Dpad control no longer switching Sky via GC-100-06 (Noob)

[tidymax]

Hi all.

I am an electrician based in England who also does basic AV systems. One of the offices i look after has recently had their AV company go AWOL on the them. I have fixed alot of HDBaseT equipment in the office and i am currently fault finding some equipment in the bosses house.

The AV company hadn't left any OEM or bespoke user manuals for the client (which is something we ALWAYS! do) so after a couple of hours i had figured out their system.

Now i have never used Dpad Control or any IR systems, i have been through and labelled their equipment for them and explained how it actually works however i am not 100% sure on where to start fault finding the IR problem.

Please bear with me while i try and explain.

They have a HDBase T switcher (Wyrestorm)
GC 100-06
Blu Ray
Sky Box
Sonos Units.

They are using Harmony remotes and Dpad Control on the Ipad.

Dpad control will communicate with the GC-100-06 and switch all of the necessary components APART FROM the Wyrestorm.

I swapped IR transmitters to check that the transmitter plugged into the output communicating with the Wyrestorm hadn't gone faulty however that didnt work.

Any help, advice/pointers would be very much appreciated.

Ideally i would like to avoid having to purchase an Ipad and rebuilding their system.

Thanks, Max

[Idealhomes]

Hi Max

They may have set up the GC-100 to control the matrix via RS-232, check there is a DB9 cable going from the matrix to GC unit. If you have the DemoPad .pad file on hand, you will be able to see for certain.

Good luck

[tidymax]

Thanks for the reply.

The RS232 port on the GC-100 is empty. The only ports that are used is ethernet and then the IR ports.

When you say the matrix do you mean the Wyrestorm HDbaseT switcher?

Also i do not have the demopad file, the previous company have left the client with zero user documentation or software etc. Is it possible for me to download the demopad file off the ipad?

Thanks again for the reply it is very much appreciated.

Max

[DemoPad]

It is not possible to recover a project from an iPad - you need the original PC .pad file.

Are you sure that the matrix is controlled via IR, Wyrestorm matrices can be controlled over IP - is the matrix connected to the network? It may be that the IP address has changed, which is why the DemoPad app stopped controlling it - it may have nothing to do with the GC-100.

[tidymax]

No i am not 100%

Thanks very much for the heads up that is definitely a good idea so i will check that next time i am there! Is there anyway for me to find out exactly what IP address the matrix should have?

Your help is very much appreciated DP.

Max

[DemoPad]

Not easily, no - but I'm hoping it might be something like the matrix is no longer connected to the network at all, and reconnecting it will resolve. If you don't have the original PC file, I would consider re-creating the project yourself, so that you can maintain it going forward.

[tidymax]

Thanks for all of your replies.

I had never heard of DemoPad prior to working for this customer so i really need to get learning quickly. I have had a look through this site and it seems like its full of useful information. I am rather reluctant to modify the customers system as i don't want to create my own pad file then find it doesn't work.

I know that on NYE they were having a party and Napster actually crashed. One of their guests decided to reset the router so i am not too sure what else he would of done. I would be very surprised if the previous AV company hadn't set static IPs but you never know. I will check the ethernet when i go back.

Ideally it will have popped out of its socket

Thanks for your help DP.

[DemoPad]

You don't necessarily need to worry about wiping the customers iPad - you can upload your own project (provided it has a different name) and easily go back to the other one by changing the project name back in settings & turning reload next time and reload images OFF - then launch the app again & it will load the old project. Don't have reload next time / images turned ON though with the old project name, as it will attempt to download, fail, & potentially lose the old project.

[tidymax]

Even better.

Looks like i am learning how to construct a demopad file this weekend then!

[cv27]

... by changing the project name back in settings & turning reload next time and reload images OFF - then launch the app again & it will load the old project ...

Interesting, just learned something new. I was able to go back 3 versions on the iPad with this procedure, So, how many versions are kept local on the iPad?

P.S. Tidymax, I believe you also need to 'clear' the active version from memory before loading an alternate version (double press home, swipe up DemoPad)

[tidymax]

Once again thanks for the replies.

I am sure all of this will start to make sense once i start using the Dpad software to create a file.

Just arrived at the customers house to continue investigating the issue and now one of the ipads Dpad app has basically frozen on Downloading files...

Any ideas?

[cv27]

... one of the ipads Dpad app has basically frozen on Downloading files...

Any ideas?

Check the iPad settings under DPad Control / Project setup: the settings "Reload next time?" and/or "Reload images / sounds" are probably On. If that's the case, the iPad will then look to communicate with the server (address & port listed on that page) and that would likely be the original installer's PC.

Those 2 switches for reload should normally be Off. Perhaps someone turned them On trying to get things going again.

First uncheck the reload switches in Settings, clear DemoPad from memory and try invoking DemoPad. This does not always work in my experience; if not, then I'm afraid the project is lost for ever; if it does, then make sure no one tampers with the settings, because this is your only copy of the project.

[tidymax]

Thanks CV.

I will be back at the customers one night this week so i will try that then. Thanks for the help.

Max