Lectrosonics HMa (Europe) "Dsperr" error

[Ben B]

Hi all,

Today my HMa (EU version) gave me a strange error. We had a normal morning without problem, we switched batteries at lunch and upon rebooting the unit started the count up 1, instead of two it gave us "Dsperr", 3 and the unit turned on. I had full RF reception but no audio passed through. I tried multiple time to turn it on and off and the same event happened (1, Dsperr, 3 and the unit was on). I switched batteries for others and the unit turned on normally. Very weird... My HMa is not even one year old and i use LADDA rechargeable. The problem happened with one set of LADDA and i replaced it with another set of LADDA and the problem disappeared. I tried looking for this error message online but couldn't find any thing even remotely related.

Had anyone already encountered that problem?

*EDIT*

I just realised "DSPerr" means "DSP error"... (i had a stressful day on set today...). How can two batteries give me a DSP error and two others work normally?

[Enko]

Happens with mine too. Powering off and on doesn’t help, need to remove batteries and put them back in, then it works normally again. Would like to know why it happens.

[LarryF]

Hi Ben,

Try using the "bad" batteries again and see if the problem follows the batteries. I doubt that it is due to batteries. However, I'd switch the good and bad batteries back and forth several times just to triple check. It is possible that the batteries have high resistance or low voltage and the boot up sequence is not completing properly. Startup briefly pulls higher currents. If the DSP itself were bad I would expect the DSPerr would continue rather than come up between the one and the three in the boot-up countdown. If one set of batteries does it again, try charging them and trying the test again. That is just for info. If they start working when charged, I still wouldn't trust them.

 

Assuming the HMa doesn't act weird again, try heating and cooling the unit to see if that will cause a solder joint problem. In the summer, putting the unit in the sun can get it nice and toasty. Then putting it in the refrigerator will stress the connections in a different direction. If doing that several times doesn't do anything, try rapping it with a screwdriver handle or something short of a 4 lb sledgehammer. Rap it in all directions with the unit on and off. You are trying to make the unit fail in your free time rather than when you are in a critical situation, i.e., somebody is paying you money to do your job.

 

Frankly, I hope it is the batteries but that is a low probability.

Best Regards,

Larry Fisher

p.s. I'll copy this to Dean in service and see if he has run into anything like this.

1 hour ago, Enko said:

Happens with mine too. Powering off and on doesn’t help, need to remove batteries and put them back in, then it works normally again. Would like to know why it happens.

Hi Enko,

I saw your post after I posted to Ben. Maybe Dean has an idea if this is happening more than once.

Best Regards,

Larry Fisher

 

Edited July 27, 2020 by LarryF
doubled post

[Ben B]

Thanks Larry. 

Unfortunately in the stress when it happened yesterday i tossed the failing batteries in my empty battery box and since i only have laddas i wont find which one they were. 

I'll use the plug on again today and i'll see if the problem occurs again. We are shooting indoors in a very old farm in the mountains doing night scenes. It was maybe max 20 degrees celcius in there and the plug on stayed indoors. So it was for sure not the temperature. The idea of making the plug on fail on purpose doesn't excite me much as we still have 4 shooting weeks to go. I'd rather wait until we're done to do a full thorough fail test.

[LarryF]

Hi Ben,

All agreed.

LEF

[Dean Slotness]

I can think of a few different faults that could cause this symptom.

If the DSP clock crystal was slow to start or just at the threshold of acceptable output you might see this issue.

If the DSP power supply was sagging on start up you might see this issue.

We have also had a few similar errors that were caused a bad CODEC or any other (bad) part hanging off the shared SDO line.

Not sure that helps, but there you go...

Dean 

[LarryF]

Hi Ben,

Just to add to this;  if one of Dean's thoughts is the problem, a weak battery might prolong startup just enough to trigger a fault. The good news is that once the unit is up and running it should continue to work. 

Best Regards,

Larry Fisher

[Ben B]

Thanks for your help. I used the plug on today again in the same setting with two sets of batteries without any issues. I have really no idea what could have caused this error but a set of battery not giving enough power for a clean start could be the cause. I only use ladda battery and some are older than others. The one that were in the plug on while the problem occurred where two of the older ones. I'll report here if it happens again and see if i can reproduce the issue when we are done shooting end of august. In the mean time i keep my fingers crossed that it was just the older batteries...

[Ben Sellers]

I just had this same issue with an HMa B1 black label (nuhybrid). I used panasonic eneloop blacks which gave me the error. I purchased the item used so I was very concerned. I switched to lithiums and no problem. I replaced the batteries again with the eneloop blacks (same pair) and no issue. Very strange, but now I’m worried its an issue with the tx itself. Maybe it’s related to the extra startup power like was mentioned?

[Ben B]

Since my original post i also had this issue come up a handful of time. But every time i either just opened the battery door, switched them and closed it again, or changed the batteries and it always worked afterwards. I also marked the batteries that gave me the problem and after charging them the problem and using the same pair again, the problem didnt show up. Not sure what the source of the problem is but so far i could always fix it within 10 seconds on set. 
Maybe it’s weak battery, maybe they dont sit right in their place or the wrapper of the AA, which sort of start to peel of after a few uses, who prevent good contact, i dont know, but i pretty sure the unit itself isn’t faulty since the battery switch always fix the issue right away.