CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

[Frank D]

Register to remove this ad. It's free!

I was changing an input card in slot B so I turned off my G90 from the hard switch on the back of the G90. When I went to turn it on again about 1 hour later I got the 11 error code in green.

Now the G90 will not come out of standby and turn on?

Any ideas what this may be?

From a previous poster error code 11 in green means:

11 Green Upload data from Comm Mode of uploading data from communication.

[rsh]

Looks like the Dallas chip IC333 battery died . Have you had your PJ off for a long time (not in standby mode when it was not in use)? Is your unit more than 5 years old?

I am having similar problem with the Error Code 30.

I have changed the chip, but it did not help. But some folks with Error Code 11 did bring the G90 out of standby successfully after changing it.

If the chip died you lost all the user info: serial number, number of hours on the tubes and all conversion settings.

Sorry to bring the bad news...

Roman

[Frank D]

Thanks for the response rsh,

Yes there was a period where the G90 was off for a few years. I believe that my G90 is also older then 5 years.

I have done some reading and want to try to attack this problem in 2 ways:

1. Short term solution: Get it up and running now
How do I do this? Can I hook up my laptop via serial cable to the G90 and upload the latest firmware (v1.11). Would this mean that as long as my G90 is not shut off from the power source I may be ok? From reading other posts I believe that my previous calibration settings may possibly be even kept in tact.
Even if my calibration setting are not kept recalibration of my G90 is not an issue for me.

2. Long term solution:
Get the Dallas Chip IC333 and go through the replacement procedure. I know that this will have to be done. I just wanted to try to get the projector running in the meantime.

Can anyone assist me in the above two possibilities?

Thanks

Frank

[overclkr]

Come over to my place. Eat, drink, and watch the Stack. That'll get you by.

Cliffy

[Frank D]

[Frank D]

Any place to buy a null modem cable that Sony requires for the PJ update?

I can not seem to get the cable that I made to work. I used a regular RS 232 cable. I checked it with a volt meter and it checked out ok as per Sony's cross pin connection requirement.

Could it be that at 10 feet the cable is too long?

[oliverg]

Frank I mentioned this in the other thread - get yourself a breakout box and use a normal null modem cable. Use the BOB to rewire rather than trying to build it from an existing cable.

BOBs are around $10 - just google one for a place near you.

Kind regards

[Frank D]

Found a local breakout box here:

http://www.escience.ca/hobby/RENDER/0001/2065/3099/11955.html

I guess I would have to get DB9 adapters to make it work.

So I guess a NULL modem cable is where some of the wires go to different pins ie. 2 goes to 3 etc.?

I may just try to buy another shorter RS232 cable and try to manually connect the wire again per Sony's specs.

Wondering if anyone would be willing to ship me their working Sony RS232 serial cable. I would of course pay for it and the related shipping. The cable should be tested on with their G90 and then at least I can rule out the cable.

This kind of bugs me as creating the Sony serial RS232 cross cable does not seem like that much of a hard thing to do.

Here is one at monoprice. But this probably does note have all the cross connections that the Sony requires.

http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10212&cs_id=1021205&p_id=475&seq=1&format=2

[oliverg]

Frank - just use a regular DB9 null modem cable - that is pretty much pin to pin except 2+3 - use the break out box to modify to the Sony spec.

Its not that hard, you shouldn't have any difficulties doing this

Kind regards

[dochlywd]

Frank,

I just went to Radio Shack and purchased a male crimp-on DB9 and a female crimp-on DB9 connector. I then cut the connectors off the end of an existing serial cable I had laying around and matched the color wires with the appropriate numbers. It's real easy. They just crimp-on and then the pins slide in and snap into place on the the connector. I think it cost me like $4.00.

Doc

[Frank D]

Well I bought a few more cables to tried out the "normal" and "emergency" upgrade modes in the PJupdate program but neither worked. In normal mode when I hit Find Device and tried using the 9600 or 19200 baud rate the display did change momentarily to error 18 on the G90 telling me that there was a transport error so that tells me that there is some communication going on between the G90 and my computer. When I switched to 38400 baud rate in the PJupdate program I got no reaction at all when I hit Find Device (No 18 error either).

I have enquired about a breakout box as per Oliverg's suggestion but the local supply store said it would take about 3 - 4 weeks to arrive.

I tried using two different computers with no luck. One was an old laptop using windows 95 and the other was XP on a regular table top computer. Both had their own serial ports.

I am going to try to manually cut and rejoin another RS 232 cable according to Sonys spec as per the help menu in the PJupdate program. This one is 6 feet long. The last one I did this to that I used in my communication attempts to date is 10 feet long.

What computer port settings did you guys use (access via Control Panel, System, Hardware, Device Manager, Port settings) - I used:
Bit per second: 38,400
Data bits: 8
Parity: None
Stop bits: 1
Flow control: none

Are these setting correct?

As per JohnHWman, he has indicated that he was successful in uploading the firmware using a regular RS232C cable in emergency mode.

Can you guys tell me your detailed settings, equipment and procedures used to successfully update your G90 please? More detail the better.

Thanks
Frank

[oliverg]

You can order a break-out box off the web and they can deliver overnight. Just do a google and you would be surprised how many places still have them.

It really sounds like the cable isn't working. AFAIK the default baud rate is 38.4k, 8 N 1 .

Tell me more about the cable you have?

Also, you may want to check control panel and set the port speed there as sometimes applications don't change them. There should be a default in COM settings. EDIT sorry, I just saw you've done this already.

As long as the handshaking is working properly, the baud rate will probably autosense anyway. Is there a setting in the application to change it or is it dumb?

[macgyver655]

I have found, through my own experiences, (not a G90 but other electronic devices with eeproms and memory chips) when trying to access them via a com port, that for some reason the computer wont communicate. Switching to another computer, using them same software, same windows and same cable, it would communicate no problem. Switching back to the original computer and it would not communicate.. I see that you tried an old laptop with Win98 or whatever is was, but I would not consider this older device and older windows version to verify is not the computer. The software may not be designed for use in the older windows version.

I actually have three computers set up just for my shop and if one doesnt communicate I switch to another and bingo. I cant tell you how many times I have ran into this.

Sounds like you've tried everything else, couldn't you borrow another computer with Win XP, just to verify its not a communication problem with your PC.

Just my opinion, Good Luck!!!

[oliverg]

The easiest way to test a COM port is to use a loopback cable and just use "terminal" (or any terminal app) . You will see whatever you type echo back to you. If the program is dos based, its wise to use a DOS boot disk (even a Windows 98 created one) rather than launching the program from a window/shortcut

Some applications will have issues running in a windowed mode - some require exclusive mode to work. As long as the COM port is detected there shouldn't be any issues.

Kind regards

[macgyver655]

Agreeing with mostly everything you posted, Oliverq, The only thing I guestion is where you say:"As long as the COM port is detected there shouldn't be any issues", I have found that a PC that wont retrieve data from one device, will retrieve it from another, however another PC will retrieve the data from the device the other would not. All com port's were verified as functioning. And both PC's were using the same software and cableing. I have also found similar issues using a DOS environment. Again this is why I have 3 PC's used for communication purposes.

[Frank D]

[oliverg]

Frank, you'll need some adapters (9 pin) of the correct sexes - most good break out boxes have multiple plug types.

Once you have everything, simply take the wires and follow the pinouts that the G90 requires (earlier in the post)

It should just work provided the baud rate, parity etc are all set

Try at 38.4 8N1 first - if that doesn't work go down to 19.2, then 9.6

Let us know how you go.

Kind regards

[Frank D]

Thanks for everyones help. I finally got the G90 up and runnig again. Thanks to JohnHWman of this forum, Mr. Sing Yeung of Sony Canada, Roman (rsh on this forum), Oliverg, dochlywd, mcgyver655 and all others that tried to help me. Oh ya and overclkr too - get the celebration food/beer ready.

My next step will be to change my IC333 Dallas chip.


SONY G90 FIRMWARE 1.11 UPGRADE PROCEDURE THAT WORKED FOR ME

1. TURN OFF G90 MAIN SWITICH FROM BACK
2. PULL OUT B AND C CARDS (NOT SURE IF MADE DIFFERENCE)
3. MAKE SURE DEVICE INDEX IS SET FOR “01” ON BANK OF G90 – NOTE WHEN G90 IS CEILING HUNG IT IS UPSIDE DOWN SO A "01" WILL LOOK LIKE "10"
4. SET SELECTOR SWITCH TO RS-232C
5. TURN ON G90 – IT WILL SHOW 88, 88, 10 AND THEN 11
6. TURN ON COMPTER - YOU SHOULD HAVE PREVIOUSLY INSTALLED PJ UDATE SOFTWARE AND G90 V1.11 FIRMWARE ON THE COMPUTER
7. CONNECT DB9 RS232 SERICAL CABLE - I USED THIS ONE WITH FOLLOWING CONNECTION PER SONY CANADA REP:
FEMALE MALE
1=====7 & 8
2=====3
3=====2
4=====6
5=====5
6=====4
7=====–
8=====–
9=====–
HENCE 7, 8 AND 9 ON FEMALE SIDE ARE NOT CONNECTED AND 1 AND 9 ON MALE SIDE ARE NOT CONNECTED.
8. IN COMPUTER:
UNDER:
-START SETTINGS
-CONTROL PANEL
-DEVICE MANAGER
-PORT SETTINGS
I USED:
-BITS PER SECOND 38,400
-DATE BITS 8
-PARITY NONE (NOTE: I USED NONE BUT SONY CDA GUY SAID USE: EVEN)
-STOP BITS 1
-FLOW CONTROL NONE
9. NOW I STARTED THE PJ UPDATE SOFTWARE IN THE COMPUTER VER 1.1 OF PJUPDATE (NEWEST ONE FROM CURTE’S WEB SITE)
-CHOOSE COM 2 (AS THAT IS WHAT THE SERIAL PORT USES IN MY LAPTOP)
- CHOSE 19,200 (NOTE I TRIED TO USE 38,400 BUT IT WOULD NOT WORK)
-GO INTO EMERGENCY MODE
-HIGHLIGHT VPH-G90 VERSION 1.11 FIRMWARE
-HIT UPLOAD
-NOW PROGRAM SHOULD START TO UPLOAD RIGHT AWAY
-SEE LAPTOP ON SCREEN – SHOULD SEE % PROGRESS WINDOW – SHOULD TAKE ABOUT 10 MINITES
-G90 ERROR WINDOW WILL SHOW 11 GREEN MAILY AND SOMETIMES FLASH 12
-ONCE DONE THE G90 WILL FLASH 88 AND THEN SHUT DOWN
-DONE

OTHER GENERAL NOTES:

A. I DID, AS PER SONY CANADA REP’S SUGGESTION, PULL OUT THE YA BOARD A COUPLE OF INCHES AND PUT IT BACK IN WHEN G90 WAS TURNED OFF BY HARD SWITCH BUT I DO NOT THINK THIS MADE A DIFFERENCE.

B. AFTER SUCCESSFUL UPLOAD OF FIRMWARE THE G90 WENT BACK TO NORMAL OPERATION AND ALL MY PREVIOUS USER SETTINGS APPEARED TO BE ALL UNCHANGED

C. NOW ONE SHOULD NOT TURN OFF G90 (FROM HARD SWITCH ON BACK OF G90) OR ELSE YOU WILL HAVE TO RELOAD FIRMWARE AGAIN (THEREFORE JUST LEAVE G90 TURNED OFF VIA REMOTE ONLY - G90 IS IN STANDBY MODE WITH LITTLE RED LIGHT ON BACK OF G90 LIT)

D. YOU WILL NEED TO CHANGE THE IC333 DALLAS CHIP. ONCE THIS CHIP IS CHANGED THERE SHOULD NOT BE A PROBLEM WITH TURING OFF THE G90 VIA HARDSWITCH ON BACK

E. USED AN OLD LAPOTP WITH WINDOWS 95. MAIN REASON IS THAT I HAD IT AVAILABLE AND IT HAD IT'S OWN SERIAL PORT (IE. TO AVOID USING SERIAL TO USB CABLE THAT OTHERS HAVE INDICATED DID NOT WORK FOR THEM).

[oliverg]

This is great news! Well done!!

Keep us up to date with what happens with the Dallas chip too.

All the best

[macgyver655]

Yes this is great news. Always glad to hear when someone brings their projector back to life. Congratulations !!