Procedure to "reflash" a dead Deltacast card

 

Below is the procedure to "force" the card to reflash its Firmware. This can help in various cases, for example to revive a completely dead (unrecognized) Deltacast card. This can happen after a failed upgrade for instance, if the upgrade was stopped before it could be finalised.

 

Note that if the cards does not show up, it could be an issue with the kext as explained in the following article: https://softron.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/115001568114-TROUBLESHOOTING-Video-card-not-seen-kext-not-loaded

 

 

Deltacast cards with 12G SDI

All recent Deltacast cards (the ones that have 12G connectors) have a DIP switch that allow you to put the card in failsafe mode.

 

What is a DIP switch?

A DIP switch (dual inline package switch) is a set of manual electrical switches that are used to change and hold configurations.

 

Location of the DIP switch

The DIP switch is located here (may depend on the model):

 

Reflash procedure for cards with DIP switch

1. Turn everything off and disconnect both the power and Thunderbolt cables from the unit.
2. Open the M|xx enclosure (or your Mac Pro) and take the card out.
3. Set the DIP switch in its failsafe configuration (switch 1 is on) 
4. Put the card back in the Thunderbolt enclosure, or the Mac.
5. Reconnect everything and power up the Mac with the appropriate Deltacast drivers.
6. The card should ask for a Firmware upgrade after the Mac has booted up. Do the upgrade, making sure the power supply is not interrupted. This operation can take a couple of minutes, do not shutdown the system during this step. If the Upgrade firmware window does not show up, try to reinstall the drivers. If it still does not work, make sure there is no issue with the kext.
7. Once the upgrade is done, do NOT restart the Mac, but power everything down again.
8. Disconnect all the cables from the unit again.
9. Set the DIP switch back to its normal position (switch 1 is off)
10. Reconnect all the cables and power up again.

The card should now been seen and work properly. If not, check again that the kext can load properly, or contact Softron support.

 

Deltacast cards with 3G or HD SDI

Older Deltacast cards provided in older versions of our bundles use a jumper to put the card in failsafe mode.

What is a jumper?

A jumper is a little electronic part looking like this:

Location of the Jumper

When you place it between 2 pins, it will do a "contact". The location of the pins depend on the card. It is located either at the back of the card:

Or at the front:

Reflash procedure for cards with jumpers

1. Turn everything off and disconnect both the power and Thunderbolt cables from the unit.
2. Open the M|xx enclosure (or your Mac Pro) and take the card out.
3. Then a jumper on the failsafe connector
4. Put the card back in the Thunderbolt enclosure, or the Mac.
5. Reconnect everything and power up the Mac with the appropriate Deltacast drivers.
6. The card should ask for a Firmware upgrade after the Mac has booted up. Do the upgrade, making sure the power supply is not interrupted. This operation can take a couple of minutes, do not shutdown the system during this step. If the Upgrade firmware window does not show up, try to reinstall the drivers. If it still does not work, make sure there is no issue with the kext.
7. Once the upgrade is done, do NOT restart the Mac, but power everything down again.
8. Disconnect all the cables from the unit again.
9. Then remove the jumper
    
10. Reconnect all the cables and power up again.