TITLE
Timecode Reading Problems
NUMBER
TN-E698
REV
B
DEPARTMENT
Engineering
CREATED BY:
K. Hultgren
EFFECTIVE DATE
January 23, 2009
APPROVED BY:
L. Brown
Appendix L. Technical Notes
L-7
Document #: 9301H264001.1
•
Make sure the reader’s auxiliary roller (black roller with an adjustable arm) is installed and
provides as much film wrap as possible on the incoming silver roller. It should be pivoted
towards the large center silver roller.
•
While the film is running, gently squeeze the edges of the film between two fingers as it enters
the reader, pull back slightly and allow your fingers to act as shock absorbers. Repeat on the
exit side of the reader. If the
TIMECODE
LED stabilizes, find the source of instability. The
following are possible sources of instability
:
o
Poor reader alignment
o
Too much tension
o
Bad rollers(s)
o
Too little tension
o
Bad platter center piece
o
Reel clutch
o
Bad projector belt, gear, or sprocket
o
Bent reel
o
Platter center piece spring removed (AW-
3)
o
Reader out of calibration (see TN-
E550). Only applies to readers with
D424 P.C. board.
o
Bad or noisy output from the reader (see
pages 3 and 4)
1.3. Electrical
noise/grounding
problems
•
Electrical noise on the timecode input(s) can confuse the timecode reader circuit. This causes
the
TIMECODE
LED to blink and, in some cases, causes sound “wow”, edits, and dropouts. First
make sure the projector(s) and the player chassis are earth grounded.
•
The current reader cables (from the DDE factory) have a shield wire (earth ground of player
chassis) shrink-wrapped to the cable’s jacket, on the reader end. Cut the shrink-wrap away
and connect the wire to one of the screws that hold the reader to its bracket. Check whether the
blinking stops.
•
If you have made your own cable or modified the factory cable in any way, be sure the shield is
connected to the conductive connector shells
at both ends
.
The input auxiliary
roller should be
set as close to the
center roller as
possible.
Adding a roller
to the reader’s
output may be
needed to
stabilize film
tension.
