BrightSign XD230 User manual

1
HARDWARE MANUAL
BrightSign XD230, XD1030, XD1230
BrightSign, LLC. 16780 Lark Ave., Suite B Los Gatos, CA 95032 | 408-852-9263 | www.brightsign.biz

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Overview ...............................................................................................................................1
Block Diagram......................................................................................................................................... 2
XD230 ..................................................................................................................................................... 3
XD1030 ................................................................................................................................................... 4
XD1230 ................................................................................................................................................... 5
Power Connector .................................................................................................................................... 6
DE9 RS-232 Connector .......................................................................................................................... 6
DA15 Switch/LED Connector.................................................................................................................. 7
Ethernet .................................................................................................................................................. 9
USB......................................................................................................................................................... 9
DE15 VGA Connector............................................................................................................................. 9
Triple RCA Component HD Video Connector ....................................................................................... 10
3.5mm Audio Connector ....................................................................................................................... 10
HDMI Out Connector ............................................................................................................................ 11
HDMI In Connector ............................................................................................................................... 11
3.5mm IR Out........................................................................................................................................ 11
S/PDIF Out............................................................................................................................................ 12
RF In ..................................................................................................................................................... 12

Environmental and Power Usage .....................................................................................13
Mechanical..........................................................................................................................14
Theory of Operation...........................................................................................................17
Power Supply........................................................................................................................................ 17
Reset..................................................................................................................................................... 17
BCM7421 CPU ..................................................................................................................................... 17
Built-in Flash ......................................................................................................................................... 17
SDRAM ................................................................................................................................................. 17
Serial Port ............................................................................................................................................. 18
Video Encoder and Filter ...................................................................................................................... 18
Audio Outputs ....................................................................................................................................... 18
On-Board LEDs..................................................................................................................................... 18
On-Board Switch................................................................................................................................... 19
Reset Switch/GPIO Button.................................................................................................................... 19
SDHC/SDXC and MicroSD Slots .......................................................................................................... 20
NAND Flash .......................................................................................................................................... 20
Ethernet ................................................................................................................................................ 20
USB....................................................................................................................................................... 20

BrightSign XD230, XD1030, XD1230
1
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, 2012
OVERVIEW
The BrightSign XD230, XD1030, and XD1230 players can be used to decode images, audio, and up to two HD video
streams for digital sign and kiosk applications. In addition to driving video and audio displays, these players can be
controlled with various networked and built-in interfaces.
This reference manual specifies the hardware interfaces on the BrightSign XD230, XD1030, and XD1230. This manual
does not describe any software functions.

BrightSign XD230, XD1030, XD1230
2
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, 2012
Block Diagram

BrightSign XD230, XD1030, XD1230
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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, 2012
XD230
Front
•3.5mm IR out
Left
•GPIO button
Right
•SDHC/SDXC flash card slot
•Red status/error LED
•Yellow update LED
•Green power LED
•Green SD activity LED
•Green MicroSD presence LED
•Green BrightSign Network connection LED
•Green Ethernet activity LED
•Green WiFi activity LED
Back
•DE15 VGA video connector
•Stereo 3.5mm mini plug for audio output
•HDMI Out
•10/100 Ethernet jack
•Reset button
•4-pin power connector for 12V power input at 3A

BrightSign XD230, XD1030, XD1230
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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, 2012
XD1030
Front
•3.5mm IR out
•DE9 male RS-232 connector
•DA15 female for GPIO, IR in/out, and 3.3V power
•S/PDIF out
Left
•GPIO button
•2x USB 2.0 connector
Right
•SDHC/SDXC flash card slot
•Red status/error LED
•Yellow update LED
•Green power LED
•Green SD activity LED
•Green MicroSD presence LED
•Green BrightSign Network connection LED
•Green Ethernet activity LED
•Green WiFi activity LED
Back
•DE15 VGA video connector
•Stereo 3.5mm mini plug for audio output
•HDMI Out
•10/100 Ethernet jack
•Reset button
•4-pin power connector for 12V power input at 3A

BrightSign XD230, XD1030, XD1230
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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, 2012
XD1230
Front
•3.5mm IR out
•DE9 male RS-232 connector
•DA15 female for GPIO, IR in/out, and 3.3V power
•S/PDIF out
•RF In for ATSC / Clear QAM
Left
•GPIO button
•2x USB 2.0 connector
Right
•SDHC/SDXC flash card slot
•Red status/error LED
•Yellow update LED
•Green power LED
•Green SD activity LED
•Green MicroSD presence LED
•Green BrightSign Network connection LED
•Green Ethernet activity LED
•Green WiFi activity LED
Back
•DE15 VGA video connector
•Stereo 3.5mm mini plug for audio output
•HDMI Out
•HDMI In
•10/100 Ethernet jack

BrightSign XD230, XD1030, XD1230
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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, 2012
•Reset button
•4-pin power connector for 12V power input @ 3A
Power Connector
The power connector for the XD series is rated for 12V @ 3A. The plug for the connector is a keyed and locking 4-pin
connector. It is right-side positive.
DE9 RS-232 Connector
The RS-232 connector is a male DE9. Like PCs, BrightSign XD players are DTE devices. The input to the chip accepts a
range between +25V and -25V, so it is compatible with standard +12V and -12V signaling.
The baud rate is 115200, with no parity, 8 data bits, and 1 stop bit. There is no hardware or 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:
The following table illustrates the pinout of the DE9 on the XD series of players:

BrightSign XD230, XD1030, XD1230
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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, 2012
pin Description pin Description
1 NC 2 Receive data into the player
3 Transmit data out of the player 4 Available 5V@500mA
5 Ground 6 NC
7 NC 8 NC
9 NC -- --
DA15 Switch/LED Connector
The switch/led 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:
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.

BrightSign XD230, XD1030, XD1230
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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, 2012
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 XD 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 -- --
Here is the DA15 female as viewed from the front of the BrightSign XD1030 and XD1230:
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.

BrightSign XD230, XD1030, XD1230
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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, 2012
Ethernet
BrightSign XD players have a standard RJ45 connector for 10/100 base-T Ethernet. The maximum length for the Ethernet
cable is 100 meters. The following table illustrates the pinout of the RJ45:
pin Description pin Description
1 TX+ 2 TX-
3 RX+ 4 RC to ground
5 RC to ground 6 RX-
7 RC to ground 8 RC to ground
USB
The XD1030 and XD1230 have two high-speed (480 Mbit) USB host ports, which also support USB 2.0 powered devices
(up to 500mA for each port). The maximum length for the USB cable is 5 meters. The following table illustrates the pinout
of the USB host port.
pin Description pin Description
1 VBUS 2 D-
3 D+ 4 Ground
DE15 VGA Connector
The VGA connector is able to output RGB video. The following table illustrates the pinout of the DE15 VGA connector:

BrightSign XD230, XD1030, XD1230
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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, 2012
pin Description pin Description
1 Red analog video output 2 Green analog video output
3 Blue analog video output 4 NC
5 Digital ground 6 Analog ground
7 Analog ground 8 Analog ground
9 +5V DDC supply 10 Digital ground
11 NC 12 DDC SDA
13 HSYNC output 14 VSYNC output
15 DDC SCL -- --
Triple RCA Component HD Video Connector
Component video is provided over the VGA connector. To display component video, you will need to use a VGA-to-
component converter. See this FAQ for more details.
3.5mm Audio Connector
The XD230, XD1030, and XD1230 each have one 3.5mm female audio connector, which transmits a 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
•Ring: Right audio
•Sleeve: Ground for audio signal

BrightSign XD230, XD1030, XD1230
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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, 2012
HDMI Out Connector
The HDMI-out connector is used to send digital video and audio to HDMI-enabled sink devices. 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)
HDMI In Connector
The HDMI In accepts inputs of up to 1920x1080@60p, with 24-bits RGB. The signaling conforms to the DVI 1.0, HDMI
1.4, and HDCP 1.2 standards. 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 players
even when they do not have power.
3.5mm IR Out
The IR blaster generates a space-encoded (NEC) signal. The two transported bit values of the NEC signal (0 and 1) are
encoded using differing lengths of low-time IR pulses.

BrightSign XD230, XD1030, XD1230
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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, 2012
The 3.5mm IR port has the following pinout:
•Tip: Power
•Ring: NC
•Sleeve: Signal
S/PDIF Out
The SPDIF_OPT signal is generated within the BCM7421 CPU, which has a direct connection to the S/PDIF port.
RF In
The RF In is a 75R F-type female connector that accepts QAM digital TV input. The acceptable input range for incoming
signals is +/- 0.5V maximum.

BrightSign XD230, XD1030, XD1230
13
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, 2012
ENVIRONMENTAL AND POWER USAGE
BrightSign XD players are designed to be used between 0°C and 40°C, at 90% maximum relative humidity, non-
condensing.
The power supply on the BrightSign XD series is 36W and 12V at 3A. These players will use approximately 1A of power
when playing a 720p or 1080i MPEG2 HD source file.
An additional 2A of power is available for peripherals connected to the player. The user should not connect any
combination of peripherals that will exceed 2A draw. If more than 2A 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.
The 2A can be shared in any way among the following connectors:
Connector Maximum Power Usage
Ethernet Approx. 180mA (when transferring data)
USB 500mA (on each connector)
DE9 5V 500mA
DA15 3.3V 500mA
HDMI 5V 500mA
IR blaster output 300mA
.

BrightSign XD230, XD1030, XD1230
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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, 2012
MECHANICAL

BrightSign XD230, XD1030, XD1230
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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, 2012

BrightSign XD230, XD1030, XD1230
16
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, 2012

BrightSign XD230, XD1030, XD1230
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, 2012
THEORY OF OPERATION
Power Supply
There are seven voltage levels present in the player: 12V, 5V, 3.3V, 2.5V, 1.8V, 1.5V, and 1V.
Reset
BrightSign XD players have a Low Voltage Reset circuit. This circuit will hold the RESET_L signal low until a valid 3.3V
power source is present.
BCM7421 CPU
BrightSign XD players utilize a BCM7421 Multimedia CPU. This CPU runs on 3.3V, 2.5V, and 1V and runs from a 27MHz
oscillator. The CPU is reset by the RESET_L signal from the low voltage reset circuit going into the RESET_IN pin on the
CPU. When the RESET_IN pin goes from low to high, the BCM7421 will boot from the NAND flash.
Built-in Flash
The boot code in the BCM7421 instructs it to continue the boot process by reading additional code from the onboard
NAND flash, which can be updated in the field, either from the flash slots or USB mass storage. Part of the NAND flash is
also used to hold non-volatile parameters. The contents of the boot flash are copied into the SDRAM. The CPU then
jumps to the boot code.
SDRAM
BrightSign XD players each contain four DDR SDRAM devices. When the BCM7421 boots, it will copy the code from the
NAND flash device into the SDRAM and then execute the code from the SDRAM. The SDRAM runs at a clock rate of
800MHz, with a data rate of 1600MHz.