ARRI WCU-4 User manual

WCU-4
Wireless Compact Unit
USER MANUAL
2nd May 2016
WCU-4
Wireless Compact Unit
USER MANUAL
2nd May 2016

2
Imprint
Copyright © 2015 Arnold & Richter Cine Technik GmbH & Co.
Betriebs KG. All rights reserved. No parts of this document may
be reproduced without prior written consent of Arnold & Richter
Cine Technik GmbH & Co. Betriebs KG. Specifications are subject
to change without notice. Errors, omissions, and modifications
excepted.
ARRI, ALEXA, AMIRA, LDS and LENS DATA SYSTEM are
trademarks or registered trademarks of Arnold & Richter Cine
Technik GmbH & Co. Betriebs KG. All other brands or products are
trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders and
should be treated as such. Original version.
For further assistance
ARRI Cine + Video Geräte Gesellschaft m.b.H.
Pottendorferstraße 23-25/3/1
A-1120 Vienna Austria
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.arri.com
Scope
This User Manual applies to the following product:
K2.72103.0 WCU-4 with Software Update Packet SUP 2.2
Revision history
Version ID Order # Release Date
01 10000445 K5.74422.0 FG1156 17.06.2013
02 10000445 K5.74422.0 W01003 27.11.2013
03 10000445 K5.74422.0 W01004 15.01.2014
04 10001397 K5.74422.0 W01071 09.02.2015
05 10001397 K5.74422.0 W01077 28.09.2015

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06 10001397 K5.74422.0 W01107 02.05.2016

4
Disclaimer
Before using the products described in this manual, be sure to read
and understand all the respective instructions.
The ARRI Wireless Compact Unit WCU-4 is only available to
commercial customers. By utilization, the customer agrees that
the WCU-4 or other components of the system are deployed for
commercial use only. Otherwise the customer must contact ARRI
before utilization.
While ARRI endeavors to enhance the quality, reliability and
safety of their products, customers agree and acknowledge that
the possibility of defects thereof cannot be eliminated entirely. To
minimize the risk of damage to property or injury (including death)
to persons arising from defects in the products, customers must
incorporate sufficient safety measures in their work with the system
and heed the stated canonic use.
ARRI or its subsidiaries do not assume any responsibility for losses
incurred due to improper handling or configuration of the WCU-4 or
other system components.
ARRI assumes no responsibility for any errors that may appear in
this document. The information is subject to change without notice.
For product specification changes after this manual was published,
refer to the latest published ARRI data sheets or release notes, etc.,
for the most up-to-date specifications. Not all products and/or types
are available in every country. Please check with an ARRI sales
representative for availability and additional information.
Neither ARRI nor its subsidiaries assume any liability for
infringement of patents, copyrights or other intellectual property
rights of third parties by or arising from the use of ARRI products or
any other liability arising from the use of such products. No license,
express, implied or otherwise, is granted under any patents,
copyrights or other intellectual property right of ARRI or others.
ARRI or its subsidiaries expressly exclude any liability, warranty,
demand or other obligation for any claim, representation, cause,
action, or whatsoever, express or implied, whether in contract or
not, including negligence, or incorporated in terms and conditions,
whether by statue, law or otherwise. In no event shall ARRI or its
subsidiaries be liable for or have a remedy for recovery of any
special, direct, indirect, incidental, or consequential damages,
including, but not limited to lost profits, lost savings, lost revenues

5
or economic loss of any kind or for any claim by a third party,
downtime, good-will, damage to or replacement of equipment or
property, any cost or recovery of any material or goods associated
with the assembly or use of our products, or any other damages or
injury of the persons and so on or under any other legal theory.
In the event that one or all of the foregoing clauses are not
allowed by applicable law, the fullest extent permissible clauses by
applicable law are validated.

6 Table of Contents
Table of Contents
1 ................................................................................................1
2 For your safety..................................................................... 8
3 Audience and intended use.............................................. 10
4 Scope of delivery and warranty........................................11
5 Introduction.........................................................................12
6 Getting started....................................................................14
7 Overview..............................................................................16
7.1 Wireless and wired operation.................................... 16
7.2 Control functionalities.................................................16
7.3 LDS - Lens Data System...........................................16
7.4 Hardware combinations............................................. 18
8 Layout..................................................................................19
9 Control Panel...................................................................... 22
10 Home Screen...................................................................... 24
10.1 Motor calibration.........................................................25
10.2 Camera remote.......................................................... 26
10.3 FOCUS setup.............................................................30
10.4 IRIS setup.................................................................. 32
10.5 ZOOM setup.............................................................. 34
11 Menu.................................................................................... 36
11.1 Radio Channel........................................................... 37
11.2 Control Setup............................................................. 38
11.3 Motor Setup............................................................... 41
11.4 Pre-marked Focus Ring............................................. 43
11.5 Lens Data...................................................................44
11.5.1 Lens programming.........................................44

Table of Contents 7
11.5.2 Circle of confusion......................................... 54
11.6 User Buttons.............................................................. 55
11.7 Backlight.....................................................................56
11.8 User Settings............................................................. 57
11.9 Firmware.................................................................... 58
11.10 System Info................................................................ 61
11.10.1 Region settings.............................................. 62
12 Appendix............................................................................. 63
12.1 Screen Icons.............................................................. 63
12.2 Screen Messages...................................................... 65
12.3 Part numbers............................................................. 66
12.4 Compatibility...............................................................68
12.5 Pinouts....................................................................... 70
12.6 Dimensions and weight..............................................71
12.7 Radio system............................................................. 72
12.8 Service Mode............................................................. 73
12.9 Service contacts.........................................................77
12.10 International declarations........................................... 78

8 For your safety
2 For your safety
Before use, please ensure that all users read, understand, and
follow the instructions comprehensively in this document.
Risk levels and alert symbols
Safety warnings, safety alert symbols, and signal words in these
instructions indicate different risk levels:
DANGER!
DANGER indicates an imminent hazardous situation, which, if
not avoided, will result in death or serious injury.
WARNING!
WARNING indicates a potentially hazardous situation, which, if
not avoided, may result in death or serious injury.
CAUTION!
CAUTION indicates a potentially hazardous situation, which, if
not avoided, may result in minor or moderate injury.
NOTICE
NOTICE explains practices not related to physical injury. No
safety alert symbol appears with this signal word.
Note: Provides additional information to clarify or simplify a
procedure.

For your safety 9
Vital precautions
DANGER!
Risk of electric shock and fire!
Short-circuits may entail lethal damage!
Before use, read and follow all valid instructions.
Use solely and exclusively as described in the instructions.
Never open. Never insert objects.
For operation, always use a power source as indicated in the
instructions.
Always unplug the cable by gripping the plug, not the cable.
Never try to repair. All repair work should be done by a qualified
ARRI Service Center.
Never remove or deactivate any safety equipment (incl. warning
stickers or paint marked screws).
Always protect from moisture, cold, heat, dirt, vibration, shock, or
aggressive substances.
General precautions
Use only the tools, materials and procedures recommended in this
document. Unplug all cables during transport.
Do not store the WCU-4 in places where it may be subject to
temperature extremes, direct sunlight, high humidity, severe
vibration, or strong magnetic fields.

10 Audience and intended use
3 Audience and intended use
NOTICE
The product is solely and exclusively available for commercial
costumers and shall be used by skilled personnel only. Every
user should be trained according to ARRI guidelines. Use the
product only for the purpose described in this document. Always
follow the valid instructions and system requirements for all
equipment involved.
The WCU-4 is solely and exclusively for use on professional
camera setups.

Scope of delivery and warranty 11
4 Scope of delivery and warranty
NOTICE
Product and packaging contain recyclable materials. Always
store, ship, and dispose of according to local regulations.
ARRI is not liable for consequences from inadequate storage,
shipment or disposal.
Delivery
On delivery, please check that the package and content are intact.
Never accept a damaged or incomplete delivery. A complete
delivery includes:
Wireless Compact Unit WCU-4
Hand strap
Lanyard
Plain white marking ring
SD-Card
User manual
Original packaging
Warranty
For scope of warranty, please ask your local ARRI Service Partner.
ARRI is not liable for consequences from inadequate shipment,
improper use, or third-party products.

12 Introduction
5 Introduction
The Wireless Compact Unit WCU-4 is a lightweight, ergonomic
hand unit offering up to 3-axis lens control. Rugged and splash
proof, it features an easy-to-read lens data display, vibrating alerts
that allow focus pullers to keep their eyes on the action and ALEXA
remote control functionality. The large lens data display reflects
ambient light and remains clearly visible even in direct sunlight,
while the backlit focus knob and control buttons allow the WCU-4 to
also be used in darkness.
WCU-4 Main Features:
Ergonomic 3-axis lens control
Vibrating markers
Easy-to-read lens data display
Ultrasonic distance readout
Backlit focus knob with adjustable friction
Pre-marked focus rings
Focus tracking function
Remote REC and tally
Advanced camera remote control
Lens programming interface
NOTICE
To tap the full potential of the device, have all connected units
updated to the latest available firmware.
Visit www.arri.com/ecs/wcu-4 for up-to-date prod-
uct information and software updates.

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How to use this manual
Connectors are all written in capital letters, for example, LCS.
Buttons are all written in capital letters, for example, MENU soft
button.
Menus and screens are written in italic letters, for example home
screen.
The appendix at the back of the manual contains useful reference
material including radio frequencies, spare parts and additional
accessories, connector pin-out diagrams and dimensional
drawings.

14 Getting started
6 Getting started
This quick start guide takes you through setting up the WCU-4 with
a motor controller and up to three motors for wireless lens control.
Setting up motor controller
First, set up the motor controller on the camera. For details, please
consult the motor controller manual. Make sure to set the correct
motor side/direction and torque.
Powering up hand unit
Insert a Sony NP-FM 500H Li-Ion battery (ARRI order no.
K2.47851.0), or connect the hand unit via cable.
Press the POWER button momentarily. The WCU-4 screen will light
up.
Connecting to motor controller
Press the MENU button. Enter the Radio Channel menu. Select
the same radio channel as set on the corresponding ARRI motor
controller with white-coded radio modem. Check for proper region
settings (See "Region settings", page 62)
Make sure that the radio transmission is switched on (upper center
soft button). Return to Home screen by pressing the BACK or
HOME button. The selected radio channel will be indicated in the
top center area of the HOME screen. A signal strength indicator will
be displayed as soon as a connection between WCU-4 and motor
controller is established.
NOTICE
It may not be legal to operate the Wireless Control Unit WCU-4
in a country/region other than the country/region selected in
the WCU-4 region menu. Switch radio off and use the device in
hardwired mode if you are unsure of the correct region setting.

Getting started 15
Calibrating motors
Calibrate the motor(s) by pressing the CAL soft button on the
WCU-4 Home screen or on the motor controller.
NOTICE
Note: Motors must be recalibrated under the following
conditions:
When a motor is detached from the lens
After changing motors
After changing lenses
After a change in a motor position while powered down
NOTICE
Omitting motor calibration might lead to damage of the lens due
to the high level of motor torque!
Using a Pre-Marked Focus Ring
The use of pre-marked focus rings on the WCU-4 hand unit
requires lens data from the motor controller or camera.
Press the WCU-4 MENU button. Enter the Pre-Marked Focus
Rings menu and select a focus ring. Return to Home screen by
pressing the BACK or HOME button. The selected focus ring will
be indicated next to the numerical focus value in the center of the
screen. The digital focus scale on the display will now align with the
pre-marked focus ring.
You are now ready to shoot.

16 Overview
7 Overview
7.1 Wireless and wired operation
The WCU-4 can be connected wireless or hardwired to camera or
motor controller. Three hand units are operable wireless in parallel.
In both modes, wired or wireless, all remote control functions are
given.
In hardwired operation, the WCU-4 is powered via cable (See
"Electrical Data", page 72 for information about the power
supply). Unplugging the cable, forces the WCU-4 to shutdown.
The connection mode is displayed in HOME screen (See "Screen
Icons", page 63).
7.2 Control functionalities
The WCU-4 is capable to control up to tree motors (focus/
iris/zoom), start/stop the recording, and control other camera
parameters (See "Camera remote", page 26).
7.3 LDS - Lens Data System
Lens data
Lens data is a continuous stream of information about the focus, iris
and zoom settings of a lens. The data is sent by either camera, or
motor controller.
Lens data is displayed on the WCU-4 HOME screen.
Lens mapping
Lens mapping is the mapping of a lens focus scale to a predefined,
premarked focus ring on the WCU-4. See "Pre-marked Focus
Ring", page 43 for further information.

Overview 17
Focus tracking
Focus tracking is a continuous, automatic focus adjustment based
on the distance measured by an ultrasonic measuring device such
as the UDM-1. The distance information will be forwarded from the
camera or the motor controller to the WCU-4.

18 Overview
7.4 Hardware combinations
The WCU-4 can be combined with hardware shown below.
NOTICE
See "Compatibility", page 68 for detailed information about
hardware compatibility.

Layout 19
8 Layout

20 Layout
Interface Description
Antenna Integrated antenna.
Power
Button
Switches the unit on/off. Press button briefly to
power-on the unit. Press and hold for approx. 3
seconds to turn the unit off.
REC But-
ton
Press button briefly to start/stop recording.
Status
LED
Displays the same status as currently shown on
the camera.
Ambient
Light Sen-
sor
Controls display luminance as well as scale ring
and button illumination in automatic mode.
Upper
Soft But-
tons
Press button briefly to select the menu item shown
below.
Lower
Soft But-
tons
Press button briefly to select the menu item shown
above.
USER
Button
User configurable push button.
Screen 3” transflective TFT color panel.
Displays camera and lens status and control infor-
mation.
Focus
Knob
Controls focus lens motor. Re-configurable to iris
lens motor control.
Friction
Adjust-
ment
Adjusts the friction for the focus knob. Press and
hold the center button. Turn the focus knob clock-
wise to increase the friction. Turn the focus knob
counterclockwise to decrease the friction.
Iris Slider Slider controls iris lens motor. Re-configurable to
focus lens motor control.
Zoom
Stick
Pressure-sensitive switch that controls zoom lens
motor and can be used to scroll through the menu.