AVALEX TECHNOLOGIES AVR8414 User manual

OPERATION MANUAL
AVR
8414

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AVR8414 Operation Manual – Rev O
Copyright Information
© 2018 by Avalex Technologies Corporation.
All Rights Reserved.
No part of this document may be reproduced unless it is being used specifically to aid the user
in the installation and use of the product or products mentioned in this manual.
Avalex Technologies, the Avalex brand, Avalex logo, and any names of Avalex Technologies’
products mentioned in any part of this manual are trademarks of Avalex Technologies Corp. Any
reproduction of Avalex Technologies’ names or logos mentioned in this manual or otherwise not
connected with the reprinting of this manual for aiding the user is expressly prohibited without
the express written permission of Avalex Technologies Corp.
Questions, Comments, or Inquiries:
Avalex Technologies Corp.
850.470.8464
www.avalex.com
History of Revisions
Date Revision
August 2014 Original Release
November 2014 Revision A
February 2015 Revision B
April 2015 Revision C
June 2015 Revision D
January 2016 Revision E
May 2016 Revision F
August 2016 Revision G
May 2017 Revision H
July 2017 Revision J
September 2017 Revision K
December 2017 Revision L
February 2018 Revision M
May 2018 Revision N
July 2018 Revision O

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Welcome
Welcome to Avalex Technologies and thank you for purchasing the Audio Video Recording (AVR)
device. The rugged and reliable AVR allows the user the ability to record and play back both
standard definition (SD) and high definition (HD) video sources with or without sound, as well as
download files to portable memory devices for ease of storage and video analysis. Avalex
Technologies sets the industry standard by consistently innovating and developing customized
solutions to fit our users’ needs. Our products are designed to endure the harshest environments
both in the air and on the ground.
As of the Revision date, the information in this manual is current. Avalex Technologies reserves
the right to update and revise the information contained in this manual with or without notifying
current users. It is the responsibility of the user to obtain current information.
To obtain current information or a revised version of this manual, contact:
Avalex Technologies Corp.
850.470.8464
www.avalex.com
How to Use this Guide
Please review the various sections of this guide prior to using the AVR8414 to become familiar
with the device. Reading the Quick Start portion first will introduce the user quickly to the basic
functions, and to button and encoder knob use. The rest of the manual is broken into sections
providing detailed information on specific subject matter. The user should become familiar with
these subjects prior to using the recorder in order to get the most from the device.
Tips and Warnings
This symbol will let the user know the warning that follows is important and will help
operate the product in a more effective manner.
This symbol means there is a helpful tip that will aid in using and understanding the
product.

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Table of Contents
Copyright Information ................................................................................................................ 1
History of Revisions ............................................................................................................... 1
Welcome.................................................................................................................................... 2
How to Use this Guide............................................................................................................... 2
Tips and Warnings ................................................................................................................. 2
Table of Contents ...................................................................................................................... 3
Quick Start................................................................................................................................. 8
Power On............................................................................................................................... 8
Bezel Keys ............................................................................................................................. 8
Encoder Knob .......................................................................................................................10
OSD Video Overlays..............................................................................................................10
Cursor Mode.........................................................................................................................12
Storage Devices....................................................................................................................12
Recommended Storage ....................................................................................................13
Solid State Drive.............................................................................................................13
SD Card .........................................................................................................................13
Storage Uses ....................................................................................................................13
Basic Functions - Front Panel...................................................................................................15
Recording .............................................................................................................................15
Playback ...............................................................................................................................15
Video Passthrough................................................................................................................16
Jogging and Event Marker Skip Mode ..................................................................................16
Playback while Recording.....................................................................................................17
Reachback............................................................................................................................17
Set Reachback time ..........................................................................................................18
Set up a Reachback Recording through the OSD .............................................................19
Set up a Reachback Recording through the Front Panel ..................................................20
Set up Reachback – Armed Mode ....................................................................................20
Setup Reachback – Triggered Mode.................................................................................20
Start Recording from Reachback ......................................................................................21
Configuration ............................................................................................................................21
Display Outputs ....................................................................................................................21

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Recorder Dimming ................................................................................................................22
Bezel Lighting Areas .........................................................................................................22
Day/Night Mode ................................................................................................................22
Dimming Mode..................................................................................................................23
Dimming Midpoint.............................................................................................................24
Rheostat Limits .................................................................................................................25
Set Dimming Options ........................................................................................................26
28V.................................................................................................................................26
DSPLY............................................................................................................................26
BEZEL ............................................................................................................................27
Discrete Setup ......................................................................................................................28
Record Start/Stop on Discrete State Change....................................................................28
Record Start/Stop on Discrete Toggle ..............................................................................28
Record Event Mark on Discrete State Change..................................................................28
Zeroize on Discrete Edge ..................................................................................................29
Front Panel Dimming on Discrete State Change ...............................................................29
Audio Input Mute on Discrete State Change .....................................................................29
Discrete Output.................................................................................................................30
BIT Failure ......................................................................................................................30
REC Active .....................................................................................................................30
Date/Time .............................................................................................................................31
Manual Date/Time.............................................................................................................31
NTP Date/Time..................................................................................................................31
UTC Offset ........................................................................................................................33
Ethernet ................................................................................................................................34
Recorder Features ....................................................................................................................34
Managing Recording via Front Panel ....................................................................................34
Managing Recording via OSD...............................................................................................34
Setup/Start........................................................................................................................35
Recording Options................................................................................................................36
Front Panel........................................................................................................................36
MUTE .............................................................................................................................36
EVENT............................................................................................................................36

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SNAP .............................................................................................................................36
DETAIL ...........................................................................................................................36
OSD ..................................................................................................................................37
Event Mark .....................................................................................................................37
Snapshot........................................................................................................................37
Audio..............................................................................................................................37
Overflow.........................................................................................................................37
Quality ............................................................................................................................38
Record Queueing......................................................................................................................38
Pass-Through Video .............................................................................................................40
Front Panel........................................................................................................................40
OSD ..................................................................................................................................40
Playback ...............................................................................................................................41
Front Panel........................................................................................................................41
Event Marker Skip Mode................................................................................................41
OSD ..................................................................................................................................42
Ethernet Streaming ...............................................................................................................43
Ethernet Input Recording ......................................................................................................43
Front Display Menus .................................................................................................................45
Line Select Controls..............................................................................................................45
Modes...............................................................................................................................46
Storage .............................................................................................................................47
Video Devices ...................................................................................................................47
Line Select Channel Screen Status ...................................................................................48
Menu Softkey Controls .........................................................................................................49
Softkey 1...........................................................................................................................49
Softkey 2...........................................................................................................................49
STATUS .........................................................................................................................49
DIM ................................................................................................................................49
Communications (COMM) ..............................................................................................50
Messages (MSGS)..........................................................................................................50
Version (VER)..................................................................................................................50
LOG................................................................................................................................51

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MEMORY .......................................................................................................................51
List Configuration (LCFG) ...............................................................................................52
Softkey 3...........................................................................................................................52
EVENT............................................................................................................................53
MUTE .............................................................................................................................53
SNAP .............................................................................................................................53
Softkey 4...........................................................................................................................53
On-Screen Display Menus ........................................................................................................54
File List..................................................................................................................................54
File Details.........................................................................................................................55
File Naming Convention ....................................................................................................56
File Tagging.......................................................................................................................56
JPEG Viewer .....................................................................................................................57
System..................................................................................................................................57
Input Channels ..................................................................................................................58
Status................................................................................................................................58
Storage .............................................................................................................................59
Log File .............................................................................................................................60
Software Update ...............................................................................................................61
Admin................................................................................................................................61
Configuration File ..............................................................................................................63
Configuration Status .........................................................................................................64
Configure ..............................................................................................................................65
Display ..............................................................................................................................65
Recording .........................................................................................................................67
Ethernet Input Recording ...............................................................................................67
Playback ...........................................................................................................................68
Dimming............................................................................................................................69
Storage Configuration .......................................................................................................70
Advanced Features...................................................................................................................71
KLV Overlay ..........................................................................................................................71
TS Cloning ............................................................................................................................72
Bandwidth Limits ......................................................................................................................73

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Troubleshooting Guide .............................................................................................................74
Front Panel Screen is Blank ..................................................................................................74
Connector/Interface Pinout.......................................................................................................82
Alternate Communications Interface Pinout..........................................................................83
Appendix ..................................................................................................................................84
On-Screen Display Menu Diagram........................................................................................84
Sample avr8414.ini Configuration file....................................................................................85
Product Specifications ..........................................................................................................90
Avalex AVR8414 Factory Default Settings.............................................................................91
Avalex AVR8414 Dimming Legacy Default Settings ..............................................................97
Photo Diagram ......................................................................................................................99
Formatting the SATA Drive..................................................................................................100
Product Care.......................................................................................................................101
Display Cleaning Recommendations...............................................................................101
Glossary..............................................................................................................................102
Warranty Information ..............................................................................................................104
Technical Support Information................................................................................................105
Tech Support Contact Information..................................................................................105

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Quick Start
The AVR8414 rugged recording device simplifies recording and playback from multiple video
sources. It can also record audio and provides the user the flexibility to save this data/video to
multiple storage devices.
Power On
To turn the recorder on, apply 28 VDC power. The recorder will automatically turn on.
During start-up, the recorder will begin a series of built-in-tests to ensure the device is working
properly. The PWR LED will turn green when the recorder is ready for use.
To turn the AVR off, remove power.
Bezel Keys
The AVR8414 includes a combination of soft bezel keys, switches, and an encoder knob. The
bezel keys are grouped according to function as follows.
Basic menu operations
Video recording controls
Luminance controls
Softkeys controlling ladder menus
Line Select buttons controlling record and playback channels
Figure 1 - Bezel Button Configuration

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The basic function of each bezel key follows:
Enter – Press to acknowledge entries where necessary. The Encoder Knob can also
be used to acknowledge entries.
Clear – Press to clear or cancel an operation or backup. The Clear button is also a
back button for the On-screen Display (OSD).
Rewind – Press this to skip backward in 10x, 20x, 30x, 40x, and 50x speeds.
Play/Pause – Press to toggle between play and pause operation.
Fast Forward – Press to skip forward in 10x, 20x, 30x, 40x, and 50x speeds.
Day/Night – Press to switch the display between day and night modes.
Luminance – Press to increase or decrease brightness of display and keys.
Record – Press to allow one or more video signals to be recorded.
Stop – Press to stop recording.
Line Select Key 1– Press to access video inputs for recording/playback.
Line Select Key 2– Press to access video inputs for recording/playback.
Softkey 1 – Press to access the file list from the Front Display and OSD.
Softkey 2 – Press to access system status and detail pages.
Softkey 3 – Press to access live action record and playback controls.
Softkey 4 – Press to turn the OSD menu on and off.

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Encoder Knob
The Encoder Knob allows the user to:
•Navigate through the menus by turning the knob.
•Confirm selections and change cursor levels by
pressing the Encoder Knob in.
•Highlight and select a menu option.
•Jog through videos in playback mode.
•Change OSD video overlays.
•Reset the DVR without a power cycle.
Hold the Encoder Knob in for 5 seconds to restart the DVR without removing power.
OSD Video Overlays
The DVR generates multiple status overlays to display system, recording, playback, and KLV
metadata status in an easy-to-interpret format. Figure 3 below provides a description of the
DVR graphic video overlay information fields.
If the encoder knob is pressed while there is no focus on any line selects, the OSD overlay will
cycle between modes as highlighted in table 1 below. If a mode is not active, it is skipped. For
example, if the DVR is not recording or in playback, repeatedly pressing the knob will cycle
between Mode 1 and Mode 5.
Figure 2 - Encoder Knob

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Mode 3 applies to a special KLV overlay that can be displayed when KLV data is
present in the video. This KLV overlay is described in more detail in the Advanced
Features, KLV Overlay section of this manual.
Table 1 – Encoder Knob Cycles
Cycle Actions
First Press Mode 1 DVR status bar at the top and bottom of the screen.
Second Press Mode 2 DVR status bar at the top of the screen only.
Third Press Mode 3
DVR status bar at the top of the screen and KLV overlay
if KLV data is available.
Fourth Press Mode 4 No DVR status bars displayed.
Fifth Press Mode 5 DVR status bar at the bottom of the screen only.
Figure 3 - OSD Video Overlays

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Cursor Mode
Cursor mode is used to highlight or show focus on a block on the Front OLED Display. This is a
signal that the user is able to select that block; once selected, the user can change modes.
Focus blocks are used to highlight the current location of the cursor. Focus on the front panel
is indicated by a green background with black text or a dotted pattern for video ports. A
horizontal line indicates the OSD menu has been activated and the display panel menu system
is disabled. Diagonal lines across the field indicate the user is in edit mode on that particular
field.
Storage Devices
The AVR8414 comes equipped with one (1) internal and three (3) external storage options. The
internal device has 54 GB of usable memory. The DVR has an external Universal Serial Bus
(USB), a Secure Digital (SD) card, and a Solid State Drive (SSD) slot. The user can access the
USB port by removing the rubber dust plug on the front panel. To access the SD card and SSD
slots, slide the Avalex latch to the left to release the display panel door.
Video
Selected
No Focus
on Field
Focus on Field
Edit Field
OSD Menu
Open
Focus on
Video
No Focus
on Video
Figure 4 – Focus Blocks
Figure 5 – Storage Options

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Recommended Storage
Avalex recommends the use of Industrial-Standard-Temperature classified storage devices.
This will ensure continued functionality and recording in extreme temperatures.
Solid State Drive
Avalex recommends using a Solid State drive that is SATA Revision 2 compliant. SATA
Revisions 3 and later are not fully supported.
SD Card
SD cards are rated with speed class standards to denote the write speed of the media. It is
important that users select an SD card with a Secure Digital Class 10 or higher rating to
support high-definition video recording. Avalex also recommends selecting an SD card with an
industrial temperature rating. A rugged industrial grade SD card will perform at an operating
temperature of -40˚ to 85˚C and has enhanced shock and vibration performance.
Storage Uses
Both the external SSD and SD ports provide ample bandwidth for bulk storage of multiple
recording channels. The amount of storage required is user dependent. Avalex recommends a
minimum of 32 GB of available disk space to support a standard use case of two video
channels for 120 min each with audio. USB flash drives can be used for video recording, but
the slower write speed of USB 2.0 makes this port more suited for transfer of snapshots, video
files, software updates, and data import/export. The following table can assist with calculating
the amount of storage space required for a particular use case.
Table 2 – External Storage Selection
SD Class Writing Speed SD Bus Mode Recording Application
UHS 3
30MB/s
UHS-I and II
4K2K Video
UHS 1
10MB/s
UHS-I and II
Full HD Video
Class 10
10MB/s
High Speed
Full HD Video
Class 6
6MB/s
Normal Speed
HD Video
Class 4
4MB/s
Normal Speed
HD Video
Class 2
2MB/s
Normal Speed
Standard Video

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Table 3 - Storage Calculation for
AVR8414
Resolution
Quality
MB/min
NTSC/PAL
STD 9
MED
18
HIGH
27
ULTRA
53
720p25/29/30
720p50/59/60
1080p25/29/30
STD 36
MED 44
HIGH 54
ULTRA 80
1080p50/59/60
STD 54
MED 80
HIGH 104
ULTRA 134
The Ethernet port can be used to connect the device via local area networks to personal
devices, computers, etc., allowing the user to interface and stream audio/video.
Do not remove a storage device while the LED Status Sensor light is blinking or
data/video may be compromised.

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Basic Functions - Front Panel
Recording
1. Press the desired Line Select Key. A green focus block will appear on the mode field of
the corresponding line select. Press the encoder knob to edit the field.
2. Turn the encoder knob to change the mode to a desired record-armed state; press the
encoder knob again to confirm the selection.
3. Turn the encoder knob to move the focus box over to the target memory field; press the
encoder knob to edit the field.
4. Turn the encoder knob to scroll to the preferred target storage device and press the
encoder knob again to confirm the selection.
5. Turn the encoder knob to scroll to the preferred HD or SD video port.
6. Press the encoder knob to select the video source, changing its state to a selected
green-filled icon. Multiple SD video sources can be selected.
7. Press Softkey 3 to toggle the global mute settings.
8. Press the button to begin recording.
9. Press the button to stop recording.
Playback
The user can play back saved videos by using Softkey1 LIST. During playback mode, the
Pause, Play, Rewind and Fast Forward buttons are activated. To play back recordings:
1. Press the Line Select Key to choose a line to set up a playback. The focus block should
appear over the mode field.
2. Press the encoder knob to edit/change the Line Select Key mode.
3. Turn the encoder knob to PLAY.
4. Press the encoder knob to select.
5. Press Softkey1.
6. Turn the encoder knob to highlight LIST.
7. Press the encoder knob to select.
8. The selected video will play.
Exit playback mode at any time by pressing the Stop recording or button. Once playback is
complete, the Line Select Key will automatically return to RDY mode.

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Video Passthrough
The user can select the active passthrough video channel (the input video displayed on both
HD and SD video outputs) by:
•Double tapping (in quick succession) the front panel FF or REW keys (if playback is not
active).
•Selecting or unselecting a video source on the front panel Line Select.
Jogging and Event Marker Skip Mode
The default action of the FFWD and RWD buttons during playback is to fast forward or rewind
video at 10x, 20x, or 50x speeds. These buttons may also be used to skip between video file
event markers. Holding the FFWD or RWD button for 3 seconds toggles between normal fast-
forward/rewind functionality and event marker navigation. A message appears on the front
panel stating EVENT MODE ENABLED or FFW/RWD MODE ENABLED to indicate the current
mode.
During playback, the OSD displays a horizontal gray progress bar to track events and current
video location using a series of full- and half-height colored markers (Figure 6).
The Jog feature of the AVR8414 allows users to advance video by spinning the encoder knob,
which marks the current video and advances the playback. The playback progress bar marks
up to 5 past locations with white vertical lines, with the most recent location appearing as a
full-height line. The last live video location appears as a full-height green line, and the current
video location is indicated by a full-height black line. Any event markers appear on the
progress bar as a half-height black line.
In Event Marker Skip mode, pressing the FF button on the front of the AVR8414 skips to a
point in the video 4-6 seconds before the next event marker. This is to provide a buffer against
video distortion if the video encoder is heavily burdened. Pressing the FF button repeatedly, in
quick succession, results in one skip per button press and advances the video quickly through
event markers.
Figure 6 - OSD Display Progress Bar
The AVR8414 shows event markers at 1% resolution on the playback progress bar, so
the OSD progress bar can show a maximum of 100 visual markers if the events are at
equal intervals. Marked events located within 1/100th of the total video runtime from
each other appear in the progress bar as a single event mark.

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Playback while Recording
Follow the instructions for Recording. While in record mode:
1. Press Softkey1.
2. Turn the encoder knob to highlight LISTO.
3. Press the encoder knob to select. The file list will appear on the OSD.
4. Turn the encoder knob to scroll through the list.
5. Highlight a file and press the encoder knob or button.
6. The selected video will play.
7. Press Stop recording or button to end playback.
Reachback
Reachback mode is an armed recording mode. This valuable feature allows the operator to
wait until an event occurs and then use the recording buffer to ‘reach back’ into time to start
the recording. This ensures the event is fully captured along with preceding contextual frames
up to three (3) minutes in the past.
When the user activates reachback, the DVR will record to a temporary buffer, which will be
overwritten so that only the most recent video is recorded, truncating the old record data. This
is the same concept as a circular buffer; the video at the tail is overwritten by the video at the
head. When the user decides to start a recording, the recorded reachback buffer will be
prepended to the beginning of the record file so that the most recent reachback video will
appear before the recording.
Figure 7 – Progress Bar Location Markers

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Set Reachback time
Reachback time can be set in the OSD menu by navigating to Recording -> Reachback.
The time can be set to:
•30 Seconds
•1 Minute
•3 Minutes
Reachback has a 30 second limit on SD and USB storage devices due to the slower
transfer rate. SSD and INT allow for the full 3 minutes of Reachback time. Reachback
to a USB Flash Drive or an SD card slower than Class 10 is not recommended.

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Set up a Reachback Recording through the OSD
1. Open the OSD Menu by pressing Softkey 4.
2. Navigate to the Recording > Setup / Start page.
3. Set up the desired record settings within the Channel Setup area.
4. Select “Rbk Start” button from within the Channel Control area. This will start the
reachback.
5. When ready to start the recording, select the “Rec Start” button from within the
Channel Control area.
Figure 8 – Reachback Time
Figure 9 – Record Setup Page