BrightSign 4K Series User manual

HARDWARE MANUAL
4K242, 4K1042, 4K1142
BrightSign, LLC. 16795 Lark Ave., Suite 200 Los Gatos, CA 95032 | 408-852-9263 | www.brightsign.biz

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Overview ...............................................................................................................................1
Block Diagram......................................................................................................................................... 2
4K242...................................................................................................................................................... 3
4K1042.................................................................................................................................................... 5
4K1142.................................................................................................................................................... 7
Hardware Interfaces.............................................................................................................9
Power Connector .................................................................................................................................... 9
DE9 RS-232 Serial.................................................................................................................................. 9
DA15 GPIO ........................................................................................................................................... 10
RJ45 Ethernet ....................................................................................................................................... 12
USB....................................................................................................................................................... 13
3.5mm Audio Connector ....................................................................................................................... 13
HDMI Output ......................................................................................................................................... 14
HDMI Input............................................................................................................................................ 14
3.5mm IR Out........................................................................................................................................ 15
SPDIF Out............................................................................................................................................. 15
Wireless ................................................................................................................................................ 15

Environmental and Power Usage .....................................................................................16
Theory of Operation...........................................................................................................18
Power Supply........................................................................................................................................ 18
Reset..................................................................................................................................................... 18
BCM7444/7252 CPU ............................................................................................................................ 18
Built-in Flash ......................................................................................................................................... 18
SDRAM ................................................................................................................................................. 18
Serial Port ............................................................................................................................................. 19
Audio Outputs ....................................................................................................................................... 19
On-Board LEDs..................................................................................................................................... 19
On-Board Switch................................................................................................................................... 20
Reset Switch/GPIO Button.................................................................................................................... 20
SDHC/SDXC and MicroSD Slots .......................................................................................................... 21
NAND Flash .......................................................................................................................................... 21
Ethernet ................................................................................................................................................ 21
USB 2.0/3.0........................................................................................................................................... 21
Dimensions.........................................................................................................................22
Mounting Procedure ..........................................................................................................23

BrightSign 4K242, 4K1042, 4K1142
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All information provided in this reference manual applies to products under development. The characteristics and specifications of these products are subject to
change without notice. BrightSign assumes no obligation regarding future manufacturing unless otherwise agreed to in writing. © BrightSign LLC, 2014
OVERVIEW
The 4K series is a line of commercial-grade solid-state media players that can be used to decode images, audio, and
video (up to 3840x2160x60p) for digital-signage and kiosk applications. In addition to driving audio/video devices, these
players can be controlled with various networked and built-in interfaces.
This manual specifies the hardware interfaces and operational theory of the 4K series.

BrightSign 4K242, 4K1042, 4K1142
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All information provided in this reference manual applies to products under development. The characteristics and specifications of these products are subject to
change without notice. BrightSign assumes no obligation regarding future manufacturing unless otherwise agreed to in writing. © BrightSign LLC, 2014
Block Diagram

BrightSign 4K242, 4K1042, 4K1142
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All information provided in this reference manual applies to products under development. The characteristics and specifications of these products are subject to
change without notice. BrightSign assumes no obligation regarding future manufacturing unless otherwise agreed to in writing. © BrightSign LLC, 2014
4K242
Front
•DA15 GPIO
•3.5mm IR in/out
•3.5mm audio out
Left
•GPIO service button
•GPIO reset button
Right
•SDHC/SDXC flash card slot
•Status/error LED (red)
•Update LED (yellow)
•Power LED (green)
•SD activity LED (green)
•MicroSD presence LED (green)
•Ethernet activity LED (green)
•WiFi activity LED (green)
•Server connection (green)
Back
•12V Molex power connector
•HDMI out
•RJ45 Ethernet (POE)
Internal
•MicroSD slot

BrightSign 4K242, 4K1042, 4K1142
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All information provided in this reference manual applies to products under development. The characteristics and specifications of these products are subject to
change without notice. BrightSign assumes no obligation regarding future manufacturing unless otherwise agreed to in writing. © BrightSign LLC, 2014
•SATA connector
•WiFi Module connector

BrightSign 4K242, 4K1042, 4K1142
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All information provided in this reference manual applies to products under development. The characteristics and specifications of these products are subject to
change without notice. BrightSign assumes no obligation regarding future manufacturing unless otherwise agreed to in writing. © BrightSign LLC, 2014
4K1042
Front
•DE9 RS232 serial (male)
•DA15 GPIO
•3.5mm IR in/out
•3.5mm audio out
Left
•GPIO service button
•GPIO reset button
Right
•SDHC/SDXC flash card slot
•Status/error LED (red)
•Update LED (yellow)
•Power LED (green)
•SD activity LED (green)
•MicroSD presence LED (green)
•Ethernet activity LED (green)
•WiFi activity LED (green)
•Server connection (green)
Back
•12V Molex power connector
•SPDIF out
•HDMI out
•USB 3.0

BrightSign 4K242, 4K1042, 4K1142
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All information provided in this reference manual applies to products under development. The characteristics and specifications of these products are subject to
change without notice. BrightSign assumes no obligation regarding future manufacturing unless otherwise agreed to in writing. © BrightSign LLC, 2014
•RJ45 Ethernet (POE)
Internal
•MicroSD slot
•SATA connector
•WiFi Module connector

BrightSign 4K242, 4K1042, 4K1142
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All information provided in this reference manual applies to products under development. The characteristics and specifications of these products are subject to
change without notice. BrightSign assumes no obligation regarding future manufacturing unless otherwise agreed to in writing. © BrightSign LLC, 2014
4K1142
Front
•USB 2.0
•DE9 RS232 serial (male)
•3.5mm IR in/out
•3.5mm audio out
Left
•GPIO service button
•GPIO reset button
Right
•SDHC/SDXC flash card slot
•Status/error LED (red)
•Update LED (yellow)
•Power LED (green)
•SD activity LED (green)
•MicroSD presence LED (green)
•Ethernet activity LED (green)
•WiFi activity LED (green)
•Server connection (green)
Back
•12V Molex power connector
•SPDIF out
•HDMI out
•HDMI in

BrightSign 4K242, 4K1042, 4K1142
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All information provided in this reference manual applies to products under development. The characteristics and specifications of these products are subject to
change without notice. BrightSign assumes no obligation regarding future manufacturing unless otherwise agreed to in writing. © BrightSign LLC, 2014
•(2x) USB 3.0
•RJ45 Ethernet (POE)
Internal
•MicroSD slot
•SATA connector
•WiFi Module connector

BrightSign 4K242, 4K1042, 4K1142
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All information provided in this reference manual applies to products under development. The characteristics and specifications of these products are subject to
change without notice. BrightSign assumes no obligation regarding future manufacturing unless otherwise agreed to in writing. © BrightSign LLC, 2014
HARDWARE INTERFACES
This section describes the characteristics and operation of all connectors on 4K models.
Power Connector
The power connector for 4K players is rated for 12V @ 5A. The plug is a right-side positive, keyed and locking 4-pin
connector.
DE9 RS-232 Serial
The RS-232 interface is a male DE9 connector. The BrightSign 4K player is a DTE device, similar to a PC. The input to
the chip accepts a range between +25V and -25V, so it is compatible with +12V/-12V signaling.
The baud rate of the RS-232 interface (which is controlled by system software) is 115200, with no parity, 8 data bits, and
1 stop bit. The RS-232 interface supports RTS/CTS hardware flow control, but no software flow control. The maximum
cable length is 50 meters, and the total cable capacitance is 2500pF.
Note: A lower capacitance cable allows you to use cable lengths beyond 50 meters.
The following diagram illustrates the behavior of the TX and RX signal:

BrightSign 4K242, 4K1042, 4K1142
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All information provided in this reference manual applies to products under development. The characteristics and specifications of these products are subject to
change without notice. BrightSign assumes no obligation regarding future manufacturing unless otherwise agreed to in writing. © BrightSign LLC, 2014
The following table illustrates the pinout of the DE9 serial connector on 4K players:
pin Description pin Description
1 NC 2 Receive data into the device
3 Transmit data out of the device 4 Available 5V@500mA
5 Ground 6 NC
7 RTS 8 CTS
9 NC -- --
DA15 GPIO
The GPIO switch/lLED connector is a DA15 female. This connector is used to allow the player to control external LEDs or
other devices requiring 24mA of current or less.
Connect the LED outputs to the LED ANODE and connect the LED CATHODE to the ground. If you want to connect
another device, then the output is capable of sourcing or sinking up to 3.3V at 24mA, but there is a series resistor of 100Ω
in each line.
The connector also allows the connecting of external contact closures to the ground. In order to connect a switch, connect
one side of the switch to the switch input, and connect the other side to one of the ground pins on the DA15 connector.
The connector can also supply 3.3V at up to 500mA to an external device. The 3.3V output is polyfuse-protected and can
source up to 500mA.
If one BrightSign player is driving the inputs on another BrightSign player, then you can drive at most three inputs from
one output. The following calculations explain this limitation:

BrightSign 4K242, 4K1042, 4K1142
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All information provided in this reference manual applies to products under development. The characteristics and specifications of these products are subject to
change without notice. BrightSign assumes no obligation regarding future manufacturing unless otherwise agreed to in writing. © BrightSign LLC, 2014
Note: The GPIO outputs have 100 Ω series resistors; the GPIO inputs have 1K pullup resistors to 3.3V; and the input
threshold on the 541 chips is 2V high and .8V low. The high voltage is not problematic, but the low voltage can be if there
are too many inputs connected to one output.
1 out driving 1 in V=3.3*100/(100+1,000)=0.3
1 out driving 2 in V=3.3*100/(100+500)=0.55
1 out driving 3 in V=3.3*100/(100+333.3)=0.76
1 out driving 4 in V=3.3*100/(100+250)=.94 (This is too high, so 1 output
driving 3 inputs is the maximum)
The following table illustrates the pinout of the DA15 on the 4K series of players:
pin Description pin Description
1 IR blaster input 2 Ground
3 Button 6 I/O 4 Button 5 I/O
5 Button 3 I/O 6 Ground
7 Button 1 I/O 8 +3.3V output at 500mA
9 Ground 10 Button 7 I/O
11 Ground 12 Button 4 I/O
13 Button 2 I/O 14 Ground
15 Button 0 I/O -- --

BrightSign 4K242, 4K1042, 4K1142
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All information provided in this reference manual applies to products under development. The characteristics and specifications of these products are subject to
change without notice. BrightSign assumes no obligation regarding future manufacturing unless otherwise agreed to in writing. © BrightSign LLC, 2014
Here is the DA15 female as viewed from the front of a BrightSign 4K player:
A button/LED/IR board can be used to demonstrate the GPIO and IR functions on a BrightSign player. This board is built
by a third-party manufacturer and can be purchased upon request.
RJ45 Ethernet
The 4K series has an RJ45 connector for Gigabit (10/100/1000) base-T Ethernet, as well as Power over Ethernet (PoE)
capabilities. The maximum Ethernet-cable length is 91 meters for PoE applications and 100 meters for non-PoE
applications. To operate using PoE, 4K players require type-2 PoE supplying a minimum of 25W.
Important: The equipment should be connected only to PoE networks without routing to the outside plant.
The following table illustrates the pinout of the RJ45:
pin Description pin Description
1 TX+ 2 TX-
3 RX+ 4 BI+
5 BI- 6 RX-
7 BI+ 8 BI-

BrightSign 4K242, 4K1042, 4K1142
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All information provided in this reference manual applies to products under development. The characteristics and specifications of these products are subject to
change without notice. BrightSign assumes no obligation regarding future manufacturing unless otherwise agreed to in writing. © BrightSign LLC, 2014
USB
The 4K1042 has a single USB 2.0 port, and the 4K1142 has two USB 3.0 ports and a single USB 2.0 port. All ports are
capable of transfer speeds up to 480 Mbit/s. The maximum length for a USB cable is 5 meters. The following tables
illustrate the pinout of the USB 2.0/3.0 host ports:
USB 2.0
pin Description pin Description
1 VBUS 2 D-
3 D+ 4 Ground
USB 3.0
pin Description pin Description
1 VBUS 2 D-
3 D+ 4 Ground
5 StdA_SSTX- 6 StdA_SSTX+
7 Ground 8 StdA_SSRX-
9 StdA_SSRX+
3.5mm Audio Connector
All 4K models have a single 3.5mm female audio connector, which transmits an analog stereo signal. The full-scale
voltage output of the audio is 2V RMS. The output impedance of the audio connector is 32Ω.
Note: The BrightSign expansion module allows you to drive up to three sets of 5 Ω headphones directly.
The audio connector has the following pinout:
•Tip: Left audio

BrightSign 4K242, 4K1042, 4K1142
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All information provided in this reference manual applies to products under development. The characteristics and specifications of these products are subject to
change without notice. BrightSign assumes no obligation regarding future manufacturing unless otherwise agreed to in writing. © BrightSign LLC, 2014
•Ring: Right audio
•Sleeve: Ground for audio signal
HDMI Output
The HDMI-out connector is used to send digital video and audio to HDMI-enabled sink devices. This connector is
compatible with HDMI 2.0 devices, capable of outputting a maximum video resolution of 3840x2160x60p.
The following table illustrates the pinout of the HDMI connector:
pin Description pin Description
1 TX2p 2 Ground
3 TX2n 4 TX1p
5 Ground 6 TX1n
7 TX0p 8 Ground
9 TX0n 10 TXCp
11 Ground 12 TXCn
13 CEC 14 NC
15 DDC SCL 16 DDC SDA
17 Ground 18 +5V DDC
19 HDP (Hot Plug Detect) 20 Ground
HDMI Input
The HDMI-in connector is used to receive digital video and audio from HDMI-enabled source devices. This connector is
compatible with HDMI 2.0 devices, capable of accepting a maximum video resolution of 3840x2160x60p. The signaling
also conforms with DVI 1.0, HDMI 1.4, and HDCP 2.2 standards.

BrightSign 4K242, 4K1042, 4K1142
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All information provided in this reference manual applies to products under development. The characteristics and specifications of these products are subject to
change without notice. BrightSign assumes no obligation regarding future manufacturing unless otherwise agreed to in writing. © BrightSign LLC, 2014
The HDMI signaling has CEC (but no ARC or HEC) functionality. The CEC channel is electrically coupled to the
corresponding signal on the HDMI output, and the CEC commands will pass through the player even when it does not
have power.
3.5mm IR Out
The IR blaster generates or receives a space-encoded NEC or Pronto Hex signal. The two transported bit values of the
signal (0 and 1) are encoded using differing lengths of low-time IR pulses.
The 3.5mm IR in/out port has the following pinout:
•Tip: 3.3V
•Ring: IR Input
•Sleeve: IR Output
Note: The sleeve is used as a ground during input operations.
SPDIF Out
The SPDIF_OPT signal is generated within the BCM7444 CPU, which is connected directly to the SPDIF output.
Wireless
BrightSign 4K players feature a six-pin connector on top of the printed circuit board (PCB) within the case. This connector
allows installation of a peripheral wireless module that supports 802.11 a/b/g/n WiFi protocols.

BrightSign 4K242, 4K1042, 4K1142
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All information provided in this reference manual applies to products under development. The characteristics and specifications of these products are subject to
change without notice. BrightSign assumes no obligation regarding future manufacturing unless otherwise agreed to in writing. © BrightSign LLC, 2014
ENVIRONMENTAL AND POWER USAGE
BrightSign 4K players are designed to be used between 0°C and 40°C, at 90% maximum relative humidity, non-
condensing.
The power supply for 4K players is 60W and 12V at 5A. The device will use approximately 1A of power when playing a
3840x2160x60p H.265 (HEVC) source file.
Important: This product is intended to be supplied by power from a Listed Power Adapter, rated +12Vdc at 5A minimum.
An additional 4A of power is available for peripherals connected to a 4K player. The user should not connect any
combination of peripherals that will exceed 4A draw. If more than 4A is drawn, the external power supply may shut down
due to over-current conditions. The unit will not be damaged, but it may reboot or not operate properly until the overload is
removed.
If the device is being powered by the power supply, the 4A can be shared in any way among the following connectors:
Connector Maximum Power Usage
Ethernet Approx. 180mA (when transferring data)
USB 2.0/3.0 500mA (on each connector)
DE9 5V 500mA
DA15 3.3V 500mA
HDMI 5V 500mA
IR blaster output 300mA
If the device is being powered by PoE, only 1A is available for all connectors (or possibly less if the device is running a
resource-intensive presentation). It can be shared in any way among the following connectors:

BrightSign 4K242, 4K1042, 4K1142
17
All information provided in this reference manual applies to products under development. The characteristics and specifications of these products are subject to
change without notice. BrightSign assumes no obligation regarding future manufacturing unless otherwise agreed to in writing. © BrightSign LLC, 2014
Connector Maximum Power Usage
Ethernet Approx. 180mA (when transferring data)
USB 2.0/3.0 500mA (on each connector)
DE9 5V 100mA
HDMI 5V 500mA
IR input/output 300mA