TommyCooper

It might be worth looking at putting a smartboard and ultra-short throw projector on a height adjustable mount. Many designs of these attach to the wall directly behind the board and have a built-in projector mount. They also have an additional benefit in that they make the board accesible to wheelchair users and younger children too.

You haven't said what version of Notebook 10 you're running, but my first thought would be to re-download Notebook from smarttech.com and re-install it. If that doesn't fix the problem try giving Steljes (SMART's UK distributors) a call on 08450 724999.

Sending a VGA signal to a projector wirelessly is fraught with problems - there are very few solutions that'll do what you want without either compromising image quality or requiring special software on every laptop that's used wirelessly with it. Wireless-enabled projectors also tend to have a significant price-premium over their conventional counterparts, and you may find there's little cost difference in getting a professional corporate-quality installation done with wall or floor mounted laptop connection panels and properly concealed cabling - especially as you'll still need to get a mains-lead to the projector. If you do decide to go with a wireless projector - make sure you've seen the proposed solution working with both a static (powerpoint/excel etc) image and a moving video image before you commit to buy. I've seen a lot of wireless solutions that work okay with static images but have poor video performance. Hope that helps!

FYI - common codes in the middle of the serial number of a SMART board are as follows (there are one or two others): R2 - manufactured in Canada - ROHS compliant H2 - manufactured in Hungary (most boards sold into the UK and Eire over the last couple of years are H2) - ROHS compliant M2 - manufactured in Mexico (not many of these in Europe) - ROHS compliant

If the fixes suggested by mrwobbly don't solve the problem get in touch with Steljes (SMART's UK representatives) on 08450 724999. They'll probably give you the same fixes as a first step but should be able to give you further advice if those things have already been tried. They should also be able to tell you if the board has any warranty cover left or not if you tell them the serial number.

Finally had time to take a look at that log file - it's telling us that the controller board is communicating correctly with your PC and that the controller is talking to the pen tray sensors. It's also saying that the surfaces should be working (the values for X Plus, X Minus etc are what I'd expect to see. Could you go back into the diagnostics and turn on logging of X-Y data (should be under the Messages menu at the top)? When you touch the board again it should give you a scree-full of X and Y coordinates. If the log fills-up with coordinates without you touching it the board surface has probably been damaged.

Win-7 64-bit machines sometimes install the wrong version of the USB-serial driver. Try manually installing the driver from C:\Program Files\SMART Technologies\Education Software\Drivers\x64\.

I'd suggest talking to Steljes (SMART's UK distributor - 08450 724999). The problem might be solved by re-running the DViT calibration (different to the normal orientation).

The diagnostic tools are built-in to the driver install, so you've probably got them already. They'll give a different output depending on what board you've got connected to your PC. To access them open the smart control panel, then go to "About Software and Product Support" followed by "Tools". The diagnostic tool is the top link on the page. The best way to get a useful log of what's happening is to plug in the problematic board, click "Service">"Stop", click "Messages">"Clear Log", then click "Service">"Start". This will give you a fresh log that only details the board you're connected to. If you leave it for 30-seconds to give the drivers time to configure the board then copy and paste the output into a reply I could take a quick look for you.

As laserblazer says it could be the control board - if you've got a 600-series board you could try swapping it with one from another board. Also with 600-series boards check the diagnostic output to see if either the X-Sheet or Y-Sheet resistance shows as being OUT_OF_RANGE - this indicates that the cable connecting the board to the controller module (black, white, red and green cable) is either damaged or has been disconnected. With 500-series boards I've also seen the USB-serial adaptor cables fail, so it's worth swapping the USB-serial adaptor cable with another one too.

Hi Exim, The 885s need USB2 480Mbps extenders. Try a direct connection to the board via a short USB lead (the USB connector is under the right-hand end of the pen tray) to see if the fault is with the cabling or the board. Also check that the PSU is correctly connected - I've seen a few where the cable is mistakenly inserted into the audio-out socket. While I'm thinking of it - also check that your PCs have 10.8 drivers installed. 885s won't work at all with anything less than 10.6 and performance is much better with 10.8.

All the image adjustment controls for the UX60 projector that ships as part of 685ix/885ix systems are on the top of the projector. If you don't have a suspended ceiling that you can move out of the way while you're installing the projector make sure you allow at least an extra 6" clearance above it or you'll have a nightmare of a time trying to get the image aligned! Also bare in mind that installing boards directly above dado trunking isn't always the best option. If teachers can't reach the top of the board to close windows they won't use it and you'll be better-off saving some money by just putting-in a projector and screen. You could always look at mounting the board so it bridges-over the trunking - the only additional work that would be needed would be fitting a couple of bits of timber to the wall first to bring the board and projector away from the wall a bit. If you're after SMART support in the UK you're best contacting Steljes who are their UK representitives. Their support number is 08450 724999.

That'll be disconnection of the board surfaces from the controller. Check that the black-white-red-and-green cable is properly connected next to the USB cable on the controller. The cable could also be damaged - check the log in the smart diagnostics program for anything that says OUT_OF_RANGE to verify this. If the board is new go back to your installer as Marc-Engineer says as this sort of problem could indicate that the board wasn't properly tested at install.

There's a couple of possible causes of this: 1: The USB cable between the projector and the PC is either missing, damaged or too long (max length to the UF35 cable connection panel without active extenders is 1.8m) 2: Somebody's been playing with the projector menus and has re-mapped the inputs so that the USB board service is no longer active on VGA1. I've occasionally seen this happen when a firmware update is applied.

The wireless connection kit for 600-series boards replaces the USB cable with a bluetooth link. It's an additional module that plugs-in to the controller box on the back of the board. You'll still need a VGA cable for your projector.

I've never had Steljes charge for support unless you send them kit for non-warranty repair so they might still be worth a try. You said you'd applied global write permissions to the SMART Technologies Inc registry key. My machine has that and SMART Technologies under both HKCU and HKLM. Both keys under HKLM appear to have board configuration data under them so I'd check that they both have global write permissions if they both exist. In my experience though if you get it working correctly under a local admin account it should just work for other users.

Hi LazyD, It sounds like the board is working correctly but something is preventing the configuration data for it from persisting in the registry. This is an unusual problem so you may be best served by contacting Steljes technical support directly on 08450 724999.

Hi witch, If you've got an intermittent fault there could be a number of causes: - The cable could be faulty - do you have another 500-series board you can swap the cable with? - The connector on the bottom of the SMART board could be damaged. Can you move the cable around where it connects to the bottom corner of the board? It shouldn't move, and if it does then a replacement controller may be needed to fix the problem. - The laptop might not be supplying enough power to run the board. Try disconnecting all other usb devices from it or adding a powered usb hub between the laptop and the board. It might be worth phoning Steljes (the UK distributor of SMART boards) technical support on 08450 724999. Even if the board is out of warranty they may still be able to give you advice that will help you fix the problem.

Hi sidewinder, This does sound like user error. Have you tried replacing the teacher to see if the problem goes away? On a more serious note - try swapping the pen tray with one from another board (it doesn't need to another 660) as there's a small posibility that there's a fault with the pen tray. You could also try contacting Steljes (the UK distributor of SMART boards) technical support on 08450 724999 for advice.

I've seen similar issues to this one before. The first thing I'd try would be to temporarily isolate the board from the wall. This can be done fairly simply by removing the two screws that hold it to the wall behind the pen tray and wrapping insulating tape around the metal bracket. The board will probably flap around a bit more than usual but should still be properly held onto the wall by the plastic bracket at the top. If this fixes the problem then you'll just need to insulate the screws when you put them back in to the wall. If the above doesn't work I'd check the projector - if it has a two pin (figure-8) power supply cable (Epson projectors for example) then try the steps below: 1. Disconnect the VGA cable from your computer to the projector. It helps if you have a laptop screen or additional monitor here. 2. Draw lines similar to your original post on the board, then plug the VGA cable back in to see the results. If the problem is no longer evident then there may be a ground-loop issue between your PC and projector. The problem shows up when you touch the board because you're completing the circuit. To check this follow the next few steps. 3. Switch off the projector and allow it to cool fully. 4. Run a temporary mains cable to the projector and plug it in to the same double-socket that your PC is plugged-in to, then power-on your projector. 5. Repeat step 2 above. If the problem goes away then the only solution I know of is to arrange for an electrician to re-wire the power to the projector so that it comes off a fused spur from the same part of the wiring in the room as the sockets that your PC is plugged-in to. Good luck!

Hi Jobos, If the diagnostic log is showing the X Sheet resistance as out of range then there's almost certainly a fault with either the board or the controller module on the back of it. Have you tried swapping the controller module with one from another board to see if the problem follows the controller module or is with the board itself? The best way to get to the bottom of exactly what's gone wrong would be to contact Steljes (the UK distributor of SMART boards) technical support on 08450 724999. Make sure you've got the serial number of the board when you contact them, as the board may still be under warranty.

Hi bertster, The part you'll need is sold as USB-FRU. The people who supplied your SMART boards should be able to provide you with one. Hope that helps

bizilizi: It sounds like the projector's overheating. There aren't any filters on a Unifi 35 but there are a couple of vents that I've seen get blocked-up by dust and dirt. The main one is on top of the projector, directly above the lens. The other one runs all the way along the top of the base unit, between the speakers. Try cleaning both the vents using a hoover with a small brush attachment, but for safety make sure the projector is switched-off at the plug while you do this.

A flashing green light on a smartboard normally means that it is operating in HID mode, and that the SMART drivers aren't running. There's a few things that are worth trying: Try using a short USB cable (2m or less) directly into the connection on the smartboard. It's often hidden away by installers but you'll find it at the back of the board directly underneath the status light. Check that the smartboard service is running in computer management. Uninstall then reinstall the smartboard drivers whilst logged-in as a local administrator. If all else fails try calling Steljes tech support. The number's 08450 724999.

500-series SMARTboards can also be connected to your computer with a SMART USB-serial adaptor cable. The part number is USB-FRU, and you should be able to get hold of one either through your reseller or failing that direct from Steljes. That said - if the light isn't coming on at all then the controller board may be faulty. If you have another 500-series board that is working correctly then I'd suggest taking the potentially-faulty board off the wall (it should just lift up off its mounting rail) and trying it in the room with the working board.