Troubleshooting SMART Board 600 Series Interactive Whiteboards. Overview. Introduction. Resetting the Interactive Whiteboard

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1 Troubleshooting SMART Board 600 Series Interactive Whiteboards Applies to: SMART Board 600 series interactive whiteboards Overview Introduction Use this guide to help identify and resolve problems that may occur with your SMART Board 600 series interactive whiteboard. This guide assumes that you re experiencing problems after a period in which the interactive whiteboard was working properly. Most problems result from incorrect cabling, an incorrect computer setting, or software that s improperly installed or configured. Use the flowcharts and tables in this guide to determine which component is causing the problem, and then take steps to correct it. Resetting the Interactive Whiteboard If your interactive whiteboard is behaving erratically (possibly because of a static discharge or power fade) you may be able to restore normal operation by resetting the interactive whiteboard. To reset your interactive whiteboard You can reset the interactive whiteboard completely by disconnecting and then reconnecting the USB cable. This cycles the power off and back on, resetting all components of the SMART Board interactive whiteboard. You can also reset only the SC9 controller s microprocessor by pressing its Reset button with the tip of a pen tray pen for less than three seconds. The Reset button is located behind the lower-right side of the interactive whiteboard when viewed from the front. NOTE: If you press and hold the Reset button for longer than three seconds, any saved 4- or 9- point orientation data is cleared from the SC9 s memory, and the alignment defaults to factory settings. However, 20-point orientation data is stored on the computer, so it is retained after a reset. Reset Button SC9 Controller

2 Troubleshooting Using the Ready Light Before you begin troubleshooting your front projection interactive whiteboard, first familiarize yourself with its normal operation. Because the indicates the status of the interactive whiteboard, you should use it as the starting point for your troubleshooting. Refer to the following Flowchart 1, which will direct you to the next stage in your troubleshooting process. Ready Light The LED is visible from the front of the SMART Board interactive whiteboard in the lower-right of the frame when facing the front of the interactive whiteboard. Flowchart 1: Getting Started Start steady on? Go to 2 The interactive whiteboard is not receiving power. Go to Flowchart 2 on page 3 to locate the problem. red? flashing green? steady green? Go to 3 Go to 4 Go to 5 The interactive whiteboard is receiving power but is not communicating correctly with your computer. Go to Flowchart 3 on page 4 to isolate the problem. A flashing green may be normal, if you want touch-only operation of the interactive whiteboard. If you want to use the SMART Board tools or use the pen tray pens, go to Flowchart 4 on page 5. A steady green indicates normal operation. To diagnose problems that may occur in other components of the interactive whiteboard, refer to Flowchart 5 on page 6. amber? The SC9 is in Boot Loader mode or has detected a checksum error If the is flashing or steady amber, reset the SC9. (See page 1.) If the problem persists, the firmware may have to be reloaded into the flash memory, or you may have to replace the SC9 controller. Escalate the problem to your next level of support. If none of these descriptions applies to the, contact your next level of support. Contact your next level of support

3 Flowchart 2: Ready Light t On not on computer turned on? Turn on the computer on now? n-powered USB hubs or repeaters can t provide enough power to the interactive whiteboard. USB cable connected to both the computer and the SC9 Verify/replace USB cable connections on now? If you haven t installed a USB driver on the computer, the USB port can t provide power to the interactive whiteboard. Is a USB driver installed and running on the computer? Install and enable driver on now? Substitute another computer on now? Substitute another SC9 Controller Module on now? Contact your next level of support Go back to 1 If possible, replace the computer with another that has been successfully used with a SMART Board interactive whiteboard. Refer to the product specifications for minimum computer hardware and software requirements. NOTE: Before substituting the SC9, contact your next level of support to ensure that all other possibilities have been checked. Replace the SC9 with another that has been tested on an interactive whiteboard.

4 Flowchart 3: Ready Light Red A red indicates that the interactive whiteboard is receiving power but isn t communicating with the computer. Pen tray LEDs won t turn on and the screen is not responsive to touch. Things to try first: red Disconnect and reconnect USB cable from the interactive whiteboard changed from green to red Disconnect and reconnect USB cable from the interactive whiteboard and restart computer alternates from green to red Reduce load on computer and/or restart computer Disconnect and then reconnect the USB cable at both ends to reset the interactive whiteboard and reestablish the link. If the changed from green to red while the computer was running, the computer may have become unresponsive and requires restarting. A powered USB hub or extender may have failed or become unplugged from the computer. Check connections, or replace the failed component. Steady green What color is the now? Flashing green Go to 4 An alternating red/green light may indicate that your computer is running too many other applications or doesn t meet minimum specifications. Reduce the load on the computer by disabling unnecessary applications, or replace it with a more powerful computer. Still red Install or upgrade malfunctioning USB driver Make sure that the operating system has all USB HID drivers and current upgrades installed. (The Windows 98 and 98SE operating systems require the system installation disk to install the HID drivers.) Steady green What color is the now? Still red Enable USB port or disconnect the other device using USB port The computer s USB port might have become disabled or been assigned to another device. Try to re-assign the port or enable it using your computer s device manager. Go to 5 Steady green What color is the now? Still red Contact your next level of support NOTE: If the interactive whiteboard s SC9 controller detects that its firmware is not fully secure, it will flash the red and disable touch capability. Contact SMART technical support immediately.

5 Flowchart 4: Ready Light Flashing Green NOTES This is the normal mouse mode state when SMART Board software is not installed. This mode may be desirable for occasional or guest users who don t require the use of SMART Board tools or pen tray functions. Windows 98 and 98SE operating systems require that you install the HID drivers from the Windows installation CD. Also, on Windows 98 and 98SE, right-click is not supported. The Windows 2000 and Windows XP operating systems include the full HID mouse mode. is flashing green Mouse Mode Do you want to use the SMART Board tools, or operate in "Mouse Mode"? Remember that you may not want to use the SMART Board tools or the pen tray pens. See the previous notes. Done Use Tools Is SMART Board software installed? Install it now You can install SMART Board software from the CD provided with your interactive whiteboard, or you can download it from the SMART Technologies website. Is SMART Board software running? Start it now There are two ways to ensure that the SMART Board software service is running. Refer to page 14 for details. steady green now? The should now be steady green, and the interactive whiteboard should operate normally. Go to 5 Contact your next level of support

6 Flowchart 5: Ready Light Steady Green NOTE: Before you can use the SMART Board tools or use the pen tray pens and eraser, SMART Board software must be running. If the SMART Board icon doesn t appear in the Windows system tray, open the SMART Board Software folder in the Start menu s list of programs and select SMART Board Tools. The icon will appear and the pen tray tools should now function as expected. is green, but... Mouse mode OK, but pen tray tools do not work as expected A steady green indicates that the SC9 controller is operating normally. If the pen tray has failed or is not communicating with the SC9 controller, the interactive whiteboard will still operate in mouse mode. Disconnect and reconnect USB cable to reset power Do the pen tray LEDs cycle when reset? Check/replace I 2 C cable between pen tray and SC9 When you reset the interactive whiteboard (as described on page 1), all of the pen tray LEDs flash sequentially twice, indicating successful communication with the SC9 controller. If the LEDs operate normally, but tools do not function as expected, see the note at the lower-right. One LED doesn't come on Does each LED turn on when tool is lifted? One LED is always on OK now? Obstructed or dirty infrared (IR) sensors in the pen tray recesses can prevent the detection of pen or eraser removal, or show that they are removed when they are not. Clean IR sensor Remove debris blocking IR sensor Replace pen tray Remove any obstructions, and clean the IR sensors with a cotton swab and glass cleaner. OK now? OK now? If a sensor or the pen tray controller has failed, contact your next level of support. Replace pen tray Replace SC9 controller OK now? OK now? Done Contact your next level of support Done NOTE: If another user has reassigned the pen, eraser or pen tray button functions, you can return them to normal operation using the SMART Control Panel.

7 General Troubleshooting Refer to this table if the indicates that your interactive whiteboard is operating normally, but you are still experiencing problems. Symptom/Observation The projected image is blurry or doesn t fill the screen fully. Touch is not accurate. The pointer does not appear directly below your finger. When you write on the screen, your writing appears at a slight distance from the pen. pointer is visible on the screen, and when you touch the screen, a colored line appears. The pointer snaps back to one location when you lift the pen or your finger from the screen. The pointer moves erratically or gaps appear when you draw with the pen. Action/Remedy Adjust your projector s position, zoom and focus settings. The computer s video resolution settings may not match your projector s native resolution. Consult your projector s manual for the correct resolution, and then go to the Windows Control Panel to change the display resolution of your monitor. Orient the interactive whiteboard. To start the orientation, press and hold both the Keyboard and Right-click buttons on the pen tray at the same time, or open the SMART Board Control Panel and press Orient/Align the SMART Board. A pen is missing or not positioned properly in its pen tray recess. A pen, dry erase marker, or old style (black) SMART stylus is not reflective to infrared light, so pen tray sensors can t detect it. Put tape on the pen to make it more reflective. The analog resistive surfaces are in constant contact at the location to which the pointer returns. This can be caused by an object hitting or pressing on the front sheet, leaving a permanent depression. Gently pull the front sheet away from the back sheet using a piece of tape or a small suction cup. If the problem goes away while you pull but returns when you release the tape or suction cup, you may have to return the interactive whiteboard for repair. The USB voltage from the computer or USB extender may be too low to power the interactive whiteboard reliably. Substitute another computer, eliminate or substitute the USB extender, or install a powered USB hub. See page 11 for information about using a diagnostics program to view important voltage and resistance readings for the SMART Board interactive whiteboard.

8 Troubleshooting Using SMART Board Software Diagnostics WARNING THE SMART Board Diagnostics program is a powerful troubleshooting tool for SMART products. We discourage users from using the program without assistance from an authorized technical support representative. To open the diagnostics program 1. Open the SMART Board software Control Panel, and then click About Software and Product Support. 2. In the SMART Technical Support window, click Diagnostics. The SMART Board Diagnostics program appears. In the center of the window, above the log display, the Status message area displays one of the messages listed in the following table. NOTE: Although the Status message displayed by the SMART Board Software Diagnostics program doesn t actually identify problems with the SMART Board interactive whiteboard itself, it can be useful in troubleshooting problems where the SMART Board interactive whiteboard and the computer aren t communicating.

9 Interpreting Status Messages Status Message Displayed This SMART Board interactive whiteboard is working properly. The port for this device is in use by another application. rmal operation Explanation This doesn t apply when connected to SMART Board products that use USB connections. This message may appear if you inadvertently configure a non-existent serial port to communicate with an interactive whiteboard. data is being received on this port. The port for this device could not be found. Analyzing incoming data to determine if it is a SMART Board interactive whiteboard... Data is being received, but communication to the interactive whiteboard is not working correctly. The LEDs will not function properly. SMART Board interactive whiteboard not connected to SMART USB Adapter. Click the Add SMART Board button in SMART Board Settings to initiate automatic SMART hardware detection or to manually select a COM Port. Possible communication problem. Are you using any USB cable extensions or hubs? Try connecting the SMART Board interactive whiteboard directly to the computer. Have you made a custom cable? Verify the cable s pinout. If a USB interface can t provide sufficient power to the interactive whiteboard, touching the interactive whiteboard can cause the power to drop below the required level. This message appears if you inadvertently configure a serial port to communicate with an interactive whiteboard that uses a USB interface. This does not apply to SMART products that use USB connections. This message appears if you inadvertently configure a non-existent serial port to communicate with an interactive whiteboard. The software is analyzing the data received from the port to make sure that it comes from a SMART Board interactive whiteboard. This message does not necessarily mean that the port is receiving data. If it isn t, this message changes to " data is being received on this port." The computer is receiving data from the interactive whiteboard, but the interactive whiteboard can t receive commands from the computer. The message may indicate a defective cable. The USB cable is plugged into the computer, but the other end isn t plugged into the interactive whiteboard. Check the cable connections. This message appears when there are no SMART Board products listed in the SMART Board Software Control Panel. Interactive whiteboards connected with a USB cable are always Plug and Play. te that the Windows NT operating system 4 doesn t support USB. You can t manually connect or disconnect a SMART product that is attached to a USB port. If this SMART product doesn t appear in the SMART Board Software Control Panel, check your Windows Device Manager to determine if the USB ports appear and are working correctly. You might need to enable them in the computer s BIOS. The SMART Board product should also appear in the device manager connected to the USB ports (when viewing by connection) or under the Human Interface class of devices.

10 The SMART Board Software service is not running. This SMART Board interactive whiteboard is not currently active. The status for this SMART Board interactive whiteboard could not be determined. This SMART Board interactive whiteboard is disabled. Restart the service by selecting Service > Start. Check that SMART Board Service appears in the Windows services control panel (Windows TNT4/2000/SP), that the "Path to executable" is correct and that the SMARTBoardService.exe file exists. You can try starting the service from the Windows services control panel or SMART Board Diagnostics (under the Service menu). With the Windows 98, 98SE and Me operating systems, the SMART Board Software service runs from the RunServices registry key. Make sure that the key exists, that the path is correct and that the SMARTBoardServices.exe file exists. This message shouldn t appear. It indicates that the SMART Board product is in the "closed" state and that the port is closed. This message appears if new software in the interactive whiteboard reports a state that isn t recognized by an older version of the SMART Board Software Control Panel. Update the SMART Board software on the computer. This message shouldn t appear to the typical user. This message indicates that this SMART Board product has been disabled by setting a flag in the registry. This process is used during debugging if you have multiple SMART Board products and you want to disable one of them. Other Diagnostic Tools The SMART Board Diagnostics program is a set of tools that you can use to help troubleshoot problems with a variety of SMART Board interactive products. Some of the tools and menu items work only with SMART interactive whiteboards employing DViT technology or serial-to-usb converters. You can use these tools to troubleshoot SMART Board 600 series interactive whiteboards. For example, you can: Generate reports. Run Trace tests. Log and show messages. Stop and start the SMART Board software service. WARNING The use of some of the tools and menu items found in the SMART Board Diagnostics menu or button bars may cause the interactive whiteboard to operate erratically, or to cease operation if they are used improperly. permanent damage will occur: exit the SMART Board Diagnostics program (select if prompted to return all flags to normal) and reset the interactive whiteboard.

11 Generating Diagnostic Reports You can generate diagnostic reports that can assist the troubleshooting of your interactive whiteboard, which you can save for future reference, or to your technical support representative. You can generate two types of report files: ReportLog.html SmartBoardService.log This file contains a summary of the computer s hardware, software, and communications configuration, followed by a detailed table showing the allowed ranges and current values of the SMART Board product s voltages and resistances. This text file captures the current contents of the diagnostics display and includes a detailed list of the allowed ranges and current values of the SMART Board product s voltages and resistances. To create a report In SMART Board Software Diagnostics, click File > Report, and then select one of these three options: Send Save As View Both reports files are attached to an message in your default program. The default destination address is support@smarttech.com, but you can change it. Prompts you to save the ReportLog.html file to any location. Opens the ReportLog.html file in your default browser. NOTE: matter which option you select, you ll see a list of ranges and current values for voltage and resistance in the logging window. This list matches the data saved in SmartBoardService.log.

12 Running a Trace Test You can use the Trace test to verify that your pen and finger presses register over the entire surface of the interactive screen. To Run a Trace Test 1. Press the Trace button, or select Board > Trace to display the Trace window. A trace window appears over top of the main message window. This window shows you the precise x, y coordinate points that correspond to points of constant or intermittent contact with the interactive screen. This window provides you with a visual counterpart to the x, y coordinates that are generated in the main message window (see page 8) when you touch the interactive screen. 2. Touch the interactive screen and drag your finger or pen around the screen. In the Trace window, you ll see the points of contact either as segments, dots, or dotted segments. 3. Use a pen tray pen (not your finger or a dry-erase marker) to draw a pattern that includes: a rectangle around the edges of the screen. two diagonal, straight lines that intersect in the center of the screen. a large circle in the middle of the screen. 4. Look for breaks in the pattern where the interactive whiteboard didn t register the pen s touch. If you see any breaks in the pattern, try drawing in that area again. If there are no breaks on your second attempt, the interactive screen is fine. If the breaks remain, make note of all of the system settings to help diagnose the problem. NOTE: If you encounter a problem, you should also save an image of the trace pattern. You can capture it to tebook software using the Screen Capture tool. 5. Close the Trace window. If you see any problems with the interactive whiteboard s touch screen, escalate the problem to your next level of technical support.

13 Logging and Showing Messages Clicking the Messages item in the menu bar reveals several logging options, listed in the following table. You can select these options individually or in combination. To start or stop the logging, toggle the Start Logging or Stop Logging option by selecting it. When you have captured the desired information in the logging window, you can generate the SmartBoardService.log file and view, print or it to your next level of support, as required. See page 11 for details on generating reports. Click Messages > Clear to remove all the information from the log window. Stopping and restarting the log after clearing it provides a starting point and useful date information. Message Showing Processed Data Show Raw Data Description This option displays the information processed by the SMART Board Diagnostics program. You can use the results in the log to view specific information, including: the presence or absence of touch screen contact (down, up). LED and pen tray tool information. This option displays information before it's processed by the SMART Board Diagnostics program. You can use the results in the log to view specific information about the communication between the pen tray and the diagnostic program. Show X, Y Data This option displays the x, y coordinates that are registering on the interactive screen. You can use the results in the log when determining touch screen problems, such as a constant contact point (described on page 7). The Service Menu When the SMART Board software service is running, click the Service item in the main menu bar to select two options: Stop Uninstall Stops the SMART Board software service. Stops and unregisters the SMART Board software service from your computer s operating system. You can use this option to remove the service s registry settings if you suspect they have been corrupted. Both of these options will immediately stop all communication between the interactive whiteboard and the computer. A status message will show that the service is not running, and the will also reflect the loss of communication. When you stop or uninstall the service, the menu selections change to allow you to start or reinstall the service.

14 Ensuring that the SMART Board Software Service is Running NOTES After installing SMART Board software on your computer, the SMART Board software service should start automatically when you start your computer. If it doesn t, perform the first of the following procedures. By default, the SMART Board tools do not start automatically when your computer starts. To use the SMART Board tools or the pen tray tools, click the SMART Board Tools icon on your desktop. To have the SMART Board tools start automatically, put a shortcut in your Startup folder. To start the SMART Board software service automatically 1. Open the Windows Control Panel, and then click Administrative Tools > Services. 2. Double-click SMART Board Service in the Services list. A Properties dialog box opens. 3. In the Startup Type, click Automatic (if it is not already selected), and then click OK to close the dialog box. 4. Restart your computer, and then verify that the service has started. To start the SMART Board software service manually 1. Open the SMART Board Control Panel, and then click About Software and Product Support. 2. In the SMART Technical Support window, click the Diagnostics button. If The SMART Board Service is not running appears in the Status area of the SMART Board Service Log window, click Service > Start from the menu. First Published: December 10, 2005 Last Updated: vember 26, 2007 SMART Technologies Avenue SW, Suite 300 Calgary, AB T3C 0M5 CANADA Support or Toll Free (Canada/U.S.) SMART Technologies ULC. All rights reserved. SMART Board, DViT, smarttech and the SMART logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of SMART Technologies ULC in the U.S. and/or other countries. Windows is either a registered trademark or a trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries. All other third-party product and company names may be trademarks of their respective owners. Patent. US ; US ; US ; US ; US ; US ; US ; US ; US ; US ; US ; US ; US ; US ; CA ; EP ; ES ; CN ; and DE Other patents pending. Contents are subject to change without notice. 11/2007