AJA BRIDGE NDI 3G Operating instructions

BRIDGE NDI 3G
Conversion Gateway Appliance
Version 1.0
Published October 24, 2021
Installation and Operation Guide

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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 © 2021 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 Support
When calling for support, have all information at hand prior to calling. To contact AJA
for sales or support, use any of the following methods:
Telephone [phone]
FAX [phone]
Web https://www.aja.com
Support Email suppor[email protected]
Sales Email [email protected]

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Notices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
Trademarks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Copyright . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Contacting AJA Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Chapter 1 – Using this Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Welcome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Guidance on Where to Start Depending on Role . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
How Chapters are Organized . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Chapter 2 – Introduction to BRIDGE NDI 3G . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Maximum Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Common Use Cases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
AV. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Broadcast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Corporate. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Production . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Post. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Operational Flexibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Encode All SDI Inputs to NDI. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Decode All NDI Inputs to SDI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Encode/Decode Combination. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
System Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
BRIDGE NDI 3G at a Glance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Chapter 3 – Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Starting the System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Accessing the BRIDGE NDI 3G Interface Locally. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Accessing the BRIDGE NDI 3G Interface Remotely . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Local Kiosk Interface vs. Remote Browser Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Splash Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Conserving System Resources Following Conguration . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Chapter 4 – Interface, Nomenclature, Key Concepts . . . . . . . . . 14
BRIDGE NDI 3G Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Screens and Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Canvas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Engines and Banks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Control Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Video Tiles vs. SDI and NDI Video I/O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Chapter 5 – Using Bridge NDI 3G . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Get Up and Running with BRIDGE NDI 3G . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
How This Chapter is Organized. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
NDI Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Connect NDI Network to Rear Ethernet Media Port . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Determining Encoding vs. Decoding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
SDI to NDI Encoding. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Connect SDI Sources to Rear BNC Ports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
SDI to NDI Encoding for HD Channels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
SDI to NDI Encoding for 4K/UltraHD Groups. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
SDI to NDI Encoding for Video + Key Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
NDI to SDI Decoding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
NDI to SDI Decoding for HD Channels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Conguring Banks for HD, V+K, 4K . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Simultaneous Encoding and Decoding Between SDI and NDI . . . . . . . . . . 30
Plan in Advance for SDI Cabling. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Example of Simultaneous Encoding and Decoding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Contents

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Leverage the Presets Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Control Bar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Control Bar Quick Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Control Bar – Monitoring Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Control Bar – Video Setup Tab. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Control Bar – Audio Setup Tab. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Control Bar – Presets Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Control Bar – Cabling Tab. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Menu Screens. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
I/O Screen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Source/Destination Screen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Status Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
System Settings Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
User Management Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Individual Channel/Group Screens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Individual Channel/Group Screen Decoding NDI to SDI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Minimizing Resources As Needed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Individual Channel/Group Screen Encoding SDI to NDI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Minimizing Resources As Needed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Chapter 6 – Interoperability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
NDI Sources Compatible with BRIDGE NDI 3G . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
NDI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Live Stream Software (OBS, vMix, Wirecast) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
NLE Software (Adobe, Final Cut Pro, Avid) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Cameras. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
iPhone. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Single Channel SDI to NDI Converters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Presentation Software (ProPresenter, Resolume Arena, VLC) . . . . . . . . . 59
NDI Receivers Compatible with BRIDGE NDI 3G . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Single-View Monitor Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
KILOVIEW – MultiView . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Live Stream Software (OBS, Wirecast, vMix) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Single Channel NDI-SDI Converters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Chapter 7 – System Setup and Conguration . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Quick Start Guide Login Credentials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
What’s In the Box. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Shipping Box Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Installation Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Rack Mounting/Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Rack Mounting the Chassis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Cabling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Network Requirements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Media vs Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
How to Connect to Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Wireless Workows. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Unicast Supported . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Boot Up. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Accept EULA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Login . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Accessing BRIDGE NDI 3G Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Accessing the BRIDGE NDI 3G Interface Remotely . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Setup Testing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Setting Up Your System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
System Settings Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Chapter 8 – Administrative Tasks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Changing the Password . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Changing the System Name. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
To Change the System Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

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Performing a Factory Reset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Results of a Factory Reset. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
To Perform a Factory Reset. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
System Administration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
System Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Updating Software/Firmware. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Download the Latest BRIDGE NDI 3G Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Unpack BRIDGE NDI 3G Update. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Updating BRIDGE NDI 3G from a Remote System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Updating BRIDGE NDI 3G Locally from a USB Connected Storage Device . 77
Network Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Best Practice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Chapter 9 – Using REST API. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78
Chapter 10 – Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Using Refresh Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Refresh App . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Refresh Browser. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Generating Support Logs and Providing to AJA Technical Support. . . . . . . 79
To Generate a Support Log File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Checking Network Connectivity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Safe Boot. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
To get into Safe Boot Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Factory Reset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Performing a Factory Reset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Contacting Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Appendix A – Specications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
BRIDGE NDI 3G Tech Specs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Appendix B – Safety and Compliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Warranty and Liability Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95
Limited Warranty on Hardware. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Limitation of Liability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Governing Law and Language; Your Rights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97

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Chapter 1 – Using this Manual
Welcome
This manual is designed to enable the quickest path to productivity with
BRIDGE NDI 3G. An outline is presented below.
Guidance on Where to Start Depending on Role
If the system has already been set up by an administrator, then we advise
beginning at "Chapter 2 Introduction to BRIDGE NDI 3G" or "Chapter 3 Getting
Started" and reading through "Chapter 5 Using Bridge NDI 3G".
If you are setting up the system for the first time, begin at "Chapter 7 System Setup
and Configuration".
For additional administrative functionality, see "Chapter 8 Administrative Tasks".
"Chapter 6 Interoperability" , "Chapter 9 Using REST API" , and "Chapter 10
Troubleshooting" are intended only for experienced System Administrators.
How Chapters are Organized
"Chapter 1 Using this Manual" : Guidance on where to start depending on role and
requirements.
"Chapter 2 Introduction to BRIDGE NDI 3G" : Provides a general overview of the
product and its capabilities.
"Chapter 3 Getting Started" : Explains how to access the system via browser or
locally.
"Chapter 4 Interface, Nomenclature, Key Concepts" : Covers key terms and concepts
along with an overview of the Interface and core functions.
"Chapter 5 Using Bridge NDI 3G" : Guidance on getting up and running. Includes
essential network topics, encoding, decoding, simultaneous encoding/decoding,
and details about using the Interface.
"Chapter 6 Interoperability" : Summarizes software and hardware from third parties
that is compatible with BRIDGE NDI 3G.
"Chapter 7 System Setup and Configuration" : Walks through all the steps required
for setting up and configuring the system for the first time.
"Chapter 8 Administrative Tasks" : Covers key tasks that administrators will need to
be familiar with.
"Chapter 9 Using REST API" : Shows you how to access REST API resources for
BRIDGE NDI 3G.
"Chapter 10 Troubleshooting" : Goes over essential troubleshooting tools and
resources.

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Chapter 2 – Introduction to BRIDGE NDI 3G
Overview
BRIDGE NDI 3G is a 1RU gateway offering high density conversion to and
from 3G-SDI to NDI and NDI to 3G-SDI for both HD and 4K/UltraHD. Designed
to drop into any existing NDI or SDI workflow as a plug and play appliance,
BRIDGE NDI 3G is easy to deploy and administer.
BRIDGE NDI 3G can support workflows across:
• 16 channels of HD
• 4 channels of 4K/UltraHD
• 8 V+K channel pairs
• combinations of the above
Maximum Performance
BRIDGE NDI 3G supports maximum performance up to 16 channels of HD
p60 or 4 channels of 4K p60. Network conditions, video processing load and
other parameters may reduce channel count and/or supportable rates in some
situations.
Common Use Cases
AJA BRIDGE NDI 3G provides efficient, high-density integration of 3G-SDI and NDI
ecosystems.
BRIDGE NDI 3G makes it easy to connect between NDI environments and SDI
environments.
In some instances BRIDGE NDI 3G may be used to connect NDI production islands
to facility SDI routers (for example, a podcast room within a larger broadcast
facility). In other situations BRIDGE NDI 3G may provide a predominantly NDI
facility with its edge interconnect for SDI feeds in and/or out.
Alternatively, AJA BRIDGE NDI 3G can be used in conjunction with AJA Bridge Live
to enable moving content over private lines or the public Internet.
AV
• eSports
• Conference Video
• Display walls (events, buildings)
Broadcast
• Production Control Rooms
• In-studio
• Temporary Production/Post expansions (rapid deployment of extra capability
with little outlay or complexity)

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Corporate
• MS Teams
• Video Communications
Production
• On-set monitoring distribution
Post
• Share SDI channels between numerous NDI enabled NLEs
• Cost effective video monitoring
Operational Flexibility
BRIDGE NDI 3G's video channels can be used to:
1. Encode all SDI Inputs to NDI
2. Decode all NDI Inputs to SDI
3. Encode/Decode a combination of SDI and NDI.
Encode All SDI Inputs to NDI
In All Encode mode, all channels of SDI (16x channels of HD or 4x channels of 4K/
UltraHD or 8x channels of HD V+K) are encoding from 3G-SDI to NDI.
Decode All NDI Inputs to SDI
In All Decode mode, all channels of NDI (16x channels of HD or 4x channels of 4K/
UltraHD or 8x channels of HD V+K) are decoding from NDI to 3G-SDI.
Encode/Decode Combination
In Encode/Decode Combination mode, 8x channels of HD or 2x channels of
4K/UltraHD or 4x channels of HD V+K are encoding from SDI to NDI, while 8x
channels of HD or 2x channels of 4K/UltraHD or 4x channels of HD V+K are
decoding from NDI to SDI.
System Overview
BRIDGE NDI 3G at a Glance
BRIDGE NDI 3G is designed to be easy to use immediately. Upon power-up, the
unit automatically launches the BRIDGE NDI 3G application.
Generally, the process of getting started includes the following steps:
• Install device in rack or other suitable location
• Connect power cord(s)
• Boot up device
• Connect cables for inputs, outputs and network connectivity
• Configure network settings

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• Select banks
• Choose conversion directions (SDI to NDI, NDI to SDI)
• Configure video and audio monitoring
These steps are covered in detail in "Chapter 7 System Setup and Configuration" on
page 63.
Software Features
• 16 channels of HD or 4 channels of 4K/UltraHD in a single 1RU form factor with
redundant power supply
• Channels can be grouped for either 4-Channel 4K/UltraHD Groups, or
2-Channel Video and Key Groups
• SDI video I/O supports 10-bit, 4:2:2, YCbCr
• NDI video Input supports 8-bit, 4:2:2, UYVY and 8-bit, 4:2:2, UYVA
• NDI video Output supports 8-bit, 4:2:2, UYVY and 8-bit, 4:2:2, UYVA, plus P216,
4:2:2, 16-bit
• Easy to set up, intuitive interface
• Use via local kiosk interface or remotely via web browser interface
Hardware features
• 1RU height rack mountable chassis
• Hot swappable redundant power supplies
• One VGA monitor port
• Two USB 3.0 (blue) connectors
• Two USB 2.0 (black) connectors
• Two Network Interface Cards
• Three year warranty
Chassis Front
Figure 1. BRIDGE NDI 3G Chassis Front View
Cooling Airow Entrance Power Switch
Chassis Power Button
The main power switch is used to apply or remove power from the power supply
to the system. Turning off system power with this button removes the main
power but keeps standby power supplied to the system. Therefore, you must
unplug all system power cords before servicing.

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Chassis Rear
Figure 2. BRIDGE NDI 3G Chassis Rear View
Cooling Airow Exit
Rear and Top Panels
USB 3.0
Ports (4)
SDI Reference
BNC Inputs (R)
SDI BNC
Connectors
(5, 6, 7, 8)
Unused
VGA Monitor
Port
Reserved
for IPMI
Active RJ-45
Ethernet (2)
Redundant
AC Power Supplies
SDI BNC
Connectors
(12, 11, 10, 09)
SDI BNC
Connectors
(16, 15, 14, 13)
SDI BNC
Connectors
(1, 2, 3, 4)
Media Control
Rear Panel Power Supply LEDs
On the rear of each power supply module, an LED indicates its status as follows.
• Solid Green: When illuminated, indicates that the power supply is on.
• Solid Amber: When illuminated, indicates the power supply is plugged in and
turned off, or the system is off but in an abnormal state.
• Blinking Amber: When blinking, this system power supply temperature has
reached 63°C. The system will automatically power-down when the power
supply temperature reaches 70°C and restarts when the power supply
temperature goes below 60°C.

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Chapter 3 – Getting Started
NOTE: If you are setting up BRIDGE NDI 3G for the first time, please first refer to "Chapter
7 System Setup and Configuration" on page 63, then return to this Getting
Started chapter.
Starting the System
Accessing the BRIDGE NDI 3G Interface Locally
To Access the Unit Locally via the Kiosk Interface
1. Connect a monitor to the VGA monitor port on the rear panel.
2. Connect the unit to a keyboard and mouse using the USB 3.0 ports on the
rear panel.
3. Turn on power for the monitor.
4. Press the power switch on the front panel. Once the monitor and the
BRIDGE NDI 3G unit are powered on, the unit will boot up and display an
initial splash screen. The message "Press Space Bar to enter BRIDGE | NDI
interface" displays.
Figure 3. BRIDGE NDI 3G Power Switch
Power Switch
5. Press the space bar on the keyboard. A sign-in window displays, prompting
you to enter a username and password.
6. See the Quick Start Guide that shipped with your unit for the exact login
credentials. If you are unable to locate the Quick Start Guide, contact AJA
Technical Support with the unit's serial number (see sticker on rear panel, to
the left of the 4 USB ports).
After logging in, the BRIDGE NDI 3G interface displays. From here, you can
perform all operations locally using this configuration.
Accessing the BRIDGE NDI 3G Interface Remotely
This section shows you how you can initially access the BRIDGE NDI 3G interface
remotely, before you know its IP address, through simple network discovery from
your remote system.
By default, the BRIDGE NDI 3G unit is shipped with DHCP enabled. DHCP is also
enabled following a factory reset.

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To Access the Unit Remotely
For Windows
1. Open Windows Explorer.
2. Navigate to Network.
3. Click Network to enumerate network devices.
4. Search for either “BRIDGE” or the device’s Serial Number (see sticker on rear
panel, to the left of the 4 USB ports).
5. Double-click on the intended device. Your remote system web browser will
launch and display the web GUI for the device.
For macOS
1. Download and install an MDNS browser, such as Discovery, from which you
can browse local Bonjour services to discover network devices on a Mac
host.
2. Use this method to identify the BRIDGE NDI 3G's IP address. In the example
shown below in Figure 4, the IP address is 172.21.24.26.
3. Enter the IP address into a browser.
Figure 4. Example of using Discovery to find the IP address
Local Kiosk Interface vs. Remote Browser Interface
The BRIDGE NDI 3G interface is the same whether accessed locally via the Kiosk
interface or remotely via a Web Browser on a separate host system, with the
following exceptions:
• The local Kiosk interface is dedicated to BRIDGE NDI 3G and is not designed to
serve as a web browser.
• The local Kiosk interface lacks the “generate” button that the remote interface
has that is used for creating and saving the BRIDGE NDI 3G Support Log.
• Using the system locally with the Kiosk Interface (via customer supplied VGA
Monitor with USB Keyboard and Mouse) together with the supplied USB
sound card, means that it's possible to confidence-monitor both audio and
video without any additional tools. Via the remote Web Browser Interface,

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confidence-monitoring picture is possible via the I/O screen, but for audio
monitoring a separate utility such as NewTek NDI Studio Monitor should be
used.
Splash Screen
After login, the BRIDGE NDI 3G will display the following splash screen:
Figure 5. Initial View of BRIDGE NDI 3G Remote Interface after Login
Conserving System Resources Following Configuration
After configuring BRIDGE NDI 3G to perform desired functions, best practice is
to return the system to displaying the Splash Screen in order to conserve system
resources.
Locally
Press ALT + F4 to logout and return the system to the Splash Screen.
Remotely
Close the browser tab or browser window to conserve system resources.

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Chapter 4 – Interface, Nomenclature, Key
Concepts
This chapter introduces you to the primary BRIDGE NDI 3G Interface concepts,
tools, and functions. More in depth, detailed information is available in "Chapter 5
Using Bridge NDI 3G" on page 19.
The BRIDGE NDI 3G interface is the same whether accessed via browser on a
remote system, or locally through a monitor connected to the unit's VGA port
(Kiosk Interface).
BRIDGE NDI 3G Interface
Figure 6. BRIDGE NDI 3G General Interface Diagram
Screens and Status
Below is a closer look at the left menu panel.

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Figure 7. The Left Menu Panel
The left menu panel contains the following screens and status indicators:
System Menu Screens
I/O
The I/O Screen displays previews of up to 16 channels of video along with two
channels of corresponding audio levels for each source and/or destination.
From this screen, you can easily see the direction and groupings of conversions
underway between SDI and NDI.
Source/Destination
Use the Source/Destination Screen to see what is on your network and what is
actively mapped to/from SDI Channels and/or Groups. You can also see what NDI
sources are available on your NDI network.

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Status
The Status Screen shows you indicators of key aspects of the system's health
and network activity. This includes application and system CPU usage and
temperature.
System Settings
The System Settings Screen displays system details such as system name, serial
number, system time, system date, system up-time, video engine firmware
versions, network settings, and other system details and resources.
User Management
Here you can change the Administration Login password.
Individual Channel/Group Screens
Access deeper controls for individual channels or groups.
Connection
This panel displays the unit's serial number, software version, and IP addresses for
the Media and Control Ethernet ports. This information is contained elsewhere
in the BRIDGE NDI 3G interface, with this subset of details gathered here for at-a-
glance reference.
Network (AJA Devices)
This panel displays any detected AJA devices that are on the same network as
BRIDGE NDI 3G.
Canvas
The Canvas, the area to the right of the Screens and Status panel, will display the
currently selected System Screen or Individual Channel/Group.
In the above example, the Canvas is showing the I/O Screen, so the space is being
used for viewing and working with Video Tiles and Banks.
Video Tiles
Each Video Tile on the Canvas displays the activity for one video Channel or
Group. All Video Tiles are shown on the I/O Screen Canvas, offering an easy
method for monitoring all of the video channel activity that is flowing through
BRIDGE NDI 3G.
Audio Metering
Each Video Tile shows two channels of Audio Metering along its right side. This
can be toggled on and off at the far right of the Control Bar, under Audio Monitor,
by clicking on the dual channel Audio Meter.
Engines and Banks
Engines control whether BRIDGE NDI 3G is converting SDI to NDI, or NDI to SDI,
whereas Banks control the configuration of the Inputs or Outputs (Channels or
Groups).

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Engines
BRIDGE NDI 3G has two Video Engines (A and B).
Each Video Engine is comprised of eight 3G-SDI channels with corresponding
BNC connections on the rear of the device, plus a reference connector.
Each Video Engine is comprised of two Banks. Each Bank controls four 3G-SDI
channels which can be grouped to enable 4K/UltraHD or dual Video plus Key I/O.
Banks 1 and 2 reside on Video Engine A.
Banks 3 and 4 reside on Video Engine B.
Banks
• Bank 1 consists of Channels 1, 2, 3, 4.
• Bank 2 consists of Channels 5, 6, 7, 8.
• Bank 3 consists of Channels 9, 10, 11, 12.
• Bank 4 consists of Channels 13, 14, 15, 16.
Banks are the channels or groups that are being converted, and they are the
focal point of confidence monitoring via the BRIDGE NDI 3G interface – being
represented through the Video Tiles.
Each Bank has four 3G-SDI channels with corresponding BNC connections on the
rear of the device.
Grouping Channels within a Bank
Each Bank can be independently configured for one of the following:
• Four separate HD Inputs or Outputs
• Two Video and Key Inputs or Output pairs
• One 4K/UltraHD Input or Output
NOTE: Banks cannot be “broken apart,” nor can Groups span multiple Banks.
Engines and Banks Summary
If both Engines are set to convert in the same direction (SDI to NDI, or NDI to SDI),
then all four Banks will be available for a total of up to 16x individual HD channels,
4x 4K/UltraHD Groups, or 8x V+K Groups, or some combination thereof.
If one Engine is set to convert SDI to NDI, and the other Engine is set to convert
NDI to SDI, then there will be two Banks available in each direction, for a total of
up to 8x individual HD channels In and Out, 2x 4K/UltraHD Groups In and Out, or
4x V+K Groups In and Out, or some combination thereof.
Control Bar
The Control Bar provides tabs for easy access to the most frequently used video
and audio controls and settings. These tabs are always visible, so you consistently
have access to all of this functionality regardless of which Menu Screen you have
selected.
The Control Bar is located along the lower area of the BRIDGE NDI 3G interface. It
is split into five tabs: Monitoring, Video Setup, Audio Setup, Presets, and Cabling.

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Video Tiles vs. SDI and NDI Video I/O
The SDI and NDI outputs carry the full frame rate of the video signal.
The Kiosk view (monitor connected directly to BRIDGE NDI 3G device through its
monitor rear connector) and the Web Browser view are intended for confidence
monitoring and, depending on the video processing load on BRIDGE NDI 3G, may
reflect somewhat less than the full frame rate of the signals.
BRIDGE NDI 3G prioritizes system resources for SDI/NDI Video I/O over the
confidence monitoring presented on the Canvas.

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Chapter 5 – Using Bridge NDI 3G
Get Up and Running with BRIDGE NDI 3G
BRIDGE NDI 3G is designed to be intuitive to configure so that you can get the
system operating quickly according to your use case requirements.
It is recommended that you plan your use case in advance. If you will be inputting
SDI and outputting NDI exclusively, then all 16 SDI connectors will be dedicated
to upstream SDI sources.
If you will be inputting NDI and outputting SDI exclusively, then all 16 SDI
connectors will be dedicated to downstream SDI destinations.
If supporting a dynamic environment where you need the capability to convert in
both directions at any given time, then it is recommended that you set the system
up with one engine dedicated to 8 upstream SDI sources, and the other engine
dedicated to 8 downstream SDI destinations.
When cabling, remember that Banks cannot be split, and Groups cannot span
Banks.
In summary, follow this approach:
• Determine Use Case
• Connect Cables According to Use Case
• Configure System to Match Use Case
How This Chapter is Organized
This chapter describes three primary configuration use cases—SDI to NDI
encoding, NDI to SDI decoding, and simultaneous encoding and decoding
between SDI and NDI.
Following those descriptions, we'll take an in-depth look at the Control Bar and
the Menu Screens.
NDI Network
Regardless of your workflow, whether receiving NDI for decode to SDI, or
ingesting SDI for encode to NDI, a connection to the NDI network is required.
Connect NDI Network to Rear Ethernet Media Port
Connect your NDI network to the rear Ethernet media port of your BRIDGE NDI 3G
device. When looking at the rear of the device, the media Ethernet port is on the
left. See "BRIDGE NDI 3G Chassis Rear View" on page 10 as a reference.
Selecting the NDI source for each SDI output channel on BRIDGE NDI 3G is
determined by selecting from a list of detected NDI sources on your NDI network
for a specific SDI output channel.
As soon as you have selected active input NDI signals, those sources will be visible
on the I/O Screen. See "Network Requirements" on page 66 in Chapter 7 for more
details.

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Determining Encoding vs. Decoding
Figure 8. Showing SDI to NDI Encoding
In the example above, all channels of SDI input are being encoded from SDI to
NDI. The Bank buttons are blue, as is the outline of each Video Tile, which is the
system color for SDI to NDI encoding (SDI In, NDI Out).
When Bank buttons and the outline of each Video Tiles are colored orange, this is
indicating that those channels/groups/banks are set for decoding NDI to SDI (NDI
In, SDI Out).
Changing Between SDI to NDI Encoding and NDI to SDI Decoding
To change between SDI to NDI Encoding and NDI to SDI Decoding, use a single
click on the Cog Icon found on the I/O Screen (and on the Control Bar > Video
Setup Tab). This will toggle between the two modes, and the color of the Bank
Indicators, Video Tile borders, etc., will change accordingly.
Figure 9. SDI to NDI direction
Figure 10. NDI to SDI direction
NOTE: When changing an engine between encode and decode, all system channels/
groups will re-lock to incoming video and a momentary interruption to video and
audio will likely occur.
NOTE: Interface highlights or selections are shown in light yellow.
Each channel or group is represented by a Video Tile, showing the video signal for
confidence monitoring, along with the name of its source.