X6-400M card locking at end of acquisition

potsaid · Joined: 20 Oct 2008 Posts: 25

Hi. We just received an X6-400M card this morning. We downloaded the latest software and installed the card. However, it seems to be locking up at the end of the acquisition.

We tried Stream.exe and Snap.exe. Screen captures of the testing are attached.

We can open and close the card with no problems. The Finder.exe software also works.

We set up for the acquisition.

We can then start the acquisition. But, the acquisition never stops and the reported temp measure jumps from about 60C to 255, as shown in the attached images. At this point, the card seems to have hung. We can manually stop the acquisition, but the card is no longer communicating at that point. In this locked state, the Finder.exe software does not see the card.

The only way we can restore communications is to power down the computer and reboot.

We do not think it is a thermal problem because the card always reads about 60-61C for the duration of the acquisition, regardless of how long the computer has been on. It is only when the acquisition would normally stop that the temp jumps to 255 and the card looses communications. It feels more like a synchronization problem or similar.

We obtained the newest firmware via Innovative Tech Support and the FTP site, but the results are the same. In fact, the versions match and I think we have been running the latest firmware since we got the card this morning.

Could you take a look at the screen captures and let us know if anything jumps out at you. We have quite a bit of experience with the previous generation X5-400M and this card seems to be behaving differently than expected.

Thank you very much.

rvanbuskirk · Joined: 20 Jul 2009 Posts: 181

Is there a chance you could try the X6-400M board in a 32 bit OS system for comparison reasons?

Also, what is the date of the Stream Example and Snap Example? I would like to compare the date with our latest versions.
Thank-you

jhenderson · Posted: Wed Oct 12, 2011 8:33 am Post subject:

I have asked an engineer to repeat the testing of the X6-400M using the latest beta software, to isolate the source of this problem. The temperature register reading 0xff (255) implies that the register has potentially been reset or the logic has become unconfigured. We will see if this behaviour is repeatable.

bjackson · Joined: 12 Oct 2011 Posts: 186 Location: Simi Valley, CA

I tested this with an X6-400M we have in house on both a 32 bit and 64 bit processor, and it did not produce the same problem. Attached are the exact executables that I used and the .ini files with my settings. Try it with these and let us know if you still get the same result.

potsaid · Joined: 20 Oct 2008 Posts: 25

Thanks for the hints and executables.

We tried the new stream.exe executable in the 64bit machine (Dell Precision T7500) and found that the X6-400M still locks at the end of the acquisition and the temp jumps from 60C to 255 as it did before.

To establish communications with the card, we have to power down and restart the computer. Often during power down, the computer blue screens after the X6-400M locking occurs.

We then moved the card from the 64 bit machine to a different 32 bit XP machine (Dell Precision 390).

In the 32 bit XP machine, the computer instantly blue screens the moment we try to open the card with snap, Board Finder, etc. Board Finder and Snap see the card and number it 0, but the instant we click on open, the computer blue screens. See the attached photos.

To make sure our computers were still OK, we put an X5-G12 card into each and tested. The X5-G12 card works fine in both computers, indicating that the blue screens and lockups seem to be related to the X6-400M.

We are starting to think it is a hardware problem specific to this X6-400M board. Should we get an RMA and send the board back? If so, to who's attention?

Related, we ordered a DC coupled A/D and D/A (quote 1508 from 6/22/2011 order placed on 6/28/2011). However, the packing slip shipped with the card specifies AC coupled A/D and D/A. We are not sure if the card has A/C or D/C coupling. If A/C and we send back with RMA, can the card be easily configured for D/C coupling?

Thanks again.

bjackson · Joined: 12 Oct 2011 Posts: 186 Location: Simi Valley, CA

It sounds like you definitely have a hardware issue. Ship the board back to us ASAP and we will try to resolve it. We will either fix the board you have or send you a new one that is configured correctly. The quicker you can get it to us, the faster we can resolve it.

Thank you, and sorry for the inconvenience.

potsaid · Joined: 20 Oct 2008 Posts: 25

Sure, we can do that. Could you tell me the RMA number to put on the box and to who's attention we should address the box.

bjackson · Joined: 12 Oct 2011 Posts: 186 Location: Simi Valley, CA

You should have gotten an email from someone at II with this information to send the board back. Let me know if you did not receive this email.

Dak · Joined: 18 May 2012 Posts: 8

What was the resolution to this problem, We are experiencing the same issue with a x6-400 just shipped to us. We are running 64Bits windows7 and are seeing the same with both the arb and stream example. The SW locks up after one acquisition and though the card is still present in the device manager we cannot communicate with it unless the PC is rebooted. Another anomoly is that we get data on both adc channels with the stream example but only on channel 0 with the arb code. Also a Dac channel needs to be enabled for the ARB SW to run .... Why is this ? No output at DACS when looped back or viewed on oscilloscope ??

Thanks

rvanbuskirk · Joined: 20 Jul 2009 Posts: 181

Please download the latest Framework Logic from the Innovative Integration Support Page.
http://www.innovative-dsp.com/cgi-bin/dlWindowsBeta64.cgi?product=X6-400M

Use VsProm.exe applet software to write the new image to Flash Memory.