5D Mark II. ML 2.3. (black screen, blinks) but doesn't work.

Started by PeteMarlboro, September 14, 2012, 08:03:54 AM

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PeteMarlboro

i've been using ML for a long time, updated to 2.3 in august.
yesterday i was taking some footage (everything was fine). today i turned on the camera on the set ... and it didn't work. it was .... and on saturday morning i will need my camera on the set again and the producer will shoot me if i won't fix my camera.


symptoms

boot (i think). when it boot i can see reaction of the screen but it's black. i see the blinking red led as usual when ML is booting.

menu on the top of the camera doesn't work (doesn't show anything). viewfinder doesn't show parameters (iso, etc)

the screen react on the buttons ("menu", "info", "delete"MLmenu", etc) but doesn't show anything. just black (but alive).

when i press the shoot button - sounds like it works, the screen reacts (still black) but doesn't record any pictures.

EOS utility - connects to the camera, but only works with several options (for example LIVE view - sounds like open the shutter and closed it in next second).

update of firmware - works.

when i updated firmware via eos utility, the process started and in the install mode i had a chance to see progress scale but in strange "luma/grey" mode on the camera display. but when i updated the firmware nothing is changed. (except the fact that live view stopped reacting altogether, but it's ok because by defaults live view doesn't work on this button).

the screen didn't show up again anything. when i installed ML 2.3 again (via eos utility (i put all the files on the flash card too), it showed me some horizontal line" without any text and after reload everything was the same.

what i did

checked batteries

unplugged grip with batteries, lens, took out batteries. after that put everything back. (didn't help).   

did try to reinstall original firmware 2.1.2 by using EOS utility (didn't help).

did try to install ML 2.3 on the using EOS utility (didn't help).






a1ex

So, without card, the symptoms are the same, right?

Can you do a few photos or a short video to help me understand the issue?

Were you able to navigate Canon menus?

I can prepare a few autoexec files to diagnose it and maybe to clear camera settings without requiring access to menus.

PeteMarlboro

Quote from: a1ex on September 14, 2012, 08:12:59 AM
So, without card, the symptoms are the same, right?

Can you do a few photos or a short video to help me understand the issue?

Were you able to navigate Canon menus?

I can prepare a few autoexec files to diagnose it and maybe to clear camera settings without requiring access to menus.

1. the same. just don't blink (cuz nothing to use from cf card.

2. i'm doing this right now and i will publish it in 10 min.

3. no. i can't see any menu.

4. it would be awesome Alex! Don't want to sound cheesy but you will save my ass if it will help.


a1ex

Okay, first thing to run is this diagnostic tool:

http://a1ex.magiclantern.fm/debug/startup-log/autoexec.bin

It does this:
- change firmware version number in Canon menu (2.1.2-ml-something)
- beep once
- blink the blue LED 5 times
- save a log file with Canon messages, in the root of the card, named LOGxxx.LOG.

Paste the log file here, it may give some clues.

a1ex

Ah, and another thing. Plug an external monitor in the A/V out and also in the HDMI (try to borrow one if you don't have). It worked for some people: http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?274188-I-did-a-bad-thing&p=2527639&viewfull=1#post2527639

If you don't have any kind of monitor, plug the A/V cable and listen (with headphones) on the yellow jack - the video signal is on that one.

PeteMarlboro

I did it already on the set and here too (hdmi monitor). the monitor says no signal.

a1ex



a1ex

Okay. Can you do a short video of what happens when you update Canon firmware? You mentioned something that colors are wrong.

When you update the firmware, the normal Canon code is not used at all (display is brought up by bootloader code or by firmware update code). This might suggest hardware problem.

PeteMarlboro

on this video i booted the camera with your autoexec.bin



also logs (i turned on the camera twice as you can see on the video)

http://www.petepolyakov.com/logs/log006.log
http://www.petepolyakov.com/logs/log007.log

oh no please God.. if it's hardware it will be just terrible...

i will record process of firmware update right now

PeteMarlboro

btw Alex, thank you so much for helping with my problem, i'm not just appreciate it.. it's really very important for me.
thanks.
i will publish the video in 5 minutes.


update!
had to update the camera via windows, got some time. uploading on youtube!

a1ex

Hm, the lack of blue blink and of top display info is also unusual.

Those things are controlled by another CPU, Tx19a, and we don't have access to it: http://magiclantern.wikia.com/wiki/Tx19a

Next thing to try: http://a1ex.magiclantern.fm/debug/rom-dump/autoexec.bin

This one saves a file named ROM.BIN containing Canon firmware (executable code, settings, hopefully the entire permanent storage). Compress this file and send it to me.

PeteMarlboro


PeteMarlboro

Quote from: a1ex on September 14, 2012, 09:40:00 AM
Hm, the lack of blue blink and of top display info is also unusual.

Those things are controlled by another CPU, Tx19a, and we don't have access to it: http://magiclantern.wikia.com/wiki/Tx19a

Next thing to try: http://a1ex.magiclantern.fm/debug/rom-dump/autoexec.bin

This one saves a file named ROM.BIN containing Canon firmware (executable code, settings, hopefully the entire permanent storage). Compress this file and send it to me.

should i install ML before, right?

a1ex

In the same way as you got the log file (just copy the autoexec over that one).

PeteMarlboro

okay. uploading (~4 min).
btw "cleaning sensor" process doesn't work on the start up (at least doesn't sound as usual). should it work or not in this situation. idk.
i don't use auto cleaning sensor, but i thought that firmware update clean the settings. but maybe it should be like this now.

a1ex

If you start the camera too often, sensor cleaning will not run.


a1ex

Downloading.

Meanwhile, my current diagnostic is hardware display problem, and I don't think it can be fixed via software. Sorry.

I believe the firmware update is able to drive the display because the code is simpler (and probably it doesn't do the complete checks that main firmware may do).

Still, this won't explain why you can't take pictures; maybe the problem is not just on the display.

I'll analyze the dump, and if I'll come to some different conclusion, I'll get back to you.

PeteMarlboro

i was thinking about the display too.
but as you can see - the hdmi monitor shows "no signal".
second - if it doesn't show anything - why it shows "updating mode" and so crazy way, what's the different for screen "regular" menu and etc. and install mode?

a1ex

I've explained you what's different - during updates, main firmware is not used at all. Bootloader code is a lot smaller and probably simpler.

Did you try a SD monitor via A/V jack? (if you don't have, listen to the yellow jack).

PeteMarlboro

i think the problem not in the display. because all other functions in the camera would work.
i don't know how works all this stuff inside of mark ii, but i think it can be some error that ML did. because if it sensor, why pictures doesn't record pictures with error on the card. if it cpu - why it works in general (i mean boot) and you can press the buttons. if it just screen why don't work other functions and how is screen connected to viewfinder (there nothing too), and to the menu on the top of the camera.
why hdmi doesn't work.

it should be "program" brains. or some hardware on the main board (just guessing, i'm not a programmer)

PeteMarlboro

Quote from: a1ex on September 14, 2012, 10:22:59 AM
I've explained you what's different - during updates, main firmware is not used at all. Bootloader code is a lot smaller and probably simpler.

Did you try a SD monitor via A/V jack? (if you don't have, listen to the yellow jack).

i don't have a cable for av output but i'll try to find something in the basement. give me several minutes please.

a1ex

Embedded software usually works in closed-loop. That means, if something goes wrong on some hardware part, the functionality of other parts can also be affected, even if they appear to be unrelated.

I have already proven that the failure is hardware. Cause is unknown, there are lots of cameras without ML that had problems. I don't think it was caused by ML, just look at the number of downloads. If there was a destructive bug in ML, it's very likely that others would have noticed too.

PeteMarlboro

i'm just guessing, if it would be ML it would mean that probably it can be fixed by some program shot like autoexec.bin or something. if hardware it's really bad for me.

or if it could be some connector inside of the camera i would take it on the parts, connect the cable and put everything back. but i feel that it's not the problem. it would be awesome if you will see something in this bin.rom sure if you can see something there that could say - problem is there, or here.

sorry Alex, i got a lot of your time, just i wasn't ready for this "death" of the camera and idk how to fix it before saturday. just bad, so bad situation for me. and thanks again. i hope bin.rom will give some hope.. to fix it less bloody method than repair service