AJA io4K Operating instructions

Io XT/4K
Capture, Display, Convert
Version 14.0
Published December 15, 2017
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.
CION®, 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™, TruZoom™,
V2Analog™ and V2Digital™ are trademarks of AJA Video Systems, Inc.
AirPort, Apple, Apple logo, AppleShare, AppleTalk, FireWire, iPod, iPod touch,
Mac, Macintosh and ProRes, are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. Final Cut Pro,
QuickTime and QuickTime logo are trademarks of Apple Inc.
Avid, Avid DNxHD and Media Composer are registered trademarks of Avid
Technology, Inc.
Adobe is a registered trademark of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States
and/or other countries.
HDMI, the HDMI logo and High-Definition Multimedia Interface are trademarks or
registered trademarks of HDMI Licensing, LLC.
DVI is a registered trademark of DDWG.
TASCAM is a registered trademark of TEAC Corporation.
Dolby and the double-D Dolby logo are registered trademarks of Dolby Laboratories
Licensing Corporation.
openGear® Ross, ROSS, ROSS®, and MLE are registered trademarks of Ross Video.
DashBoard Control System™ is a trademark of Ross Video.
All other trademarks are the property of their respective holders.
Copyright
Copyright © 2017 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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Contents
Notices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
Trademarks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Copyright . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Contacting AJA Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Chapter 1 – Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Features. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Broadcast-Quality Conversion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Io XT/4K Audio. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
AJA Software & Utilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
System Requirements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
What’s In The Box?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
In This Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Chapter 2 – Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Installation Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
AJA System Test Application. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Connecting To Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Cable Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Connector Descriptions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Installing Io XT/4K Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Download . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Software Package Installation and Re-installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Firmware Update Procedure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Firmware Versions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Chapter 3 – Io XT/4K Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Front Panel Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Monitor Output and Gain Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Audio Level Meters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Power Switch (Io XT) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Power LED (Io 4K) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
AJA Control Panel Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
AJA Control Panel User Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Controlling Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Presets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Single-User & Shared Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Function Screens. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Using Io XT and Io 4K for HD, SD, 2K. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Control Screen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Format Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Input Select Screen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
SDI Out Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
HDMI Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Analog Out Screen (Io XT Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Video Setup Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Audio Setup Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Conversion Screen (Mac OS only). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
DS Keyer Screen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
LUT Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Timecode Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Presets Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Firmware Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Info Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Using Io 4K for UltraHD/4K . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
4K/UltraHD Transport Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Io 4K in 4K Mode Audio Monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

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Io 4K Control Panel Screen Dierences in 4K Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Io 4K Control Screen in 4K Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Io 4K Format Screen in 4K Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Io 4K Input Select Screen in 4K Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Io 4K SDI Output Screen in 4K Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Io 4K HDMI Screen in 4K Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Io 4K HDMI HDR Screen in 4K Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Io 4K Video Setup Screen in 4K Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Io 4K Audio Mixer Screens (4K Mode only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Playback Monitor Mode (4K Mode only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Capture Monitor Mode (4K Mode only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Io 4K Downstream Keyer in 4K Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Appendix A – Specications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Io 4K Tech Specs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Io XT Tech Specs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Appendix B – Safety and Compliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Warranty and Liability Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73
Limited Warranty on Hardware. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Limitation of Liability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Governing Law and Language; Your Rights. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75

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Chapter 1 – Introduction
Overview
AJA’s Io XT and Io 4K provide professional-grade I/O for high-end computers,
and each is an ideal companion for lightning-fast video capture, playback and
up/down/cross conversion. Designed for today’s workflows, Io XT/4K provides
an ideal interface for video professionals to bridge the gap between their
Thunderbolt-enabled computers, and other pro video devices.
Io XT/4K connects with a single Thunderbolt cable and provides a second
Thunderbolt connector for storage, making them perfect for on set, or in the edit
suite. Io XT/4K's 10-bit hardware conversion capability paired with a Thunderbolt
storage system creates a super-fast editing system, portable enough to fit in a
backpack—with desktop level power.
Features
Table 1. Io XT/4K Feature Comparison
Feature Io XT Io 4K
Two Thunderbolt 2 ports √
Two Thunderbolt 1 ports √
Two SD-SDI, HD-SDI, and 3G HD-SDI inputs and outputs √ √
Dedicated realtime 4K to HD down-conversion output (SDI 5 BNC) √
Supports both Quadrant and Two Sample Interleave transport of
UltraHD and 4K video
4K Mode
HDR Features (HDR10 or HLG via HDMI, 12 Bit RGB, BT2020)) √
Single link SDI 4:2:2 or 4:4:4; Dual-link SDI 4:4:4 √ √
Bidirectional SDI BNCs congurable for four 4K inputs or outputs 4K Mode
HDMI Input and Output √ √
Analog component/composite output, 10-bit √
Broadcast quality hardware-based 10-bit up-conversion √ √
Broadcast quality hardware-based 10-bit down-conversion √ √

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Feature Io XT Io 4K
Broadcast quality hardware-based 10-bit cross-conversion (1080 to
720 and 720 to1080)
√ √
Dedicated realtime 4K to HD down-conversion output (SDI 5 BNC) √
DVCProHD hardware scaling acceleration √ √
HDV hardware scaling acceleration √ √
Broadcast quality hardware-based 10-bit SD aspect ratio conversion
(anamorphic to letterbox, etc.)
√ √
16-Channel Embedded SDI audio √ √
Eight channels analog audio output (Tascam-style DB25-type cable) √ √
Audio Monitoring Mixer, including Host Computer and Application 4K Mode
Front panel LED VU meters and Headphone output w/level control √ √
Reference In/LTC In (selectable) √ √
LTC Output √ √
RS-422 control via 9-pin √ √
Rugged Chassis, Small Size √ √
12V DC, 4-pin XLR Power (AC adapter included) √ √
Broadcast-Quality Conversion
Io XT/4K features hardware-based full 10-bit broadcast quality motion adaptive
SD to HD up-conversion, HD to SD down-conversion and HD to HD cross-
conversion.
The quality of the conversion features is virtually identical to AJA’s award winning
stand-alone converter products used throughout the post production market.
TheIo XT/4K's built-in up converter uses a full 10-bit path, fully motion adaptive
de-interlacing, and large multi-point digital interpolators. Down-conversion uses
large multi-point digital interpolators, anti-alias filtering and interpolation.
Cross-conversion is high-quality hardware-based and offers true broadcast
picture quality in realtime. Because these functions are in hardware, they are
available full time, all the time—with no CPU load. Such conversions are useful for
cost effective monitoring, making standard definition dubs of an HD project, or
up-converting from a standard definition project to an HD deliverable.
Video Formats
For a list of supported video formats, see "Appendix A Specifications" on page 60.
Io XT/4K Audio
Io XT/4K provides up to 16 channels of SDI embedded audio. The front panels
have a mini TRS headphone output with a lockable level control knob.
Io XT/4K also supports HDMI Audio, 2 or 8 channels.
For analog audio output monitoring, Io XT/4K provides a DB25 connector with
eight channels of audio to be used with industry standard Tascam-style audio
breakout cables. The front panel has an eight-channel VU meter display to
monitor output levels.
Io 4K, when in 4K Mode, also supports monitoring mixed audio from Io 4K inputs,
host computer, and controlling application.

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AJA Software & Utilities
AJA’s Io XT/4K software and hardware were developed for powerful integrated
video/audio capture, editing, and production with a variety of 3rd-party
software. With Io XT/4K 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 products.
Three retail packages are available, one for Mac, one for Windows, and one for
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, go to the AJA website:
https://www.aja.com/en/support/downloads
For a complete software compatibility list, see the AJA website link:
https://www.aja.com/en/category/edit/compatibility
Mac, Windows and Linux Packages
These packages include:
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.
AJA Control Room
Control Room is a cross-platform software application for ingest, playback and
output with AJA products.
AJA System Test
System Test provides accurate and detailed evaluations of drive and PCIe
performance statistics, allowing you to measure the capabilities of your system
for recording and playing back various resolutions and codecs.
Additional with Mac and Windows Packages
3rd-Party Plugins
AJA provided plugins for popular 3rd-party Professional Video Applications from
Adobe, Avid, Apple, Telestream, and others.
System Requirements
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.

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NOTE: See Software Vendor system requirements for GPU recommendations and
additional hardware requirements and recommendations.
AJA recommends:
• MacOS 10.12 Sierra or later
• Win 10 or later with all updates
• Linux Redhat/CentOS 7
• Linux Ubuntu 14.04 LTS and Ubuntu 16.04 LTS
• 2.5 GHz quad core i7 minimum, for HD
• 3.5 GHz eight core minimum, faster processors and more cores recommended,
for UHD/4K workows, especially with high frame rate*
• 16GB RAM minimum, 32GB or more recommended, especially for UHD/4K or
High Frame Rate applications
• A reasonably fast and powerful graphics card, with plenty of on-board
memory. Examples (may be specic to application version and/or host CPU)
include:
• NvidiaK5200
• Nvidia K4200
• Nvidia M6000
• Nvidia M5000
• Nvidia M4000
• AMD W7100
• AMD W8100
• Media storage with adequate bandwidth to sustain the capture and playback
of the material you expect to be working with.
NOTE: For large scale installations with shared storage, or for very high performance
requirements, AJA recommends consultation with an experienced a system
integrator. A consultant will be able to assist with many important variables.
What’s In The Box?
As you unpack the shipping box(es), carefully examine the contents. Ensure you
received everything and that nothing was damaged during shipment. 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 Io XT/4K repaired or replaced. 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.
When you unpack your AJA Io XT/4K, you’ll find the following components:
• Io XT or Io 4K
• 12V power adapter and power cord
In This Manual
Chapter 1 - Introduces the product briefly, listing features, box contents, and
system requirements.
Chapter 2 - Provides complete instructions for installing and configuring the AJA
Io XT/4K. The user is guided through unpacking, cabling the Io XT/4K, installing
AJA & third-party support software, then getting it up and running.

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Chapter 3 - Discusses operational aspects of Io XT/4K and how to work with 3rd-
party software.
Appendix A - Presents a list of technical specifications for the product.
Appendix B - Provides important Safety and Compliance information.
Warranty and Index

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Chapter 2 – Installation
Installation Overview
1. If not previously installed on your Thunderbolt equipped computer, ensure
that appropriate application software is installed as detailed in its user
documentation.
2. For latest System Compatibility and Software Version information visit the
AJA website.
• For Io XT, visit: https://www.aja.com/en/products/io-xt/#/overview
• For Io 4K visit: https://www.aja.com/en/products/io-4k#overview
3. Install the latest AJA software on your computer from the AJA website.
• For Io XT, visit: https://www.aja.com/en/products/io-xt/#support
• For Io 4K visit: https://www.aja.com/en/products/io-4k#support
For further support information and downloads for third-party software and
DirectShow for Developers, go to:
https://www.aja.com/en/category/edit/compatibility
AJA System Test Application
AJA System Test is a utility for measuring system performance with AJA Io
devices. The application includes:
• System Disk Test
• AJA Device Test
• Disk + Device Test
• System Report
The application tests Read and Write, Capture and Playback speeds tests 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.
We suggest the best test is to fill your storage disk to 80% and then test capture at
the highest data rate you will use.
Connecting To Your Computer
1. Connect a Thunderbolt cable between the computer and the Io XT/4K.
2. Power the unit (AC supply or battery) and if it is Io XT, turn it on using the
power button on the front. Io 4K does not have a power button.
3. Cable the system audio and video sources, VTR, audio monitor, and video
monitor.
4. When you run the AJA Control Panel, you’ll notice that the Io XT/4K is auto-
discovered as long as it is properly cabled and powered up.