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Electronic Theatre Controls Inc

Troubleshooting Cobalt internal touchscreen issues

Note-Icon.png

This does not apply to the small, 2"x4" (5x10cm) touch screens on the control panel, only the main displays.

Symptoms/Issue

Below are listed some touch screen issues that can be seen on failing internal screens on Gio, Eos Ti, Gio@5, and Cobalt:

  • Not responding
  • Not responding on the correct screen:
    Important-Icon.png If your touch screen IS responding, but is appearing on the incorrect screen (usually this only happens after a reimage), go to the monitor arrangement menu and select "Configure Touchscreens".  All screens will appear white with one of them instructing you to touch this screen.  After doing so, it will instruct you to hit enter and will continue in the same manner on the next screen.  If you have non-touch displays connected, simply click the mouse on screen and/or hit enter to skip those when instructed.
  • Getting mystery touch input hits
  • Erroneous or uninitiated control line input
  • Erratic mouse movement
  • And/or has dead spots in the touch input

Description/Explanation of Issue

The internal touchscreens on Gio, Eos Ti, and Cobalt do not need to be calibrated because the calibration is set by the display manufacturer in the touch screen control card of the display.  If the screen doesn't respond well in some regions, contact ETC Technical Services. Updated firmware and settings for the display can help this issue (this can be applied on a factory repair bench), or internal components on the screen may have experienced a failure (requiring repair).

Therefore, if you have any touch screen issues, it is due to a failure of the display itself.  In our experience, it is NOT a failure of the control card attached to the back of the screen.  Although replacement of this card can help temporarily, we have found that the issue always reoccurs and requires replacement of the display.

If issues are found through the troubleshooting procedure listed below, the screen will require replacement.  Do not attempt to recalibrate.  There is a simple workaround that may help, but it requires some disassembly of the console, so it is best performed by a qualified technician.  Contact your preferred dealer and/or ETC Technical services to set up a repair.

Troubleshooting

  1. Exit to the shell.
  2. Click on settings, then go to the maintenance tab where you should select a button marked "Touchscreen Test".
  3. If you suspect a dead spot in the touch input, swipe your finger around the screen which should be indicated by pink on the screen where ever you have touched (fast movement can cause it to be intermittent though).  Try to avoid the dots marked with numbers as those will advance to another test.  Usually a dead spot will manifest as an unresponsive spike in the top, middle of the screen where you cannot get pink to appear.
  4. If you suspect mystery hits, unplug your mouse and hit the refresh button to clear any pink marks on the screen.  Allow the console to remain in this state undisturbed at least overnight.  Make sure that NO ONE can potentially attempt to operate or touch the console at all so that the test can indicate any mystery hits.  Usually they will show up within a few minutes, but they can take as long as a couple of days to happen.
  5. If you discover any issues, please contact your local dealer and/or ETC Technical services.  There is a simple workaround that may help, but it requires some disassembly of the console, so it is best performed by a qualified technician.

 

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