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-   -   5th + 6th DSP16 failures in 3.5 years (https://duc.avid.com/showthread.php?t=405716)

Hugh-H 07-22-2019 12:57 PM

5th + 6th DSP16 failures in 3.5 years
 
Hello,

Complaining mode not a request for diagnosis post -

We just had our 5th + 6th HDX card failures in the past 3.5 years with the exact same card failure - DSP16. The first two happened during a PT firmware update that killed DSP16, the second two happened for no apparent reason, and now these two for, again, no apparent reason. I've had to pay for two of those repairs so far.

I just started an Avid case, we'll see what happens. It's very frustrating, we're down a system, and there's obviously a bad run of HDX cards that have inherent instabilities with DSP16's architecture on the board.
I just spoke to our accountant and remembered the other repairs and she's wound up about it. Her words were something similar to -

"Let me take a look here. Hmmm, we have 5 HDX2/HDX3 systems and 9 Nuendo systems. The Nuendo systems are shipped all over the world and have had one failure in 8 years, are used twice as often per system as PT, and have a far higher ROI. You're the damn engineering genius, explain to me what I'm missing?" (she's a funny person).

So here we go again.

Ugh.
Hugh

capt kirk 07-22-2019 01:02 PM

Re: 5th + 6th DSP16 failures in 3.5 years
 
Well, we had systems from a well known audio company and the connectors on the motherboard to the audio cards were the weak point. always trouble , but that could be an issue? We run a few sysytems with MacPro's and I dont remeber hearing that problem occur......Our Protools systems are solid as a rock...we have cooled machine rooms btw

BScout 07-22-2019 01:54 PM

Re: 5th + 6th DSP16 failures in 3.5 years
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Hugh-H (Post 2533455)
Hello,

Complaining mode not a request for diagnosis post -

We just had our 5th + 6th HDX card failures in the past 3.5 years with the exact same card failure - DSP16. The first two happened during a PT firmware update that killed DSP16, the second two happened for no apparent reason, and now these two for, again, no apparent reason. I've had to pay for two of those repairs so far.

That is a lot. We have a lot more HDX cards in operation than your outlay and haven't had a single failure yet (and we started buying from the beginning of HDX but have systems as recent as 2 months ago.) Somewhere near 40 cards in use (probably more.) A lot more reliable than the lifespan of TDM/Accel cards.

Are all these in Mac Pros or external chassises? Is there something common about their setup that is irregular from most users? As far as I remember, "repair" was just a replacement card. Have all 6 been from an original HDX card stock or have some of the replacements failed?

Hugh-H 07-22-2019 04:40 PM

Re: 5th + 6th DSP16 failures in 3.5 years
 
Hello,

I agree with the above, it's not what should be occurring. The fact that it's the same DSP chip on every one of the six cards is peculiar at best, indicative of an unacknowledged design flaw at worst.

Our systems are in both Sonnet chassis and in MP 5,1. Various PT versions and chassis as the cards died. Obviously the chassis and slots have been tested thoroughly. They are never exposed to temperature extremes (we have a networked environmental system in place to snmp me if anything odd occurs). Never exposed to shipping abuses (unlike our non-PT systems). The same dsp dying on six separate cards in three separate systems is, as noted, peculiar.

All 6 that have failed are from a particular SN rev (first 5 alphas) and the "repaired" units have been replacements from another SN rev. We haven't had a replacement unit fail yet but they're only warrantied for a very short period of time.

Ugh again.
Hugh

Hugh-H 08-01-2019 09:39 AM

Re: 5th + 6th DSP16 failures in 3.5 years
 
Hello,

Recap - in 3.5 years I've had 6 HDX cards with the same dsp failure on 3 separate systems.

Update - I never count on anything until it's in my hand and working, BUT, Avid has promised to send me replacements for the latest cards, shipping "soon".

Manuel from Avid was very helpful, understood the situation, and was able to get his management to approve the no-charge replacements after I provided documentation on the same failures on all the cards.

Still waiting on shipment but I have an RMA so that's a step.

Hugh

Philthy 08-02-2019 08:14 AM

Re: 5th + 6th DSP16 failures in 3.5 years
 
What are the first five alphas on these cards that fail?

Hugh-H 08-06-2019 02:56 PM

Re: 5th + 6th DSP16 failures in 3.5 years
 
Hello,

You know, I never post anything until it's in my hand and functional, except this time. And of course.....

The two replacement cards are not functional. One has a defective fan and the other has a defective dsp chip memory test. Obviously not QC'd before shipped. I can swap the fan if needed but the dsp failure I can't fix.

I'm told to return my old cards in a few days or be charged for the replacements, and the replacements don't work.

It just shouldn't be this difficult.
Hugh

Philthy 08-07-2019 10:06 AM

Re: 5th + 6th DSP16 failures in 3.5 years
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Philthy (Post 2534407)
What are the first five alphas on these cards that fail?

?

Hugh-H 08-07-2019 02:41 PM

Re: 5th + 6th DSP16 failures in 3.5 years
 
Hello,

As I say to many of my associates with less rigorous scientific methods (think political conclusions) - correlation is not causation. However since two folks have asked for the data points - the now SEVEN cards with defective DSP chips all have the SN leading alphas BLDJL. To the best of my knowledge the leading 5 alphas are an HDX card rev.

If you choose to run amok with that information, I did my best to balance between presenting possibly correlating facts in a possibly non-correlatable situation, and discouraging bad scientific analysis. If however you embark on an analysis of others with bad DSP chips and arrive at more data, nice work.

Hugh

Hugh-H 08-10-2019 12:15 PM

Re: 5th + 6th DSP16 failures in 3.5 years
 
Hello again,

Manuel from Avid sent me two more replacement cards with specific instructions to the parts department to check the cards before shipping. This did not happen - one of the cards had a dsp failure and multiple SDI failures with no I/O connected. Total - out of the 4 HDX cards shipped "advanced" meaning not waiting for me to return the others, 3 shipped defective.

I kept the one card that is ok, and changed the fan on the card that tested ok but had a bad fan bearing. So I now have two functional cards and four defective cards that will ship back.

Manuel from Avid has been exceptionally helpful and professional. From the initial understanding that having 6 cards fail in 3.5 years with the same dsp failure was reason to pursue a no-charge replacement set, to getting me advance cards as soon as possible, to calling me to discuss details, to taking care of the recurring problems, he went out of his way to make sure things went as well as possible. However the US QC and parts department does not seem to exercise the same customer service attitude. Failures occur. But shipping out three cards that simply fail Digitest or have bad fan bearings means they are not looking or caring.

Hugh


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