BR Remote Protean XMi User manual

1
Proteân XMi
Instructions
Ver 7.2 –02/07/2019

2
Contents
Introduction Page 3
Mounting Page 3
Balancing the Camera Page 4
PID Adjustment Page 4
Home Position Page 4
Inverted Rigging Page 5
Back Connections Page 5
Lens Connections Page 7
Pinouts Page 8
LCD Display Page 8
Connecting a Controller Page 8
Joystick Control Page 10
Commands Page 10
Profile Moves Page 11
Move Tracing * Page 13
DMX Control Page 13
Motion Control Page 13
Options and Accessories Page 14
Specifications Page 15
Dimensions Page 16
* Not installed at the time of writing.
B R Remote Ltd
Units 14 - 20, Setley Ridge Vineyard
Lymington Road
Brockenhurst
SO42 7UF UK

3
Tel: [phone] Email: [e-mail] www.br-remote.com
Introduction
The Proteân XMi has significant advances over previous designs and is available with a
variety of options. When referring to this manual check the options fitted to your remote head
and be sure to refer to the appropriate section.
The most usual options are;
•Camplate Extension
•Width extenders - 50mm increments
•Height Extenders –100mm increments
•2nd Side support –for heavy cameras
•Slip Rings –for continuous panning
•IP Control Interface
•Fibre Output Interface
•Fibre Control Interface
•External Lens Servo Interface
•Front Tally Light
Mounting the Proteân XMi
The Proteân XMi can be mounted either, upright, as shown in the cover picture, or inverted.
Use at least 2 mounting bolts when rigging the head inverted. Always use the safety bond
attachment on the base of the unit. This is fitted with an M6 bolt for attaching to a safety
bond or chain. This bolt passes through the base clamp and into the main pan shaft.
There are 4 mounting threads on the base of the unit. These are standard 3/8” UNC camera
mounting threads. They are arranged in pairs, diametrically on a 50mm pitch circle diameter.
The Proteân XMi must be mounted to a rigid support. Any movement in the support will
result in unwanted oscillations.

4
Balancing the Camera
The Protean XMi can cope with slightly out of balance
loads, but when power is removed the camera will tend to
rotate about the TILT axis to settle at the balance position.
With power removed adjust the balance of the camera so
that it doesn’t move or just moves to a settling position
that you have set by balancing.
One suggestion is to balance the camera Fore and Aft
perfectly but allow it to be slightly lower than neutral so
that it tends to settle horizontally when the power is
removed.
There are 3 bolts securing the camera plate to the drop
arm. These are used to adjust the camera plate up and
down for perfect balance.
Check out the video at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJy1MJTVMRU
PID Adjustment
For certain camera loads with a higher moment of inertia it may be necessary to adjust the
PID (Proportional, Integral, Differential) values of the motors.
These will need adjusting if the camera oscillates, overshoots a position or under shoots a
position.
For details of how to adjust the PID values contact BR Remote for advice and guidance.
Pan & Tilt Home Position
When the unit powers up it needs to find its absolute
HOME position. Both the Pan and Tilt HOME positions
are indicated with arrows on the pan and tilt axes.
It is very important that when the unit is rigged with a
camera that these positions are both within the working
arcs of pan and tilt. Make sure that when the camera
pans and tilts it can pass both these positions.
Failure to ensure this will render the pre-set positions and
profile moves unusable.
A ‘User Home’ position can be set if required. The
absolute HOME position cannot be changed.
If the unit fails to HOME correctly it can be driven to a
position close to HOME and use the ‘Re-Home’
command.

5
Inverted Rigging
To satisfy the HOME condition above, when rigging the
unit inverted the Drop Arm needs to be rotated through
180degrees. Using a suitable allen key,
loosen the clamp bolts as
shown.
The Drop Arm can now be
rotated on the Boss
through 180degrees to allow for mounting the unit inverted.
When inverted the camera needs to be mounted ‘back-to-front’
to orient the lens and camera connectors correctly.
Make sure that the arrow indicating the absolute HOME
position is located as shown. This enables correct homing
when powered up.
Check out the instruction video at; www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0FpOJ8BTqA&t=36s
Extending the Head
The Proteân can be extended in both width and height.
Warning: DO NOT ATTEMPT TO EXTEND THE HEAD UNLESS YOU HAVE
EXPERIENCE IN ELECTRONIC AND MECHANICAL ASSEMBLY!
A Wide Extension adds 50mm to the width. Risers add height in 100mm increments.
You may need a Long Drop Arm for taller cameras.
Check out the instruction video at; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__b_TRSu97A

6
Connections –Back
Some of the connectors on the base can be changed or configured to customer
specifications.
For example; The Data In connector can be either a 3 pin XLR for RS485 data input or an
RJ45 for IP connection. The RJ45 can be configured as a loop-thru, via the slip rings, to the
RJ45 at the top.
Data In As standard this is an XLR3 connector for D*
Protocol over RS485. It can be replaced with
an RJ45 connector and an IP interface fitted
inside. This can receive either D* or M*
Protocols over IP. Alternatively, this can be
connected through the slip rings (if fitted)
directly to the RJ45 Loop connector at the
top.
Power 48v A 48v PSU is supplied with the unit which connects here. D* data can also
be injected into this socket if required. See Pinout details below.
Dsub9 This connector is designated for motion control inputs and outputs. DMX,
Free-D or Mstar protocols can be used for positional control. Metadata, in
Free-D or Mstar format is continuously output on this connector.
The Free-D format can be either original angular format or RAW as a
numerical format which allows for 360 degree positioning data. The data
format for this connector is configured from our Multi Function Controller
or supplied with the customer requirement pre-set.

7
HDSDI out This is a 3Gb link via the slip rings from the HDSDI in connector at the top
of the unit.
Genlock in Connects directly to the Genlock out connector at the top of the unit.
HDSDI Fibre If fitted this is an ST connector and carries the HDSDI picture output from
the camera. The camera is connected to the HDSDI in connector at the
top of the unit.
Data Fibre If fitted this is an ST connector and carries the same bi-directional data as
the Dsub9 and also Dstar Protocol. To use the data on this fibre a ‘Base
Station’ is required to decode the fibre signals. This presents the signals
on the same electrical connectors as above.
Camera Power 4pin XLR supplies 12v @3A for powering cameras.
RJ45 Loop If an IP adaptor is not fitted this is a direct loop from the RJ45 socket on the
base.
CCU This is a 7pin Lemo socket which can handle bi-directional RS422 camera
CCU data and other formats. Various camera protocols are built-in. This
means that many makes of camera can be controlled via data embedded
within the movement control data (Ikegami, Sony, Hitachi, Panasonic,
JVC and others on request).
Spare A spare connector position is provided on the back. This can be fitted with
a connector and used for external functions; an external Tally Light, for
example.

8
Connectors –Front
Lens On the front of the unit are 2 x 12pin Hirose connectors. The female connector
duplicates the connector found on many cameras. Using this connector rather
than the camera connector gives the head the ability to control the iris directly and
the zoom position for the pre-set positioning functions. This connector also
provides power for the lens.
The male 12pin connector is a standard remote lens connector and outputs zoom,
focus & iris control for ‘remote-type’ lenses. If the lens is not a ‘remote-type’ and
has only one cable, you will need an adapter cable for the particular lens.
Note: Canon & Fujinon broadcast lenses sometimes use similar connectors but
control the zoom on different pins.
Zoom Position Control To use the positioning features of the Proteân, both 12pin
connectors may be required. This depends on the lens.
Iris Control To control the iris from a non BR Remote RCP and have zoom positioning control
the iris input connector needs fitting. This is a 4 pin Hirose connector. A 12pin to
4pin cable connects the camera lens connector to the iris input. The head reads
the iris commands from the camera and passes them on to the lens. It also
returns the iris position to the camera. To prevent accidental iris movement a
significant move is required to swap control from the Multi Function Controller to
the RCP and vice versa.
Lens Servo If using external lens servos, this socket can be fitted and configured to
supply data and power for lens servos. An optional tally light can also be
fitted into this position.

9
Pinouts
Data in –XLR3 Pin 1 –GND
Pin 2 - RS485 A
Pin 3 –RS485 B
Power In –XLR5 Pin 1 –GND
Pin 2 - RS485 A
Pin 3 –RS485 B
Pin 4 –n/c
Pin 5 - +48v
Motion Control –Dsub9 Pin 1 –GND
Pin 2 - Metadata Out A
Pin 3 –DMX / Free-D / M* In B
Pin 4 –n/c
Pin 5 - n/c
Pin 6 –n/c
Pin 7 - Metadata Out B
Pin 8 –DMX / Free-D / M* In B
Pin 9 –n/c
CCU –Lemo 7pin Pin 1 - GND
Pin 2 - RS 422/485 out A, (TTL out)
Pin 3 - RS 422/485 out B
Pin 4 - 12v In/Out
Pin 5 - RS 422/485) in A
Pin 6 - RS 422/485) in B
Pin 7 –n/c
Iris Input –Hirose 4 pin Pin 1 - GND
Pin 2 –Iris command FROM camera
Pin 3 –Iris position TO camera
Pin 4 –n/c
Connection to a Controller
There are several methods of connecting the Protean XMi to a control system;
1. RS485 - illustrated below
2. IP - illustrated below
3. Fibre - see additional information with fibre interface

10
To test the unit, use one of the methods below.
IP addresses are pre-configured and use UDP multicasting as the default setting. This gives
the lowest latency and control response. The system is plug-and-play if used on the same
network. To use it over the internet it is best to set up a VPN. (Virtual Private Network). No
re-configuration is required if this is done.
To re-configure the IP settings contact BR Remote for a link to the web tools.
PSU
12v
PSU
48v
RS485 Connection
PSU
12v
IPConnection
PSU
48v
Network

11
Joystick Control
Manual joystick control is generally the most common method of controlling the Proteân XMi.
Many parameters can be adjusted including joystick direction, speeds etc.
Even when being controlled manually with a joystick controller, the unit continuously outputs
positional metadata which can be used to pin graphics and other AR and VR visuals.
As supplied, the unit is set to HEAD Ident #01. To change the Head ID see the instructions
for the controller you are using.
Here are some of the commands the Protean XMi can receive and process;
Head
CCU
FUNC No.
Command Parameter
FUNC No.
Command Parameter
0
Pan, Tilt & Zoom
1 & 2
Iris
0
Focus
15 & 16
Picture Enhance
1 & 2
Iris
17 & 18
Master Gain
3 & 4
Power On/Off
19 & 20
Auto Iris
5 & 6
Pan & Tilt Gear
25
White Push
7
Reverse P&T directions
26
Auto Tracing White
8 & 9
Zoom Drift adjust
27 & 28
Auto Focus
10
Restore Factory settings
31
Pre-set white 3200k
11 - 14
Set Head ID
32
Pre-set white 5600k
23 & 24
Remote Relay
35 & 36
Camera Format
45 & 46
Tally
37 & 38
Shutter
47
Pan & Tilt Limits
45 & 46
Tally
48
Store Pre-set
51 & 52
Cam Display
49
Go To Pre-Set
53
Manual White
50
Turbo Speed
54 & 55
Red Gain
51 & 52
Cam Display
56 & 57
Blue Gain
81 & 82
PTZF Absolute positions
60
Bright
84
Profile Move Adjust
61
Saturation
85
Config & Setup
62
Knee
85
Set Home
64 & 64
Master Pedestal
85
Go To Home
66
Bars
85
Acceleration
67 & 68
Red Pedestal
85
Velocity
69 & 70
Blue Pedestal
85
Deceleration
71
Gamma
85
Set Limits
72
Black Gamma
86
Velocity Demand
73
Extened Functions (ECS)
87
Record Move Trace
74
Dynamic Noise Reduction
88
Perform Move Trace
75
Genlock & Sync
89
Set Protocol
79
Auto Black
94
PTZ Position Limits
80
Filter Wheel
95
Reverse Focus
92
Colour Matrix
96
Reverse Zoom
105
Information Request
108
Picture flip & mirror
111
Set DMX Base Address
112
Register & PID values
116
ND Filter Drive
150-189
Motion Control Commands
199
Head Settings Request

12
Most of these parameters can be adjusted with the Multi Function Controller and our
Remote Camera Panel. Virtually any setting value can be requested from the unit.
In addition to the parameters above, there are numerous ‘engineering’ commands. Setting
the PID values for Pan & Tilt, for example.
LCD Display
The LCD display on the side of the unit shows both operational and diagnostic information on
several pages. The pages are scrolled using the Echo Head Display function in the MFC
main menu.
For diagnostic purposes the cover over the display can be removed and there are Page up
and Page down buttons on the PCB. The display also shows many of the internal registers
and settings. These values may assist in diagnosing any issues that may arise. BR Remote
technicians will guide you through this process if needed.
A useful page is the Data Input page. This shows the data sent form the controller in Dstar
format.
Pre-Set Positions & Profile Moves
Up to 64 pre-set positions can be stored and recalled in the head. (dependent on controller)
Each position includes, Pan, Tilt, Zoom and Focus positions. Once stored, the positions are
saved during power loss. Simply drive the head to the required position and Store this
position as a Pre-Set.
A major feature of the Proteân XMi is that it always does a Smooth Profile Move to each
pre-set position. The profile of this move can be specified by the operator using the Multi
Function Controller.All axes, Pan, Tilt, Zoom & Focus, default to move in the same amount
of time to the pre-set position. The Zoom can be adjusted to start and stop before or after
the main pan/tilt move.
Default Total Time = 4.5sec.
Default Ramp Up = 1.5sec.
Default Ramp Down = 1.5sec.
These settings are automatically stored but
can be adjusted at any time from the Multi
Function Controller Total Time, Ramp Up
time, and Ramp Down time, Zoom Start and
Zoom Stop can be adjusted by the operator
for each pre-set position independently.

13
Fig.1 shows a profile move for Pan, Tilt., Zoom and Focus. In the move illustrated, pan has
further to move than tilt, therefore pan moves at a faster speed than tilt so that it stops at
position 2 at the same instant as tilt.
The
default setting is that zoom also moves in the same time but the zoom start and stop times
can be adjusted. The Zoom Start can be adjusted to be before or after the main move. The
Zoom End can also be adjusted to be before or after the main move. Focus moves during the
centre portion of the move so that objects of interest are not de-focused during the start or
end of the move.
The
Profile of each move is stored with each position. Fig.2 illustrates that each move TO a pre-
set position will take the time associated with that end position. Understanding this enables
efficient use of the same start position.
Fig. 2
1
3
4
5
Total Time 3
Total Time 4
Total Time 5
8
6
71
Total Time 1
Total Time 1
Total Time 1
Fig. 3
1 2
SPEED
TOTALTIME
PAN
TILT
Ramp Up Time Max Speed Time Ramp DownTime
Fig.1
ZOOM
FOCUS

14
Fig.3 illustrates the opposite situation to Fig.2. Because each of these moves ends with
position 1, each move will take the same amount of time –as defined by the profile
associated with position 1. Therefore, the speed from position 8 will be the fastest.
If the move is taking too long the operator simply needs to push the pre-set position button
again and the camera will reposition as fast as possible.
The camera will make the profile move from wherever it is to the pre-set position selected,
always in the same amount of Time. Therefore, the camera will move faster if the move is
further.
To perform the same move repeatedly use 2 pre-set positions. 1 for the start position and 1 for
the end position.
Should you just want to move to a pre-set position as quickly as possible, just push the button
again or send the GoTo command again. The head will interpret this as a command to get
there as quickly as possible.
Move Tracing –To Be Confirmed
Move Tracing is the ability to record a move made manually with the joystick. Multiple
positions are recorded and the time taken to perform the move. This move can be re-played
and the move time can be adjusted up or down. It can even play the move in reverse which
is useful for performing an accurate zoom in. Record it as a zoom out and replay it in
reverse. (Further details when complete)
These built-in features enable operators to set up simple motion control moves without
needing a controlling computer. It brings the ability to intersperse motion control moves into
live action applications quickly and easily.

15
DMX Control
The Protean XMi can be controlled by any DMX lighting control system with 16bit precision
for pan, tilt and zoom. Also, if the correct lens is used this can be controlled also. The unit
uses 8 DMX channels for full control. Selecting DMX protocol and setting the ‘Base
Address’ is done using the Multi Function Controller.
Ch Base Address - Pan coarse
Ch Base + 1 - Pan fine
Ch Base + 2 - Tilt coarse
Ch Base + 3 - Tilt fine
Ch Base + 4 - Zoom coarse
Ch Base + 5 - Zoom fine
Ch Base + 6 - Focus
Ch Base + 7 - Iris
Not all channels need to be used. At any time the operator can take manual control using the
Multi Function Controller. The unit automatically reverts to DMX control when it detects no
operator input and the DMX value changes significantly.
The Proteân XMi ensures that movement is not jerky yet remains accurate. Loss of data is
tolerated because the firmware predicts future positions based on the previous move profile
and fills in any gaps. This also enables operation with very low data rates and data drop-outs,
with just the minimum of variance from the desired move profile.
To inhibit DMX control of any channel, ensure the DMX value does not change.
Motion Control
Full positional motion control can be achieved by using any number of motion control
software applications. The unit continuously outputs Free-D or Mstar metadata in either
standard angular format or RAW numerical format. The RAW format enables metadata and
control over the full 360degrees of movement.
The unit can be controlled with commands in Dstar, Mstar, DMX or Free-D protocols. Using
Mstar protocols enables simultaneous motion control along with all other commands (eg.
CCU commands) to be sent on the same data stream, either via RS422 or via an IP network.
Dstar protocol
RS485, 9600 baud, 8 data bits, no parity, 1 stop bit.
Mstar protocol
RS422, 38400 baud, 8 data bits, no parity, 1 stop bit.
DMX protocol
RS422, 250,000 baud, 8 data bits, no parity, 2 stop bits.
RS422 line is not terminated to 120 ohm.
FreeD Protocol
RS422, 38400 baud, 8 data bits, odd parity, 1 stop bit

16
Full details of both Dstar and Mstar protocols are available on request.
Support and Optional Equipment
100m Riser –extends the height of the Proteân in 100mm
increments.
Long Drop Arm –For taller cameras or over-slinging when used with Risers.
50mm Width Extension –widens the head for wide cameras
Wide Camera Plate –to match Width Extension
Camplate Extension –moves the camera mount rearwards
for balancing. Used for standard ‘Box’ cameras with B4
lenses.
Multi Function Controller
This controller has all the functionality to achieve
the best from the Proteân.It has access to all
the set-ups and enables configuration of
protocols, limits, PID settings etc. etc.

17
Weight: 7kg (Compact)
Capacity: 10kg standard (15kg with 2nd side support)
Dimensions: Compact: W. 293mm, H. 356mm, D. 166mm
Extended: W. 343mm, H. 656mm, D. 166mm (3 x height
extensions)
Max. width clearance to camera centre. 160mm
Max. Tilt clearance from axis centre. 429mm
Movement: Pan. +/- 170deg. Continuous 360deg with slip rings.
Tilt. +/- 120deg. (with mechanical limits)
Software limits can be set on both axes.
Speed: From <0.05deg/sec to 180deg/sec.
10 electronic gears
Fully proportional control.
Position Resolution: 0.005 deg.
Power: 48v 0.1A(idle), 2.3A max. + Camera requirement
Camera PSU option –12v 3A nominal.
RS485 Data: 9,600 baud –semi duplex
RS422 Data: (Metadata) 38,400 baud –‘Free D’(P, T, Z, F, 16bit)
IP: UDP Multicast –Factory Address 192.168.0.201 - 216
Integrated Options
Fibre converters –HDSDI over fibre and/or bi-directional control over 2nd fibre. ST
connectors
IP Interfaces -Control over IP.
Specifications (TBC)

18
Proteân with 2nd Side Support, Wide Block and 2 x Risers.
B R Remote Ltd
Tel: [phone] Email: [e-mail] www.br-remote.com