AJA KONA X User manual

and
Capture, Display, Convert
Version 1.0
Published December 12, 2023
Installation and Operation Manual
X

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Notices
Trademarks
AJA® and Because it matters.® are registered trademarks of AJA Video Systems, Inc.
for use with most AJA products. AJA™ is a trademark of AJA Video Systems, Inc. for
use with recorder, router, software and camera products. Because it matters.™ is a
trademark of AJA Video Systems, Inc. for use with camera products.
Corvid Ultra®, lo®, Ki Pro®, KONA®, KUMO®, ROI® and T-Tap® are registered trademarks of
AJA Video Systems, Inc.
AJA Control Room™, KiStor™, Science of the Beautiful™, TruScale™, V2Analog™ and
V2Digital™ are trademarks of AJA Video Systems, Inc.
All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Copyright
Copyright © 2023 AJA Video Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. All information in
this manual is subject to change without notice. No part of the document may be
reproduced or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic or mechanical,
including photocopying or recording, without the express written permission of AJA
Video Systems, Inc.
Contacting AJA Technical Support or Sales
Please have all pertinent information at hand prior to contacting AJA support or sales.
Support Telephone: [phone]
Support Website: https://www.aja.com/support/contact
Support Email: suppor[email protected]
Sales Email: [e-mail]
Shipping Address: AJA Video Systems
180 Litton Drive
Grass Valley, CA 95945, USA

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Notices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
Trademarks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Copyright . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Contacting AJA Technical Support or Sales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Chapter 1 – Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
KONA X Key Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
KONA Xpand Key Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Application Compatibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
KONA X Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Supported Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Capture Formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Internal HD/SD Hardware Downstream Keyer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Cable Connectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
AJA Software & Utilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Mac, Windows and Linux Packages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Additional with Mac and Windows Packages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
System Requirements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Disk Storage Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Chapter 2 – Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Installation Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Optimum PCIe Slot Placement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Third Party Software Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Unpacking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Shipping Box Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Installing the KONA X Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Cabling the System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
KONA X Example Cable Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
KONA X Audio Monitoring. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Installing KONA X Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Download . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Software Package Installation and Re-installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
macOS Installations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Firmware Update Procedure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Chapter 3 – Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
AJA Control Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
AJA Control Panel Operating Modes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
AJA Control Panel User Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Controlling Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Presets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Single-User & Shared Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Function Screens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Using Multiple AJA Products. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
General Control Panel Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Control Screen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Format Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Input Select Screen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
SDI Output Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
HDMI Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
HDR Screens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Video Setup Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Audio Setup Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Audio Mixer Screens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Audio Mixer Screen Capture Monitor Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Audio Mixer Screen Playback Monitor Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Downstream Keyer Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Contents

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LUT Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Timecode Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Presets Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Firmware Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Info Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
About RGB and YCbCr (YUV) Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
AJA Control Room . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Control Room Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Control Room User Interface. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Chapter 4 – KONA Xpand Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
KONA Xpand Card Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
KONA Xpand Cable Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Cables between KONA Xpand and KONA X Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
KONA Xpand Installation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Xpand Operation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
KONA Xpand Example System Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Appendix A – Specications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
KONA X Tech Specs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Appendix B – Safety & Compliance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71
Warranty and Liability Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78
Software License Agreement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82

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Chapter 1 – Introduction
Overview
KONA X Key Features
• Fast, 4-lane PCIe 3.0 I/O card, designed for today’s most demanding video and
audio workflows.
• Works with HFR 4K/UltraHD, 2K/HD, SD, Deep Color and/or HDR.
• Supports 10-bit 4:2:2 and 4:4:4, or 12-bit* color spaces for pristine imagery.
• Dual 12G, full size BNC, bi-directional 12G-SDI connections.
• Dual full-size HDMI connections, one for input and one for output.
• Streaming DMA (Direct Memory Access) API - Application developers can
bypass on-card memory and pass data directly between the video I/O and
computer buffer. This enables applications that support this API to achieve
as low as sub-frame latencies, and a better method of dealing with dynamic
video (wandering frame rates, etc.)
• VESA HDMI I/O Support - Support for VESA Computer Display Monitor Timing
(DMT) enables the video subsystem to be more agnostic w/ respect to video
timing, thus allowing capture and playback of many more HDMI formats. This
allows HDMI outputs from computer and video game devices.
• Flexibility to ingest and output with 12G/6G/3G-SDI and monitor with a full-
size HDMI 2.0 port.
• Bidirectional 12G-SDI ports provide flexibility for capture and simultaneous
pass through, and with the appropriate software, multi-channel capture and
streaming.
• For HDR workflows, KONA X supports HDR10 and HLG for rich color delivery
over HDMI 2.0.
• KONA X supports Dolby Vision HDR with the appropriate 3rd party software.
• Three year warranty
• Operates with (optional) KONA Xpand IO expansion board
NOTE: *Bit depth is application dependent.

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KONA Xpand Key Features
• The (optional) KONA Xpand card mounts in an adjacent PCIe slot.
• KONA Xpand includes additional circuitry required for analog audio, reference,
balanced AES/EBU audio, GPIO, balanced analog audio, LTC in and LTC out.
NOTE: See "KONA Xpand Card" on page 58.
Application Compatibility
The KONA X card brings the highest quality 4K/UltraHD, 2K, HD, and SD video
and audio to computers running Mac, Windows or Linux Operating Systems. The
KONA X card supports a range of creative software for editorial, color, mastering,
HDR, dailies, live streaming, graphics, game capture and more.
KONA X cards have wide application compatibility. Out-of-the-box, your KONA X
hardware and software supports Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe After Effects, Apple
Final Cut Pro X, Avid Media Composer, Avid ProTools and Telestream Wirecast via
AJA’s unified Desktop Software package.
AJA hardware is also supported by a range of additional applications for all types
of video, graphics and effects work, via the support of 3rd party development
partners. Pick your application of choice and KONA X connects it to your world.
https://www.aja.com/compatibility/kona
KONA X Card
Supported Features
• 4K/UltraHD/2K/HD/SD up to 50/60p
• 2x bidirectional 12G-SDI with up to 16-channels of embedded audio
• HDMI 2.0 input and output with up to 8-channels of embedded audio
• RGB 4:4:4 12-bit (4K/UltraHD) workflows supported
• YCbCr 4:2:2 10-bit and HFR workflows supported
• VESA HDMI I/O compatibility - the video subsystem timing is agnostic,
enabling capture and playback of a myriad of HDMI formats
• Support for Apple Final Cut Pro, Adobe Premiere Pro and Avid Media
Composer and much more
• Support for OEM applications with the AJA SDK
• In Firmware Microcontroller for OEM use
• 4K Closed Caption Support
• VPID signaling for SDR/HDR Transfer Characteristics, Colorimetry and
Luminance via SDI
• PQ, HLG, HDR10, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision Support
• HDR Metadata Capture and Auto Playback Detection
• Includes support for the latest Apple silicon
• HD/SD hardware keyer that for placing graphic files with alpha channel over
HD/SD video, in a selectable matte, or the contents of the card’s framebuffer
from a software application
• Optional KONA Xpand board provides Bi-level / Tri-level Video Reference
(BNC), LTC in/out, 8-channels AES/EBU audio (all with included breakout cable)
and 2-channels Analog Audio in and out (via user supplied DB-15 to XLR cable)
NOTE: See "KONA Xpand Card" on page 58.

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Capture Formats
When capturing, you can record data in the following file formats:
• BMP
• DPX
• MOV (QuickTime)
• MP4
NOTE: Support of QuickTime for Windows has been discontinued. However, ProRes
family capture and playback for macOS, Windows and Linux is supported via AJA
Control Room.
• MXF
• TGA
NOTE: Other file types can be captured using third-party capture applications such as
Sienna, Softron, Tools on Air, Drastic, or Quadrus.
Internal HD/SD Hardware Downstream Keyer
KONA X cards have a powerful HD/SD hardware keyer that can place graphic files
with an alpha channel over HD/SD video in a selectable matte or the contents of
the card’s framebuffer from a software application.
• Key a bug or text over picture and avoid what might normally be a lengthy
software render.
• Key video that has an alpha-channel over video input or a matte.
• The downstream keyer operates with HD/SD video; it is not available for
UltraHD/4K signals.
NOTE: See "Downstream Keyer Screen" on page 45.
Cable Connectors
Figure 1. KONA X Card cable connections
HDMI 2.0
Input
Connector
12G SDI #1
Full-sized BNC
Connector
ATX Power
Connector
HDMI 2.0
Output
Connector
12G SDI #2
Full-sized BNC
Connector
AES-GPIO**On-card Reference mini-BNC*
*Ref when not using KONA Xpand card;
otherwise connect to KONA Xpand card.
LTC In** LTC Out** RS422**
**Connects to KONA Xpand card.
NOTE: For further information on KONA X cable connections, see "KONA X Example
Cable Connections" on page 14.
NOTE: For further information on KONA X to KONA Xpand cable connections, see
"Cables between KONA Xpand and KONA X Cards" on page 61.

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AJA Software & Utilities
AJA’s KONA X software and hardware were developed for powerful integrated
video/audio capture, editing, and production with a variety of 3rd-party
software. With KONA X and a qualified computer, you have the ultimate system
for production, post-production, broadcast, and streaming work. AJA Software
is distributed as a unified package which includes all the software, firmware,
plugins, and utility programs for AJA’s Io, KONA, and T-TAP Pro products.
Three retail packages are available, one for Mac, one for Windows, and packages
for Ubuntu and Rocky Linux.
NOTE: Support for the Linux OS retail drivers is based on the Linux application used and
comes from the application’s vendor.
To download AJA Software Installer, go to the AJA website:
https://www.aja.com/nav/products-software
For a complete software compatibility list, see the AJA website link
https://www.aja.com/compatibility/kona
Mac, Windows and Linux Packages
These packages include:
• macOS 14.x (Sonoma)*, macOS 13.x (Ventura), macOS 13.x (Monterey), macOS
11.x (Big Sur), macOS 10.15 (Catalina), macOS 10.14 (Mojave), and macOS 10.13
(High Sierra). Note that some functionality may not be available when using
legacy macOS versions.
• Linux Ubuntu support for 20.04 LTS, 22.04
• Linux Rocky 8.5 and Rocky 9.1
• Windows 11, 10 and updates
NOTE: *See "macOS Installations" on page 16.
Drivers
AJA device drivers for tightly integrated hardware/software operation.
AJA Control Panel
The Control Panel provides:
• Source selection and control of your AJA hardware
• A block diagram to show visually what routing and processing is being
performed
NOTE: See "AJA Control Panel" on page 20.
AJA Control Room
Control Room is a cross-platform software application for ingest, playback and
output with AJA devices.
NOTE: See "AJA Control Room" on page 56.

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AJA System Test
System Test provides accurate and detailed evaluations of drive and system
performance statistics, allowing you to measure the capabilities of your system
for recording and playing back various resolutions and codecs. The application
includes:
• System Disk Test
• AJA Device Test
• System Report
The application tests Read and Write, Capture and Playback speeds in both
Megabytes per second and Frames per second. The disk speed tests differ from
standard disk I/O performance applications in that they specifically test the
system under conditions typically encountered with video capture, playback, and
editing.
NOTE: AJA recommends a best practice test: fill your storage disk to 80% and then test
capture at the highest data rate you will use.
Additional with Mac and Windows Packages
AJA Plugins for 3rd-Party Applications
AJA provides plugins for popular 3rd-party Professional Video Applications
from Adobe, Avid, Apple, OBS, and Telestream. This allows these applications
to communicate with AJA hardware products and control their operation and
parameters. These AJA plug-ins are automatically installed when you run the
AJA Software Installer, for each and all of the 3rd-party applications previously
installed on that computer.
NOTE: See https://www.aja.com/compatibility/kona for KONA X and KONA family third-
party software compatibility
System Requirements
NOTE: Beginning with version 16.1, on macOS, the KONA X supports Apple’s M1 chip, as
well as earlier Intel processors.
NOTE: Installing the software requires adjustment to system security.
See "macOS Installations" on page 16.
AJA Video recommends that your system meet minimum hardware and software
requirements to achieve a satisfactory level of performance. Updates to system
requirements are subject to change.
See the Release Notes for you AJA Card or Device, available on the AJA website
and also installed with the software package, for minimum and recommended
system requirements including OS, CPU, RAM, and GPU.
NOTE: Also see Software Vendor system requirements for GPU recommendations and
additional hardware requirements and recommendations.
NOTE: For large scale installations with shared storage, IP, or for very high performance
requirements, AJA recommends consultation with an experienced system
integrator. A consultant will be able to assist with many important variables.

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Disk Storage Methods
To ensure performance and quality, the disk storage system used with
the workstation must be able to meet the demands of storing real-time
uncompressed media. At the very minimum, the disk storage system must be
able to provide and maintain a consistent transfer rate from the workstation to
disk (read/write). There are a variety of system configurations and peripherals that
can provide this level of performance.
For more on disk storage performance see "AJA System Test" on page 9.

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Chapter 2 – Installation
Installation Overview
The installation and set up of a KONA X card is simple, but may vary slightly
depending on your system.
Optimum PCIe Slot Placement
Consult your computer or motherboard documentation as to the optimal PCIe
slot placement for the KONA X and Xpand module.
NOTE: AJA KONA X cards can also be used in an external Thunderbolt chassis, for when
using host systems without PCIe slots.
NOTE: An internal auxiliary power cable is required for the KONA X card when used in an
external chassis.
Third Party Software Support
For further support information regarding third-party software compatibility, see:
https://www.aja.com/en/category/edit/compatibility
Unpacking
As you unpack your shipment, carefully examine the contents. Ensure you
received everything and that nothing was damaged during shipping. If you find
any damage, immediately notify the shipping service and supply them with a
complete description of the damage. AJA will repair or replace damaged items.
If you find shipping damage, contact your AJA dealer or distributor for details on
how to have your KONA X card repaired or replaced.
NOTE: Save packing materials and the shipping box. If you ever require service or move
your system use the packaging materials and box for safe shipment.
Shipping Box Contents
Your KONA X shipment will include:
• KONA X PCI-Express card
Your shipment may also include:
• KONA Xpand PCI Express breakout card (if ordered together)
• AES and GPIO* ribbon cable (included with KONA Xpand card)
• MULTI IO breakout cable harness** (included with KONA Xpand card)
• Mini-BNC-to-mini-BNC ref cable (included with KONA Xpand card)
• LTC In/Out Cables (included with KONA Xpand card)
• RS-422 Ribbon able (included with KONA Xpand card)
NOTE: *GPIO contacts on the AES-GPIO ribbon cable require a custom breakout cable.
Contact AJA Support for information.
NOTE: ** The KONA Xpand MULTI IO breakout cable harness can also be used with AJA
KONA 5 cards.

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Installing the KONA X Card
Figure 2. KONA X Card
The KONA card can be installed into a PC chassis, Mac Pro chassis with PCIe slots,
or into a Thunderbolt 3 or 4 PCIe external chassis.
IMPORTANT: The KONA X card requires ATX power. For customers who wish to use a
Thunderbolt 3 or 4 expansion chassis, the chassis must provide ATX connectivity
and adequate power.
IMPORTANT: If both a KONA X and KONA Xpand card are installed in an external chassis,
make sure the power supply is sufficiently rated.
1. Uninstall previous version of AJA Desktop software (if any) for AJA KONA,
AJA Io or AJA T-TAP from the host machine where your KONA X card will be
installed and connected. If prompted, restart the computer.
2. Shut Down the computer if it is on.
3. Turn off power* to the host chassis.
NOTE: *Usually not needed. Only needed if the host chassis has a main AC power switch
that a system shutdown does not turn off.
4. Touch the outside of the chassis to discharge any body static.
5. Remove the AC power cable from the back of the chassis.
6. Open the chassis.
7. Locate a recommended PCIe slot (see "Optimum PCIe Slot Placement" on
page 11 for more information).
IMPORTANT: If a RAID controller is present, always put it and KONA X card on separate
PCIe buses. This improves performance by reducing bus contention.
8. Remove the blank backplate from the chosen PCIe slot, if one was there.
9. Touch the chassis to discharge any body static.
10. Remove the KONA X card from its anti-static shipping bag.
11. Carefully insert the card by rocking it slowly into the slot. Ensure the card
aligns properly with the slot opening and is fully seated.
12. Connect an ATX power cable from the host motherboard or chassis power
supply (depending on the particular chassis) to the rear of the KONA X card.
NOTE: Different PC hardware configurations can result in the text on the installed card
bracket being upside down.

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Figure 3. KONA X, ATX Power connection
PC Internal ATX
Power Connector
1, 2, 3 = +12v
4, 5, 6 = COM
(Molex p/n 45559-0002)
13. Secure the card in the chassis such as by a backplates lock bar, or by using a
screw through the backplate into the chassis.
14. Close the chassis.
15. Reconnect the AC Power cable to the chassis.
16. If you are also installing a KONA Xpand card, please follow that procedure
next.
NOTE: See "KONA Xpand Installation" on page 62.
17. Power up the chassis.
18. Proceed to install the latest software.
NOTE: See "Installing KONA X Software" on page 16.

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Cabling the System
KONA X Example Cable Connections
Figure 4. Typical KONA X system connections
Digital VTR with 4K/UHD HDMI Out
HDMI Display for
4K/UltraHD with
Deep Color, HDR, HFR
Computer
Monitor
Workstation Computer
with Video Editing
Application Installed
KONA X Card
(in computer)
Professional 12G-SDI
Video Camera
12G-SDI 4K/UHD Video
12G-SDI 4k/UHD Video
Full-sized BNC
Connectors
Full-sized HDMI
Connectors
4K/UHD HDMI Video
4K/UHD HDMI Video
4K/UltraHD
Condence Monitor
Reference
Mini-BNC
Connector
Optional
Genlock Reference
In the KONA X system example above, a single link 12G-SDI camera signal and/or
a digital VTR with an HDMI 2.x output is received by the KONA X card, and is sent
to a Deep Color Display Monitor.
NOTE: The following connections are for the particular example shown above.
Numerous other workflows are possible including a wide variety of equipment
not shown here.
1. If desired, connect your house reference sync to the KONA X Reference
connector located on the top edge of the KONA X PCIe card.
NOTE: The KONA X card includes a mini-BNC reference connector for use with an
appropriate user-supplied cable, and in lieu of the optional KONA Xpand card.
2. Connect an HDMI monitor to the KONA X card's HDMI output connector.
3. Connect the KONA X's SDI 2 BNC to the SDI output of the 12G-SDI video
camera.
4. Connect the KONA X's SDI 1 BNC to the input an HD SDI digital Condence
Monitor.
5. Eight channels of embedded audio are supported, so the Digital VTR must
be congured accordingly.
KONA X Audio Monitoring
Supported KONA X hardware can be used as your single audio monitoring
solution whether you are auditioning music in a web browser, playing a movie file
on the desktop, creating music, or playing a YouTube clip. As long as the output
of your work or application is normally output via the host system audio, your
AJA hardware can route this audio for monitoring. This cuts down on unnecessary
cabling, and means you can take advantage of a consistent audio monitoring
environment whatever you are currently doing with your host system.
NOTE: On first use, you will need to tell your operating system to use AJA hardware as
the default Input and Output hardware.

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KONA X lets you listen to Host System audio concurrently with your NLE audio.
This is useful if you need to audition music tracks against playback of your NLE
timeline, or if you need to communicate using VOIP (Skype, Teams, Zoom, etc)
with a remote producer during an edit session, or for a myriad of other reasons.
You can also listen to KONA X Input concurrently with your NLE. This is useful if
you need to listen out for the readiness of talent, or the presence of some other
feed, whilst you continue to work.
KONA X audio monitoring is routed and mixed using the Control Panel
application's Audio Mixer screen.
NOTE: See "Audio Mixer Screens" on page 41.
You can select sources to be monitored, and can adjust their levels. If you are
using a 1/4 inch monitor output connector*, an additional overall mix gain control
is conveniently available on the KONA X's front panel.
NOTE: *A user-supplied custom cable will be required for this option.
The mixed audio monitor signal is also routed to:
• SDI Audio out
• HDMI Audio Out
• Analog Audio Out (via analog breakout cable and optional KONA Xpand card)
• AES Audio Out (via digital breakout cable and optional KONA Xpand card)
IMPORTANT: Even though you can hear changes in the signals and levels adjusted with
the Audio Mixer screen, these changes are NOT recorded to disk during NLE
Capture or Audio Punch In / Voice Over to Timeline. The Audio Mixer screen is
dedicated for monitoring only, not program mixing.
Figure 5. KONA X Audio Monitoring routing diagram
SDI Embedded
Audio Output
HDMI Embedded
Audio Output
Audio Capture
Punch In/Voice Over
Record to File
AES Audio
Output*
SDI Embedded
Audio Input
AJA Hardware
Audio Input
AJA Hardware
Audio Monitoring
Host Computer Audio Input
Non Linear
Video Editor
HDMI Embedded
Audio Input
AES Audio
Input*
Audio File
Playback
YouTube
Other
Sources
Control Panel
Audio Mixer
Screen
Mac or PC
Computer
Audio
NLE
Application
Control Panel
Input Select
Screen
Mixer
Controls
Host
Computer
Audio
NLE
Audio
NOTE: NLE audio
output is disabled
in Capture mode.
AJA Hardware Audio
Analog Audio
Output*
Analog Audio
Input*
*Requires KONA Xpand Card

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To control which AJA hardware audio is used during recording, you use the
Control Panel application's Input Select Screen, Audio Input Select drop down to
select from
• SDI embedded
• HDMI embedded
• AES (via Micro IO breakout cable on the optional KONA Xpand card)
• Analog audio (via XLR breakout cable on the optional KONA Xpand card)
Any level adjustments to Capture or Audio Punch In / Voice Over to Timeline
recording operations will either need to be made upstream of the AJA input, or
else via adjustments within the main NLE application (e.g. via a pass through mix
tool).
Installing KONA X Software
NOTE: If the AJA SDK is installed, uninstall it before proceeding below.
Download
Go to the AJA website and download the latest AJA Software Installer package
containing the AJA Control Panel and Control Room applications:
https://www.aja.com/en/support/downloads/
System software updates may occasionally become available to AJA KONA X
owners on our website. We recommend checking occasionally for both software
updates and additional product information.
NOTE: See https://www.aja.com/products/kona-x#support
NOTE: If your computer has previously had another video capture or multimedia device
installed, ensure you uninstall any related software before installing KONA X This
will prevent any hardware or software conflicts.
Software Package Installation and Re-installation
Before installing the KONA X software package, ensure that your capture/editing
application is installed as detailed in its user documentation. You cannot use
KONA X with a third-party application until the application has been installed and
run at least once on your workstation. Next, install the AJA Software package.
If you add KONA X supported applications at a later date and have not previously
installed the appropriate drivers, you must run the install program again selecting
the appropriate application support software to be installed.
macOS Installations
macOS High Sierra (10.13), macOS Mojave (10.14), macOS Catalina (10.15), macOS
Big Sur (11.x), macOS Monterey (12.x), macOS Ventura (13.x) and macOS Sonoma
(14.x) all have security requirements that may present dialogs during installation.
Please refer to the Release Notes for guidance.
For MacOS Ventura (v13.x) and later, in order to install AJA Control Panel and
Control Room on Apple computers, it may be necessary to enable KEXT (kernel
extensions). During the installation process, you will be prompted to enable the
AJA driver. If you do not see the option to enable this driver, it will be necessary
to lower system security in the computer BIOS. To do this, complete the following
steps:

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1. Shut down the computer.
2. Depress and hold the power button on startup, for ARM (M1/2/3)
processors. For Intel processor Macs, hold Command+T on startup.
3. When the BIOS setup appears, go to security utility and enable KEXT lower
security.
4. Upon restart, the option to enable the AJA Software should then appear in
the system security options.
Firmware Update Procedure
After the AJA Software package has been installed on a computer with your AJA
hardware installed, the firmware on that AJA device can be updated if a newer
version of firmware is included with that software package.
1. Open the AJA Control Panel application.
2. If you see the message, "Switch to the Firmware panel now?", click OK.
Figure 6. Switch to firmware panel dialog
3. (Otherwise) click on the Firmware Tab in the left pane of Control Panel to
open the Firmware panel.
4. If more than one AJA device is connected, choose the device you want to
update by selecting its name from the drop-down menu at the top of the
screen.
5. Select the newest rmware version (if multiple versions exist) in the Desired
dropdown menu.
6. Click the Install button.

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Figure 7. Confirm installation
7. In the Caution dialog, click Continue.
8. You will notice Erasing... and Programming... progress bars.
Wait until these have completed.
Figure 8. Erasing progress bar
9. After rmware has been updated, a shut down/power cycle dialog appears.

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Figure 9. Initiate a Power Cycle after a successful firmware update
10. Click Shut Down to power down the computer.
11. Power on the computer.
12. Open AJA Control Panel. The AJA hardware with the updated rmware
should be recognized by the Control Panel application.

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Chapter 3 – Operation
AJA Control Panel
The AJA Control Panel is a software application that provides a simple visual
showing how the KONA hardware is currently configured and allows you to make
changes. You can change signal input and output parameters and define the
video processing that will be performed.
The AJA Software Installer package automatically installs the Control Panel
application on your computer.
NOTE: See "Installing KONA X Software" on page 16.
AJA Control Panel Operating Modes
AJA Control Panel has two fundamental operating modes.
Playback Mode - Used for playing back video files from the computer, usually
with a non-linear editing application (NLE) or AJA Control Room, through the
KONA X card to that card’s video/audio outputs for viewing and/or external
recording.
Capture Mode - Used for capturing video/audio signals that are coming into the
KONA X card from an external source to create video files on the computer
using AJA Control Room or an NLE, or just for display on the KONA X outputs.
This mode is also used for stand-alone video display or conversion when
Control Panel is being used without an external controlling application.
The current KONA X operating mode is reported on the Control Panel UI screen,
below the block diagram (see Figure 10 on page 21).
AJA Control Panel User Interface
The AJA Control Panel user interface includes a visual block diagram of the unit’s
current configuration. The current status, input and output settings, and many
other details are depicted in the color-coded block diagram. Below this block
diagram are various controls for changing operating parameters, which will vary
depending on which function screen* has been selected.
NOTE: AJA devices can automatically adjust settings for specific signal inputs, outputs,
and processing. This information is reported on the AJA Control Panel's block
diagram. One example is if outputting 4K, HFR, YCbCr 4:2:2 10-bit from the
framebuffer, if the HDMI transmitter is version 1.4b the video is automatically
adjusted to 4:2:0 8-bit.
NOTE: *Function screens are also sometimes referred to as 'Tabs' or 'Panels'.
The left side of the AJA Control Panel provides a navigation list (tabs) of available
function screens. Clicking on a link (or alternatively, a related element in the block
diagram) displays a function screen corresponding to that topic.