SymNet Designer Version 10.07 Release Notes
Copyright
2013, Symetrix, Inc.
I) Changes from previous versions
II) Known Issues
IV) Upgrading Firmware for V10.0
V) Issues with Site files from previous versions of SymNet Designer
This document is intended for those users upgrading from Version 9.1. If you are upgrading from an earlier version, you may also want to review the release notes from the relevant intermediate releases (e.g. V9.1, V9.0, V8.0, V7.0, V6.0, V5.5, V5.0, etc.). These can be found on the SymNet web site.
Note that saving a site file in version 10.0 will change its format and prevent
it from being opened in previous versions.
This is discussed in more detail in V) Issues
with Site files from previous versions of SymNet Designer below.
SymNet Designer V10.07 is a maintenance release for version 10.0. It is recommended that all users upgrade to V10.07.
1) An issue was resolved that caused distortion on output 1 of Solus units in some designs.
2) An issue was resolved with band 1 of the mono Loudspeaker Manager module on Solus units.
3) An issue was resolved with the display of preset numbers above 255 in ARC menus.
4) Other minor issues were resolved.
SymNet Designer V10.06 is a maintenance release for version 10.0. It is recommended that all users upgrade to V10.06.
1) An issue was resolved that caused some outputs on Solus units to mute when Delay Compensation was enabled.
2) An issue was resolved that caused extraneous RS-232 characters to be sent in response to a “GSB” or “GSB2” external control protocol command when issued to a slave unit through the master. SymNet microprocessor firmware V10.004 resolves this issue.
3) New modular ARC firmware V1.29 is included that fixes some minor issues with the LEDs on the ARC-K1, ARC-SWK, and EXK expansion panels.
SymNet Designer V10.05 is a maintenance release for version 10.0. It is recommended that all users upgrade to V10.05.
1) Support for the new hardware device Solus•16 was added.
2) An issue was resolved with dual mono input selectors with an odd number of inputs. On the lower half of the dual mono module, when input #1 was selected, the output was muted.
3) An issue was resolved with the delay compensation option for Solus units. When turned on, modules such as matrix mixers did not work properly.
4) The volume ramp up after download and on power-up now work properly on Solus units.
5) The background color of many dialog boxes has been changed to improve appearance with Windows 7 and with various themes.
SymNet Designer V10.04 is a maintenance release for version 10.0. It is recommended that all users upgrade to V10.04.
1) An issue was resolved that could cause certain designs with 0-2 milliseconds delay modules to stop functioning.
2) An issue was resolved that could cause a crash when opening a control with text objects containing a percent sign.
SymNet Designer V10.03 is a maintenance release for version 10.0. It is recommended that all users upgrade to V10.03.
1) An issue was resolved with the first scheduled event not executing on Solus units. New Solus microprocessor firmware V2.59 resolves this issue.
2) An issue was resolved where SymVue-Only installations didn’t work on Axiomtek touch panel systems.
3) A graphical issue with faders on control screens was resolved.
4) Other minor issues were fixed.
SymNet Designer V10.02 is a maintenance release for version 10.0.
1) An issue was resolved with unit names longer than 31 characters.
2) An issue was resolved with the front panel meters on Solus•4 units. New Solus microprocessor firmware V2.57 resolves this issue.
3) An issue was resolved that prevented units obtaining an IP address automatically from certain DHCP servers.
4) A few issues were resolved with filter modules not updating their frequency response graphs properly.
SymNet Designer V10.01 is a maintenance release for version 10.0.
1) An issue was resolved with new designs that use BreakIn12 and BreakOut12 units.
2) Other minor issues were fixed.
SymNet Designer V10.0 is a major release and has many enhancements compared to V9.1x.
1)
Support for the Solus•4 and Solus•8 has been added.
2)
New connection tools have been added to simplify
the process of discovering and connecting to units. This includes a new Connection Wizard and Connection
Manager.
3)
Units on the top-level configuration view now
display a connected/not connected
indicator (red x or green check), indicating if there
is there is an available hardware unit to go on-line with.
4)
Features have been added to manage screen
layout. Screen layouts can be stored and
recalled via the Screen Layout Manager. Using Preferences, the previous screen layout
can automatically be recalled when opening a new file. Buttons can be added to recall
previously-created screen layouts and a quick layout may be saved and recalled with
hot keys.
5)
Control Screens can now have background bitmaps. The
bitmap can be stretched, tiled, or centered.
6)
The names and contents of Presets can now be included in the generated Report.
7)
A Smart
Selection feature has been added.
The selection mode can be changed to select only wires, everything but
wires, or everything (the previous mode of operation). Selection mode can be changed via right-click
menu or under the Edit menu.
8)
Controller Numbers
can be visible on top of their controls. By
holding down the M key, controller numbers will be super-imposed over their
controls. Alt+M
can latch this option on or off.
9)
Wire Cleanup has been
improved, reducing wiring mistakes by removing extraneous wiring nodes.
10)
A feature has been added to allow exporting
external controller information as an XML file.
This can be quickly imported into Stardraw
Control.
11)
The Properties dialog boxes for controls placed on
Control Screens now better shows where
the control came from. This
information is listed under “Source Module”.
12)
New ARC-2 firmware version 3.09 is
included. This firmware supports both
the ARC-2 and ARC-2e.
13)
Additional data is displayed in SymVue Discovery including firmware
version, DHCP setting, subnet mask, and gateway.
14)
The option to disable a unit for Ethernet (IP)
communication has been removed. Units
are always network-enabled. Assigning a
unit an IP address of 0.0.0.0 will effectively disable it.
15)
Various bugs have been fixed.
1)
Solus units do not distribute controller
information to other units in the site.
This has various ramifications including push data and ARC control not
working between units. In general, if a Solus unit is used, it should be the only unit in the site.
2)
Some controls in SymNet Designer cannot be added to
SymVue panels. For a complete list, see
the SymVue topic in the Help file.
3)
Some controls may need to be “re-exported” to
control screens when opening older site files in SymNet Designer 10.0. For
specifics, see the SymVue topic in the Help file.
4)
Large complicated graphs or button matrixes in
SymVue panels may adversely affect performance.
5)
There may be slight discrepancies in displayed
frequencies between SymVue panels and their corresponding control screens. For example, in a British EQ frequency
display, if the control screen shows 200.000 Hz, the panel shows 200.002 Hz. These rounding discrepancies are visible due
to the very high precision shown in EQ frequencies and should be insignificant
since they are generally less than 0.002%.
6)
For EQ modules that are switchable between Octaves
and Q, the SymVue panel will always display the Q value, even though the label may
say “Octaves:”. The label is created at the time of
export and isn’t updated if the mode is changed. For best results, leave any
filters in Q mode if they need to be exported to SymVue.
7)
In control screens with background images, it is
difficult to wireframe select controls on top of the image since the wireframe
dragging may select and move the image.
To work around this, first lock the image via the right-click menu. Then hold down the Alt key when wireframe
selecting controls.
8)
CobraNet audio and control does not travel across
subnets. This has always been the case
due to limitations inherent to CobraNet.
9)
On CobraLink units, the microprocessor firmware
cannot be upgraded when the computer running SymNet Designer is on a different
subnet than the CobraLink unit.
10)
On older Express units, the microprocessor firmware
cannot be upgraded when the computer running SymNet Designer is on a different
subnet than the Express unit. Express units manufactured after the release of
SymNet Designer 9.0 can be upgraded across subnets.
11)
In DTMF Decoder modules, the DTMF Sequences cannot
be stored in presets. However, they can
be stored in settings files, allowing them to be moved from one module to
another.
12)
If a numeric value box is placed in a control
screen without its corresponding fader, it may not update properly. The work-around is to include the fader as
well.
13)
In sites being migrated from SymNet Designer 8.0 or
earlier, if room combiner settings are stored in presets, those presets must be
re-saved.
If you are
upgrading at an existing installation that loads a configuration automatically
on start-up, note that the configuration
will not load after the firmware is upgraded until you re-download the site file
using SymNet Designer 10.0.
Immediately after downloading the firmware, the unit will revert to the
“scrolling LEDs” mode indicating no configuration is loaded. To deal with this, the following procedure is
required:
1.
Make
sure you have a copy of the original site file (.sym file). If it exists on
your local drive, skip to step #2. Otherwise, open your previously installed
version of SymNet Designer and choose Hardware->Upload Entire Site File from
SymNet. This will save the file to your local drive.
2.
Turn
off the automatic configuration load by going to ‘Upgrade Firmware’, clicking
on ‘Erase Memory’, selecting only ‘Triggers and Power on Default’ and pressing
Erase. Repeat for all connected units.
3.
Upgrade
the firmware as described below.
4.
Re-download
your entire site file to the hardware. Open the site file in SymNet Designer 10.0
and choose Hardware->Download Entire
Site File to SymNet (or press F4).
Following the
re-download procedure listed above is necessary to ensure that the DSP code
running in your hardware is the correct version to work with the new firmware
and SymNet Designer application code. In
particular, the transition from version 9.1 to 10.0 has so many significant
changes that a re-download is required.
Version 10.0
installs to a separate location than from previous versions on your hard drive.
Version 10.0 will not interfere with your Version 1.x, 2.0, 3.x, 4.0, 5.x, 6.0,
7.0, 8.0, 9.0, or 9.1 settings. Version 10.0 can
cohabitate with previous versions on your PC. It is important to note, however,
that the firmware on the hardware must match the version of SymNet Designer
that communicates with it. Version 10.0 will only communicate with hardware
that is running the firmware released with Version 10.0, etc. If you intend to
switch between versions of SymNet Designer while using the same hardware, you
must remember to change the firmware each time. SymNet Designer checks this on
download and warns you if a mismatch is detected.
IMPORTANT: In order to run SymNet Designer version 10.0,
the firmware in your hardware devices must be upgraded to the latest version.
If you are receiving this software with a new SymNet device from the factory,
then the firmware versions should already be correct. However, if you are using
it with an existing SymNet device, then the firmware must be upgraded.
(Information about the latest release versions is always available on the SymNet web site.) When you
try to download a design to SymNet hardware, the firmware versions will be
automatically checked and you will be told if an upgrade is required.
Note that there are
also ‘Verify’ buttons in the ‘Upgrade Firmware’ dialog for the Microprocessor
and FPGA files. These allow verifying that the Microprocessor and FPGA firmware
files in your hardware exactly match the files on your hard disk.
NOTE: For CobraLink and Express Cobra units,
there is also firmware from Cirrus Logic (formerly Peak Audio) that controls the
CobraNet features. You may need to upgrade this firmware as well. See Upgrading CobraNet Firmware using CobraNet
Discovery below for instructions.
As of this writing,
the current versions of the SymNet firmware are as follows:
SymNet
Microprocessor file: Version 10.004 (applies to SymNet DSP, CobraLink, and
BreakIn/Out devices.)
DigIO/Express
Microprocessor file: Version 10.004 (applies to DigIO and Express devices.)
Solus
Microprocessor file: Version 2.59 (applies to Solus
devices.)
SymNet FPGA file for SymNet DSP Devices: Version 10.000
SymNet FPGA file for CobraLink Devices: Version 10.000
SymNet FPGA file for BreakIn/Out Devices: Version 10.000
SymNet FPGA file for DigIO Devices: Version 10.000
SymNet FPGA file for Express Devices: Version 10.000
(See Why are there
two different files? below for more information.)
1. Follow the step under Installation Notes above.
2. Install SymNet Designer 10.0 using the
provided Setup utility. This will copy the necessary firmware files to your
hard drive.
3. Launch the version of SymNet Designer that
was just installed.
4. Connect your hardware devices as they would
be for normal operation. Disconnect or power down all audio devices, especially
power amps and speakers, connected to SymNet during the upgrade.
5. In SymNet Designer 10.0, choose Hardware->Upgrade Firmware. Press
the Auto Upgrade button. This will upgrade all connected units. If you want,
you can verify the correct versions on the connected units. Click the ‘Close’
button when you are finished.
If you encounter problems with this
procedure, try the manual operation procedure below.
1. Follow the step under Installation Notes above.
2. Install SymNet Designer 10.0 using the
provided Setup utility. This will copy the necessary firmware files to your
hard drive.
3. Launch the version of SymNet Designer that
was just installed.
4. Connect your hardware devices as they would
be for normal operation. Disconnect or power down all audio devices, especially
power amps and speakers, connected to SymNet during the upgrade.
5. In SymNet Designer 10.0, choose Hardware->Upgrade Firmware. The
dialog that appears will tell you the version of the firmware in your hardware
devices.
6. Click the ‘Upgrade’ button under SymNet
Microprocessor file. An open file dialog will appear allowing you to browse for
firmware files. By default it should take you into the C:\Program
Files\Symetrix\SymNet Designer 10.0\Upgrade folder. Select the appropriate file
and click ‘Upgrade’.
7. After this finishes, click the ‘Upgrade’ button under SymNet FPGA file. Select the appropriate file and click ‘Upgrade’.
8. If you have more than one SymNet device, select each device using the address dropdown at the top of the dialog box and repeat steps 5-6.
9. If you are using CobraLink or Express Cobra
and have more than one ring, also repeat for all devices on all rings using the
Ring dropdown at the top of the dialog box.
10. When finished, click ‘Close’.
SymNet firmware has two components, the microprocessor file and the FPGA
file. They are generally independent and both may need upgrading.
The microprocessor file contains the code that SymNet's embedded
microprocessor runs. This microprocessor is responsible for communicating with
the host, managing the DSPs, external control, and many other tasks. One version
of the microprocessor file is common to all SymNet devices other than the
DigIO and Express, i.e. SymNet DSP, CobraLink, and Break In/Out devices. A
second microprocessor file is used with both DigIO and Express devices. The
microprocessor file for these devices is prefixed with DigIO_Express_MicroProc.
The file for all other devices is prefixed with SymNet_MicroProc. In both
cases, the version number is contained in the file name.
The FPGA (Field
Programmable Gate Array) file controls the programmable logic devices used in
SymNet. These devices manage the SymLink bus, handle audio I/O, facilitate DSP
communication, and perform several other tasks. The FPGA file is common to all
SymNet DSP devices (i.e. 8x8, 8in, 8out). However, a different file is required
for each of the CobraLink, BreakIn/Out, DigIO, and Express devices. The file
intended for SymNet DSP devices is prefixed with SymNet_DSP_FPGA. The file
intended for CobraLink devices is prefixed with CobraLink_FPGA. The file
intended for BreakIn/Out devices is prefixed with BreakIO_FPGA. The file
intended for DigIO devices is prefixed with DigIO_FPGA. The file intended for
Express devices is prefixed with Express_FPGA. In all cases, the version number
is contained in the file name. By default, SymNet Designer only shows you files
valid for your particular unit and additionally checks the file contents to
prevent you from using the wrong type of FPGA file.
New releases may include new firmware versions for Symetrix RS-485 devices such as the Control I/O, Modular ARC family, and ARC-II. If new firmware is provided, it will usually be listed in the release notes section. To upgrade RS-485 device firmware, follow these steps.
1. Follow the step under Installation Notes above.
2. Install SymNet Designer 10.0 using the
provided Setup utility. This will copy the necessary firmware files to your
hard drive.
3. Launch the version of SymNet Designer that
was just installed.
4. Connect your RS-485 devices as they would be
for normal operation. RS-485 devices
must have unique addresses (set by DIP or rotary switches on the units—see the
appropriate hardware Quick Start Guide for more information).
5. If you are working with an existing site
file that includes the RS-485 devices, open that site file.
6. Choose Tools->Controller
Manager. If your RS-485 devices are not listed under ‘RS-485 Controller
Network’, you will need to add them. This can either be done manually using the
‘New RS-485 Device…’ button, or by sensing what units are connected using the ‘<<
Upload’ button.
7. For each RS-485 device that you wish to
upgrade, select the device and click the Edit… button. In the dialog box that
appears, click the ‘Upgrade Firmware…’ button. Choose the appropriate firmware
file and press ‘Open’. (You may also use
‘Verify Firmware’ to determine if upgrading is necessary.)
8. Press ‘OK’ and continue to the next RS-485
device, if there are more.
To take advantage
of some new CobraNet features in SymNet Designer such as low latency, CobraLink
units need to have CobraNet interface firmware V2.9.6 or later. Express Cobra
units should use firmware V2.10.6 or later. However, these are minimums and it
is advisable to use the most recent firmware which as of this writing, are V2.9.16
for CobraLink and 2.11.6 for Express Cobra. In particular, there are some
important fixes in 2.11.6 that improve system reliability, so upgrading Express Cobra units to 2.11.6 is
strongly recommended. You can check the version of firmware running on your
CobraLink unit using SymNet Designer. It is listed in the ‘Upgrade Firmware’
dialog after ‘Cobra Interface Firmware Version’. If you need to upgrade the
firmware, follow these steps.
1. Download and install CobraNet Discovery (aka “Disco”), Cirrus Logic’s utility for upgrading CobraNet firmware and monitoring a CobraNet network. This software is available from the Cirrus Logic CobraNet Downloads page.
2. Obtain the latest CobraLink CM-1 or Express
firmware from the SymNet web site. Unzip and
copy the file to the CobraNet Discovery\firmware directory. By default, this is
C:\Program Files\Cirrus Logic \CobraNet Discovery\firmware.
3. Launch CobraNet Discovery and power up all
CobraLink or Express Cobra units. All units must be attached to a network that is
visible by the PC running Disco.
4. For each unit, assign an IP address by right
clicking and choosing New IP Address. The assigned address must be in the same
sub-net as the PC running Disco.
5. For each unit, upgrade the firmware by right
clicking and choosing Update Firmware. Select Symetrix CobraLink version 2.9.16
for CobraLink units and Express version 2.11.6 for Express Cobra.
6. When
prompted, power cycle each unit.
In version 10.0, the site file (.sym file) format has changed from previous versions. You will be able to open all previous version site files in version 10.0 or later. However, files saved with version 10.0 will not be readable by previous versions.
If you are working with site files from version 3.5x or older, there are some additional issues. Since version 3.5x and older site files supported eight configurations instead of only one, you must choose the configuration to load when opening site files from these older versions. When you first open a V3.5x or older site file in V10.0, the Select Configuration dialog box appears asking you which configuration you wish to load. Note that the dialog box displays ‘empty’ after any configuration that was unused in the older site file to aid in determining how many configurations your file used. After you select a configuration, the file is opened with the filename changed to indicate the selected configuration. For example, if the original site file was named My Site.sym and you selected Configuration 1, the new filename would be My Site-Configuration1.sym. If your older site files use only one configuration, opening and re-saving once is all that is required to convert them to V10.0 format. If they use more than one configuration, you must repeat the process for all configurations. For example, if a previous-version site file used 3 configurations, you would need to open it 3 times, once for each used configuration. The result would be 3 new V10.0 site files.
If you intend to maintain both V10.0 and previous versions on your computer, we recommend the following guidelines to minimize difficulties with file formats:
A) Backup all previous version design files.
B) Don't use the same file names for Version 10.0 design
files.
C) Choose the default locations when installing
software.
D) Do not use version 10.0 software
with previous versions of firmware or previous versions of software with version
10.0 firmware.
It is recommended
that you backup your version 9.1x or earlier design
files to a secure location before using or installing Version 10.0. Even if all
else goes completely wrong, as long as you have those files, there is a way to
recreate your old setup. Note that once you save a file with SymNet Designer 10.0
and overwrite a file from a previous version, it will no longer be readable in
the previous version of SymNet Designer.
If you are going to maintain both versions of the software on your PC,
it is highly recommended that you include something in the file name of all
previous version files you save to indicate their version. This way you will be
able to tell the files apart if they become co-mingled.
Even if you are not
going to maintain both versions, it is a good idea to use this practice at
least until all your design files have been converted and you have fully
embraced Version 10.0.
When you install
any version of SymNet Designer software, allow the installation to go to the
default folder. This ensures that multiple versions will not interfere with
each other.
The versions of
software and firmware must match! The only operation you should do that accesses hardware with mismatched
software and firmware is to upgrade to the correct firmware. Upgrading is
generally possible regardless of the firmware mismatch. If this is not the
case, the release notes will make a point of mentioning this.