mxo stopped working

mxo used to work, now does not. Uninstall, install new mxo drivers did not fix the problem. Trash prefs., repair permissions, reboots, did not fix it.

In the sys prefs I see the mxo device v.2.1.4.05 Firmware Rev. 21, microcontroller 2.8.

(This is hdv captured as Pro Res422)

In fcp my av settings show seq. mxo hdv 1080i60, device preset sony hdv firewire, playback output: video = mxo hdv 1080i 29.97 -yuv (1440 x 1080) (mirror on desktop checked or unchecked has made no difference), Audio = only available choices shown are "default" or "built in audio"

From fcp view menu mxo = mx hdv 1080i 2997 yuv (1440 x 1080),view audio does not show mxo.

When I "play all frames " I get the message:

"The specified hardware could not be found, check your camera connection"

PowerPC G5 DP2.3, 4GB DDR SDRAM, ATI X800XT, OSX.4.11, QT 7.5.5, FCStudio2, FCP 6.0.5 Sonnet 5 Bay SATA (RAID or JBOD as needed), ACD 23" & Sony NTSC Monitor via Matrox v.1
Sony ZIU hdv, edit w.ProRes

I don't understand what you mean. What is deskstop scan conversion in relation to the mxo?

PowerPC G5 DP2.3, 4GB DDR SDRAM, ATI X800XT, OSX.4.11, QT 7.5.5, FCStudio2, FCP 6.0.5 Sonnet 5 Bay SATA (RAID or JBOD as needed), ACD 23" & Sony NTSC Monitor via Matrox v.1
Sony ZIU hdv, edit w.ProRes

Chris,

When you open your OS X System Preferences window > Displays pane > Arrangement tab do you see 2 monitors windows represented there ? You should. The first should be the ACD, the second should be the Sony Monitor which is made available to the OS via the MXO's scan conversion capabilities
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scan_conversion
Cheers
Andy

I just unconnected, uninstalled, reconnnected acd to mxo, re-installed mxo. same problem.

Thanks for your clear description re: primary vs. secondary.

Here's where it gets complicated because of the ports on my video card. Oddly enough, it was actually working with my setup previously - everything got messed up last month after a bout of bad ram, replacement, re-installs, re-hooking stuff.


On my ATI X800XT video card, one port is Apple's proprietary "ADC", (made to connect the first Cinema Displays). That port (on my right as I look at the back of my G5) might be utilized in some way but I need to use the ADC - DVI adaptor. Is this one called the primary port? I have not been using it and you'll see why below.

I hooked that one, with adaptor, direct to my ACD now for this test. MXO is on the other port, the one on my left as I look at the back of the G5. From there the MXO cable goes into the MXO DVI IN port.

The MXO is hooked to my NTSC monitor via an s-video cable.

Boot up, and now I see my desktop on the NTSC monitor. I can access the sys pref for display prefs but when I click on "arrange display" it does not bring up the window where I can see or choose the display as primary/secondary.

So, I shut down and try switching ports.

Now I tried hooking the ACD direct into the DVI port on the G5, and put the MXO on the ADC prorpiortary port via DVI adaptor. With this configuration, I get a black screen on my NTSC, and a partial deskstop display on my G5, eg. I see the default desktop background, but no finder, so no control over anything.

I think the ADC proprietary port cannot drive the MXO.

With both the above tests, nothing has been on the MXO DVI out port.

Looking at the back of my G5, which of the ports is called primary and which secondary. Or is that just a matter of what you put on it?

Another strange thing. Even while I was having this problem, with one of the hookup combos I could see two monitor displays in the prefs and could set which was primary/secondary via "arrangement" under one of the tabs. That window is not longer available no matter how I connect things.

Chris



PowerPC G5 DP2.3, 4GB DDR SDRAM, ATI X800XT, OSX.4.11, QT 7.5.5, FCStudio2, FCP 6.0.5 Sonnet 5 Bay SATA (RAID or JBOD as needed), ACD 23" & Sony NTSC Monitor via Matrox v.1
Sony ZIU hdv, edit w.ProRes

Hi Chris
With regards to physical connection / hooking up the MXO, I would connect the ACD to the ADC port via the adaptor ADC-DVI adaptor, and connect the MXO to the ATI X800XT's DVI port. In the System Preferences >> Displays pane you'd want to check ensure that your menubar is assigned to your primary display (the ACD).

With regards to the issue at hand. Hmmm. Something is clearly amiss with your Mastering mode output. The unit seems to be working just fine in Presentation mode.

FIrst off, I'd want to check all the Clip, Sequence and Audio/Video Settings. Could you list all of that? Also I'd want to eliminate some basic conflicts if and where possible ... start by creating a brand new OS X user account. Log in to the new account, launch FCP and check to see if the "hardware cannot be found" error reoccurs under that new account.

Cheers
Andy

I logged in as a different user, same thing happened.

Other info re: what I'm seeing:

With ACD on the video card DVI port, MXO on the ADC port, I can see only the default desktop background on my ACD, but no finder, thus no control.

I can only access and re-set monitor "arrangement" when I have the ACD on the ACD port.

With ACD on the ADC, I can temporarily use several options: deskstop preview, desktop full, desktop main, desktop raw.(view on both ACD and NTSC monitor). Might be a usable setup, accept....

. . .after a few minutes, I suddenly loose control . . .the cursor appears only on my NTSC monitor which has desktop background but no finder...cannot get cursor back to ACD to regain control, and have to reboot.

With ACD on the mxo, mxo on video card dvi port, let's me play "cinema desktop preview- main. No other desktop views available as above. Attempt to view via any MXO settings still tells me it can't find the hardware.

Note: when I installed the new mxo driver, mxo support told me to click "force firmware update" during install. Any chance that created a problem. Is it updating firmware inside the mxo box?

I still need to verify from you how to interpret the "arrange" boxes. Does dragging the menu to the right = assign the ADC port or the DVI to desktop (primary)? Does it represent to view looking at the back, where port 1 (ADC) is on the right? Maybe I'm getting dyslexic with this setting.



PowerPC G5 DP2.3, 4GB DDR SDRAM, ATI X800XT, OSX.4.11, QT 7.5.5, FCStudio2, FCP 6.0.5 Sonnet 5 Bay SATA (RAID or JBOD as needed), ACD 23" & Sony NTSC Monitor via Matrox v.1
Sony ZIU hdv, edit w.ProRes

Chris

If I choose video playback via cinema desktop - main, I see playback on both the ACD and NTSC simultaneously

If you choose video playback via cinema desktop - main then you are bypassing teh MXO's broadcast quality mastering output. If when doing so you can see playback on the ACD and NTSC simultaneously then its likely you have "Mirroring" enabled in the OS X Displays System Preferences ... that should not be enabled. What you're seeing is just a scan conversion output of the destop cinema display (not color critical/broadcast quality).

I see your Quicktime is currently version 7.5.5 ... I would suggest you install the ProcAmp patch:
http://www.matrox.com/video/en/support/mxo/downloads/utilities/

Best
Andy