Bridge Technologies VB60 QAM Manual

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Initial setup guide
last updated: 9th of Nov 2018
This guide contains extracts from the user manual for the VB60 AM Probe. Its intention is to give
the necessary information to install and configure the IP address of the unit in condensed form. For
further information on how to operate the equipment please refer to the user manual directly. It can
be downloaded by accessing the following URL: https://bridgetech.tv/vb50-vb60/
Safety points
Read the installation instructions before connecting the chassis unit to the power source.
The VB60 is intended for installation in restricted access areas. restricted access area can be
accessed only through the use of a special tool, lock and key, or other means of security.
The VB60 must only be used with the included power supply. Do not use the power supply if it
or its cables are damaged.
Only trained and qualified personnel should be allowed to install, replace or service this
equipment.
This equipment must be installed and maintained by service personnel as defined by S/NZS
3260. Incorrectly connecting this equipment to a general-purpose outlet could be hazardous.
Ultimate disposal of this product should be handled according to all national laws and
regulations.
To prevent the system from overheating, do not operate it in an area that exceeds the
maximum ambient temperature of 45 degrees Celsius. Do not place other objects on top of the
VB60 or closer than 2 inces to the sides and top of the unit as this may cause heat to build up
which could damage the unit. ir needs to flow freely around the sides and top of the unit.
Do not work on the system or connect or disconnect cables during periods of lightning
activity.
The VB60 requires short-circuit (over-current) protection. Ensure that the protective device is
rated not greater than 120 V C, 15 ; 240 V C, 16 .
If SFP modules are used ensure proper precautions are taken to protect eyes against harmful
infrared radiation. Do not look straight into the SFP module or fibers connected to the SFP
module. The SFP modules employed are certified in Laser Class 1.
In particularly dusty environments and if the wall-mount bracket is being used it may be an
advantage to mount the unit in such a way that the connectors face downwards in order to
avoid dust settling onto the RJ45 and SFP connectors.

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The VB60 QAM Probe
The VB60 AM Probe is built for real world use. Its steel exterior and fan-less design makes it
suitable for permanent placement in a harsh environment. The dedicated and custom design enables
high uptime, stability and longevity.
Each Probe is packaged separately and comes with the following included:
VB60 AM Probe unit
External 12V/40W power supply
Power cord
Serial setup cable (Type-A USB)
Wall-mount bracket assembly kit
An optional 19” rack-mount shelf capable of carrying two VB60 AM Probe units side by side is
available separately:

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AC power supply
The chassis is delivered with an external 100–240V AC power supply. The VB60 must only be used
with the included power supply. Do not use the power supply if it or its cables are damaged.
Cooling syste
The Probe uses passive convection cooling and the chassis acts as a heat sink. Air needs to flow
freely around the unit. Do not place objects on top of the VB60 or closer than 2 inches to the top or
sides of the unit as this may cause heat to build up which could damage the unit.
The unit dissipates approximately 18 watts of energy during full operation. It is normal that the unit
will feel warm to the touch during operation.
Serial nu ber location
The serial number is located at the back of the unit in the vicinity of where the +12V power inlet is.
All serial numbers can also be found on the shipping box.
The serial number of the VB60 AM Probe is also available via the web GUI under About —
License.
Interfaces
The Probe unit is equipped with the following connectors
D T : 10/100/1000T For monitoring a 10/100/1000 electrical/copper signal – RJ-45.
The Probe can only monitor either the SFP input signal OR the
10/100/1000T input signal (selected from software), unless
licensed to use both inputs.
M N GEMENT:
(10/100/1000T)
Interface for running management of the probe on a separate
network. The management can also be done using the dataports (if
enabled). The interface is RJ45 and supports 10/100/1000T.
D T B:
(SFP)
Alternative SFP input used when connecting to optical networks.
Can also be used with an electrical SFP module to montor two
RJ45 ports in parallell. The Probe can only monitor either the SFP
input signal OR the 10/100/1000T input signal (selected from

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software), unless licensed to use both inputs.
Q M/8VSB: RF input – 75 ohm F-connector for monitoring RF signals as
found in digital cable networks ( AM) and off-air US terrestrial
networks (8VSB) . Supported standards are ITU.T J.83 Annex
A/B/C and 8VSB.
SERI L: Serial SETUP port for initial set-up of the Probe using serial
protocol emulated over USB. Connector is of Type-A.
+12V POWER: The power input to the Probe. Only use the included 12V/3.3A
power supply. The power inlet is located at the back of the unit
(not shown in picture above).
Connecting signal cables
Connect the AM/8VSB RF signal to the unit. Be aware that in cable networks the ground level of
the coaxial shield can lie at a different level to the normal mains ground. This can cause sparks just
when the shield is connected to the unit if the unit is connected to power. If you suspect this being
the case it is best to connect RF to the unit with the power disconnected from the AM Probe unit.
Ensure the F-connector is tightly screwed on using a tool. It is usually not sufficient to hand tighten
the connector as they will become loose over time causing signal distortions.
Connect Ethernet cables.
Connect SFP modules and optical cables if used. Ensure proper eye safety precautions are taken if
optical SFP modules are used.
Connect power to the unit using the supplied 12V/40W power supply.
Powering up the unit
For the VB60, connect the power supply to the mains source and the power supply to the probe. The
diodes should then light up and the unit will boot. Typical boot time is no more than 60 seconds.
Note that it will take some time from power-up until the modules can be accessed via the
management interface – typically the start-up may take up to one minute.
Initial set-up of IP address
There are two alternative ways of performing an initial configuration of the Probe unit:
1. By using the pre-configured IP address of the Probe management port
2. SETUP via serial console emulated over USB

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For most users the first method will be the easiest.
Initial configuration using the pre-configured IP address
The Probe is shipped with the following factory settings:
Management (eth1) IP address: 10.0.20.101
Management (eth1) subnet mask: 255.255.0.0
In order to connect to the eth1 management port, the PC used for set-up should have corresponding
network settings. Typically a lap-top PC is used for initial configuration. Connect directly to the
device’s eth1 management port using an Ethernet cable.
For Windows, the network parameters are set in the Control Panel — Network and Internet — Net-
work and Sharing Center — Network Connection — Properties — Internet Protocol Version 4
Properties view, as shown in figure below. Select the user defined address, and set the PC’s IP
address to 10.0.20.100 and the subnet mask to 255.255.0.0.
When the IP address of the PC has been set to match the VB60 factory setting, the permanent
network settings can be configured through the VB60 web browser interface.
Serial SETUP via serial console e ulated over USB
If the Probe for some reason cannot be reached through Ethernet communication, the initial set-up
may be performed via the serial SETUP port on the unit front. For the initial set-up, you must do the
following:
1. Installing a driver for the USB communication, if not already supported by the operating
system
2. Setting the management IP address

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Most operating systems will have native support for the FT232 driver needed. When a USB cable is
connected between a PC and the Probe, the operating system will detect a new USB device. For
Windows, the new device will appear as a COM port in the Device Manager view as shown in
figure below.
If your operating system does not detect the Probe, you may have to download and install a driver
for it. The driver may be downloaded directly from the chip manufacturer at
http://www.ftdichip.com/
Select first Drivers, then VCP followed by the operating system (VCP is short for Virtual COM
Port).
If it is not already connected, connect the USB cable between the SERIAL port on the Probe and a
USB port on the PC.
Start a terminal program. Windows XP users can use Hyperterm, Linux users can use minicom. For
modern versions of Windows, that do not ship with a terminal program, the free application PuTTY
may be downloaded from http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/
Select the new COM port that should appear as the SERIAL setup cable is plugged in (Linux users
should check /var/log/messages to see what device to use) and establish a serial connection to the
Probe using these communication parameters:
• Baud rate: 9600
• Data bits: 8
• Parity: None
• Stop bits: 1
• Flow control: None
Press Enter a few times to bring up the login prompt. Log in using the user name admin and the

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password elvis (this password can be changed in the Setup – Security view).
A simple text based menu system like the one in figure below should now be displayed. To change a
setting, press the appropriate character from the left-most column, enter the new value and confirm
by pressing Enter . If DHCP is enabled, you can find the currently assigned IP address by selecting
the ethStatusDoc option.
The Probe is equipped with two network interfaces called management (or eth1) and data/video (or
eth0). It is necessary to configure at least one of these interfaces from the terminal and then do the
rest of the setup from a web browser. Depending on the installed license, an additional data
interface, labelled data2 (eth2), may also be available.
The Probe supports both in-band management (i.e. using eth0 for both data/video and management)
and separate management (i.e. using eth1 for management). In any case make sure that the subnets
configured for eth0 and eth1 do not overlap – otherwise the Probe will not work properly. Note that
if IP addresses for eth0 and eth1 are configured so that the subnets overlap, the IP address of one of
the ports will be automatically set to 1.1.1.1 by the Probe.
To configure the management interface, edit values for ipaddress, netmask and mm_gateway or
enable dhcp instead.
Make sure Management is enabled (set to true) – otherwise management via web will not be
possible.
To configure the data/video interface, enter values for data_ipa, data_mask, data_gateway or
alternatively enable data_dhcp. Set data_management to true to enable web access via the data
interface.
When all the listed parameters have been configured, the Probe must be rebooted to let the
parameters take effect. This is achieved by selecting the reboot option and confirming by selecting
‘t’ for TRUE.

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Verify that GUI launches correctly
Once the Probe management network interface have been configured, all further configuration takes
place using a web browser over HTTP.
Launch a web browser application on the management PC. The following web browsers are
supported:
• Microsoft Edge
• Microsoft Internet Explorer 11 or higher
• Mozilla Firefox 29 or higher
• Google Chrome
• Apple Safari
Type the IP address of the Probe in the browser URL field and press Enter. The IP address of the
Probe is that of the eth0 or eth1 port (the one used for management) as set in the initial setup
procedure. The default management view should be displayed inside the browser. The Probe
interface is shown in figure below. Some functionality may require additional licenses to be
installed.

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Initial troubleshooting
If there are problems bringing up the Probe web-based management interface, verify the following:
• Verify that the laptop and the Probe are configured on the same subnet and that they have
different addresses. The network settings of the Probe can be verified through SERIAL setup
as described earlier.
• Make sure that the IP address of the gateway and the network interface are not the same
• Verify that the appropriate Ethernet link indicators of the PC and Probe are lit
• Verify that web browser proxy settings are not interfering
• Verify that local firewall settings on the laptop are not interfering
• Make sure that the management and data/video subnets do not overlap (even if only one is
physically connected)
• Make sure the Probe was rebooted to activate the new settings
• Clear the browser’s cache
Other Sources of Infor ation
Following are some additional resources to consider if you need information that is not part of the
BRIDGE Technologies technical documentation, or if you have questions that are not related to a
particular product.
General infor ation
To learn more about BRIDGE Technologies products, services, and company news.
Visit http://www.b ridgetech.tv
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Email info@b ridgetech.tv
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