"big" ursa 4k magenta screen of death?

[Robert Hart]

"BIG" URSA 4K MAGENTA SCREEN OF DEATH?


First a disclosure. I bought this camera used off eBay, not new so it came with no obligations upon Blackmagic Design.

My first issue experienced with the big URSA was failure to start from attached battery after a period of about a week of sleep. Powering via the 4pin XLR would wake it up then it would work off the attached battery just fine.

The camera has been sleeping for several months. I powered it up and it started off the attached battery but it seems the computer or sensor is not waking up. The large screen displays white with a magenta hue. The other display screens when switched to image also display blank. That much of the control system is operating along with choices of codec, ISO, playback etc..

In failing after a long rest, my suspicions as to cause lie with some connection somewhere having gone resistive.

I am in Australia. I have opened up the camera to look for dry joints dislodged cables. Looks like BM didn't go far beyond prototype as there are sub-assemblies on the body which could have been integrated. The motherboard as such and some sub boards are hard-connected by ribbon cables and not intended to be disconnected at the motherboard.

My guess the business model is like that of modern shoe vendors. There are built enough units priced to allow for a percentage failure rate and no argument warranty replacement. BM seems to have been good on replacement but once the product reaches EOL, it seems things become different. Except for detachables like screens, these things appear to have been built with no deep maintenance or repair intended, to run until they don't.

There appeared to be some corrosion on some pin joints on the motherboard. That might be a cause of past power issues. It also looks like the turret has been off at some point. There was big dag of loose heatsink material in the fan. I guess that's why it ran so quiet. The heatsink was also coated with dust and fluff. It would be good for URSA Mini owners to be advised of a means of getting fluff out of those cameras as it won't be helping with overheating.

I was hopeful it was only dry joints but closer examination did not find anything beyond some pin joints which appeared to have been reworked. To be sure I resoldered them but the failure remained.

If the turret was taken out as appears to have been done and the heatsink jointing material was not refreshed, then the sensor may have roasted itself over time and given up. A pity it has dropped dead. It was good while it lasted. A local DoP preferred the skin tones from the camera and the global shutter. Now it is back to the P+S SI2K for me. There's no other affordable options for me out there.

The "big" URSA is now out of realistic product support as limited parts supplies consist of entire main board and sensor assembly, both being more than twice the price that the camera itself is worth.

The camera did just two worthwhile jobs, one was a PSA shot by DoP Gavan O'Sullivan for prostate cancer awareness and interviews for a corporate documentary in an environment when only global shutter would do.

I am a bit sour because I bought in costly recording media, battery systems, invested of time and effort engineering a unique Nikon mount and focal reducer system and complementing Nikon and PL-Mounts. Then the thing lay down before I could realise on my time and effort. I think I am about exhausted with the Blackmagic Design camera ecosystem. It was an enjoyable challenge but ultimately a waste of considerable time and effort.

So what to do? The recording media for the dead Blackmagic Design "big" URSA camera was worth about half as much as the camera and is now orphaned. It doesn't work with the old SI2K camera which is itself wedlocked to a now near-obsolete file type. Some shits broke in last year and stole the one-off Letus Extreme 35mm filmic adaptor I had re-engineered to work with the Sony EX1 camera type and on the SI2K to 2K resolution.

I think I perhaps should stick to writing and let others fret about camera craft. At my number of years on this earth, life is too short.

Does anyone have any clues as to a home remedy?

[Michel59]

Big ursa failure ..

"BIG" URSA 4K MAGENTA SCREEN OF DEATH?


First a disclosure. I bought this camera used off eBay, not new so it came with no obligations upon Blackmagic Design.

My first issue experienced with the big URSA was failure to start from attached battery after a period of about a week of sleep. Powering via the 4pin XLR would wake it up then it would work off the attached battery just fine.

The camera has been sleeping for several months. I powered it up and it started off the attached battery but it seems the computer or sensor is not waking up. The large screen displays white with a magenta hue. The other display screens when switched to image also display blank. That much of the control system is operating along with choices of codec, ISO, playback etc..

In failing after a long rest, my suspicions as to cause lie with some connection somewhere having gone resistive.

I am in Australia. I have opened up the camera to look for dry joints dislodged cables. Looks like BM didn't go far beyond prototype as there are sub-assemblies on the body which could have been integrated. The motherboard as such and some sub boards are hard-connected by ribbon cables and not intended to be disconnected at the motherboard.

My guess the business model is like that of modern shoe vendors. There are built enough units priced to allow for a percentage failure rate and no argument warranty replacement. BM seems to have been good on replacement but once the product reaches EOL, it seems things become different. Except for detachables like screens, these things appear to have been built with no deep maintenance or repair intended, to run until they don't.

There appeared to be some corrosion on some pin joints on the motherboard. That might be a cause of past power issues. It also looks like the turret has been off at some point. There was big dag of loose heatsink material in the fan. I guess that's why it ran so quiet. The heatsink was also coated with dust and fluff. It would be good for URSA Mini owners to be advised of a means of getting fluff out of those cameras as it won't be helping with overheating.

I was hopeful it was only dry joints but closer examination did not find anything beyond some pin joints which appeared to have been reworked. To be sure I resoldered them but the failure remained.

If the turret was taken out as appears to have been done and the heatsink jointing material was not refreshed, then the sensor may have roasted itself over time and given up. A pity it has dropped dead. It was good while it lasted. A local DoP preferred the skin tones from the camera and the global shutter. Now it is back to the P+S SI2K for me. There's no other affordable options for me out there.

The "big" URSA is now out of realistic product support as limited parts supplies consist of entire main board and sensor assembly, both being more than twice the price that the camera itself is worth.

The camera did just two worthwhile jobs, one was a PSA shot by DoP Gavan O'Sullivan for prostate cancer awareness and interviews for a corporate documentary in an environment when only global shutter would do.

I am a bit sour because I bought in costly recording media, battery systems, invested of time and effort engineering a unique Nikon mount and focal reducer system and complementing Nikon and PL-Mounts. Then the thing lay down before I could realise on my time and effort. I think I am about exhausted with the Blackmagic Design camera ecosystem. It was an enjoyable challenge but ultimately a waste of considerable time and effort.

So what to do? The recording media for the dead Blackmagic Design "big" URSA camera was worth about half as much as the camera and is now orphaned. It doesn't work with the old SI2K camera which is itself wedlocked to a now near-obsolete file type. Some shits broke in last year and stole the one-off Letus Extreme 35mm filmic adaptor I had re-engineered to work with the Sony EX1 camera type and on the SI2K to 2K resolution.

I think I perhaps should stick to writing and let others fret about camera craft. At my number of years on this earth, life is too short.

Does anyone have any clues as to a home remedy?

Hello ROBERT , Good Morning , I am Sorry for your problem , it seems some People have serious desillusions with BM Cameras ...
One of the Main Problems is we don't have the SCHEMATICS ... Let me Dream a Bit ... if we could have the Schematics , and , Why Not , a SERVICE MANUAL ..... it would be very helpful ... I have noticed that , when you start a BM Camera , you can hear a small " Click " Noise , which lets me think
there is a switching RELAY providing the Power Supply ... . So , are the Relay"s Contacts OK ? One of the first things to do would be to check the Voltage Rails with a Multimeter . Some problems are possible with Shorted or Leaking Capacitors .. or sometimes a Dead Voltage Regulator ..

Also , are you sure the Ribbon Cables are really Hard Connected to the Board ? Often the boards are equipped with very small Connectors.. and we have to slide a small part ( with much Caution .. ) to liberate the Ribbon .. then it's possible to check the contacts and , if possible , to spray a bit of a good " Contact Cleaner " .. To avoid inversion of the Ribbon , it's good to use a Marker and put a small mark on one side , so you know how to reconnect .. Always be very careful with those ribbons and connectors , they are very fragile ..

It seems the Camera has already been " reworked " ... and that's not a good thing ..

The Basic Things to do , is to check everything , Electrically ( voltage rails ) and Visually , is the PCB OK ? If it has been reworked , there might be a Short because of a bad Solder joint ? Or a small Cut in a track .. Is the PCB Clean ? I have already seen Conduction Problems on PCB's .. certainly due to Solder effluents or residues .. Also , a good thing would be to use a Very Good and Powerful MAGNIFIER .. and to look and to check everything on the PCB ... Also , Something many Technicians don't even know , and I discovered by myself on a Component is TIN WHISKERS .. If you want informations about that Phenomenon , you can look at this Site of the NASA : https://nepp.nasa.gov/whisker/background/ . After having discovered that problem , I e-mailed to them , and a guy very kindly replied and wrote it"s more Common than we could think .. So , it's also something to check .. Also , you need a good Magnifier .. Whiskers are much thinner than a Hair , not always easy to see ..

Also , on all Digital Circuitry , there is a CLOCK .. So , do you see a Crystal , and can you read it's frequency ? If you know the frequency , and if you own a small Short Wave Receiver , you could put it very close and check whether the Crystal is Oscillating .. If the Clock oscillates , then the Digital Circuit should be living .. good to know ..

If you have to resolder some joints , Take Care of ESD .. It's good to use a low voltage soldering iron .. and take Care of ESD ..

Also , don't get despaired too fast ... When trying to Repair , FAITH is very important .. Sometimes you spend several DAYS " spinning around " , and searching , and , Suddenly .. you find the Solution ..

Maybe , Also , you could ask Black Magic to provide the SCHEMATICS ..

Good Luck Robert , keep Faith , and Let Us Know ..

With my Regards from France ..

Mike ..

[Robert Hart]

Hello Michel.

Thank you for your response.

The Ribbon Cables are really Hard Connected to the Board? - The motherboard is a double layered PCB with ribbon cables passing in between the two boards which are permanently bonded together. There are a few strip connectors for things like monitor screens and media dock. If have checked and cleaned those. The turret connects via a large strip connector. When the turret is removed, a bond in the heatsink transfer compound is broken. I have expereinced some practice being very careful with ribbon connectors. I have been building up a single JVC GY-HD111 for tape archive recovery and also worked out a scheme for re-attaching the blue sensor, a common fault and have had no breakages due to my own mishandling.

Is the PCB okay? The PCB is attached at its inner face to a broad heatsink. I have not attempted to take it out to examine the rear face. I enquired with an authorised repairer who was not able to confirm if the entire PCB is thermally jointed to the heatsink with jointing material or just individual components. If it is encapsulated in jointing compound then there are possibilities of corrosion if any of this material has separated and any moisture entry from condensation or exposure to weather has occurred.

It appears that sub boards and sockets have been soldered on after the cables have been fed through the casework. These have to be dismantled before the main PCB can be removed. - Tin whiskers. Yes I think I have run into those, I think. A gentle scrub and spray down with a toothbrush of the PCBs in a spare SI2K body I bought as a parts donor restored its functionalilty. Subsequently a power surge from a mix desk fried the audio chipset but the rest of it still works fine.

Two solder joints for the HD-SDI socket on the main PCB had been reworked and the rest looked shabby so I reworked all eight. That did not change anything.

The circuitry in the removable turret does not have any signs of damage but short of having the knowledge and a test rig or circuit diagrams to understand it there is little I can do there.

Blackmagic referred me to a service centre. It seems they repair-replace at a modular level and don't troubleshoot the main boards themselves. I can ask for schematics. Whether they will release their property is another matter. When I asked for assistance in designing the focal reducer insert for the big URSA it was not forthcoming. Like many enterprises in Australia, local labour costs likely require that Blackmagic's operations are kept very lean and not complicated by unproductive activities.

As for a faith-based approach, sometimes the choice to not intervene is successful. I had a year 1990 Commodore car which stopped. I simply could not sort the engine electronics out. Everything tested fine and parts worked on another car. Circuit continuity was fine. After two years I decided to have another go at it or scrap it. I turned the key and it started. It drove for another year until the roof fell in. The cost of fuel had increased and I used a much smaller car.

[Michel59]

Technical research ..

Hello Michel.

Thank you for your response.

The Ribbon Cables are really Hard Connected to the Board? - The motherboard is a double layered PCB with ribbon cables passing in between the two boards which are permanently bonded together. There are a few strip connectors for things like monitor screens and media dock. If have checked and cleaned those. The turret connects via a large strip connector. When the turret is removed, a bond in the heatsink transfer compound is broken. I have expereinced some practice being very careful with ribbon connectors. I have been building up a single JVC GY-HD111 for tape archive recovery and also worked out a scheme for re-attaching the blue sensor, a common fault and have had no breakages due to my own mishandling.

Is the PCB okay? The PCB is attached at its inner face to a broad heatsink. I have not attempted to take it out to examine the rear face. I enquired with an authorised repairer who was not able to confirm if the entire PCB is thermally jointed to the heatsink with jointing material or just individual components. If it is encapsulated in jointing compound then there are possibilities of corrosion if any of this material has separated and any moisture entry from condensation or exposure to weather has occurred.

It appears that sub boards and sockets have been soldered on after the cables have been fed through the casework. These have to be dismantled before the main PCB can be removed. - Tin whiskers. Yes I think I have run into those, I think. A gentle scrub and spray down with a toothbrush of the PCBs in a spare SI2K body I bought as a parts donor restored its functionalilty. Subsequently a power surge from a mix desk fried the audio chipset but the rest of it still works fine.

Two solder joints for the HD-SDI socket on the main PCB had been reworked and the rest looked shabby so I reworked all eight. That did not change anything.

The circuitry in the removable turret does not have any signs of damage but short of having the knowledge and a test rig or circuit diagrams to understand it there is little I can do there.

Blackmagic referred me to a service centre. It seems they repair-replace at a modular level and don't troubleshoot the main boards themselves. I can ask for schematics. Whether they will release their property is another matter. When I asked for assistance in designing the focal reducer insert for the big URSA it was not forthcoming. Like many enterprises in Australia, local labour costs likely require that Blackmagic's operations are kept very lean and not complicated by unproductive activities.

As for a faith-based approach, sometimes the choice to not intervene is successful. I had a year 1990 Commodore car which stopped. I simply could not sort the engine electronics out. Everything tested fine and parts worked on another car. Circuit continuity was fine. After two years I decided to have another go at it or scrap it. I turned the key and it started. It drove for another year until the roof fell in. The cost of fuel had increased and I used a much smaller car.

OK Robert , I won't tell all the incredible problems I have found on my Cars ... Often Tricky to solve ...
Some Thoughts about your problem .. I have seen on another Forum that your Camera Partially works , the Playback works , also the menus .. So , the Only problem is the Image from the Sensor does not come .. I have not found what the Exact Sensor Type on the Big Ursa is , but found some informations about a New Fairchild Sensor , the MST4323 ..
https://www.slashcam.com/news/single...y-f-14907.html

In the Tech Specs , we can see that it requires Three Different and Low Voltages : 2.5 Volts , 1.8 V. and 1.2 Volts .. So , it needs Different Voltage Regulators .. for the Analog , and the Digital Parts .. The " Power " is 1.8 Watts , but let us remember that , under low Voltage , it means a High Current .. .. As a Voltage Regulator heats .. I don't think the Regulators are located close to the Sensor , that is the Last Thing we want .. So , the Regulators should be on the " Motherboard " .. If only One Regulator is Dead .. then the sensor does not work .. ..

Also , some Types of low Voltage Regulators may Auto Oscillate .. and require good Capacitor Decoupling .. No Capacitor , no Output .. Most Voltage Regulators have Simple Packages , with Three Pins .. Input , Ground , and Output .. if , for instance , you find 5 Volts on the input , and Zero Volt on the Output .. you have understood ..

Of course , the Ursa Sensor is NOT the Same .. but the Principles remain ..

So , on the Ribbon Cable going to the Sensor , there should be two or three Voltage Lines .. the other lines being the Command lines from the Brain .. a Clock signal , and the Output Datas .. Service Datas and the " Video " Stream .. It is probable the Dialog between the Brain and the Sensor is bi-directionnal , I don't know , but would be interesting if I can Find the Architecture and Diagrams about those Sensors ..

Maybe we should Build our Cameras , maybe you know the " Axiom - Apertus " Project .. very interesting ... But , Making a Film or a Documentary is much Work .. so , if we have to Build our Camera .. and maybe Even Make the Lenses ..... there are only 24 hours in a Day .. it's a bit " Much " for only One Man ...

These were my " Two Cents " .... Hoping that it will help you to find where the trouble is coming from ..

As you Wrote , Life is Short .... and , unfortunately , Shorter Every Day ..

Good Luck Robert , let us be informed ..

With my Best Regards from our Old France ...

Michel ..

[Robert Hart]

Comments on other forums suggest that the sensor used in the original 4K production camera, the "big" URSA 4K and the URSA Mini 4K was the Cmosis CMV 12000, which has recently been discontinued for reason of reduced sales. This sensor was apparently being used or considered for the Apertus project. This is not for sure, just a guess by some people. The URSA Mini 4.6K and URSA Mini Pro apparently uses Fairchild sensors which may be custom builds for BM.

On the big URSA, the blank image on the first startup has a faint macroblocking and pixel artifact which disappears on the next startup. The image of the guide frames inverts when the image jumps to white after an initial black image. There is no sound being fed into the camera when the source is set to the in-camera mikes which are under the front of the body. This suggests to me that the issue is on the motherboard. I might disconnect the camera head entirely to see if the white screen remains. The camera may sense a fault and not start at all.

The original issue I had was a failure to start on battery which made me think there might have been a power regulator problem. When the external power was connected, the camera would start, then would also work from the battery for the remainder of the day. This made me wonder if there was a memory battery inside which might be going flat. I did however find that the wires from the Anton Bauer battery mount had been pinched between the plate and the camera's metal case so the power regulator may be damaged.

This time, the camera started on the battery but then the image was white with magenta tint on the big screen, white on the side screens. There is no sound. Would it be possible that after an extended sleep, a memory battery might go totally flat and when the camera was woken up, its internal firmware might become corrupted. I wonder if putting the latest firmware update in would bring it back or brick it completely.

I might take it apart again and see if I can get in to the rear of the main PCB which is covered by the water-cooled heatsink. If I can get at it, I might chill the PCB with some liquid canned air then see if that brings anything back. That sometimes disturbs a dry joint enough to cause renewed contact. It did the job on my editing computer for 12 months until I finally bought a new Cuda card.

If it comes to the crunch, I might examine a used 4K production camera as a replacement. They sees to be fairly inexpensive on eBay. The asking prices for the big URSA cameras seems to be holding.

Your theory on self-oscillation seems valid. That might provoke a full white output into the recorder and displays. If there is past moisture contamination between detached heatsink jointing material and the motherboard, that might introduce a stray capacitance to provoke auto-oscillation or a carbon track on the PCB itself which might cause the same.

And as a footnote. Viva La France and thank you for your suggestions.

[Robert Hart]

FOOTNOTE TO ABOVE.


I removed the turret then started the camera. The same screen display appears. Faint macroblocking/pixillation artifact is apparent then clears away on the next start up.

It seems that the fault may be in the motherboard ---- or ---- that the signal from the turret/sensor is being interrupted or not being generated.

It remains a puzzle. Short of trying the turret in another big URSA, there is no way of knowing. If the sensor has developed a fault and cascaded damage downstream into the mother board, then connecting it to another innocent URSA body may roast that motherboard too.

Any suggestions are welcome.

[NorBro]

IMO, Blackmagic cameras are pretty straightforward rudimentary boxes compared to others.

FWIW, the big URSA had various problems, including power issues which caused a variety of corruption and malfunctions depending on which one you got off the conveyor belt.

It appeared that this particular model didn't sell too well and I'm not sure anyone here can really help you besides an outlier fitted for that particular hardware and software diagnosis (ideally Blackmagic).

[For the record, I still loved mine in 2015.]

[Michel59]

Internal memory battery ?

FOOTNOTE TO ABOVE.


I removed the turret then started the camera. The same screen display appears. Faint macroblocking/pixillation artifact is apparent then clears away on the next start up.

It seems that the fault may be in the motherboard ---- or ---- that the signal from the turret/sensor is being interrupted or not being generated.

It remains a puzzle. Short of trying the turret in another big URSA, there is no way of knowing. If the sensor has developed a fault and cascaded damage downstream into the mother board, then connecting it to another innocent URSA body may roast that motherboard too.

Any suggestions are welcome.

OK Robert , you ask a Good Question , I already asked to Myself .. : Is there a Memory Battery on the Motherboard ? If there is a Battery , Take Care , because we have already seen problems with such Batteries : They may Leak .. and some Acid may flow on the PCB , corrode , and then cut some Tracks on the PCB .. That has been discovered on some radio-electric equipments .. when such things are observed , it's good to check the Continuity of the Tracks , and if Cut , it's possible to carefully fix with very thin wires .. and then find a replacement and replace the faulty Battery . And , of course , thoroughly clean the board with a good Contact Cleaner Spray ..

The problem is still the same : we don't have the Schematics , or a Service Manual .. The Menu Settings may be written on an EEFLASH non volatile Memory , then no need for a battery .. But , if Volatile Memory is used , then a Battery is necessary .. Volatile Memory is a rather old technology , but we don't know ..

Also , when working on that kind of equipment , a Digital Analyzer would be helpful ... but it's not common ..

Removing the Sensor does not change anything , so , the Sensor may be Dead , or , simply , the sensor does not receive the necessary Voltages .. which should come From the Motherboard .. or , the Logical Connexions between the sensor and the board don't work , because of some faulty chip ? Maybe .. Also , Take Care of the Ground .. Poor Ground Connexions are often a Problem ..

On well designed equipments , you find Test Probe Connectors , or Pads , and you can Check Voltages or Signals .. which is very good in a first Approach .. For me , Future Maintenance , and Reliability in Mind , are very important when designing an equipment .. So , you have a Warranty for the Future ..

Also , are there Adjustable Components on the board , like Adjustable Resistors/Potentiometers ? Maybe something has to be Adjusted ..

OK for the CMosis CMV12000 , I'll try to find some Documentation ..

The Best is to be very Methodic ... and check Everything .. when possible ..

Good Luck Robert , let us know , and have a Nice Week End ..

Best Regards from our Old France ..


Mike ..

[Robert Hart]

I had another visitation inside the gizzards of the beast and have found its beating heart. So far no signs of burnings of parts or obvious trauma. So it looks like I am going to hit a wall.

It appears that this motherboard carries a memory battery. I just wonder if the battery goes dead flat over an extended period like the three plus months this thing slept, whether the embedded operating system can become corrupted by the next start-up and the appliance knows no longer its raison d'être, whether it is a hospital IV drip controller, an electric toaster or an URSA camera's guts.

It was rare but possible for the SI2K camera to lose its mind. It was running on a stripped down embedded Windows XPe and the hardware was up to critical medical equipment standards. If the memory battery went flat, it would do weird stuff to the recorded file order. For it, there was a recovery tool on a USB stick which reconstructed the operating system from scratch.

If that memory battery on the URSA motherboard is done for, then maybe replacing it, then attempting to put the latest firmware in again might help it mend its ways. Then again if there was doubt it was a brick, there may remain no doubt afterwards.

There is also a part near the centre of the board which looks like a little push-button momentary microswitch but it may just be some specialised component. If a switch, it may be a manual erase or reset switch to original defaults. I have not been game enough to go anywhere near it to see if that little white plastic centre actually moves.

I would dearly like to get my greasy fingers on some service notes, which can warn me off such folly or tell me how to go about it.URSA GUTS.jpg

[Robert Hart]

Here is a closer image which shows what looks like a small wristwatch button battery under a clamp. This image is 180 degrees rotated compared to the previously posted image. a responder on the Blackmagic forumURSA GUTS 2.jpg has suggested that BM uses "supercapacitors" for memory power. I have no idea what they look like.

[Michel59]

Main board and sensor ..

I had another visitation inside the gizzards of the beast and have found its beating heart. So far no signs of burnings of parts or obvious trauma. So it looks like I am going to hit a wall.

It appears that this motherboard carries a memory battery. I just wonder if the battery goes dead flat over an extended period like the three plus months this thing slept, whether the embedded operating system can become corrupted by the next start-up and the appliance knows no longer its raison d'être, whether it is a hospital IV drip controller, an electric toaster or an URSA camera's guts.

It was rare but possible for the SI2K camera to lose its mind. It was running on a stripped down embedded Windows XPe and the hardware was up to critical medical equipment standards. If the memory battery went flat, it would do weird stuff to the recorded file order. For it, there was a recovery tool on a USB stick which reconstructed the operating system from scratch.

If that memory battery on the URSA motherboard is done for, then maybe replacing it, then attempting to put the latest firmware in again might help it mend its ways. Then again if there was doubt it was a brick, there may remain no doubt afterwards.

There is also a part near the centre of the board which looks like a little push-button momentary microswitch but it may just be some specialised component. If a switch, it may be a manual erase or reset switch to original defaults. I have not been game enough to go anywhere near it to see if that little white plastic centre actually moves.

I would dearly like to get my greasy fingers on some service notes, which can warn me off such folly or tell me how to go about it.[ATTACH=CONFIG]28291[/ATTACH]

Hello Robert , most of the time , " super Capacitors " look like lowprofile Electrochemical Capacitors .. If there is a Backup Battery on the Board , I would think maybe it's to keep the Internal Clock Running .. Same as on a Computer's Motherboard ,.. in the menu you can enter the Date and Time ..

I have left BM Cameras unused for very long times , and never had a problem to Start them Again .. For me , the Firmware and Menu Settings are written onto EEflash Memory .. no need for a battery or " Super Capacitor " .. to maintain firmware and settings ..

Volatile Memories is an old technology .. I have seen that long ago on some equipments .. fi the battery went dead , you had to send the equipment back to the Factory for resetting it .. Some third party companies provided replacement boards which did not need a battery , everything was written " Hard " and non volatile ..

I have studied the CMV12000 Sensor Datasheet .. It might well be the sensor on the Ursa .. Resolution wise , and Global Shutter .. When you study the Datasheet , you Quickly understand this is not a " Small Component " ..... I would say this is " The Hell of a Component " .. not for Hobbyists .. I am in Admiration and I Congratulate Black Magic Engineers ... they know their job .... Fantastic Device , and Fantastic Job .. 237 Pins ... You have to Interface everything .. you have to Set the Registers .. and more ... Beautiful ..

When you read PAGE 13 of the Datsheet " ABSOLUTE MAXIMUM RATINGS " , you see that Maximum Junction Temperature is 70 C ( which is not that high .. ) . And you read that Maximum STORAGE Temperature is 40 C... It means you should not forget your Camera inside your Car , under the Australian Sun ... Even here , we had up to 45 C. in the Shadow .. last July ( which I suffered from .. I prefer Rain .... ) .. which could be Harmful for the Sensor ..

Continuous Power Dissipation 4200 Milliwatts .. It's very important to have a Radiator Behind , and a perfect Thermal Contact ..

Also Relative Humidity MINIMUM 30 PerCent .. that means no storage in a Completely Dry Environment ... It begins to get Complicated ....

There are Three Different Voltages Needed : 3.3 , 3.0 , and 1.98 Volts .. On PAGE 21 , we read that " VDD18 " and " VDD_PIX " draw large Peak Currents . Especially VDD18 Draws 1.7 Ampere every Readout Line .. They Mention : " The voltage regulator
should be able to handle the 1.7 A. " .. It means there is some STRESS on That Regulator ... We have to Note that VDD18 is shared among several different Pins .. There are Three Different Voltages , but there are Five " Power Lines " ..

1.7 Ampere is not a " Low " Current , so , is the Dedicated Voltage Regulator still Alive ? I don't know what is the Architecture of the Voltage Regulators System .. With very small Drop Voltage Regulators , my personal technique is to Cascade them .. 3.3 then 3.0 then 1.98 .. meaning the first 3.3 Regulator has to hold the Total Current .. It's always good to cascade .. if you input 12 Volts in a 2 Volts Regulator , it means a Ten Volts Drop .. under 2 Amperes , meaning Twenty Watts of Power Dissipation .. Way too Much ..

I have read that this Sensor is Capable of a 15 Stops DR .. but sure not in Global Shutter Mode ..

On Page 82 , we can Read : " Image sensors with color filter arrays (CFA) and micro lenses are especially sensitive to high
temperatures. Prolonged heating at elevated temperatures may result in deterioration of the optical
performance of the sensor. "

So , what if the Lens is Directed to the Sun ? Very Dangerous ...

All That confirms what I have Always Thought ... Our Cameras are Fantastic Equipments ... but they need much Care .. when using Them , and also when Storing them ..

I have read on another Thread that some Filmmakers " Wake Up " their Cameras from Time to Time , because they are Frightened they could not start again .... Like Flowers ..
you have to give them some Love and Care , or they Fade and Die ... it's Very POETIC ....

I Think Reality is Less Poetic .. Nothing Magical .. Pure Technology .. if something does not work , there is a Reason ... and I hope you'll find the Reason ..

Good Luck Robert , let us be informed ..

With my Best Regards from France ..

Mike ..

[Robert Hart]

Michel59.


Thank you again for your further information. It begins to lead me from the motherboard to the sensor/turret. But then there is that totally white image being generated from the motherboard, whether the turret is connected or not.

In-camera mic audio also comes into the motherboard from small mics in the bottom of the turret via the ribbon cable to the turret dock strip it seems. There is no audio input showing on the display waveform.

We typically have high temperatures and periods of low humidity at certain times of the year. The camera has seen two 40C+ plus days in storage here. It has not been operated in hot conditions by myself.

When I extracted the turret, there was no resistance to it coming out. There was also a broken-off piece of grey hard thermal paste in the fan at the rear which compares to other attached extrusions around the thermal pickup for the heat from the peltier heat exchanger. The thermal bond to the peltier heat exchanger on the back of the turret may have been disrupted by violence when the package was being shipped. This likely has compromised sensor cooling.

The thermal bond between the two Kintex-7 processors and their heatsink was good. The motherboard was well and truly attached.

I have a lot of homework to do searching the internet regarding the components.

As for dynamic range, the real-world performance seems comparable to the SI2K at about 10.5 stops. The whites seem more forgiving but overcooking the whites seems to introduce that same magenta cast as the SI2K does when the green channel clips. If the sun gets in the shot, the sun is not black but magenta.

One accompanying image is of what appears to be a memory battery retained by a spring clip. URSA MEMBATT 1.jpgThe ability to remove the battery has been defeated by the clip being pinwelded to the battery body or it may be variety of the battery with a tag attached to enable a solder point. The battery is delivering 0.7V.

On the reverse face of the motherboard but not exactly in place behind the battery is this component shown in the second image. Two conductors may feed through the PCB to the battery from one end of the chip.URSA MEMBATT 2.jpg It appears to be connected in series with another component on the same side of the PCB as the battery and appears to be a diode. This PCB is an assembly of two double-sided boards bonded together

[Michel59]

Components ..

Michel59.


Thank you again for your further information. It begins to lead me from the motherboard to the sensor/turret. But then there is that totally white image being generated from the motherboard, whether the turret is connected or not.

In-camera mic audio also comes into the motherboard from small mics in the bottom of the turret via the ribbon cable to the turret dock strip it seems. There is no audio input showing on the display waveform.

We typically have high temperatures and periods of low humidity at certain times of the year. The camera has seen two 40C+ plus days in storage here. It has not been operated in hot conditions by myself.

When I extracted the turret, there was no resistance to it coming out. There was also a broken-off piece of grey hard thermal paste in the fan at the rear which compares to other attached extrusions around the thermal pickup for the heat from the peltier heat exchanger. The thermal bond to the peltier heat exchanger on the back of the turret may have been disrupted by violence when the package was being shipped. This likely has compromised sensor cooling.

The thermal bond between the two Kintex-7 processors and their heatsink was good. The motherboard was well and truly attached.

I have a lot of homework to do searching the internet regarding the components.

As for dynamic range, the real-world performance seems comparable to the SI2K at about 10.5 stops. The whites seem more forgiving but overcooking the whites seems to introduce that same magenta cast as the SI2K does when the green channel clips. If the sun gets in the shot, the sun is not black but magenta.

One accompanying image is of what appears to be a memory battery retained by a spring clip. [ATTACH=CONFIG]28297[/ATTACH]The ability to remove the battery has been defeated by the clip being pinwelded to the battery body or it may be variety of the battery with a tag attached to enable a solder point. The battery is delivering 0.7V.

On the reverse face of the motherboard but not exactly in place behind the battery is this component shown in the second image. Two conductors may feed through the PCB to the battery from one end of the chip.[ATTACH=CONFIG]28296[/ATTACH] It appears to be connected in series with another component on the same side of the PCB as the battery and appears to be a diode. This PCB is an assembly of two double-sided boards bonded together

Hello Robert , I looked at your Pictures . Yes , it seems it is a Battery , and we can see two " Point-Weldings" on the upper part .. For the Component on the other side , we can Read " ESR6" which means " Equivalent Series Resistance 6 " .. So , it seems it is a Capacitor .. we know that , but not really useful I think ..

You write that , when you remove the Turrett , you feel no Resistance at all , that seems strange .. I would think maybe there is some mechanical failure or problem on the Internal Part of the Connector .. .. ?

We should have access to the Schematics and a Service Manual ..

i Read on another Forum someone suggesting that you Loose your Time with Technics , instead of Making Films .. I do not totally agree .. I think that The More You Know the Better it is .. and even if what you have discovered is not useful this time , you have learnt things and that is a good thing for the future ..

If you are Good at Making Films , and Also have knowledge about Technics , That's Perfect ..

Anyway , Good Luck Robert , and let us know ..

With my Best Regards from France ..

Mike ..

[Robert Hart]

Thanks again Mike.

When I first pulled the turret out, there was no resistance. I would have expected there to be a lot if that thermal compound was stuck on. So maybe there has been reduced thermal conductivity from the peltier output pad to the cooling pad behind.

The way it is set up, the strip plug should bottom out before the peltier pad bottoms out. That will be why the application of thermal compound has been very generous. The material appears to be intended to set firm and not slump out of a clearance gap and break the thermal connection.

With the motherboard and all components out of the body and the strip plug inserted fully home, the image remained the same which suggests that the strip plug and its socket are making connection. So it comes down to the turret and sensor being dead or the motherboard being faulty.

My first move should be to change out that memory battery and see if that fixes anything.

The next move should be to attempt to re-install the last firmware upgrade on the guess that maybe the base operating system is in non-evaporative memory but the actual imaging firmware is in evaporative memory and maintained by the memory battery.

If the whole thing is resident in evaporative memory then I am sunk.

Then again, something may have gone west on the motherboard.


That little white button switch, is a soft power-on switch. I guess it is there for test purposes or bench calibration of the system before assembly into the camera body and connection of the controller touch screen and button assemblies. I gave way to temptation and pressed it to see what would happen and the camera started up.

[Robert Hart]

I have carefully prised the spotwelded tag off the battery body. It turns out the "battery" is an ELNA 3.3v 22f supercapacitor. It would have been very helpful to have shop information but BM keeps its intellectual property very close. It would have been handy not to go down this particular dead-end. Getting it desoldered is going to be a bit of a mission. It now has to come out because the spotwelds have bulged the metal case of the supercapacitor and it likely is now ruined.