UMC-200 Trigger Problem

[qualityaudio]

I am the proud owner of a UMC-200 pre/proc and UPA-500 amp. Both perform splendidly though each of them have been in for repair once over the last 2 1/2 years or so. A new symptom has arisen with the trigger that allows the preamp to turn on and off the power amp when needed.

I've put the UMC-200 in the thread title since that is where I think the problem lies, but it could also be in the power amp. I'm dubious about that though.

Normally, when I power up the processor it begins to boot up with a sequence of dots lighting up and scrolling across the display, then about mid-way through the second sequence the display shows the current version of the software. After a few more seconds it triggers the power amp, fades up the volume, and we're ready to go. Lately, however, as soon as I press the power button on the processor, the power amp kicks on and stays on for anywhere from a split-second to 5 or 6 seconds then turns off. As long as the amp is on, the boot sequence seems to pause and the processor continues displaying the sequence of dots scrolling across the screen until the amp turns off again, at which point the boot sequence proceeds normally, with the power amp coming on again as expected.

I've checked the trigger cable to make sure it is plugged in solidly, but it doesn't seem like it would be a connection problem. Not when the power amp stays on until I turn the processor off again. It also doesn't seem like it would be a problem with the power amp because I believe it is a passive actor and doesn't send any feedback to the processor. No matter what's going on with the amp, it wouldn't affect how the processor boots up. Or so I assume.

Are there any other troubleshooting steps I could take? I don't have any other gear that can be triggered by the processor, so I can't think of any other steps I can take. Has anyone else reported this problem?

[Loop 7]

Gosh I was going to recommend taking a quick look at the trigger settings menu (OSD) but sounds like it's something else.

[qualityaudio]

That's a good point. I've just checked the settings and Trigger Mode was Input Set, and all of my inputs were set to Trigger On, which means the power amp is on as long as the processor is. I've just changed the Trigger Mode to Main Zone, which should have the same behavior. We'll see if it has the same symptoms as well.

[bolle]

Sounds like the old and well-known "double trigger bug". Set "Standby Video" to "on", that should solve it.

[qualityaudio]

Well Loop7's post led me to change the trigger settings from "Input Set" to "Main Zone". No effect.

I just tried bolle's suggestion and while the double-trigger symptom has gone away, for now, there is something new. In my original post I mentioned the dots chasing across the display. Well, now they don't appear at all. When I power up the processor, now it just says "Power On" for a few seconds, then displays the version, and shortly after that it triggers the power amp. The processor also seems to finish booting up faster.

I'm assuming that leaving the processor in Video Standby mode leaves something on when the unit is powered off, and since that is something we don't have to wait for, there's no time, or need, for the chasing dots.

Not that any of this is any more than mental masturbation for me if Emotiva is already aware of this issue. While bolle called it a "bug", I call it a defect since I've had the thing for over two years and it never did this before. Turning on a feature that I don't use to avoid a problem is a work-around, not a fix.

Am I at the point where I have to send the processor in for repair, or is there a firmware upgrade I can install?

[Gary Cook]

I seem to recall that the double triggering problem was rectified in a software update, what version are you running?


Cheers
Gary

[bolle]

To my knowledge this was never rectified in a software update, that´s also the reason why I am still on .39.

Will be also difficult to verify because Emotiva never issued change logs for the UMC-200 FW-updates...

To my knowledge all UMC-200s have this "double trigger" issue. I called it a bug, since it is a problem in the FW. Or are you using "defect" in the IEEE 1044 context?

[qualityaudio]

Sept 2, 2016 8:35:29 GMT -5 bolle said:

To my knowledge this was never rectified in a software update, that´s also the reason why I am still on .39.

Will be also difficult to verify because Emotiva never issued change logs for the UMC-200 FW-updates...

To my knowledge all UMC-200s have this "double trigger" issue. I called it a bug, since it is a problem in the FW. Or are you using "defect" in the IEEE 1044 context?

I'm using it in the SNAFU 001 context. At some point in time my unit went from working normally to not. My experience tells me that this is probably the beginning of more problems to come and I would like the situation rectified before that happens.

[qualityaudio]

Sept 1, 2016 19:23:44 GMT -5 Gary Cook said:

I seem to recall that the double triggering problem was rectified in a software update, what version are you running?


Cheers
Gary

It is version 1.52.02.47, which was installed by Emotiva's repair center when they fixed a blown cap on the power supply.

[bolle]

Which is the latest Version.

As I said, you should have had that Problem with double triggering before...

Some links:

emotivalounge.proboards.com/thread/34783/umc-200-version-47-upgrade

emotivalounge.proboards.com/thread/30836/umc-200-update-log-unofficial

emotivalounge.proboards.com/thread/30999/umc-200-review

The trigger issue never really got fixed.

[qualityaudio]

Sept 2, 2016 12:41:14 GMT -5 bolle said:

Which is the latest Version.

As I said, you should have had that Problem with double triggering before...

Some links:

emotivalounge.proboards.com/thread/34783/umc-200-version-47-upgrade

emotivalounge.proboards.com/thread/30836/umc-200-update-log-unofficial

emotivalounge.proboards.com/thread/30999/umc-200-review

The trigger issue never really got fixed.

It's weird. After two and a half years of working properly it starts doing this. That pisses me off a little because if it had been a problem out of the box as you say it should have been, I wouldn't have kept it. I have no patience for sloppy engineering.

Thanks for the help!

[bolle]

Np. I learned to live with the issues of the UMC-200, which for me are only minor annoyances. The reason is the very good SQ for the Price, better than the Onkyo or marantz processors I also tested. And the EQ works very well and makes a real difference.

Regarding FW-updates and the whole process I am with you, but Emotiva learned from that imho and is doing Things a lot better with the XMC-1.