DGT E-boards

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Paul McKeown
Posts: 3735
Joined: Thu Apr 12, 2007 3:01 pm
Location: Hayes (Middx)

DGT E-boards

Post by Paul McKeown » Sun Mar 03, 2024 8:05 pm

Can anyone advise how to connect a string of DGT E-boards?

Richmond Juniors have invested (quite a serious lot of) money in the things.

Our set-up is the modern Smart Boards with USB connectors, and then USB to serial, followed by serial to USB, ultimately connected into a PC.

However, reading the instructions provided with the equipment or reading the instructions provided online by DGT (https://digitalgametechnology.com/faq/t ... ent-set-up) doesn't seem entirely clear.

Part of the problem is that there are a lot of different parts, but there does not seem to be a source which indicates what the name for each piece is.

I have operated the DGT boards in tournaments, and I have connected one using USB at home.

However, connecting everything together in a string seems a but baffling, and I don't want to connect stuff into the mains without being sure that I am not going to blow something to kingdom come.

Help would be appreciated.

A photographic step-by-step guide would be invaluable!
FIDE Arbiter, FIDE Instructor
Richmond Junior Chess Club
Fulham Junior Chess Club
ECF Games Played Abroad Administrator

Paul McKeown
Posts: 3735
Joined: Thu Apr 12, 2007 3:01 pm
Location: Hayes (Middx)

Re: DGT E-boards

Post by Paul McKeown » Sun Mar 10, 2024 4:28 pm

Managed to get them connected yesterday, after some experiments the previous Saturday.

However, I assumed that the boards would be 1 - 10 according to their position in the chain of serial cables, however, they were number 1 to 10 according to eBoard serial numbers. Do I have to link the boards in serial number order to get them associated with ascending board number, or is there a way of assigning a particular serial board to a particular tournament board number?

Also, on one of the boards I had a king pretend to be a bishop throughtout the game. Is there a way to tell such a wayward piece what it actually is? Or do I have to return the piece for replacement, as defective?
FIDE Arbiter, FIDE Instructor
Richmond Junior Chess Club
Fulham Junior Chess Club
ECF Games Played Abroad Administrator