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    kitsune
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Sensor+ racks confused

Hey everyone,

So we managed to fix this problem, but I want to push out the symptoms and solution so it would be part of the knowledge base. We have 4 Sensor+ 72 racks run from an Emphasis server on ETC2net. For the last week or so, the system had been functioning normally, but right before focus tonight, suddenly half of our dimmers wouldn't come up, and there was one or two that wouldn't dim. We spent a good hour tearing through the patch, rebooting the server, trying to see if ETC2net had quit on us, and nothing could resolve the problem. The "Bad" modules weren't responding to the rack at all. We thought we'd lost a phase, but the outages were scattered all over the racks, and the CEMs weren't reporting power loss.

At long last, we shut down all four racks as well as the main node and Unison module for about five minutes. When the system fired back up, everything functioned as normal again. We've got no idea what caused the system to mutiny on us, but cutting the power seemed to fix it.

 I wonder, has anyone else had similar problems?

------

Jeff Maynard

UMass Amherst- Undergrad Electrician

Parents

  • Next time it happens, DO NOT RE-BOOT.  E-mail us ASAP so we can help troubleshoot.

    JK

    EDIT: and a by the way - is this a new install ?.  You mention that "For the last week or so, the system had been functioning normally,".  Has there been prior trouble ?. 

    Seriously though, if you have patience and the option, maybe give ETC an immediate call.  Stuff is easier to troubleshoot if it's in failed mode.

    No idea other wise and I have a similar system, Express w/ Emphasis, Net2, Unison CMEi, 5 CEM+ racks.

    It's been energized 24/7 for 4 years, with occasional boots of Emphasis and the Unison ER4.

    No problems (knock, knock and knock again for good measure.).

    Maybe your CEM+'s were accumulating small errors - they are mini-computers after all, and maybe just needed a boot.  One of the things that always troubled me with rack CEM's and more so with CEM+'s, was the issue of no possible UPS and/or line voltage protection.  Ever have a CEM+ rack lose power from the utility company ?.  From what I've been told, everything else comes back as most stuff is on UPS.  The CEM+'s take something like 40 seconds.  Eternity.  I met a guy from Virginia when I was at ETC End User Training a few years ago.  His space took something like 5 hits from lightning, each time the CEM was trashed.  Hearing stuff like that always made me wish that ETC would provide for a separate line feed for the CEM+'s that could be better protected.

    Steve Bailey

     Brooklyn College

     

     

     

     

     

     



    [edited by: Steve Bailey at 5:06 PM (GMT -6) on Wed, Nov 19 2008]
Reply

  • Next time it happens, DO NOT RE-BOOT.  E-mail us ASAP so we can help troubleshoot.

    JK

    EDIT: and a by the way - is this a new install ?.  You mention that "For the last week or so, the system had been functioning normally,".  Has there been prior trouble ?. 

    Seriously though, if you have patience and the option, maybe give ETC an immediate call.  Stuff is easier to troubleshoot if it's in failed mode.

    No idea other wise and I have a similar system, Express w/ Emphasis, Net2, Unison CMEi, 5 CEM+ racks.

    It's been energized 24/7 for 4 years, with occasional boots of Emphasis and the Unison ER4.

    No problems (knock, knock and knock again for good measure.).

    Maybe your CEM+'s were accumulating small errors - they are mini-computers after all, and maybe just needed a boot.  One of the things that always troubled me with rack CEM's and more so with CEM+'s, was the issue of no possible UPS and/or line voltage protection.  Ever have a CEM+ rack lose power from the utility company ?.  From what I've been told, everything else comes back as most stuff is on UPS.  The CEM+'s take something like 40 seconds.  Eternity.  I met a guy from Virginia when I was at ETC End User Training a few years ago.  His space took something like 5 hits from lightning, each time the CEM was trashed.  Hearing stuff like that always made me wish that ETC would provide for a separate line feed for the CEM+'s that could be better protected.

    Steve Bailey

     Brooklyn College

     

     

     

     

     

     



    [edited by: Steve Bailey at 5:06 PM (GMT -6) on Wed, Nov 19 2008]
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