Altinex MT304-203 User manual

MT304-203 DP/HD/VGA 3x1 HDMI Switch User’s Guide
400-0749-002 1
Welcome!
Everyone at Altinex greatly appreciates your purchase of the
MT304-203. 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
MT304-203. 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 MT304-203 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 MT304-203.
1.3 Cleaning
•Clean the MT304-203 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 entire online manual to become familiar with the MT304-203 and for detailed installation instructions
and configuration details.
Step 1: Turn off power to the MultiTasker enclosure.
Step 2: Remove one slot cover to make room for the MT304-203.
Step 3. Slide the MT304-203 into the enclosure making note of the slot number. This is needed for control.
Step 4. Secure the card to the enclosure using the thumb screws attached to the card.
Step 5. Restore power to the enclosure and wait for the system to initialize.
Step 6. Connect the video cables to the MT304-203.
Step 7. On a LAN, the enclosure IP can be discovered via a UDP broadcast of “?Altinex” to port 30305.
Step 8. The MT304-203 is now ready for operation. By default, the card automatically switches to the most recently applied signal.
The card may also be controlled via a third-party app and disabling auto-switch.
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 [email protected].

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4. Technical Specifications
Specifications are subject to change due to design improvements. Please see www.altinex.com for up to date information.
Features/Description
MT304-203
Input Connectors
Digital Video + Audio
HDMI F, Type A (1)
Stereo audio (for VGA)
3.5 mm F (1)
VGA Video
15-pin HD F (1)
DisplayPort Video
DisplayPort F (1)
Output Connectors
Digital Video + Audio
HDMI F, Type A (1)
Compatibility
Signal types
HDMI, RGBHV, DisplayPort
Signal resolution
HD Resolutions up to 1080p
Table 1. MT304-203 General
Mechanical
MT304-203
Material
Aluminum
Color
Black
Enclosure slots
1
Weight
0.76 lbs. (0.35 kg)
Connector Panel
Black Anodized
T° Operating
10°C-45°C
Humidity
90% non-condensing
MTBF (calc.)
38,000 hrs.
Table 2. MT304-203 Mechanical
Electrical
MT304-203
Video Input Signals
VGA
R, G, and B
H and V
0.7Vpp nominal
TTL Logic
DisplayPort
DisplayPort Standard
Digital Video + Audio
HDMI Standard
Video Output Signals
Digital Video + Audio
HDMI Standard
Power
+12V
0.5 A (6 W) max.
Table 3. MT304-203 Electrical
.

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5. About Your MT304-203
•Switch VGA, DisplayPort, or HDMI input to HDMI output
•Auto-switch mode automatically switches to new signal
•Video mute available through RS232 or TCP/IP control
•Save default settings
•Group control –single command controls multiple boards
•Hardware on-off for power saving
The MT304-203 is a 3x1 multi-format switch card. Switch any of the inputs VGA, DisplayPort, or HDMI to the HDMI output. The input
is automatically converted to HDMI format and video displayed. The VGA video input is mixed with the analog audio fed into the
3.5 mm stereo port and added to the HDMI stream on the output.
Once converted to HDMI, you can use the output video to feed a matrix switcher or other MultiTasker cards to transmit the video over
HDBT, IP, or fiber optic cable.
Auto-switch mode allows the card to automatically switch to a new input without the need for an external controller. In the event direct
control is required, the input can be switched using RS232 or TCP/IP commands sent directly to the MultiTasker enclosure.
Once configured for desired operation, the card configuration may be saved. This configuration is automatically restored after a
system reset or after system power off and on. When using an external controller, the MT304-203 accepts direct card commands or
group commands. Group commands allow all cards in a group to be controlled using a single command.

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6. Application Diagrams
Diagram 1: Typical Setup

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Diagram 2: Internal View

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7. Operation
7.1 Control
The MT304-203 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.
7.1.1 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
7.1.2 Command Basics
The control commands for the MT304-203 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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Common Commands
1. [C]
This command displays a user formatted status of the card.
Command Format: [Cii]
Example:
Display the status of the MT304-203 card in slot 4 by
sending [C04].
The MT304-203 returns the status in the format below.
MT304-203
HD-VG-DP HD OUT
ACTIVE INPUT 3 VGA
DEFAULT INPUT 3 VGA
VIDEO OUTPUT ON
AUTO-SWITCH ON
CARD POWER: 11254 mW
CARD TEMP: 28C
GROUP: NONE
2. [?C]
Read the complete controller configuration in a machine
parseable format.
Command: [?Cii]
Feedback:
[(MT304-203C04)(VR690-0460-004C04)(IN3C04)
(ON1C04)(AU1C04)(PR11571C04)(TP28C04)]
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
(MT304-203C04)
Model number
(VR690-0460-004C04)
Firmware version
(IN3C04)
Active input signal
(ON1C04)
Output on/off
(AU1C04)
Auto switch on/off
(PR3011C04)
Power in milliwatts
(TP22C04)
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 Input 3 is selected, it will be set on the next power up.
Command Format: [CiiS]
Cn = Card ID (n = # from 1 to max slots)
S = Save configuration
MT304-203
HD-VG-DP HD OUT
Active Input 2
Default Input 2
Auto-switch ON
CARD POWER: 2377 mW
CARD TEMP: 21C
GROUP: NONE
[SAVEDC4]
4. […S] –SAVE
This command saves the configuration command being
sent in memory. Send [IN3C4S] and after reset or power
up, Input 3 is the active signal. 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.
[MT304-203,HD-VG-DP HD OUT C04]
6. [FRST]
This command clears the card, restoring the factory default
settings. After factory reset, groups are cleared, Input 3
(VGA) is the default video, auto-switch is enabled, and
output video is enabled.
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.

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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.
Typically, configuration commands like [QUIET], [AUTO],
[STA], etc. are not group commands.
Command Format: [GROUPxCii]
x = Group ID (x = # from 1 to 8)
Send the command without the group number to read the
current assigned groups.
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, [IN3G2].
Send [GROUPC4] and the card responds with the current
group assignments: [2C4]
If the card is not assigned to any groups, [ERC4] is
returned as feedback.
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.
Command Format: [HWENxCii]
x = On/off (1 = on, 0 = off, T=toggle)
Example:
Disable the hardware to the card in slot 4 by sending the
following command:
[HWEN0C4]
Send the command without a setting to read the current
value; [HWENC4] returns:
[0C4]
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:
[MT304-203C04]
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 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 in 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. [QUIET]
This command enables/disables the standard
acknowledgement feedback for control commands. This
allows for faster control of cards as there is no need to wait
for feedback from each card before proceeding to the next
card command.
In quiet mode, send a command like [IN1C4] and there is
no acknowledgement [C04].
If quiet mode is disabled, send [IN1C4] and receive [C04]
acknowledging the command was received.
Command Format: [QUIETxCii]
x = On/off (1 = on, 0 = off)
Example:
Enable quiet mode on the card in slot 4 by sending
[QUIET1C4] and receiving feedback [C04].
See the current quote mode status by sending [QUIETC4].
The feedback is as follows:
[1C04] The “1” indicates quiet mode is enabled.
14. [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 [RSTC04] indicating the card is resetting.

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15. [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
IN Selected input
ON Output on/off status
AU Auto-switch on/off status
PR Power consumption
HW Hardware enable
TP Card Temperature
Send the command without the setting to receive the
current status of the unsolicited feedback.
16. [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:
[24C04]
17. [VER]
This command displays the software version of the card.
Command Format: [VERCii]
Example:
Send the command [VERC4] to check the version of the
MT304-203 in slot 4. The card returns feedback:
[690-0460-004C04]
690-0460-004= firmware version
C04 = card ID
Switch Commands
The following commands are unique to the switcher.
18. [AUTOx]
This command enables and disables auto-switch. In
auto-switch mode, the switch automatically switches to a
new input video signal.
Command Format: [AUTOx]
x = Input (x = 0 = off, 1 = on)
Example:
Enable auto-switch by sending the command [AUTO1C4].
The card returns feedback:
[C04]
Send the command without the setting, [AUTOC4], to
receive the current status of the unsolicited feedback.
[1C04]
19. [INx]
This command selects the input video to display on the
HDMI output.
Command Format: [INx]
x = Input
x = 1 or D for DisplayPort input select
x = 2 or H for HDMI input select
x = 3 or V for VGA input select
Example:
Select the VGA input by sending the command [IN3C4] or
[INVC4]. The card returns feedback:
[C04]
Send the command without the setting, [INC4], to receive
the current status of the unsolicited feedback.
[3C04]
20. [ON]
This command enables the HDMI output video.
Command Format: [ON]
Example:
Turn on the HDMI output by sending [ONC4]. The card
returns feedback:
[C04]
21. [OFFx]
This command disables the HDMI output video.
Command Format: [OFF]
Example:
Turn off the HDMI output by sending [OFFC4]. The card
returns feedback:
[C04]

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7.3 Summary of Commands
Common Commands
1. [C] Card status
2. [?C] Parseable card status
3. [CiS] Save all settings
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. [QUIET] Enable/disable quiet mode
14. [SFT] Reset the card
15. [STA] Enable/disable unsolicited feedback
16. [TEMP] Return card temperature
17. [VER] Return firmware version
Switch Commands
18. [AUTOx] Enable/disable auto-switch
19. [INx] Select input
20. [ONx] Turn output video on
21. [OFFx] Turn off output video

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8. Troubleshooting Guide
We have carefully tested and have found no problems in the supplied MT304-203. However, we would like to offer suggestions for the
following:
Switcher
Symptom
Resolution
LEDs on Switcher Are
OFF
1. Make sure the card is plugged all the way into the MultiTasker.
2. Verify the MultiTasker enclosure is turned on and has power. The name ALTINEX on the front
panel should be illuminated.
No Display
1. Check the source and make sure there is a signal present.
2. Make sure the monitor has power and is turned on.
3. If the input is a computer, make sure the computer did not go to sleep or screensaver.
Poor Output Image
1. The source resolution may not be compatible with the projector or other display device. Try other
resolutions from the source.
2. The source and display may not be compatible. Connect the source directly to the input of the
projector or other display device. If the image is poor the devices may be incompatible.
System Failure
Please call the Altinex Customer Service Department at [phone] to have the unit repaired.