, connected feed to tuner B and i'm now doing service scan. i'm off to make a drink, when service scan is over i will tune to a channel with composite cable, if tv is fine for 15 mins i will power down and connect with HDMI, i have taken the one off my solo2 to test with. Will report back soon.

[marty]

That's looking more promising :D

[DaMacFunkin]

Right i watched some tuned channels for a while an the av cable, seemed fine, powered down attached the new HDMI cable that is plugged into an unused hdmi port on my TV, that seemed fine. Powered down, plugged my original hdmi cable in that is plugged into my amp and that seems to be fine, network is now connected and running. I am now going to power down and try vix, then a full re-configure.

[DaMacFunkin]

Did a fresh flash of zeus 008 and set everything back up and that seemed fine, decided to put the lid back on, then i noticed it, my amp started to switch between PLII and Dolby Digital, it should have been straight dolby digital because downmix was set toff, i knew it was going to crash, and it did, garbled screen again, no response from anything, i'm gutted...

[DaMacFunkin]

Ive managed to crash the box a few times now connected to putty and there is nothing in the read out that would suggest a patern, i think the system has overheated and a component or soldering is stressing out causing the crash, the box will have to go back :-(

[judge]

Ive managed to crash the box a few times now

Upload one of the crash logs.

[DaMacFunkin]

Like I said there was nothing in them, the box was just going about its business then lock, like I said I managed to get the box running fine with one tuner connected and the lid off, as soon as I connect all 4 and put the lid on it the hdmi port gradually starts to act flaky then it locks, but there is no dumping of data, it is a total hardware freeze. Ps those tuners get incredibly hot, wow.
Pops box is now fully boxed, I've emailed supplier, just waiting for him to get back to me.

[DaMacFunkin]

Reseller didn't get back to me today and I have been too busy to phone, so when I got in i thought I would have another play, so installed latest vti and set it up the best you can do with that so I could have 4 tuners running, the only difference is I have installed the hard drive into an external bus powered case, I had it recording 3 HD channels whist watching another channel, so I've installed Zeus 009 and it up to now it is running smooth, I still have the drive connected externally, I will see how it goes. And if fine I may put the drive back in the case tomorrow night. (2.5" sata3).
P.s. the f connectors don't seem to be running as hot at the moment....

[DaMacFunkin]

Lasted about an hour, I wasn't even using a tuner I was streaming a recording from the solo2
:-(

[judge]

Menu -> Information -> About, what's the system temp?

[DaMacFunkin]

You can't access anything when it locks, and it will only power on again when the cord has been unplugged for a considerable amount of time , so I can't get an accurate reading of what the temperature is when it locks, it is definatly over heating, my guess is the CPU. I haven't heard anything from the seller yet, I will phone him if I get time , I'm so busy at work at the moment, I may get time to sit and observe the temperature tonight what would be reasonable temperature with 4 tuners connected and a couple of recordings going on?

[eastof111]

When I received my receiver with dual twins, I measured some temps with a laser digital thermometer while viewing an sd sat channel.

The laser pointer aimed at the center of the black heat sink displayed 125F. After adding an internal fan and a lap top cooler under the receiver, I have observed a high of 32C to a low of 26C displayed on the lcd screen. Your mileage will vary with the room temperature.

If you feel the cpu is overheating, you might check the black heat sink to see if it moves. It should be firm and no evidence of movement. There's always the possibility the thermal glue used was not applied correctly. Then again, if it's an intermittent short, I think it would be time to ask for a replacement.

[DaMacFunkin]

I'm currently looking into the theory it might be this Technomate octo lnb that I have just got, that is glitching the box to either overheat or lock up, I can't get home in daylight so as to go on the roof and put the old quad back on..,.

[DaMacFunkin]

I managed to get on the roof last night, I checked all my connections where fine, and put my old quad lnb back on and connected 2 feeds to solo2, 2 feeds to duo2 as well as a motorised feed into the duo2 and everything up to now is going swimmingly, I've got a normal zinwell octo on order and as soon as that arrives all get all the other feeds connected, I'm now pretty sure the Technomate lnb was the problem, maybe the gain was to high, maybe it was just faulty, I just hope those lock ups haven't caused long term damage to the box.

[DaMacFunkin]

Ive since recieved my Zinwell octo lnb and all seems to be running fine now so i don't know what was wrong with the Technomate lnb that it was causing these problems, the duo2 REALLY didn't like it, it was only when i twigged that my solo2 and freesat tv where also showing signs of glitching when one of the other trio was changing or activating a tuner that i fugured what it was, maybe the gain is too high, maybe its just faulty, i'm glad all seems to be sorted now and like i said before i hope the lock ups and heat that caused havn't caused any long term damage to the box.
p.s. the only equipment connected to the Technomate lnb that didn't suffer any adverse signs was my Technomate nano oe....