Diagnostic Display Monitors

I recently have been working at Norman Radiology to help them ugprade one of their older display stations to a faster system. We are also installing a new firewall and helping them set up VPN tunnels to some of their customers.

The first phase - doing the firewall and VPN work, went fairly well. We installed a new Sonicwall TZ-180 on their Cox T1 line. They also have a T1 line from Nuvox Communications that is used for their internal Internet, email, phones, etc. We set up the Sonicwall so that non-imaging traffic is sent over the Nuvox line while medical images are routed over the Cox line.

The trouble came when we planned to install a new Dell computer. The existing reading station had DOME C3 monitors and a DOME video card, running on Windows XP and using eFilm. I ordered a nice new very fast Dell Optiplex workstation with quad core processor, 4GB of RAM, dual hard drives and Windows Vista Business.

On site I pulled the video card out of the old computer and tried to install it in the new Dell machine running Vista. While attempting to download the drivers, I discovered that Dome is basically out of business and has been purchase by some company called NDSSI. I tried to download the drivers from the NDSSI web site and learned you had to apply for permission by sending them your email and a long, complex password. Normal passwords were not good enough. I guess those drivers are more important than my AMEX account, since the password requirements are MUCH more strict for DOME drivers.

After getting approved I downloaded the drivers and had difficulty installing them. So I went to the NDSSI web site to download documentation on the DOME video card and monitors. Lo and behold, I needed to apply for a DIFFERENT user name and password, with the same complex password requirements. Sent that off, got approved finally after 30 minutes, when on line and found out they don't HAVE any documentation on the DOME products. Humm...

So I call for technical support. They don't answer the phone, you have to leave a message and they call you back. Did that, got a call back in 20 minutes or so, and discovered that I needed to call a DIFFERENT number for support on the DOME products. Of course this is not listed on the NDSSI web site.

So called the alternative, hidden number for DOME support. Of course, again had to leave message and wait on call back. Finally, got a call back and discovered DOME doesn't support Windows Vista!!! ARGHH!!

OK, time to punt. Pulled the DOME video card out of the new Vista machine and popped it back into the XP machine. Should turn on and run perfectly, right? WRONG.

It seems that even though I didn't do anything to the machine, I inadvertantly installed the card in a different slot. This corrupted the DOME drivers according to DOME technical support. I try and try to reinstall the DOME drivers, no luck. Called the secret DOME tech support hotline, they said "oh, you need to download the previous version of the driver, which has an uninstall tool. Run that, then uninstall the drivers, and then reinstall the new drivers.

OK, so I spent time doing that. Again, no luck. Back on the secret bat phone to Dome. Their answer? "The problem is with Windows XP. Our drivers are working properly. You need to reformat the machine and reinstall Windows XP."

Do WHAT!!! You have GOT to be kidding me. All I did was pull out the video card, then reinstall it in the machine, albeit in a different slot (which has never caused a problem before in any system I have worked on). And the problem is with Windows XP?

Now I can see why DOME has basically gone out of business. Reminds me of the old days with Southwestern Bell - "We're the phone company. We don't care. We don't have to."

Still trying to figure out what to do. Either reformat the drive and just get their old system running, or replace the expensive yet antiquated DOME monitors and drivers with a new video system. Stay tuned.