AJA Io X3 User manual

Io X3
Capture, Display, Convert
Version 16.2
Published January 24, 2022
Installation and Operation Manual

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Chapter 1 – Introduction
Overview
AJA Io X3 is perfect for high quality HDR or SDR work with HD/2K signals or files
up to 60p. Connecting with a single Thunderbolt 3 cable and providing a second
Thunderbolt connector for flexibility, Io X3's compact and quiet form factor is
ideal for on set, in the studio, at an event or in the edit suite.
For Editorial, VFX, Grading, Mastering and Graphic workflows, Io X3 enables input,
output and monitoring for both single and dual-link SDI sources and destinations,
plus a dedicated reference connector and RS 422 serial interface.
For Audio Workflows Io X3 supports 16 channels of embedded audio per SDI
channel, 8 channels of embedded audio per HDMI channel, 8 channels of Analog
Audio Input or Output (or 4 in plus 4 out), stereo headphone connector and
discrete LTC Input and Output connectors.
For Switching and Streaming workflows Io X3 simultaneously provides up to 4
channels for Input, and a single channel for Output, plus a MultiView feature that
enables viewing up to four SDI input sources via HDMI out (when the application
Program Out is not assigned).
Features
• Two Thunderbolt 3 ports
• Four bidirectional SDI BNCs configurable for up to four inputs, or four outputs,
or two inputs and two outputs.
• Dual Link I/O for 1.5G-SDI and 3G-SDI (2 x BNC)
• Quad Link I/O for 1.5G-SDI, 3G-SDI (4 x BNC)
• HDMI 1.4b (using HDMI 2.0 implementation)
• VPID signaling for SDR/HDR Transfer Characteristics, Colorimetry and
Luminance via SDI
• PQ, HLG and HDR10 Supported
• MultiView feature, able to display up to four Io X3 SDI video inputs on a single
HDMI UltraHD capable output monitor.
• Eight-channel Embedded HDMI audio
• Choice of Eight-Channel In, Eight-Channel Out, or Four-Channel In/Out analog
audio (DB25 cable, Line Level)
• Front panel LED VU meters and Headphone output w/level control
• Dedicated Reference In BNC
• Individual LTC Input and Output BNCs
• RS-422 control via 9-pin
• Rugged Chassis, Small Size
• 12V DC, 4-pin XLR Power (AC adapter included)

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Video Formats
For a list of supported video formats, see "Appendix A Specifications" on page 49.
Io X3 Audio
Io X3 provides up to 16 channels of SDI embedded audio, and up to eight
channels of embedded HDMI audio. Eight channels of analog audio I/O is
supported via a DB25 industry standard Tascam style audio breakout cable. The
eight analog audio channels can be configured as either Ch 1-8 input, Ch 1-8
output, Ch1-4 input with Ch 5-8 output or, Ch 1-4 output with Ch 5-8 input.
AJA Software & Utilities
Io X3 operates with AJA's Desktop software package, developed for powerful
integrated video/audio capture, editing, and production with a variety of 3rd-
party software. AJA software is distributed as a unified package which includes all
the software, firmware, plugins, and utility programs for the Io X3, as well as AJA’s
Io, KONA, and T-TAP products.
Two retail packages are available, one for Mac and one for Windows.
Mac and Windows 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 capture, playback and
output with AJA products.
AJA System Test
AJA System Test is a utility for measuring system performance. The application
includes:
• System Disk Test
• AJA 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.
NOTE: Theoretically the best test is to fill your storage disk to 80% and then test capture
at the highest data rate you will use.

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3rd-Party Plugins
Plugins for popular 3rd-party Professional Video Applications from Adobe, Avid,
Apple, OBS, Telestream, and others.
System Requirements
NOTE: On macOS, the Io X3 supports Apple’s M1 chip, as well as earlier Intel processors.
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 your 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.
What’s In The Box?
As you unpack the shipping box, 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, and contact your dealer or distributor
for details on how to have your Io X3 repaired or replaced.
Save packing materials and the shipping box for future use should you need to
transport your system or return it for service.
Inside the box you’ll find the following components:
• Io X3
• 12V power adapter and power cord
In This Manual
Chapter 1 - Introduces the product briefly, listing features and system
requirements.
Chapter 2 - Provides complete instructions for installing and configuring the
product.
Chapter 3 - Discusses operational aspects 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.

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Chapter 2 – Installation
Installation Overview
1. If not previously installed on your Thunderbolt equipped computer, ensure
that appropriate third party application software is installed as detailed in
its user documentation.
2. Download and install the latest Io X3 software from:
https://www.aja.com/en/support/downloads
3. Connect your Io X3 to your computer using an appropriate Thunderbolt
cable.
4. Connect the video and audio inputs and outputs.
5. Power up the unit (AC supply or battery). The Io X3 will startup
automatically.
6. AJA recommends that you now run AJA Control Panel, as this allows you to
verify that the installation has completed successfully.
NOTE: AJA Control Panel will prompt you to update firmware (if the new software
package contained a firmware update for your AJA device).
Cable Connections
Figure 1. Io X3 Connectors
Thunderbolt 3
Ports (2)
Bidirectional
3G/HD/SD-SDI BNCs (4)
DB-9F RS-422
Machine Control
Balanced Audio In/Out
DB-25F (8-Ch)
4-Pin XLR
DC Power Input
HDMI
Output
HDMI
Input
LTC Output
LTC Input
Reference
Input
Connector Descriptions
Thunderbolt 3
The Io X3 provides the third-generation Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports to support
increased bandwidth between host computer and I/O device. Two ports are
provided for daisy-chained network configurations.
The left port with the special logo is meant to identify the downstream
Thunderbolt 3 port. The port on the right with the standard logo is meant to
indicate the upstream port that is to be connected to the host computer. Despite
a regulatory need to label one of these ports as downstream, the Io X3 actually
has a fully symetric Thunderbolt implementation. Either port can be used for
either an upstream or downstream connection.

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NOTE: Io X3 does not support host computer charging through the standard logo
'upstream' Thunderbolt port.
Bi-directional SDI I/O
Four bidirectional BNC connectors can be configured in a variety of ways via the
AJA Control Panel, including:
• Two HD/SD inputs (SDI 1 and SDI 2) and two outputs (SDI 3 and SDI 4)
• Four HD/SD inputs (SDI 1, SDI 2, SDI 3, SDI 4)
NOTE: Some third-party applications (examples: OBS Studio, Wirecast, Vmix) may
support other input/output configurations. Please see the relevant AJA Quick
Start Guide document for the application you are using.
HDMI Input and Output
Two HDMI connectors provide input and output of HDMI video and multi-
channel embedded audio.
• HDMI 1.4b input and output (using HDMI 2.0 implementation) supporting
resolutions at up to 60p (4:2:2), 10-bit
• Supports two or eight channel HDMI audio input and output
HDMI output also supports:
• HDR 10 Support - HDR Infoframe metadata, compatible with HDMI 2.0a/CTA-
861.3
• HLG Support - compatible with HDMI 2.0b/CTA-861-G
NOTE: HDCP is not supported on either input or output. HDMI output does not have
HDCP, and input sources having HDCP are not supported.
The HDMI input is designed to support long cable runs—up to 100 ft. when using
22 or 24AWG HDMI cable, or up to 50 ft. using 28 or 30AWG HDMI cable. The
HDMI output supports standard HDMI cables only.
RS-422 Machine Control
A female DB-9 connector provides connection for VTRs, camcorders, disk media
servers, and other devices using RS-422 SMPTE (Sony) protocol.
Reference Video
A dedicatec BNC connector provides reference Input. Supplying a reference signal
to the Reference input allows you to synchronize Io X3 outputs to your house
analog reference video signal (or black burst). When connecting a reference video
source, the locking signal should be the same as the input format. It is possible in
some circumstances to use an alternate format video signal as long as the basic
frame rate is compatible.
LTC Input and Output
Two BNC connectors provide dedicated LTC input and output.

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Balanced Analog Audio Input and Output
A 25-pin connector provides 8-channel balanced analog audio, 24-bit 48kHz
sample rate D/A and A/D. This will require an industry standard 8x XLR on DB-25
breakout cable (not supplied). The eight analog audio channels can be configured
four different ways:
• Ch 1-8 Output
• Ch 1-4 Input and Ch 5-8 Output (default)
• Ch 1-4 Output and Ch 5-8 Input
• Ch 1-8 Input
12V Power Connector
A standard 4-pin XLR type connector is provided for either battery or line source
power using the supplied AC power adapter.
Installing Software
NOTE: If your computer has previously had another video capture or multimedia device
installed, ensure you uninstall any related software before installing Io X3. This
will prevent any hardware or software conflicts.
Before installing the software package, ensure that your capture/editing
application is installed as detailed in its user documentation. Before using Io X3
an NLE application, it is best practice to have installed and run the software at
least once on your workstation. Next, install the AJA software package.
If at a later date you add any Io X3 supported applications that require drivers,
you must run the AJA install program again to install them.
macOS Installations
macOS High Sierra (10.13), macOS Mojave (10.14), macOS Catalina (10.15), macOS
Big Sur (11.x) and macOS Monterey (12.x) all have security requirements that may
present dialogs during installation. Please refer to the Release Notes for guidance.