GRASS VALLEY M-Series User manual

M-Series
INTELLIGENT VIDEO DIGITAL RECORDER
Service Manual
071-8229-01
JULY 6, 2004
the most watched worldwide

2M-Series Service Manual 6 July 2004
Copyright Copyright © 2004 Thomson Broadcast and Media Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in
the United States of America.
This document may not be copied in whole or in part, or otherwise reproduced except as
specifically permitted under U.S. copyright law, without the prior written consent of Thomson
Broadcast and Media Solutions, Inc., P.O. Box 59900, Nevada City, California 95959-7900
Trademarks Grass Valley, M-Series, Profile, and Profile XP are either registered trademarks or trademarks
of Thomson Broadcast and Media Solutions, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries.
Other trademarks used in this document are either registered trademarks or trademarks of the
manufacturers or vendors of the associated products. Thomson Broadcast and Media
Solutions, Inc. products are covered by U.S. and foreign patents, issued and pending.
Additional information regarding Thomson Broadcast and Media Solutions, Inc. trademarks
and other proprietary rights may be found at www.thomsongrassvalley.com.
Disclaimer Product options and specifications subject to change without notice. The information in this
manual is furnished for informational use only, is subject to change without notice, and should
not be construed as a commitment by Thomson Broadcast and Media Solutions, Inc. Thomson
Broadcast and Media Solutions, Inc. assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors or
inaccuracies that may appear in this publication.
U.S. Government
Restricted Rights
Legend
Use, duplication, or disclosure by the United States Government is subject to restrictions as set
forth in subparagraph (c)(1)(ii) of the Rights in Technical Data and Computer Software clause
at DFARS 252.277-7013 or in subparagraph c(1) and (2) of the Commercial Computer
Software Restricted Rights clause at FAR 52.227-19, as applicable. Manufacturer is Thomson
Broadcast and Media Solutions, Inc., P.O. Box 59900, Nevada City, California 95959-7900
U.S.A.
Revision Status
Rev Date Description
September 8,
2003 Initial release of the M-Series Service Manual 071-8229-00
July 6, 2004 Updated to include service information for units with digital audio—
071-8229-01

6 July 2004 M-Series Service Manual 3
Contents
Finding Information...........................................................................................5
About this manual....................................................................................................5
Getting more information.........................................................................................7
Grass Valley Product Support.................................................................................8
Safety Summaries.............................................................................................. 9
Chapter 1 Product Description
Overview description............................................................................................... 15
Functional description ............................................................................................. 16
System description.................................................................................................. 17
Application System............................................................................................. 18
Real Time System.............................................................................................. 18
Board map..........................................................................................................19
Current optional boards...................................................................................... 19
Media control and processing .................................................................................20
iVDR services.....................................................................................................22
FRU functional descriptions ....................................................................................23
Base chassis ......................................................................................................23
Front Panel and cable ........................................................................................23
Media drives....................................................................................................... 24
Floppy, CD, DVD drives .....................................................................................25
Power Supply .....................................................................................................25
Fan module.........................................................................................................25
Chapter 2 Troubleshooting problems
Video problems .......................................................................................................28
Audio problems .......................................................................................................29
Timecode problems.................................................................................................30
Operational problems..............................................................................................31
System problems.....................................................................................................32
Storage problems....................................................................................................33
Media File System problems..............................................................................33
Media disk problems........................................................................................... 34
Checking the storage system.............................................................................36
Network, transfer, and streaming problems ............................................................ 37
Thermal problems ................................................................................................... 39
Floppy, DVD, CD drive problems............................................................................39
Power supply problems...........................................................................................40
Front Panel problems..............................................................................................40
Start up problems....................................................................................................43
Motherboard/BIOS startup.................................................................................. 43
Windows startup.................................................................................................43
No VGA monitor output ......................................................................................43
AppCenter startup ..............................................................................................44
Chapter 3 Service Procedures
Cleaning the Front Panel touch screen................................................................... 45
Backing up the iVDR ...............................................................................................45
Replacing an iVDR.................................................................................................. 46
Replacing an iVDR with saved media ................................................................46
Replacing an iVDR without saved media ........................................................... 49
Replacing a media disk drive ..................................................................................49
Using the software recovery disk image..................................................................50
Creating the software recovery disk image ........................................................ 50

4M-Series Service Manual 6 July 2004
Contents
Restoring from the software recovery disk image .............................................. 55
Using the Storage Utility.......................................................................................... 58
Opening and closing the Storage Utility ............................................................. 58
Opening the Storage Utility from Normal mode............................................. 59
Closing the Storage Utility............................................................................. 60
Opening the Storage Utility from Storage Maintenance mode...................... 61
Locating a media disk......................................................................................... 61
Viewing the properties of a media disk............................................................... 61
Making a media file system................................................................................ 61
Checking the media file system.......................................................................... 62
Backing up the media file system....................................................................... 63
Restoring the media file system......................................................................... 63
Cleaning the media file system .......................................................................... 64
Updating the media file system.......................................................................... 64
Downloading disk drive microcode..................................................................... 65
Resetting disk mode pages................................................................................ 65
Exporting log files.................................................................................................... 65
Exporting log files using the StatusPane....................................................... 66
Exporting log files using the Windows command line.................................... 67
Chapter 4 Removing and replacing FRUs
External Parts Removal .......................................................................................... 70
Front Panel or door removal............................................................................... 70
Fan module removal........................................................................................... 71
Media disk removal ............................................................................................ 71
Power supply removal........................................................................................ 72
Power supply installation.................................................................................... 72
Internal Parts Removal............................................................................................73
Top cover removal.............................................................................................. 73
Removing floppy, CD, DVD drives..................................................................... 74
Index...................................................................................................................... 77

6 July 2004 M-Series Service Manual 5
Finding Information
About this manual
This service manual provides procedures for servicing the M-Series iVDR. Use this
manual to isolate and repair problems.
How this manual is organized
The Service Manual is divided into the following chapters:
Chapter1, Product Description — Describes the key features and system components
of the M-Series iVDR.
Chapter2, Troubleshootingproblems—Containsproblemdescriptionswithstepsfor
diagnosing and correcting the cause of the problem. Use this information if you are
having trouble with your M-Series iVDR.
Chapter 3, Service Procedures — Contains procedures for periodic maintenance.
Also contains procedures for repairing the software components of the system.
Chapter 4, Removing and replacing FRUs — Contains procedures for removing and
replacing field replaceable hardware components.

6M-Series Service Manual 6 July 2004
Finding Information
Other printed manuals
This manual is part of a full set of support documentation for the M-Series iVDR.
•M-Series iVDR Quick Start Guide — This
guide provides step-by-step instructions for
basic installation and operation, including
recording and playing clips, trimming clips,
and making a playlist.
•M-Series iVDRRelease Notes — Containsthelatest informationabout
the M-Series iVDR software shipped on your system. The
information in this document includes software upgrade instructions,
software specifications and requirements, feature changes from the
previous releases, and any known problems.
•M-Series iVDR User Manual — Describes the M-Series iVDR and
provides instructions for installing and operating the product in a
variety of applications.

6 July 2004 M-Series Service Manual 7
Getting more information
Getting more information
In addition to the printed manuals, information is available in the following locations.
On-line Help
On-line help is available through the M-Series user interface.
To access online help:
• In the main user interface toolbar, select Tools, then choose Help from the
pop-up menu. The M-Series Help home page is displayed.
- or -
• In any M-Series application or tool, select the context menu, then choose Help.
Online help for the application is displayed.
Printed manuals in PDF format
All printed manuals are available in the Acrobat file format (pdf) on the M-Series
iVDR System Software CD-ROM. The manuals are located in the CD-ROM
Documentation directory.
Thomson Grass Valley Web site
This public Web site contains all the latest manuals and documentation, and
additional support information. Use the following URL.
http://www.thomsongrassvalley.com.

8M-Series Service Manual 6 July 2004
Finding Information
Grass Valley Product Support
To get technical assistance, check on the status of problems, or report new problems,
contact Grass Valley Product Support via e-mail, the Web, or by phone or fax.
Web Technical Support
To access support information on the Web, visit the product support Web page onthe
Grass Valley Web site. You can download software or find solutions to problems by
searching our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) database.
World Wide Web: http://www.thomsongrassvalley.com/support/
Technical Support E-mail Address: [e-mail].
Phone Support
Use the following information to contact product support by phone during business
hours. Afterhours phone support is available for warranty and contract customers.
Authorized Support Representative
A local authorized support representative may be available in your country. To locate
the support representative for yourcountry, visit the product support Web page on the
Grass Valley Web site.
United States [phone] (Toll Free) France [phone]
Latin America [phone] (Toll Free) Germany [phone]
Eastern Europe [phone] Greece [phone]
Southern Europe [phone] Hong Kong [phone]
Middle East [phone] Italy [phone]
Australia [phone] Netherlands [phone]
Belgium [phone] Poland [phone]
Brazil [phone] Russia [phone]
Canada [phone] (Toll Free) Singapore [phone]
China [phone] Spain + 34 91 512 03 50
Denmark [phone] Sweden [phone]
Dubai + 971 4 299 64 40 Switzerland [phone]
Finland [phone] UK [phone]

6 July 2004 M-Series Service Manual 9
Safety Summaries
General Safety Summary
Review the followingsafety precautions toavoid injury and prevent damage
to this product or any products connected to it.
Only qualified personnel should perform service procedures.
While using this product, you may need to access other parts of the system.
Read the GeneralSafety summaryin othersystem manuals for warnings and
cautions related to operating the system.
Injury Precautions
Use Proper Power Cord
To avoid fire hazard, use only the power cord specified for this product.
Ground the Product
This product is grounded through the grounding conductor of the power
cord. To avoid electric shock, the grounding conductor must be connected
to earth ground. Before making connections to the input or output terminals
of the product, ensure that the product is properly grounded.
Do Not Operate Without Covers
To avoid electric shock or fire hazard, do not operate this product with
covers or panels removed.
Do Not operate in Wet/Damp Conditions
To avoid electric shock, do not operate this product in wet or damp
conditions.
Do Not Operate in an Explosive Atmosphere
To avoid injury or fire hazard, do not operate this product in an explosive
atmosphere.
Avoid Exposed Circuitry
To avoid injury, remove jewelry such as rings, watches, and other metallic
objects. Do not touch exposed connections and components when power is
present.
Product Damage Precautions
Use Proper Power Source
Do not operate this product from a power source that applies more than the
voltage specified.
Provide Proper Ventilation
To prevent product overheating, provide proper ventilation.

10 M-Series Service Manual 6 July 2004
Safety Summaries
Do Not Operate With Suspected Failures
If you suspect there is damage to this product, have it inspected by qualified
service personnel.
Battery Replacement
To avoid damage, replace only with the same or equivalent type
recommended by the circuit board manufacturer. Dispose of used battery
according to the circuit board manufacturer’s instructions.
Safety Terms and Symbols
Terms in This Manual
These terms may appear in this manual:
WARNING: Warning statements identify conditions or practices that can
result in personal injury or loss of life.
CAUTION: Caution statements identify conditions or practices that may
result in damage to equipment or other property, or which may cause
equipment crucial to your business environment to become temporarily
non-operational.
Terms on the Product
These terms may appear on the product:
DANGER indicates a personal injury hazard immediately accessible as one
reads the marking.
WARNING indicates a personal injury hazard not immediately accessible
as you read the marking.
CAUTION indicates a hazard to property including the product.
Symbols on the Product
The following symbols may appear on the product:
DANGER high voltage
Protective ground (earth) terminal
ATTENTION – refer to manual
!
!
!

6 July 2004 M-Series Service Manual 11
Service Safety Summary
WARNING: The service instructions in this manual are intended for
use by qualified service personnel only. To avoid personal injury, do
not perform any servicing unless you are qualified to do so. Refer to all
safety summaries before performing service.
Do Not Service Alone
Do not perform internal service or adjustment of this product unless another
person capable of rendering first aid and resuscitation is present.
Disconnect Power
To avoid electric shock, disconnect the main power by means of the power
cord or, if provided, the power switch.
Use Care When Servicing With Power On
Dangerous voltages or currents may exist in this product. Disconnect power
and remove battery (if applicable) before removing protective panels,
soldering, or replacing components.
To avoid electric shock, do not touch exposed connections
Certifications and Compliances
Canadian Certified Power Cords
Canadian approval includes the products and power cords appropriate for
useintheNorthAmericapowernetwork.Allotherpowercords suppliedare
approved for the country of use.
FCC Emission Control
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a
Class A digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits
are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference
when the equipment is operated in a commercial environment. This
equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if
not installed and used in accordance with the instruction manual, may cause
harmful interference to radio communications. Operation of this equipment
in a residential area is likely to cause harmful interference in which case the
user will be required to correct the interference at his own expense. Changes
or modifications not expressly approved by Grass Valley can affect
emission compliance and could void the user’s authority to operate this
equipment.
!

12 M-Series Service Manual 6 July 2004
Safety Summaries
Canadian EMC Notice of Compliance
This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class A limits for radio noise
emissions from digital apparatus set out in the Radio Interference
Regulations of the Canadian Department of Communications.
Le présent appareil numérique n’émet pas de bruits radioélectriques
dépassant les limites applicables aux appareils numériques de la classe A
préscrites dans le Règlement sur le brouillage radioélectrique édicté par le
ministère des Communications du Canada.
EN55103 1/2
Class A Warning
This product has been evaluated for Electromagnetic Compatibility under
the EN 55103-1/2 standards for Emissions and Immunity and meets the
requirements for E4 environment.
This product complies with Class A (E4 environment). In a domestic
environment this product may cause radio interference in which case the
user may be required to take adequate measures.
FCC Emission Limits
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to
the following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful
interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received,
including interference that may cause undesirable operation.
Laser Compliance
Laser Safety Requirements
Thedeviceused in thisproductis a Class 1certifiedlaser product. Operating
this product outside specifications or altering its original design may result
in hazardous radiation exposure, and may be considered an act of modifying
or new manufacturing of a laser product under U.S. regulations contained in
21CFR Chapter 1, subchapter J or CENELEC regulations in HD 482 S1.
People performing such an act are required by law torecertify and reidentify
this product in accordance with provisions of 21CFR subchapter J for
distribution within the U.S.A., and in accordance with CENELEC HD 482
S1 for distribution within countries using the IEC 825 standard.
Laser Safety
Laser safety in the United States is regulated by the Center for Devices and
Radiological Health (CDRH). The laser safety regulations are published in
the “Laser Product Performance Standard,” Code of Federal Regulation
(CFR), Title 21, Subchapter J.
The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Standard 825,
“Radiation of Laser Products, Equipment Classification, Requirements and
User’s Guide,” governs laserproducts outside the United States. Europe and
member nations of the European Free Trade Association fall under the
jurisdiction of the Comité Européen de Normalization Electrotechnique
(CENELEC).

6 July 2004 M-Series Service Manual 13
Safety Certification
This product has been evaluated and meets the following Safety
Certification Standards:
Standard Designed/tested for compliance with:
ANSI/UL60950, CAN/CSA
C22.2 No. 60950-00
12/01/2000
Safety of Information Technology Equipment, including
Electrical Business Equipment (Third edition).
IEC 950 Safety of Information Technology Equipment, including
Electrical Business Equipment (Third edition, 1999).
EN60950 Safety of Information Technology Equipment, including
Electrical Business Equipment (Third Edition 2000).

14 M-Series Service Manual 6 July 2004
Safety Summaries

6 July 2004 M-Series Service Manual 15
Chapter 1
Product Description
Topics in this chapter include the following:
•“Overview description” on page 15
•“Functional description” on page 16
•“System description” on page 17
•“Media control and processing” on page 20
•“FRU functional descriptions” on page 23
Overview description
The M-Series iVDR is a multi-channel video disk recorder that allows four channels
of simultaneous record and playback. Media is stored on internal disk drives. Storage
capacity depends on the disk option installed and the video compression settings
selected.
The iVDR includes a built in disk recorder application that handles essential tasks —
record, edit, play, and create/play event lists. The optional front panel includes an
LCD display with touch screen, and transport controls to allow easy operation and
monitoring with minimal external connections.
Refer to the M-Series User Manual for other high-level descriptions of features,
controls, and applications.

16 M-Series Service Manual 6 July 2004
Chapter 1 Product Description
Functional description
The diagram illustrates how the four iVDR channels operate independently, but share
a common internal disk storage area. This gives all channels, two record channels for
recording media and two play channels for playing media, simultaneous random
access to the same media files. This means that you can play a clip that is still
recording on one of the record channels. Each channel handles one video track, two
audio tracks, and one timecode track.
Note that an E to E playback path is provided for monitoring purposes. The E to E
path allows the play channel output to switch to the record channel input when the
play channel is in stop mode or not asset is loaded on the channel. You can configure
the iVDR so that the play channel does not use E to E, but instead freezes on the last
frame when the play channel is in stop mode.
NOTE: E to E is provided for monitoring the record channel, and is not intended
as a program switch.
PB/EE Switch Path
R1
Input
Circuit
R2
Input
Circuit
P2
Output
Circuit
P1
Output
Circuit
R1
Record
Channel 1
R2
Record
Channel 2
P1
Play
Channel 1
P2
Play
Channel 2
PB/EE Switch Path

6 July 2004 M-Series Service Manual 17
System description
System description
The M-Series iVDR is a standard PCI bus-based Windows computer with extensive
enhancements to provide the video disk recorder functionality. This section explains
the major architectural blocks.
Real Time
Processor
Board
AGP
Board
ATX Motherboard
Codec Board
XLR
Board
RS422
Boards
Power Supply Fan Module
VAR
JOG
SHTL
R1
P2
P1
R2
VGA Monitor
Mouse
Keyboard
Front Panel
System
Drive (C:)
Ethernet Port
iVDR Inputs and Outputs:
Audio, Video, Timecode, Reference, Monitor, GPI
Remote
Control
Devices
Floppy
Drive
CD-RW
Drive
Media
Drives (V:)
SCSI
Application
System
System
Resources
Real
Time
System
PCI Bus
AGP
Bus
PCI
Bus

18 M-Series Service Manual 6 July 2004
Chapter 1 Product Description
Application System
The Application system architecture is similar to that of standard PC-type computers.
It uses an ATX form factor motherboard which provides PCI board slots for
expansion, built in Ethernet, dual IDE ports for connecting to the system drive and
removable media drives, USB2.0 ports, and an AGP slot for graphics. Standard iVDR
boards are as follows:
• Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) Board — This Grass Valley board provides an
Accelerated Graphics Port for the Front Panel and aconnection for a VGA monitor.
This board receives video from the Real Time system and uses a specialized
application of AGP technology to provide active video monitoring within the
computer display.
• RS422 Boards—TheiVDRhastwo RS422 boards. Thesestandardboardsprovide
four RS-422 ports for connecting remote control devices.
The media drives are adapted and configured by Grass Valley for use in the iVDR.
They contain the media and communicate to the iVDR via a SCSI interface. They are
mapped to the Windows operating system using the V: drive letter.
The Application system uses a Windows operating system upon which all M-Series
applications run for configuration and control of the iVDR.
Real Time System
The Real Time system uses Grass Valley boards to provide the core video disk
recorder functionality. Primary components are as follows:
• Real Time Processor (RTP) Board — This board provides a dedicated processor
and connections for media access and processing. It functions as a riser board,
connecting to the PCI slot below and the Codec board above.
• Codec Board — This board hosts the circuits responsible for encoding/decoding
video and processing audio and timecode. It also provides the majority of the
iVDR’s media-related input and output connectors.
• XLR Board — This board provides XLR audio connectors. It is primarily an
extension of the codec board to allow the space and orientation required for XLR
connections.
• SCSI interface — The SCSI interface for the media drives is on the Real Time
Processor board.
The Real Time system uses a dedicated operating system. This operating system runs
on the RTP board and manages all the hardware involved in controlling the flow of
video, audio, timecode, genlock, and GPI in and out of the iVDR.

6 July 2004 M-Series Service Manual 19
Board map
Board map
Boards are mapped to slots and the Windows operating system as follows:
Current optional boards
The following is a list of optional boards currently available:
• 1000BT Ethernet Adapter - provides one 1000BT Ethernet port.
• IEEE 1394 (Firewire) Adapter - provides one IEEE 1394 port for recording media
from a DV device.
NOTE:Other optional boards may be available. Contact Thomson Grassvalley for
more information.
Board Slot Comments
ATX Motherboard —Assigned to Com Ports 1 and 2
AGP AGP slot —
RS422 PCI 1 Assigned to Com Ports 3 and 4.
Labeled on rear panel as Port 1, Port 2.
RTP PCI 2 —
RS422 PCI 3 Assigned to Com Ports 5 and 6.
Labeled on rear panel as Port 3, Port 4.
Optional board PCI 4 —
Optional board PCI 5 —
Optional board PCI 6 —
Optional board PCI 7 —

20 M-Series Service Manual 6 July 2004
Chapter 1 Product Description
Media control and processing
The following section explains how the Application system and the Real Time system
work together to provide iVDR functionality.
The high processing requirements of digital video can overwhelm the processor on a
standard desktop PC, resulting in wait-times that destroy the video’s essential
real-time aspect. The iVDR avoids this problem by providing dedicated systems that
isolate processing needs. The components that work together to provide this
functionality are as follows:
The Application system is, at its core, a conventional desktop PC-type system. In the
iVDR it is dedicated to control, configuration, and networking functions that do not
require real-time accuracy. The Application system has the following components:
• Application software provides the user interface for operating the iVDR. The
software runs as Windows programs. Application servers use DCOM, a standard
Microsoft technology, which allows both local and remote operation.
• The Media File System managesclips. It includes a database that associates the clip
with its video, audio, and timecode files and a dedicated file system (separate from
Application System
Applications
Media File System
Storage System
RealTime System
Media control
relegated to
Application processor
Media processing
relegated to Real Time
processor
iVDR Inputs and Outputs