Howdy Avid Experts,

Started getting DMFA errors a couple weeks ago.  I've done just about everything - aside from appealing to the Avid Gods (many suspect they don't exist anyhow...).  :-)

• - Avid System Test Pro comes back clean...
• - I've reseated all hardware...
• - Reinstalled OS (10.2.6) and Avid Xpress...
  
• - Media Drives all test well, are cleaned, and no corrupted files exist what-so-ever...
• - Trashed and rebuilt all Media Databases...
• - Rendered ALL effects - though they're just some realtime dissolves at this point...
  
• - Recaptured the Media for the current project I'm working on...
• - Tried every trick and suggestion in this forum, creative cow's, DMN, and every other I can find..
• 
  

And - no, there's no pattern to the problem... doesn't matter whether the video is in the source or edit windows, doesn't matter if its a clip or a sequence. AND - much of the troubleshooting has been under the direction of an Avid Rep.  ;-)

Hope y'all can find something I'm not doing!  Have a happy Independence Day!  Can't wait to see what's suggested next week.

Best,

Ed

PS - we're looking at hardware replacement aren't we....?  If hardware's the problem (yeah, preemptive strike here), then why do all the tests do well...?

Reload the firmware for your Atto card.   Such fun can be found at Atto.com   

Also, make sure your scsi cables and terminator are true LVD units, and the terminator is lighting up green, and not amber.

JDS

The cables are all LVDs - the terminator is lighting up green.

Reloaded the Atto firmware yesterday afternoon...  still getting the same problem.

Could this be a Meridien board, or EDC issue?

Display Missed Frame Advance (DMFA) is very generic.  It can be caused by anything that impacts bandwidth or throughput.  It means the system cannot display the next frame, in time.  It could be the System, OS, Avid settings, disk drives, media databases  ....

First try reseating all the SCSI cables & terminators (with power off), trash the media databases, run Disk First Aid or Norton Disk Doctor on the media drives.

And, yes, it "could" be the boards, but not likely.

Have done so...  I've reformatted and restriped the drives as well.  Also, even opened the machine and did a direct 68pin connection to the internal bus.  None of this solves the problem, which began "all of a sudden" after a long period of error-free avid fun.

Let's try settings next.  See my notes here:

http://community.avid.com/forums/p/36514/203145.aspx#203145

Great try - had never deleted the project settings file itself.... But, no cigar.

Here's something odd I just noticed...:  when playing in the source/record window, on the Edit monitor, the one connected to the EDC, the DMFA appears routinely.  And, when playing a clip in a pop-up window on the same monitor - same problem.

HOWEVER, when playing a clip in the main monitor - that is, the one connected to the standard-issue Apple port, no DMFA what-so-ever.  So...  I know I've already asked...  Could this be an EDC issue - especially considering that the clips play just fine in a pop-up in my standard monitor, but not the one controller by the Avid EDC...?

UPDATE :

Clips will play in the source window IF the window is moved over to the standard monitor as well.  Obviously I cannot play the sequence or edit to tape still, as the Record window will not play on the standard monitor side.