Altinex MT305-804 User manual

MT305-804 HDMI Matrix Switcher 8x4 User’s Guide
400-0658-001
Welcome!
Everyone at Altinex greatly appreciates your purchase of the
MT305-804. We are confident that you will find it to be reliable
and simple to use. If you need support, please do not hesitate to
call us at 714-990-2300.
At Altinex, we are committed to developing unique and state of
the art Signal Management Solutions®for demanding audiovisual
installations. Welcome to the Altinex family of satisfied customers
around the world!
1. Precautions and Safety Warnings
•Please read this manual entirely before using your
MT305-804. You can download a full version of this
manual at www.altinex.com. These instructions are to
ensure the reliable operation of your switcher and to
prevent fire and shock hazards. Please read them
carefully and heed all warnings.
1.1 General
•Qualified Altinex service personnel or their authorized
representatives must perform all service.
1.2 Installation Precautions
•To prevent fire or shock, do not expose this unit to water
or moisture. Do not place the MT305-804 in direct
sunlight, near heaters or heat-radiating appliances, or near
any liquid. Exposure to direct sunlight, smoke, or steam
can harm internal components.
•Handle carefully; dropping or jarring can cause damage.
•Do not pull any cables attached to the MT305-804.
1.3 Cleaning
•Clean the MT305-804 with a dry cloth only. Never use
strong detergents or solvents such as alcohol or thinner.
Do not use a wet cloth or water to clean the card. Do not
clean or touch any component or PCB.
1.4 FCC Notice
•This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules.
Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1)
This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2)
this device must accept any interference received,
including interference that may cause undesired operation.
•This equipment has been tested and found to comply with
the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 2 of
the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide
reasonable protection against harmful interference when
the equipment is operated in a commercial environment.
This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio
frequency energy and, if not installed and used in
accordance with the instructions found herein, may cause
harmful interference to radio communications. Operation
of this equipment in a residential area is likely to cause
harmful interference in which case the user will be
required to correct the interference at their own expense.
•Any changes or modifications to the unit not expressly
approved by Altinex, Inc. could void the user’s authority to
operate the equipment.
2. Installation Procedures
Note: Download and read the full online manual to become familiar with the MT305-804 and for detailed installation instructions.
Step 1: Connect to the MultiTasker enclosure using RS232 at 115k baud or a TCP/IP connection; the IP address is visible on the front
panel LCD. The default IP address is 192.168.10.84 port 23.
Step 2. The MT305-804 always starts up in free-run mode; blank output with signal but no video.
Step 3. The MT305-804 is identified by its slot number in the command section that follows.
Step 4: Use control commands to switch inputs to outputs, turn outputs on and off, or to send CEC commands to turn TVs on or off.
3. Warranty and Return Policies
Please visit the Altinex website at www.altinex.com for details on warranty and return policies. In the case of a unit needing repair,
please complete a RMA (return material authorization) form by clicking the Warranty link located on the bottom of the Altinex
homepage. Once completed, please email the form to supp[email protected].

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400-0658-001 2
4. Technical Specifications
Specifications are subject to change due to design improvements. Please see www.altinex.com for up to date information.
Features/Description
MT305-804
Input Connectors
Digital Video + Audio
HDMI F, Type A (9)
Output Connectors
Digital Video + Audio
HDMI F, Type A (4)
Compatibility
Signal types
HDMI
Signal resolution
HD Resolutions up to 1080p
Table 1. MT305-804 General
Mechanical
MT305-804
Slots
2
Weight
1.0 lb. (0.45 kg)
Connector Panel
Black Anodized
T° Operating
10°C-45°C
Humidity
90% non-condensing
MTBF (calc.)
38,000 hrs.
Table 2. MT305-804 Mechanical
Electrical
MT305-804
Video Input Signals
Digital Video + Audio
HDMI Standard
Video Output Signals
Digital Video + Audio
HDMI Standard
Power
+12V Bus Power
2.0 A (24 W) max.
Table 3. MT305-804 Electrical

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400-0658-001 3
5. Operation
5.1 Control
The MT305-804 has many advanced remote control
capabilities when used in the MultiTasker enclosure. These
capabilities are accessible through standard RS232 or TCP/IP
communication. The actual controlling can be accomplished
through a computer control system or any other device capable
of sending commands.
5.1.1 RS232/TCP Interface
This section lists all the RS232/TCP control and configuration
command formats and their ranges.
The TCP/IP ports have the following default settings:
IP address... 192.168.10.84
Port.............. 23
The rear panel RS232 port has the following settings:
Baud............ 115k
Data bits...... 8
Stop bits...... 1
Parity........... None
Flow............. None
5.1.2 Command Basics
The control commands for the MT305-804 are in a simple
ASCII character format.
1. Square brackets "[ ]" are part of the command.
2. Use uppercase letters for all commands.
3. Spaces are NOT legal characters.
4. Do NOT send carriage returns or line feeds;
these are invalid characters.
A command that instructs the card only to perform an action
will generate feedback of "[Card ID]". The open bracket
followed by the card ID and then a close bracket indicates the
card received and executed a valid command. If the command
requested information from the card, the feedback generated
by the card is the acknowledgement of having received a valid
command.
[C04] Card C4 (slot 4) executed a valid command
Invalid commands generate feedback that includes "ER" and
may also include an error code.
[ERC04] Card C4 (slot 4) failed to execute a command
Check command syntax.
Check values sent are within a valid range.
Commands ending in "S" will be saved into memory.
Commands not ending in "S" are executed, but not restored at
reset or power up.
7.1.3 Conventions Used in this Manual
Card IDs:
In this manual, cards are referenced by their card ID which is
equivalent to their slot number:
C1, C2, C3, C4 ... C20
Group IDs:
Groups are referenced by their group ID:
G1, G2, G3 ... G8
7.2 Description of Commands
Each command consists of three parts: Function, Card ID, and
Save.
[ Function , Card ID Save]
Example: [VERC4]
VER = Function
C4 = Card ID or Group ID
S = Save this setting (optional)
The card ID is a unique identifier, equal to the enclosure slot
number. As the slot number, the value can range from 1 to 20
depending on the enclosure.
The group ID is a number representing a group of cards
defined with the [GROUP] command. When using the group
ID, all cards in the group perform the same instruction.
Changing the position of a card significantly affects the
commands recorded on software definitions or third-party
control systems.

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400-0658-001 4
Common Commands
1. [C]
This command displays a user formatted status of the card.
Command Format: [Cii]
Example:
Display the status of the MT305-804 card in slot 4 by
sending [C04].
The MT305-804 returns the status in the format below.
MT305-804
8X4 HDMI MAT SW
INP 01~08: 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
OUT 01~04: 01 01 01f 01x
CARD PWR: 17741 mW
CARD TEMP: 45C
GROUP: NONE
An “x” is displayed next to an output that is disabled using
the [I0Ox] command. A disabled output has no signal.
An “f” is displayed next to an output that is turned off using
the OFF command. An output that is turned off displays a
blank screen; a video signal is present.
2. [?C]
Read the complete controller configuration in a machine
parseable format.
Command: [?Cii]
Feedback: [(MT305-804C4)(VR690-0424-003C4)
(DO1111C4)(SLXXXXC4)(SI10000000C4)
(ON1110C4)(MA01010101C4)(PR17741C4)
(TP45C4)(HW0C4)]
All feedback is enclosed in brackets, “[ ]“. Each data field
within the status is enclosed in parentheses. The first two
characters identify the status type. The last three
characters are the card’s ID.
The digits in between represent the values and/or settings.
All values are fixed lengths and use leading zeros to allow
easy parsing.
Following is a breakdown of the above example.
[
Start status
(MT305-804C04)
Model number
(VR690-0424-003C04)
Firmware version
(DO1111C4)
Future
(SLXXXXC4)
Future
(SI10000000C4)
Input signals present
(ON1110C4)
Outputs on/off
(MA01010101C4)
Matrix connections
Each 2-digit input connected to
outputs 1~4 is shown reading
from left to right.
(PR17741C4)
Power in milliwatts
(HW1C04)
Hardware enabled
(TP45C04)
Temperature in °C
]
End status
3. [CiS]
This command saves the current card configuration. The
saved configuration is restored after the system is reset or
powered off, then on.
If the output mute is enabled, the mute state is saved, but
not the input settings.
Command Format: [CiiS]
Cn = Card ID (n = # from 1 to max slots)
S = Save configuration
MT305-804
8X4 HDMI MAT SW
INP 01~08: 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
OUT 01~04: 01 01 01 01
CARD PWR: 16695 mW
CARD TEMP: 45C
GROUP: NONE
[SAVEDC4]
4. […S] –SAVE
This command saves the configuration command being
sent in memory. Send [ON*C4S] and after reset or power
up, all outputs re enabled. This command only saves the
command sent. Use the [CiiS] command to save all current
settings.
5. [DISP]
This command returns the card information that is
displayed on the enclosure LCD window.
Command Format: [DISPCii]
Read what is displayed on the LCD by sending [DISPC4].
The feedback displays the text for both the top row and the
bottom row separated by commas.
[MT305-804,8X4 HDMI MAT SW C4]

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6. [FRST]
This command clears the card, restoring the factory default
settings. After factory reset, groups are cleared, Input 1 is
connected to all outputs, and all outputs are turned off;
video is playing a blank screen.
Command Format: [FRSTCii]
Example:
To clear the card in slot 4, send [FRSTC4]. The card in slot
4 is now returned to its default factory values.
7. [GROUP]
This command assigns a card to a group of cards. If a
group command is sent to the enclosure and the group
number matches, the group command is executed by all
cards in the group. The is no feedback with group
commands and not all cards or commands support group
features.
Command Format: [GROUPxCii]
x = Group ID (x = # from 1 to 8)
Example:
Assign the card in slot 4 to group 2 by sending
[GROUP2C4]. Execute a group command by sending the
command with a group ID. For example, [ON1G4].
8. [HWEN]
This command enables or disables the card hardware,
excluding the main microprocessor. Power to video and
audio circuitry is turned off. Use for saving power but to
keep response time short returning to normal operation.
This command is currently unavailable for the MT305-804.
This is not a group command.
Command Format: [HWENxCii]
x = On/off (1 = on, 0 = off)
Example:
Disable the hardware to the card in slot 4 by sending the
following command:
[HWEN0C4]
9. [MOD]
This command returns the card model number.
Command Format: [MODCii]
Example:
Read the model of the card in slot 4 by sending [MODC4];
feedback is similar to the following:
[MT305-804 C04]
10. [PRG]
This command puts the card into firmware update mode.
Only use when working with Altinex Technical Support.
Command Format: [PRGCii]
11. [PWR]
This command returns the card power consumption in
watts.
Command Format: [PWRCii]
Example:
Read the power consumption of the card in slot 4 by
sending [PWRC4]; feedback is similar to the following:
[16.07C04]
12. [PWRM]
This command is the same as the [PWR] command, but
returns power milliwatts.
Command Format: [PWRMCii]
Example:
Read the power consumption (in milliwatts) of the card in
slot 4 by sending [PWRMC4]; feedback is like the following:
[16067C04]
13. [SFT]
This command resets the card. It is the equivalent to
powering just the card off and on.
Command Format: [SFTCii]
Example:
Reset the card in slot by sending [SFTC4]. The card
responds with [C04] indicating the card is resetting.
14. [STA]
This command enables and disables automatic feedback
from the card. The feedback format is the same as the [?Ci]
command, but only changes are reported.
Only enable this feature if control software is actively
monitoring changes in the system. Enabling this feature in
an active environment does affect system response times.
Command Format: [STAxCii]
x = On/off (x = 1 to enable, 0 disables)
Feedback Prefix Definitions:
MT Card Model Number
VR Firmware Revision
DO Future
SL Future
SI Input signal present
ON Output on/off status
MA Matrix settings
PR Power consumption
HW Hardware enable
TP Card Temperature

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15. [TEMP]
This command returns the card temperature. The value is
returned in degrees Celsius.
Command Format: [TEMPCii]
Example:
Read the temperature of the card in slot 4 by sending
[TEMPC4]. The card responds with feedback:
[39C04]
16. [VER]
This command displays the software version and card type
for the card.
Command Format: [VERCii]
Example:
Send the command [VERC4] to check the version of the
MT305-804 in slot 4. The card returns feedback:
[690-0424-003C04]
690-0424-003= firmware version
C04 = card ID
Matrix Commands
The following commands are unique to the matrix switcher.
Note: The MT305-804 Matrix Switcher always starts up with
the output in free-run mode; output has video sync
present, but no video.
17. [DRV]
This command displays the internal BIOS version.
Command Format: [DRVCii]
Example:
Send the command [DRVC4] to check the version of the
MT305-804 in slot 4. Feedback is similar to the following:
[40.8.52,41.8.51,42.8.51C04]
40.8.xx = BIOS versions
C04 = card ID
18. [IxOy]
This command switches an input to one or all outputs. Input
0 can be used to disable the video output completely; this
results in no video to the display. Use the [OFF] command
to display a blank screen on the output without changing
the active input setting.
In the user status, a lower case “x” is displayed next to an
output that is disabled (OUT 01~04: 01 01 01 01x).
Command Format: [IxOyCii]
x = Input (x = # from 1~8, 0 = no signal)
y = Output (y = # from 1~4, * = all)
Example:
Send the command [I1O*C4] to connect Input 1 to all
outputs. The card returns feedback:
[C04]
19. [OFFSET]
This command reads and sets the input or offset count.
Command Format: [OFFSETCii]
Command Format: [OFFSETxyCii]
x = Input or output (x = I for input, O for output)
y = Offset (y = # from 0~90)
Example:
Read the current offset settings by sending the command
[OFFSETC4]. The card returns feedback as input offset
comma output offset:
[00,00C04]
Set the input offset to 8 by sending the command
[OFFSETI8C4].
Re-read the offset by sending [OFFSETC4]
[08,00C04]
20. [ON]
This command enables the output video on one or all
outputs.
Command Format: [ONxCii]
x = Output (x = #1~4, * for all)
Example:
Turn on all outputs by sending the command [ON*C4].
21. [OFF]
This command turns off the video on one or all outputs.
The switcher displays a blank screen on outputs that are
off.
In the user status, a lower case “f” is displayed next to an
output that is turned off (OUT 01~04: 01 01 01 01f).
Command Format: [OFFxCii]
x = Output (x = #1~4, * for all)
Example:
Turn off Output 4 by sending the command [OFF4C4].

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22. [SIGI]
This command displays the input status of all 8 inputs. A
“1” for signal present and “0” for no signal. Use the “+”
character to force a read of all inputs before displaying the
data. Use the plus to update signal status.
Command Format: [SIGICii]
Example:
Send the command [SIGIC4] to see which inputs have a
signal present. Feedback is similar to the following:
[11000000C04]
Inputs 1 and 2 have a signal. Inputs 3 to 8 do not.
23. [TVON]
This command uses TV CEC commands to turn a TV on.
Not all TVs ship with the CEC feature enabled. Check TV
menus and make sure CEC is enabled.
Command Format: [TVONxCii]
x = Output (x = #1~4, * for all)
Example:
Send the command [TVON*C4] to turn on all the TVs
connected to the matrix switcher in slot 4.
24. [TVOFF]
This command uses TV CEC commands to turn a TV off.
Not all TVs ship with the CEC feature enabled. Check TV
menus and make sure CEC is enabled.
Command Format: [TVOFFxCii]
x = Output (x = #1~4, * for all)
Example:
Send the command [TVOFF*C4] to turn off all the TVs
connected to the matrix switcher in slot 4.
7.5.5 Summary of Commands
Common Commands
1. [C] Card status
2. [CiS] Save all settings
3. [?C] Parseable card status
4. […S] Save single command
5. [DISP] Return card information
6. [FRST] Factory reset
7. [GROUP] Set or read group number
8. [HWEN] Hardware enable/disable
9. [MOD] Return card model
10. [PRG] Firmware update mode
11. [PWR] Return card power in watts
12. [PWRM] Return card power in milliwatts
13. [SFT] Reset the card
14. [STA] Enable/disable unsolicited feedback
15. [TEMP] Return card temperature
16. [VER] Return firmware version
Matrix Commands
17. [DRV] Display BIOS version
18. [IxOy] Switch input to output
19. [OFFSET] Set/read input/output offset
20. [ON]Enable video on one or all outputs
21. [OFF] Disable video on one or all outputs
22. [SIGI] Read input signal status
23. [TVON] Turn external TV on
24. [TVOFF] Turn external TV off