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.