Convergent Design HD-Connect LE User manual

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HD-Connect LE™
Guide and User’s Manual
4465 Northpark Drive, Suite 201
Colorado Springs, CO 80907
http://www.convergent-design.com
[email protected]
Support: 720-221-3861
Toll-Free: 866-654-0080
HD-Connect LE™ Guide and User’s Manual.

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©2006 Convergent Design, Inc. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means,
electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written
permission.
Table of Contents
1 GETTING STARTED.........................................................................................4
1.1 Welcome.................................................................................................................................................. 4
1.2 FCC Compliance .................................................................................................................................... 4
1.3 Shipping Contents .................................................................................................................................. 4
2 HD-CONNECT LE™..........................................................................................4
2.1 Overview.................................................................................................................................................. 4
2.2 Features................................................................................................................................................... 5
2.3 Functional Block Diagram..................................................................................................................... 6
3 INSTALLATION AND QUICK START ..............................................................7
3.1 Connections............................................................................................................................................. 7
3.2 DIP Switch Settings................................................................................................................................8
4 UPDATING HD-CONNECT LE™......................................................................9
4.1 Preparation ............................................................................................................................................. 9
4.2 Using the Update Application................................................................................................................ 9
4.3 Rollbacks............................................................................................................................................... 16
5 CONTROLLING HD-CONNECT LE™ ............................................................17
5.1 Preparation ........................................................................................................................................... 17
5.2 Using the Control Application............................................................................................................. 18
6 TIPS, FAQS, AND TROUBLESHOOTING......................................................22
6.1 Operating Tips...................................................................................................................................... 22
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6.2 Frequently Asked Questions................................................................................................................ 25
6.3 Troubleshooting Guide ........................................................................................................................ 31
7 SAFETY AND ESD PRECAUTIONS...............................................................32
8 CONNECTION DIAGRAMS AND APPLICATIONS........................................33
8.1 HDV Capture with HD/SD-SDI based editing system....................................................................... 33
8.2 HDV Dub to High Definition Deck...................................................................................................... 34
8.3 HDV Playback from Computer........................................................................................................... 35
8.4 HDV Downscaled to Standard Definition........................................................................................... 36
8.5 HDV to HD-CAM Tape Transfer w/ Time Code............................................................................... 37
9 SPECIFICATIONS...........................................................................................37
9.1 Inputs..................................................................................................................................................... 37
9.2 Outputs.................................................................................................................................................. 38
9.3 Physical.................................................................................................................................................. 39
9.4 Power..................................................................................................................................................... 39
9.5 Temperature Ranges............................................................................................................................ 40
9.6 Humidity................................................................................................................................................ 40
10 RMA AND WARRANTY................................................................................41
10.1 Conditions of the Warranty............................................................................................................... 41
10.2 Obtaining an RMA............................................................................................................................. 42
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1 Getting Started
1.1 Welcome
Congratulations on selecting Convergent Design HD-Connect LE™. HD-Connect
LE™ is shipped from the factory in the most secure packaging available. Please
inspect the content of the package and make sure to email us if you find any
shipping damage or missing components.
1.2 FCC Compliance
This professional equipment has been tested and found to comply with the
provisions for a Class A digital device under part 15 of the FCC rules. These
provisions are designed to provide reasonable protection against radio-frequency
emissions by digital devices in a commercial environment. This device may
interfere with radio and television reception in residential areas and is required to
accept all interference received, including that which may cause undesired
operation.
1.3 Shipping Contents
Your HD-Connect LE™ should come packaged with the following:
1) HD-Connect LE™
2) Power Supply with Changeable Plugs
3) Quick Start Guide
2 HD-Connect LE™
2.1 Overview
The Convergent Design HD-Connect LE™ integrates video, audio, time-code
and deck control into a simple to use, cost-effective box. This ultra portable unit
offers the unique feature of conversion to HD or SD, allowing users to output to
the widest variety of formats: HD-CAM, DVC Pro HD (via HD-SDI), DigiBeta or
Betacam. HD-Connect LE offers two modes of deck control: RS-422 to 1394 and
1394 to RS-422. The RS-422 to 1394 deck control is intended for HD/SD-SDI
based editing systems, while the 1394 to RS-422 mode (upcoming feature) is
intended for HDV based editing systems.
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The HD-Connect LE™ features an internal cross converter from 1080i to 720p
HDV and 720p to 1080i.
The HD-Connect LE™ is your HDV connection, bringing HDV to your studio and
edit bays as well as supporting over-the-air playout.
2.2 Features
1) HDV (over 1394) to HD/SD-SDI (with embedded audio and time code.)
Embedded audio and time code is an upcoming feature for SD.
2) 720/24p, 720/25p, 720/30p, 1080/50i and 1080/60i support.
3) 50Hz (PAL) and 59.94Hz (NTSC) support..
4) HDV Deck Control via RS-422 →1394 and 1394→RS-422 (coming soon)
translation.
5) Component and Composite output.
6) Unbalanced Audio out (for local monitoring).
7) All outputs simultaneously active.
8) HD to SD scaling support. In HD, can cross convert 1080i↔720p.
9) 1394-based Firmware Updates.
10)DIP Switch Interface.
11)Color Bars and Tones on HD/SD-SDI (not available on analog outputs).
12)Anamorphic, Edge Crop, or Letter Box scaling selectable in SD.
13)Two 1394 ports (4-pin and 6-pin).
14)Dual identical HD/SD-SDI outputs.
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2.3 Functional Block Diagram
HDV Video
Decoder
1394
Interface
HD/SD - SDI
HD - Connect LE™
LTC-Out
AES-Out
Convergent Design
HDV
Source
RS-422
HD/SD - SDI
Y
Unbalanced
Audio Out Audio D/A
Micro
Controller &
Flash
Up/Down
Cross Scaler
Video
(HD/SD)
Encoder
(D/A)
HD/SD-SDI
Driver
Pb
Pr
CVBS
HDV Audio
Decoder
HD <-> SD
Color Space
Conversion
A/V Sync
AES
Driver
LTC
Driver
`
RS-422
Deck
Command/
Cntrl
Time Code
Data
1394 Deck
Commands/
Time Code
MPEG2
TS/PS
Video
Audio
Audio
Embed
Figure 1 Functional Block Diagram of HD-Connect LE™
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3 Installation and Quick Start
3.1 Connections
Refer to Figure 2 and the descriptions below when connecting HD-Connect LE™.
Figure 2 Connectors on the HD-Connect LE™
1) DC +5V in: Connect the supplied DC power supply unit.
2) RS-422: Connect to HDV based editing system for 1394→RS-422 or to
your SDI based editing system for RS-422 ↔1394.
3) HDV In: Connect to your HDV source. You can use either the 4-pin or the
6-pin 1394 connector. NOTE: HD-Connect LE™ can only use one 1394
HDV source at a time.
4) Unbalanced Audio Out: 3.5 mm unbalanced audio connector for
monitoring. HD-Connect LE™ outputs audio simultaneously through this
port, the AES port, and in the HD/SD-SDI stream.
5) Analog Video Out: Component HD and Composite SD output. CVBS is
not active in HD mode. Component is active in both HD and SD.
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6) HD/SD-SDI Out Dual HD/SD-SDI outputs. DIP switch 1 determines
whether output is HD or SD.
7) AES Out Single-ended AES audio out.
8) LTC Out Single-ended Linear Time Code out.
3.2 DIP Switch Settings
Figure 3 DIP Switch Settings on HD-Connect LE™
Figure 3 illustrates the DIP switch and its various control options. Below is an
explanation of each switch and its functions:
1) Selects SD (Standard Definition) or HD (High Definition) video output for
both HD/SD-SDI and analog.
2) Enables 720p or 1080i in HD (Switch 1=On).
3) Selects NTSC (29.97/59.94) or PAL (25/50) video standard – This must
correspond to the HDV input format.
4) Selects deck control direction. Switch 4 = On enables 1394 to RS-422
control (upcoming feature) and Switch 4 = Off enables RS-422 to 1394
control. Currently Switch 4 = On is a reserved feature.
5) Selects NTSC timecode format. Switch 5 = On selects non-dropframe
timecodes and Switch 5 = Off selects dropframe timecodes.
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6) When used in conjunction with Switch 7, enables scaling features in SD
and options enabled with the control application. See the table below for
an explanation of these features.
7) Same as with Switch 6.
8) Enables flash memory update.
Switch 6 Switch 7 Feature
Off Off Style from Control App
On Off SD Letterbox
Off On SD Edge Crop
On On SD Anamorphic
4 Updating HD-Connect LE™
4.1 Preparation
To prepare for updating the HD-Connect LE™, complete the following steps:
1) Download and install the update and control application from the website.
Go to the HD-Connect LE™ downloads page at http://www.convergent-
design.com/LEdownloads.htm . Here you may download the latest code
updates for either PC or Mac. The page has links to .exe files to install the
control application for either PC or Mac.
2) In order to run the control application, you will need the Java Runtime
Environment 1.4.1 or better. If you need this to be installed on your
machine, follow the instructions on the product downloads page where the
.exe files are located.
3) Connect the HD-Connect LE™ to your computer via the 1394 port with the
DIP switch 8 set to the “On” position. It is recommended that the control
and update application not be run alongside other applications that use
the 1394 port.
4.2 Using the Update Application
Follow the instructions below to complete the update process using either a PC
or a Mac.
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PC
1) Connect the HD-Connect LE™ to your computer using the 1394 port. You
must wait for your computer to recognize the box before the update
application will work. This will take around 30 seconds. In Windows XP, a
window similar to Figure 4 should pop up. For Mac, there is no indicator
and it is recommended you wait for 30 seconds.
Figure 4 Windows XP recognizing the box.
2) Install the update and control application by running the .exe. Figure 5
shows the installation process.
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Figure 5 Installing the Control Application the PC & Mac
3) From the Start Menu, open the newly installed application
“HdConnectLeController”. When the application first starts, it will check
online for available updates. You will be prompted to update it upon first
use, click ok. When the update is finished, you will need to restart the
application. Figure 6 shows the dialog window.
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Figure 6 Control Application Asking for Updates
4) Open the Control Application again. With the box in update mode (Switch
8 = On), click on the “Firmware Update” tab, and click the “Refresh” button
to check the current software loaded into the HD-Connect LE™, and
display the newest version to update to. Figure 7 illustrates.
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Figure 7 Using the Update Application
5) Click on the “Update” button to begin the update. It is recommended that
you record the current version before updating the box, so that you can
roll back to it if the new version does not work. Check the “Restore All
Firmware Files” box if your box did not complete an update or if the box is
in an unstable state. This process takes 3-6 minutes. During that time DO
NOT unplug the box. A success window will appear when the update is
complete. See Figure 8 for a screenshot of a complete update.
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Figure 8 Update Application in Action.
6) Once the update is complete, close the application and take the box out of
update mode by switching selector 8 to the “Off” position. All normal
operations cease while the box is in update mode, so it is important not to
forget this step.
Mac
1) For the Mac OSX, the procedure for installation is identical to the PC.
Follow the instructions as before. Figure 9 shows the Mac installer
window.
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Figure 9 Mac OSX Installer Screen
2) Open the HD-Connect LE Update Application window itself, using Finder
to locate the Applications, and select “HdConnectLeController”. Figure 10
illustrates this.
Figure 10 Finder in OSX
3) When you open the application, it should appear as in Figure 11. Use the
exact same procedure for PC to update the box. With the box in update
mode, click the “Refresh” button, then click the “Update” button. The
update should take around three to five minutes. During that time DO NOT
unplug the box.
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Figure 11 Mac Update Application
4.3 Rollbacks
Firmware updates will appear periodically on the website, so stay tuned. If you
update your HD-Connect LE™ as described above and find problems with the
box in your application, you can roll back to a previous code version using the
Control App. To do this, with the box in Update mode, click on the
“Links/Downloads” tab. Click on “Refresh List”. Using the drop down menu, select
the code you wish to use. This tells the Control App what code to load when it is
restarted. Close the Control App, restart it and allow it to download the
appropriate code, then proceed with the normal update procedure. Figure 12
below shows the “Links/Downloads” tab.
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Figure 12 Code Rollback Feature in the Control App
5 Controlling HD-Connect LE™
5.1 Preparation
To prepare for using the HD-Connect LE™ control application, you need only
ensure that the box is not in update mode. If Switch 8 is still in the “On” position,
you will see a popup similar to the one below in Figure 13.
Figure 13 Alert message when in update mode.
When selecting options in the Control App, occasionally the HD-Connect LE™
will lose track of the 1394 uplink and may give you either of the following alert
messages. If so, we recommend unplugging and re-plugging the 1394
connection or power cycling the box.
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Figure 14 Error Messages
5.2 Using the Control Application
Follow the instructions below to complete the update process.
PC & Mac
1) Connect the HD-Connect LE™ to your computer using the 1394 port. You
must wait for your computer to recognize the box before the control
application will work. This will take around 30 seconds for either Windows
XP or Mac.
2) Open and run the control application. Click on the “Open” button under the
“Control” tab. The application will then display the current firmware
version. Figure 15 shows a screenshot of the application.
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Figure 15 HD-Connect LE™ control application screen.
3) Perform the desired control operation as described below.
Control Operations
The operations available in the control application are described below. Following
your selection of a list item, checkbox, or radio button, a message should appear
confirming that your selection has been successfully loaded into your HD-
Connect LE™ box. Figures 16-18 show the use of the control app for each
operation. The interface for the PC and the Mac are identical in operation.
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1) Device Control. The device-control dropdown list allows selection of a
template representing a certain RS-422 controller or a set of controllers.
The text box should display the controller currently selected. Click on the
down arrow to show the list and click on the text identifying the template to
select the controller the box should use. Once selected, the blue text
should display a confirmation message. By default, HD-Connect LE™
comes pre-loaded with “Avid Generic” selected. Figure 16 illustrates.
Figure 16 Device Control selection confirmation.
2) Timecode Offest. This setting allows you to add an offset to the timecode
that will be reported to an RS-422 controller. HD-Connect LE™ already
imposes its own offset to account for frame latency through the box.
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