AJA 3G-AM-BNC Original operating instructions

Installation & Operation Guide
Version 1.0
Published: February 20, 2015
3G-AM Mini-Converter
3G 8-Channel AES Embedder/Disembedder

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Table of Contents
Notices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Trademarks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Copyright . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Contacting Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Chapter 1: Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
3G-AM Simplified Block Diagram. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
3G-AM I/O Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
User Controls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
DIP Switches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
MiniConfig Control. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Breakout Cable Pinouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Chapter 2: Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Default Operational Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
DIP Switches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
DIP Switch Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Switch 6 Embedded Channel Mapping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Switch 7 Disembedding Channel Mapping. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
USB Control and Setup—Using AJA MiniConfig . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Installing MiniConfig on a Mac. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Installing MiniConfig on a PC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Running MiniConfig. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
PC Startup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Mac Startup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Saving Setups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Operating MiniConfig . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Tabbed Screens. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Audio-1 Tab Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Audio-2 Tab Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Update Tab Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Software Update Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Info Tab Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Appendix A: Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
Video Input . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Input Formats. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Video Output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Output Formats. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Audio Inputs and Outputs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
User Controls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Physical . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Size. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Environment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Appendix B: Safety and Compliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Compliance Notices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

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Class B Interference Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
FCC Caution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Canadian ICES Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
European Union and European Free Trade Association (EFTA)
Regulatory Compliance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Declaration of Conformity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Korean KCC Compliance Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Taiwan Compliance Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Recycling Notice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Translated Warning and Caution Messages. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Before Operation Please Read These Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Warranty Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34
Limited Warranty. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

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Notices
Trademarks
AJA®, lo®, Ki Pro®, KONA®, KUMO®,T-TAP®, Because it matters.® and ROI® are registered
trademarks of AJA Video Systems, Inc. in the United States. AJA and Ki Pro are trademarks
of AJA Video Systems, Inc. registered in other countries. AJA Control Room™, CION™,
Corvid Ultra™, FiDO™, 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 and
Macintosh 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.
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.
All other trademarks are the property of their respective holders.
Copyright
Copyright © 2015 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 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: http://www.aja.com
Support Email: [email protected]
Sales Email: [email protected]

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Chapter 1: Introduction
Overview
The 3G-AM is a triple rate 8 channel AES audio embedder/disembedder. AES audio can
be embedded and disembedded simultaneously. The embedder is user selectable, on a
channel pair basis, to either “pass” existing SDI input audio or embed AES input audio
from the breakout cable. The ability to pass incoming ancillary data makes it possible to
embed up to 16 channels of audio by cascading two units. Horizontal ancillary data
(HANC) packets in compliance with SMPTE 291M can also be dropped at the input.
The 3G-AM automatically detects and configures to the input video standard. 3G-SDI
formats up to and including 2048x1080p 60 YCbCr 4:2:2 are supported (see "Appendix A:
Specifications on page 21" for a complete listing). SDI video loops through the device with
minimal delay. Loop through embedded SDI audio supports up to 16 channels.
NOTE: 2048x1080p/psf 29.97 and 30 formats support a maximum of 8 channels embedded audio.
Using the MiniConfig application, you can configure data packets to be passed from the
AES inputs to embedded ancillary packets un-altered. This, along with minimized
embed/disembed latency, ensures 100 percent compatibility with Dolby® bitstreams.
Features
• Triple rate 3G, HD, and SD-SDI embedder/disembedder
•8ChannelAESI/O
• Supplied breakout cable for balanced AES - XLR connectors
• 1 x BNC 3G-SDI input
• 1 x BNC 3G-SDI output
• Setup via DIP switch or PC/Mac using USB port and supplied USB cable (USB
configuration software application supplied on CD)
• Uses universal input +5V power supply AJA model DWP-U-R1 (included)

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3G-AM Simplified Block Diagram
3G-AM I/O Connections
NOTE: The LED adjacent to the SDI connectors indicates by color the detected signal type. Off is no
signal, Green is SD-SDI, red is HD-SDI, and amber/orange is 3G-SDI.
EQ Cable Driver
Embed and Pass-through
Packet Processor
SRC
SRC Bypass
AES Input 1
(Ch 1/2 or 9/10)
XLR Breakout Cable XLR Breakout Cable
SRC
AES Input 2
(Ch 3/4 or 11/12)
SRC
AES Input 3
(Ch 5/6 or 13/14)
SRC
AES Input 4
(Ch 7/8 or 15/16)
AES Output 1
(Ch 1/2 or 9/10)
AES Output 2
(Ch 3/4 or 11/12)
AES Output 3
(Ch 5/6 or 13/14)
AES Output 4
(Ch 7/8 or 15/16)
Dis-
Embedder
USB Port
(connect to
PC or Mac)
MiniCong
DIP Switch
User Interface
Control
3G-SDI In
3G-SDI Out
AES I/O
D-connector
(attaches to
supplied cable)
Cable
Not Shown
To Scale
3G-SDI
3G-SDI
USB Port
Input BNC
Output BNC
LOCK LED
+ 5 VDC
Power
Input

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User Controls
DIP Switches The 3G-AM has an 8 position DIP switch accessible through a cut-out in the bottom of
the unit. The DIP switches are used to configure the unit’s audio embedding and
disembedding, and control ancillary data.
Factory default switch settings are all in the leftmost position.
The exact functions of the DIP switches are described in “Operation” on page 9.
MiniConfig Control The MiniConfig application can also be used to configure the unit’s audio embedding
and disembedding functions. Configuration set via MiniConfig is stored in the unit
through subsequent power cycles.
Installing and using MiniConfig are described in “DIP Switches” on page 9.
Installation
Typically, 3G-AM installation consists of the following steps:
1. Ensure the converter is disconnected from power.
2. Connect video equipment to the converter BNCs.
3. Connect the breakout audio cable to the converter.
4. Connect audio equipment to the breakout cable (see Figure 1 on page 8).
5. Apply power to the converter (AJA power supply included).
6. The converter will now run using the default factory settings. If you wish to alter the
factory settings you can either:
• Change the DIP switch 2 - 8 settings.
- or -
• Install the AJA MiniConfig software on your computer,
• attach the converter via USB,
• change the DIP switch 1 setting to LOCAL, and
• make your changes using the MiniConfig setup screens.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
DIP Switch Setting
LEFT RIGHT
LOCAL
ON
ON
ON
ON
1/2
1/2
ON
CONTROL
EMBD 1/2
EMBD 3/4
EMBD 5/6
EMBD 7/8
EMBD GRP
DISEMBD GRP
PASS HANC
REMOTE
OFF
OFF
OFF
OFF
3/4
3/4
OFF

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Breakout Cable Pinouts
Figure 1. Breakout Cable Illustration
pin 13
End View Side View
pin 1pin 14
pin 25
pin 1 pin 2
pin 3
Input A
Input B
Input C
Input D
Output A
Output B
Output C
Output D
Channel Index
Input A
Input B
Input C
Input D
Output A
Output B
Output C
Output D
= AES In Ch. 1/2
= AES In Ch. 3/4
= AES In Ch. 5/6
= AES In Ch. 7/8
= AES Out Ch. 1/2
= AES Out Ch. 3/4
= AES Out Ch. 5/6
= AES Our Ch. 7/8
pin 2 pin 1
pin 3
Table 1. DB25 Breakout Cable Pinouts
Pin Function Pin, <connector> Pin Function Pin, <connector>
1In 4 + 2, XLR Input D 14 In 4 - 3, XLR Input D
2In 4 GND 1, XLR Input D 15 In 3 + 2, XLR Input C
3In 3 - 3, XLR Input C 16 In 3 GND 1, XLR Input C
4In 2+ 2, XLR Input B 17 In 2 - 3, XLR Input B
5In 2 GND 1, XLR Input B 18 In 1 + 2, XLR Input A
6In 1 - 3, XLR Input A 19 In 1 GND 1, XLR Input A
7Out 4 + 2, XLR Output D 20 Out 4 - 3, XLR Output D
8Out 4 GND 1, XLR Output D 21 Out 3 + 2, XLR Output C
9Out 3 - 3, XLR Output C 22 Out 3 GND 1, XLR Output C
10 Out 2 + 2, XLR Output B 23 Out 2 - 3, XLR Output B
11 Out 2 GND 1, XLR Output B 24 Out 1 + 2, XLR Output A
12 Out 1 - 3, XLR Output A 25 Out 1 GND 1, XLR Output A
13 NC NC

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Chapter 2: Operation
Default Operational Settings
The 3G-AM converter ships from the factory with the following configuration:
• Local (DIP switch) control.
• Input AES audio channel pairs 1/2, 3/4, 5/6, 7/8 are embedded to SDI output channel
pairs 1/2, 3/4, 5/6, 7/8, overwriting any existing embedded audio.
• Input SDI embedded audio channel pairs 1/2, 3/4, 5/6, 7/8 are disembedded to AES
audio output channels 1/2, 3/4, 5/6, 7/8.
• All HANC packets pass from SDI input to output, except for embedded output audio
channels 1/2, 3/4, 5/6, 7/8.
If these settings apply to your requirements, you can simply connect the video and audio
input and output signal cables and power up the unit.
For other applications, you can configure the unit using its DIP switch settings, or by
using the MiniConfig application and a PC or Mac via USB.
DIP Switches
The 3G-AM DIP switches configure the audio embedding and disembedding functions,
and control ancillary data.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
DIP Switch Setting
LEFT RIGHT
LOCAL
ON
ON
ON
ON
1/2
1/2
ON
CONTROL
EMBD 1/2
EMBD 3/4
EMBD 5/6
EMBD 7/8
EMBD GRP
DISEMBD GRP
PASS HANC
REMOTE
OFF
OFF
OFF
OFF
3/4
3/4
OFF

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DIP Switch Settings DIP switch settings used to configure various functions are described below.
NOTE: 2048x1080p/psf 29.97 and 30 formats support a maximum of 8 channels of embedded audio.
When one of these formats is present and embedding is turned on, the PASS HANC DIP switch
will be ignored and all incoming packets will be dropped before embedding any new audio
packets.
Table 2. 3G-AM DIP Switch Setting Descriptions
SWITCH FUNCTION DIP Set LEFT (default) DIP Set RIGHT
1Control Selects Local (DIP), and blocks
MiniConfig control.
Selects Remote (MiniConfig), and disables DIP
switches 2-8.
2Audio Embedding
for Channels 1/2
(EMBD 1/2)
(ON) Overwrite or embed new channel
1/2 packets.
(OFF) If AUX (SW 8) is ON: Pass any channel 1/2
packets from input SDI.
If AUX (SW 8) is OFF: Delete all packets from
input SDI.
3Audio Embedding
for Channels 3/4
(EMDB 3/4)
(ON) Overwrite or embed new channel
3/4 packets.
(OFF) If AUX (SW 8) is ON: Pass any channel 3/4
packets from input SDI.
If AUX (SW 8) is OFF: Delete all packets from
input SDI.
4Audio Embedding
for Channels 5/6
(EMDB 5/6)
(ON) Overwrite or embed new channel
5/6 packets.
(OFF) If AUX (SW 8) is ON: Pass any channel 5/6
packets from input SDI.
If AUX (SW 8) is OFF: Delete all packets from
input SDI.
5Audio Embedding
for Channels 7/8
(EMDB 7/8)
(ON) Overwrite or embed new channel
7/8 packets.
(OFF) If AUX (SW 8) is ON: Pass any channel 7/8
packets from input SDI.
If AUX (SW 8) is OFF: Delete all packets from
input SDI.
6Channel Mapping
For Embedded
Groups
(EMBD GRP)
Embed to Groups 1/2 as specified in
272M and 299M
Embed to Groups 3/4 as specified in 272M and
299M
Refer to Table 3, “DIP SW 6 Embedded Channel Mapping,” on page 11
7Channel Mapping
For Disembedding
Groups
(DISEMBD GRP)
Disembed from Groups 1/2 as specified
in 272M and 299M)
Disembed from Groups 3/4 as specified in
272M and 299M
Refer to Table 4, “DIP SW 7 Disembedded Input Channel Mapping,” on page 12
8Pass or Drop HANC
input packets.
(PASS HANC)
(ON) All incoming HANC packets are
passed unless the embedder settings
above require all or part of them to be
over-written.
(OFF) All incoming HANC packets are dropped
before embedding any new audio packets.
Embedder settings above determine all
embedded audio output.
Disembedding is not affected.

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Switch 6 Embedded
Channel Mapping
The following table shows how switch 6 affects embedded channel mapping.
Table 3. DIP SW 6 Embedded Channel Mapping
DIP SW 6
EMBD GRP
AES Input
Channel
SDI Embedded
Group
SDI Embedded
Output Channel
Left (1/2)1 —> 1 1
2 —> 2
3 —> 3
4 —> 4
5 —> 2 5
6 —> 6
7 —> 7
8 —> 8
Right (3/4)1 —> 3 9
2 —> 10
3 —> 11
4 —> 12
5 —> 413
6 —> 14
7 —> 15
8 —> 16

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Switch 7
Disembedding
Channel Mapping
The following table shows how switch 7affects disembedding channel mapping.
USB Control and Setup—Using AJA MiniConfig
The 3G-AM can usually be used right out of the box for most applications since it is
designed to recognize inputs and perform standard actions automatically by default.
However you can also manually configure the unit using a supplied software application
for PCs and Macs called “MiniConfig.” This same application can be used to update Mini-
Converter firmware released by AJA.
Installing
MiniConfig on a Mac
To install the application on a Mac, insert the CD supplied with the
Mini-Converter into the computer, drag the “AJA MiniConfig”
application for your platform (Mac or PC) to your desktop or an
applications folder.
NOTE: Macintosh computers must be Intel-based (G5, G4 and earlier models will not work with
MiniConfig).
Installing
MiniConfig on a PC
To install the application on a Windows PC, insert the CD supplied with the Mini-
Converter into the computer, locate the “MiniInstaller” application, and then double-
click it.
Table 4. DIP SW 7 Disembedded Input Channel Mapping
DIP SW 7
DISEMBD GRP
SDI Embedded
Input Group
SDI Embedded
Input Channel
AES Output
Channel
Left (1/2) 1 1 —> 1
2 —> 2
3 —> 3
4 —> 4
25 —> 5
6 —> 6
7 —> 7
8—> 8
Right (3/4) 3 9 —> 1
10 —> 2
11 —> 3
12 —> 4
413 —> 5
14 —> 6
15 —> 7
16 —> 8

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Figure 2. MiniConfig Setup Wizard on PC
A Setup Wizard will guide you through the installation. Just click Next to begin.
Answer all questions in the subsequent dialogues; when done, you will be able to locate
the MiniConfig application in the AJA folder in the Programs listing.
Running MiniConfig Connect the Mini-Converter to the PC or Mac via the supplied USB cable. Connect the
external power supply (supplied) to the Mini-Converter.
PC Startup To run MiniConfig on a PC, find the AJA MiniConfig in the program list and locate the AJA
MiniConfig application.
Figure 3. PC MiniConfig Startup
Mac Startup To run MiniConfig on a Mac, double-click the Applications folder and locate the AJA
MiniConfig application. Double-click the application to launch it.
Figure 4. Mac MiniConfig Startup
NOTE: On a Mac, when the Mini-Converter is connected to the USB port, you may see an alert like
that shown below. If you do, press Cancel—this alert can be ignored.

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Figure 5. Mac Network Message (ignore)
Saving Setups A File menu at the top of the MiniConfig application menu bar allows you to Save the
state of the Mini-Converter, with your current settings, to a file for later recall. This allows
you to set up the converter for different applications, storing each (with Save) to a unique
name for easy recall—using the Open menu item. A Revert to Factory Settings menu item
similarly allows you to change the settings back to AJA’s factory defaults. An Edit menu
allows you to cut and paste values to/from fields, just as in other applications.
Operating
MiniConfig
The MiniConfig application provides a graphic interface for viewing settings and
updating software. It consists of an information area at the top that shows the available
Mini-Converters attached to the computer via USB, with a graphical rendering of the
selected Mini-Converter showing all the connectors and their current state.
Colored text next to the connectors indicates the signal type and what the Mini-
Converter is doing:
•Blue text indicates the values automatically selected
•Black text indicates values that you have manually selected
•Red text indicates the Mini-Converter is not detecting a signal or cannot negotiate with
the attached device
NOTE: Even if no output device is detected, it still shows the signal it is outputting.
NOTE: Configuration settings in red will change based on the attached output device as well as input
signals. For improved accuracy and reliability, you should configure the Mini-Converter only
when the target output device is attached and input signals are supplied at the inputs.
Screens are virtually the same on both PC and Mac, with subtle differences that reflect
the general look of the platform environment.
Running Multiple Mini-
Converters:
MiniConfig can manage multiple AJA Mini-Converters connected via USB—even when
they are of differing types. However it only connects to one at a time. You can choose
which Mini-Converter you wish to control using the pulldown menu in the upper right
hand corner. If you want to configure and update multiple Mini-Converters in parallel,
you can do it by running multiple instances of the MiniConfig application and have each
control a different Mini-Converter.

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Figure 6. MiniConfig Screen
NOTE: The LED adjacent to the SDI connectors indicates by color the detected signal type. Off is no
signal, Green is SD-SDI, red is HD-SDI, and amber/orange is 3G-SDI.
Selecting a Mini-Converter with the dropdown menu causes this application to connect
to the selected converter. The graphic of Mini-Converter and text below it provides:
• Type of converter
• Firmware version
• Serial number of the unit
A status field at the bottom of the screen shows if your application is connected and
communicating with the Mini-Converter.
When configuring the Mini-Converter, select it from the top pulldown, view the current
settings and change any values. Making a change communicates that new value to the
Mini-Converter’s non-volatile memory.
Tabbed Screens The Tabs delineate control screens with groups of controls for each type of task to be
performed. The controls for the actual configuration parameters are specific to each
Mini-Converter type. Click on any of the tab buttons and the screen below will change to
match. Each of these screens are described on the following pages.
Tabbed
screens
Message
showing
status
Firmware
version and
serial
number
Each connector is labeled with the
signals currently detected:
Select a USB
port and an
attached
Mini-Converter
(name in
parentheses)

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Audio-1 Tab Screen Click on the Audio-1 tab to view and make changes to the audio embedding and
disembedding settings.
Figure 7. MiniConfig, Audio-1 Tab Screen
AES Audio Inputs
Embed to: Choose which SDI embedded audio groups will embed incoming AES audio:
• Groups 1/2 (Ch 1-8), or Groups 3/4 (Ch 9-16).
Ch1-2 Embed: Selecting On embeds the AES audio Ch 1/2 pair in the first two channels of the Groups
selected above.
Ch 3-4 Embed: Selecting On embeds the AES audio Ch 3/4 pair in the next two channels of the Groups
selected above.
Ch 5-6 Embed: Selecting On embeds the AES audio Ch 5/6 pair in the next two channels of the Groups
selected above.
Ch 7-8 Embed: Selecting On embeds the AES audio Ch 7/8 pair in the last two channels of the Groups
selected above.
AES Audio Outputs
Disembed from: Choose which SDI embedded audio group will disembed its audio and send it to the four
AES audio outputs:
• Group 1/2 (Ch 1-8), Group 3/4 (Ch 9-16).

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Audio-2 Tab Screen Click on the Audio-2 tab to view and make changes to the packet processing and audio
level settings.
Figure 8. MiniConfig, Audio-1 Tab Screen
Packet Processing Control
HANC Data: When Pass is selected, all incoming HANC packets are passed unless the embedder
settings require all or part of them to be over-written.
When Remove is selected, all incoming HANC packets are dropped before embedding
any new audio packets. The embedder settings determine all embedded audio output.
Disembedding is not affected.
NOTE: 2048x1080p/psf 29.97 and 30 formats support a maximum of 8 channels of embedded audio.
When one of these formats is present and embedding is turned on, the PASS HANC setting will
be ignored and all incoming packets will be dropped before embedding any new audio
packets.
3G-SDI Level B: For 3G Level B signals, selects either the 16 audio channels of input Stream A or the 16
channels of input Stream B for disembedding. This setting also controls whether output
Stream A or output Stream B will receive embedded audio. This control has no effect if a
3G Level B signal is not detected.
SRC This setting determines whether AES audio inputs are passed through the sample rate
converter before embedding. Turn this setting Off for compatibility with non-PCM
bitstreams such as Dolby-E or Dolby-B.
Choose Auto, On, or Off for each of the indicated input channel pairs: (Ch 1/2, Ch 3/4,
Ch 5/6, Ch 7/8).
• Auto - Automatically selects whether incoming AES audio is sample rate converted. If
channel status bits are detected that indicate the audio is PCM (normal digital audio),
the audio will be passed through the sample rate converter. If compressed audio (such

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as Dolby) bits are detected, the sample rate converter is bypassed (it would corrupt the
compressed data).
• On - Pass all input AES audio through the sample rate converter before embedding (for
example, for use with PCM audio). AES inputs are sample rate converted to a 48KHz rate
synchronous to the video input.
• Off - Do not pass any input AES audio through the sample rate converter before
embedding (for example, for use with Dolby® Digital from a synchronous source).
NOTE: For proper operation with SRC Off, the AES input timing must be externally synchronized to
the input SDI.
About SRC Settings 48KHz synchronous ancillary packets are disembedded and passed unaltered to the AES
outputs regardless of the SRC setting. With the SRC setting Off, data packets are passed
from the AES inputs to embedded ancillary packets un-altered, according to SMPTE
337M. All AES3-2003 defined channel status bits are passed through unaltered in both
the embed and dis-embed directions—except for the sample rate field, which is always
set to 48KHz. The channel status CRC is re-calculated and inserted into the bitstream. This
ability, along with a very small audio embed/disembed latency, ensures 100 percent
compatibility with Dolby® bitstreams.
Update Tab Screen Use this Update screen to view the software version currently installed on the converter
or install new software.
Figure 9. MiniConfig, Update Screen
NOTE: When discussing Mini-Converters, “Firmware” is software that will be stored in the Mini-
Converter’s non-volatile memory and used when it is powered up. This is something different
than the MiniConfig application software. The version numbers shown in the Update screen
refer only to the firmware.
The following fields and control are present in this screen:

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Installed: This field shows the version of the firmware currently installed inside the Mini-Converter.
Desired: This field shows the version of firmware embedded in the MiniConfig application which
you can install into the Mini-Converter by clicking the Update button.
Update: This button initiates a software update operation loading the “Desired” version of
firmware into the Mini-Converter’s non-volatile memory.
Progress: This indicator bar shows the progress of software being installed.
Software Update
Procedure
1. Check the AJA website for new MiniConfig software for your Mini-Converter. If new
software is found, download it and uncompress the file archive (zip). Here is the URL
to use when checking:
http://www.aja.com/en/products/mini-converters/mini-config-software
2. Connect the Mini-Converter to a Mac or PC via a USB port on the computer and run
the new MiniConfig software just downloaded.
3. Click on the Update tab screen.
4. Check the Installed version level against the Desired version level. If the Desired is
newer, then click the Update button to download the new firmware to the Mini-
Converter.
Progress will be shown via the Progress thermometer bar, and when completed an
“Update Succeeded” message appears.
Info Tab Screen This screen provides basic information about the Mini-Converter. This information is
mostly useful when calling AJA Support for service or technical support.
Figure 10. MiniConfig, Info Screen

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Name: This field allows you to give your Mini-Converter a name. This may be useful if you have
several Mini-Converters attached to a Mac/PC via USB so you can distinguish one of them
easily (especially if they’re the same model).
Type: This is the factory set model name of the Mini-Converter (HA5-Plus).
Assembly: This is the factory assembly number.
Serial Number: This is the factory set unique serial number of your Hi5-Plus. If you ever call AJA Support
for service, you may be asked for this number.