Convergent Design nanoFlash User manual

nanoFlash™
HD/SD Portable Recorder/Player
User Manual
For Firmware Release Version 1.6.29, 29 – June - 2010
4465 Northpark Drive, Suite 400
Colorado Springs, CO 80907 US
http://www.convergent-design.com
Support: ++[phone]
“cd” -- “support” -- “at” -- “convergent-design” -- “.com”
nanoFlash 1

nano3D™
Quick reference guide
For firmware version 1.6.145 09-3-10
Welcome and Thank You
Congratulations on selecting Convergent Design High Definition portable 3D recorder,
nano3D. It is manufactured in the USA and shipped from the factory in the most secure
pac aging available. Please inspect the contents of the pac age. In the unli ely event that
you find any shipping damage or missing components, please contact us.
Shipping Contents
Your nano3D shipping container should have come pac aged with the following:
1. nano3D recorder/player
2. remote trigger/LTC input/communication lin
3. 9 inch HDMI cable (type C (mini) to type C)
4. Dual unit power supply (100 to 240 VAC Input: 12V DC @ 2A Output)
5. Power supply Y-cable
6. USB Reader (for CompactFlash cards)
nano3D Overview
The nano3D is an ultra compact state-of the-art 3D combiner/recorder/player that uniquely
utilizes the very high-quality Sony XDCAM 4:2:2 CODEC to write native Quic time or MXF
(video/audio/timecode) files onto affordable Compact Flash media. nano3D ta es all of the
basic functionality of the nanoFlash, and ta es a giant leap further into the world of 3D video
processing and recording. Li e nanoFlash, nano3D brea s new ground in terms of weight,
power, size, ruggedness, and ease of use. We are confident you will agree that the video
quality is visually indistinguishable from uncompressed (at 100+ Mbps Long-GOP or 180+
Mbps I-Frame modes).
roduct Support and Contacts
Important: While the nano3D provides much more functionalit than the nanoFlash,
each unit runs on the same basic firmware that a nanoFlash does. This ensures
greater reliabilit and ease of upgrade. Because of this, please read the nanoFlash
manual in addition to this guide before operating the nano3D. The information in this
document is not intended for use as a complete manual, but rather serves as an
extension of the nanoFlash manual—just as the nano3D serves as an extension of
functionalit of the nanoFlash. The full nanoFlash manual can be found here:
http://www.convergent-design.com/Portals/58/Documents/nanoFlash_Manual.pdf
Please read this guide in addition to the nanoFlash manual before contacting support.
1. Support E-Mail: "cd” – “support” – “at” – “convergent-design” – “.com”
2. Sales E-mail: "cd” – “sales” – “at” – “convergent-design” – “.com”
3. Main Telephone: ++[phone]
4. Sales Telephone: ++[phone]
5. Web Site: http://www.convergent-design.com
6. Forum: http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/convergent-design-nanoflash/

Getting Started
•The nano3D is specifically designed for use with 2 cameras with SDI out in order to
record 3D material. It has two attached units. The top unit is the master unit and the
bottom unit is the slave unit. Each unit has all of the functionality of a nanoFlash, but
the master unit has a 3D menu for setting up a 3D record. When 3D mode is turned
“Off” on the master unit, each unit functions exactly as an independent nanoFlash unit.
It is also important to note that in 3D mode, recording can only be done in high
definition. However, both HD and SD recording can be done when 3D mode is turned
off.
•lease Register your nano3D by sending a simple e-mail to "cd” – “support” – “at”
– “convergent-design” – “.com” with your name and the serial number off the right
side of both units of the nano3D, indicating which serial number corresponds to the top
unit, and which serial number corresponds to the bottom unit. You will get automatic
notice of firmware updates and service bulletins. Please ta e a moment to do this, in
order to provide a better user experience with the nano3D.
Setting up a 2D record
•Ma e sure that 3D mode is turned “Off” on the master unit, then refer to the nanoFlash
manual, as the nano3D functions as two nanoFlash units when recording in 2D

Setting up a 3D record
•Connect the HDMI output from the slave unit to the HDMI input of the master unit with
the included HDMI 9 inch cable
•Connect the 'right eye' camera to the SDI input of the slave unit
•Connect the 'left eye' camera to the SDI input of the master unit
•Gen-loc both cameras together and ensure that both cameras are outputting the
same video format (can be chec ed by loo ing at the status line of each nanoFlash)
•Connect the remote tally to both units, attaching the connector with a red ring around
the base to the master unit, and the connector without a red ring to the slave unit
•Connect power source y-cable to both units, then connect y-cable to power source
•Refer to the nanoFlash manual in addition to these steps, omitting steps 1,7,9, and 14
of the “Quic start” on page 5 of the nanoFlash manual
•Set the Source to SDI on both units (System->Source)
•Set the record trigger setting to "Remote Trigger" on both units: System->Trigger
(unless recording combined image – see “Record Combined”)
•Configure 3D settings on master unit: Video->3D (see next page)
•Ensure that both units have the same firmware version. Chec this in System-
>About. 3D updates are found here: http://www.convergent-
design.com/Updates/tabid/1650/Default.aspx
•Ensure that all system, video, and audio settings are the same on both units.
This includes:
•Loop Play
•Max File Size
•File= [Set the master unit ID to Lx xxx xxx
Set the slave unit ID to Rx xxx xxx]
•File= [set both units to the same file format (.MOV or .MXF)]
•Timecode
•Bitrate
•CODEC (I-Frame only in 3D)
•Record PSF>Prog [ ]
•Play Prog>PSF [ ]
•Remove 3:2 Pulldown
•720p 60/50>30/25 [ ]
•Audio In
•Analog Settings
•Record Channels
•To start recording, clic the remote once. To stop recording, hold down the remote for
3 seconds.
Do not use the following modes in 3D mode:
•.MPG file format
•Long Gop CODEC (due to quality concerns, additional post processing of video
including zoom in of video to adjust convergence will tax the quality of the video.
We recommend using high bitrate (180 Mbit or greater) I frame only recording)
•Power Saving

•CuePlay
•Loop Record
•Prebuffer
•Timelapse
•Cran
•E to E direct
Setting up for 3D playback
•If playing bac footage that was recorded with “Record Combined” turned on, ma e
sure that “Combine” is turned off, then set the “Play Ref” to “Int”, then simply press play
on the master unit and the video will play out of the SDI-out from the master unit.
•If playing bac footage that was recorded with “Record Combined” turned off, perform
the following steps:
•Connect the HDMI output from the slave unit to the HDMI input of the master
unit, just as you would for a 3D record.
•Connect the remote tally to both units
•Set the “Play Ref” to “Ext” on the master unit only. The slave unit should be set
to “Play Ref” “Int”
•Set the trigger to “Remote Play” (System->Trigger->Remote Play) on both units.
•To playbac the full resolution video out of the two units to be combined by an
external device, ma e sure “Combine” is off (Video → 3D → Combing off), then
press the remote trigger button to begin synced playbac . The 'right-eye' will
play out of the slave unit SDI-out and the 'left-eye' video will play out of the
master unit SDI-out.
•To playbac the footage as combined video, set “Combine” to the desired
combining method and then press the remote trigger button. The video will play
combined out of the master unit SDI out.
•During playbac , pausing and fast forward is not functional due to the need to
eep the units frame synchronized.
•To stop playbac , double clic the remote
Note: Play PSF to Prog under the video menu can be used to convert recorded
progressive formats to interlaced playbac to support monitors that do not support
progressive video. This setting needs to match between the units and can not be used
with 1080p24 material due to HDMI not supporting 1080psf24.
3D Menu Options (Video → 3D)
Enable [ ]
To enable 3D recording, chec this box. If this is turned off (unchec ed), the two units
operate as two separate nanoFlash recorders.

Combine
The nano3D can combine two camera images and output them as one 3D video signal
through the master SDI output in real time. To view this image on a 3D TV that has no
SDI input, use a SDI to HDMI converter. This image can be combined using one of the
two standard 3D video signals:
•Side by Side – Each camera image will be output via the master unit SDI-out in
half resolution side by side on the screen to be processed and displayed in 3D
by a 3D monitor
•Line by Line – Each camera image will be output via the master unit SDI-out in
half resolution horizontal line by horizontal line on the screen to be processed
and displayed in 3D by a 3D monitor
•Off – The master unit SDI-out will output the full resolution 'left eye' camera,
while the slave unit SDI-out will output the full resolution 'right eye' camera. No
combined image is output
Note: Using side by side combining on a non-3D monitor (eg in the field) is a good way
to chec the color balance between the images and using line by line combining on a
non-3D monitor is a good way to chec the horizontal and vertical alignment between
the cameras.
Record Combined
•On – When the recording begins, the master unit will record combined 3D video
(depending on the “Combine” setting). The remote tally is not needed for this
setting—the trigger can be set to “Record Button” (System->Trigger).
•Off – The master unit will record the full resolution 'left eye' camera image while
the slave unit will record the full resolution 'right eye' camera image. These two
images can be combined and played bac depending on the “Combine” setting
and the “Play Ref” setting (see “Play Ref” below) The remote tally is required for
this mode. Connect remote tally to both units and set the trigger to “remote
record” (System->Trigger).
Flip V [ ]
Turning this function on vertically flips the left camera input to the master unit. If
combine is turned on, “Flip V” will not flip the complete combined image, only the left
camera signal within the combined image. Note: This setting does not affect playbac .
Flip H [ ]
Turning this function on wor s in the exact same way that “Flip V” wor s (see above
paragraph), except that it flips the left camera image horizontally as opposed to
vertically. Note: This setting does not affect playbac .
Frame Shift
The shift option allows the user to shift the 'left-eye' camera image to the left. It can be
shifted up to 512 pixels in sets of 4 pixels (i.e. 0,4,8,12,16, etc). This allows cameras
aligned parallel to each other to be shifted to ma e a 3D image, or to fine tune the point
of convergence between the cameras. This feature is for live viewing only and will not
affect the recorded video and only wor s with side by side combining.

lay Ref
Sets the playbac reference to allow for synchronized playbac for viewing recorded
video in 3D
•Int – Playbac reference is set to internal. The slave unit should always be set
to internal play reference. In this mode, the slave unit is the cloc master and
sends the video signal via HDMI to the master unit in order for the master unit to
loc its internal video cloc to the slave unit.
•Ext (HDMI) – Playbac reference is derived from the HDMI output of the slave
unit. External reference playbac should be turned on in the master unit when
playing bac via combining or individual left/right eye video.
Recording in 24 frames per second
When recording in 24 frames per second, many cameras send the signal over 60i using a
method called 3:2 pulldown (see page 14 of nanoFlash manual). A single unit can ta e this
signal and process it into 24 frames per second. However, when recoding in 3D, two cameras
are used. That means that there is only a 20% chance that both camera's 3:2 signal pattern
will be in sync when they are both turned on if the camera reference is 60 Hz. If the camera
reference is 24 Hz, the camera pulldown patterns will match. When the camera pulldown
patterns do not match and combining is turned on in the nano3D, the master nanoFlash will
not loc to the video as it will reset due to the line numbers from the slave unit not matching
the line numbers in the master unit. To resolve this, cycle the power on one of the cameras
until both nanoFlashes loc to the source.
The cameras have a specific 5 frame 3:2 pulldown sequence. If the camera reference is 60
Hz, this sequence may not be lined up between the two cameras. When the nanoFlash
combine function is not turned on, it will record the video regardless of if the pulldown
sequence matches. If the pulldown pattern does not match, the frames will not line up in
post-production. To verify that the pulldown pattern matches, turn combining on and cycle
power on one camera until both nanoFlashes have identified the source. This will ensure that
the frames will line up in post-production.

Table of Contents
Welcome and Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
The Essentials: Required Reading (Quickstart) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Input / Output Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Front Panel Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
LCD Screen Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Menu Navigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
System Configuration: Date/Time, Time-code, Trigger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Video Setup: Data-Rate, CODEC, PSF I/O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
udio Setup: nalog / Embedded . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Play Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Loop, Cue Play, Loop Record . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Compact Flash: Capacity, Usage. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
File Naming Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Viewing Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Software ccessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
NLE Support (FCP, vid, Vegas, Premiere, Matrox xio). . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Firmware Update Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Hardware ccessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Operating Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Safety and ESD Protection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Connector Pin-Outs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Mounting Plate Dimensions and Hole Pattern . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Warranty and Obtaining an RM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Version History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
©2009 Convergent Design, Inc. ll 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.
nanoFlash 3

Welcome and Thank ou
Congratulations on selecting Convergent Design HD/SD Portable Recorder, nanoFlash. It is
manufactured in the US and shipped from the factory in the most secure packaging available.
Please inspect the contents of the package. In the unlikely event that you find any shipping damage
or missing components, please contact us.
Shipping Contents
Your nanoFlash shipping container should come packaged with the following:
1. nanoFlash recorder/player
2. Power Supply (100 to 240 V C Input; 12V DC @ 1.25 Output)
3. USB Reader (for CompactFlash cards)
nanoFlash Overview
nanoFlash is a revolutionary new solid-state HD/SD recorder/player that uniquely utilizes the very
high-quality Sony XDC M 4:2:2 CODEC to write native Quicktime, MXF (video/audio/time-code), or
MPG files onto affordable Compact Flash media. nanoFlash breaks new ground in terms of weight,
power, size, ruggedness and ease of use. We are confident you will agree that the video quality is
indistinguishable from uncompressed (at 100+ Mbps Long-GOP or 180+ Mbps I-Frame modes).
Product Support Contacts
Please read the user manual before contacting support.
1. Support E-Mail: “cd” -- “support” -- “at” -- “convergent-design” -- “.com”
2. Sales E-Mail: “cd” -- “sales” -- “at” -- “convergent-design” -- “.com”
3. Main Telephone: ++[phone]
4. Sales Telephone: ++ [phone]
5. Web Site: http://www.convergent-design.com
6. Forum: http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/convergent-design-nanoflash/
nanoFlash 4

The Essentials (Quickstart)
1. Please Register your nanoFlash by sending a simple e-mail to “cd” “support” “at”
“convergent-design.com” with your name and the serial number off the right side of the
nanoFlash. You will get automatic notice of firmware updates and service bulletins. Please
take a moment to do this, in order to help provide a better user experience with the nanoFlash.
2. Use only the qualifie Compact Flash car s for the specifie bit rates:
1. Lexar 32/16/8 Gbyte 300x CF cards up to 280 Mbps
2. *Transcend 400x 64 Gbyte CF cards up to 180-220 Mbps (ver1.5.55)
3. *Delkin UDM 64/32/16 Gbyte CF cards up to 180-220 Mbps
4. SanDisk Extreme 32 Gbyte CF cards up to 280 Mbps
5. SanDisk Extreme Pro 64/32 Gbyte CF cards up to 280 Mbps
*Please note that card performance may vary from card to card. The bit rate will
automatically be reduced during record for under-performing cards. (ver1.5.31)
3. Check your nanoFlash firmware version in System-> bout. See http://www.convergent-
design.com for any updates. See page 20 for details on how to update the firmware. Use a
reliable power source during updates! Run a test after every firmware update, capture 1
minute of audio / video and play back out of the nanoFlash and on a computer.
4. ** Note: This user manual is subject to change with each firmware update. Please see the
most up-to-date nanoFlash user manual at:
http://www.convergent-design.com/downloads/nanoFlash/nanoFlash_Manual.pdf
5. Connect a power source to the 4-pin Hirose and press the red power button on the nanoFlash.
6. Set the time and date (page 11)
7. Set the video input (System->Vid Src) as SDI or HDMI
8. Set the file format to Quicktime (M C) or MXF (PC) (page 11)
9. Select the Record Trigger Source (page 11)
10.Select the Time-code source and set the initial value (if needed) (page 11)
11.Set the compressed bit-rate and choose I-Frame or Long-GOP CODEC (page 13)
12.Set the PSF In and PSF Out options, depending on your video format (page 13)
13.Set up the audio source, line/microphone input and gain (page 15)
14.Connect a valid SDI or HDMI source and time-code source (as appropriate). Connect the SDI
or HDMI output to a compatible monitor. You should see valid video output.
15.Insert a qualified Compact Flash card into CF slot #1 (manufacturer’s logo side up) and format
(System->Format). Warning: all files will be erased off the card!
16. Ensure that your camera's SDI / HDMI output has any status overlay information turned off, to
that this is not recorded to the CF cards.
17.For a simple test, do a 60-second recording and playback from nanoFlash.
18. Please back up your data. There is a very slight risk of damage to CF cards upon
insertion and usage with a USB or Firewire CF reader attached to a computer. As a
precaution to protect your video, please consider backing up your data as a 1st step
after recor ing, an before inserting CF car into a CF rea er attache to a computer. We
suggest using the portable Nexto Drive for this purpose (see accessories, page 21).
Nexto drives provide confirmation after a successful copy – please note this to confirm
the data copy.
19.Insert CompactFlash card with recorded video in USB or Firewire CF reader for transfer to
your NLE system for review / editing. (See other viewing / NLE options, page 18).
20.Charge your batteries or use a reliable C source to prevent loss of data.
21.Do not remove or insert Compact Flash cards while in record or playback.
22.Enjoy some fantastic video/audio!
nanoFlash 5

Input / Output Connections
Left Side Connections
Bottom Connectors
nanoFlash 6

Left Side Connections
•CompactFlash Slots (2): Insert (at least 1) solid-state Compact Flash card(s) face up for
record and playback.
•CompactFlash LEDs: Compact Flash Status:
> No Light means no card inserted or the card has not been properly recognized.
> Solid green means card is OK and ready for use.
> Flashing Red means card is being written to during a record session (do not remove card).
> Flashing green means card is being read from during playback (do not remove card).
> Solid Red means the card is full (may be removed).
Bottom Connections
•Status: General indicator.
> Solid Green: cards are inserted and ready to record.
> Solid Red: recording.
•Remote Control / LTC input: 10-pin hirose locking connector for external trigger and tally light
control. See System->Trigger for uses, or pg 27 for pin-out. lso can be used for Linear
Timecode input. Tally light flashes once a second during normal record, twice a second during
record with less than 5 minutes total record time remaining, 4 times per second with less than
1 minute total record time remaining. (ver1.5.31)
•Power: 4-pin Hirose locking connector power input.
•On/Off (Red): power button. Note that units shipped after October 2009 have the power
button disabled or removed, so that the nanoFlash always powers on when power is applied,
and only powers off when power is removed. See System->Power Saving to help reduce
power consumption.
•HDMI In: non-locking mini-HDMI input (HD/SD) .
•HDMI Out: non-locking mini-HDMI output (HD only) . Ideally, to use, do not connect this port
until after the unit has been powered on. (ver1.5.31)
•SDI/ASI In: SDI or SI video source for recording. (HD/SD)
•SDI/ASI Out: SDI re-clocked stream with embedded audio and time code, or SI re-clocked
output stream. Note there is no delay in the SDI output in E to E mode (Video->E to E) from a
live source. If E to E is turned “off”, there is a bit of delay (4 frames). (HD/SD)
•Analog Audio In: 3.5 mm consumer line level or microphone 2 channel stereo input.
•Headphone Out: 3.5 mm headphone audio output. There is no delay in Headphone Out from
a live source. lso, headphone out provides 2 rising beeps at record start, 2 falling beeps at
record stop. (ver1.5.31)
nanoFlash 7

Front Panel
nanoFlash 8

Front Panel Details
1. LCD Display: Shows the status of the nanoFlash in the various operating modes. lso
displays warning and errors in correspondence with flashing LED error lights. (see p. 10)
2. Navigation Buttons: llows the user to navigate the menu. (see p. 11)
3. Record, Stop, Play Buttons: <REC>, <STOP>, and <PL Y> buttons for control of respective
modes. The nanoFlash, when powered on, is in a ready mode. Record or Playback can be
activated by pressing the appropriate buttons, as described below:
REC: Press <REC> to start recording a clip to the card. (This assumes that System-
>Record Trigger is set to “Record Button” - other Trigger modes will disable the Front
Panel buttons. See Record Trigger menu description for more details.)
The unit records to CF slot one til full and then proceeds to continue recording to card
slot 2.
During Record, the led next to the actively recording CF card slot will flash red, and a
rotating hourglass will appear on the lcd screen.
Pressing the Record button during a record session will cause the current file to be
closed and a new clip started. This can be useful for marking points in the video.
STOP: Press <Stop> button to terminate record or playback mode. lso used to
cancel a card format.
Note: the STOP button is immediately responsive upon being pressed. To prevent
accidentally stopping a record, see alternative record trigger options (timecode trigger,
remote trigger)(page 11), which de-activate the REC and STOP buttons.
PLA : Press once to enter Playback mode. By default, Play will start with the last
recorded clip. Other features:
i. Use the left and right arrow keys to advance / backup to the next / previous file.
You can hold down these keys to move very quickly from file to file.
ii. During Play, press Play button to pause, press again to resume play.
iii. During Play, hold Play button 1 second for fast forward 2x, hold 2 seconds for
fast forward 4x, 3 seconds for 6x (see progress bar on menu for fast forward
level). Fast forward performance will depend on card speed and bit rate – see
Play setup for more details. Press Play again to return to Play/Pause.
iv. Set the Loop option in the main menu off or on to loop play.
4. Other button functions:
Delete Last Clip: Press and hold the Stop key, then press left arrow key, to delete last
clip off of currently inserted card which was last recorded to. (ver1.5.31)
nanoFlash 9

LCD Screen Layout
The LCD screen will change in appearance depending on the operating mode. This is the essential
layout information:
1. Compact Flash Card levels: 0 to 100% full
2. Individual Compact Flash Level Indicators
3. Time-code Display
4. Play Menu Line with current file name displayed
5. udio Channels 1-2 Level Indicators
6. udio level markers (-60dB to 0dB)
7. Current Video Source Format
8. Recording (compressed) bit-rate
9. Total remaining record time (minutes) across all cards
10. udio Over-Range Indicator
11. Not shown: Record Ready Indicator |>
nanoFlash 10

Menu Navigation
Use the up, down, left, right and the center (enter) buttons to navigate through the various menus on
the nanoFlash. Press the right arrow button to go to the next menu level and the left arrow to ascend
up to the previous menu. Use the up/down arrows to modify a selection and (very important) press
the center (enter) button to apply the selection, or else your selection will not be entered.
Below is a detailed explanation of each of the menus:
System
Time (HH:MM:SS / Temperature)
Sets time in Hours: Minutes: Seconds (24 hour format only) and displays internal temperature
(in degrees C)
Date ( MM DD)
Sets the current Year Month Day
(File Format option was formerly here, please see “File=” below to set file format. (ver1.6.18)
Max File Size (100% to 20%)
File size to use during long records. Default is 100% (~ 3.5 Gbytes each file).
Not available at the bit rate of 180 Mbit or above – at this rate the file size is 100%.
In time-lapse mode, the available range is expanded, 100% to 2%.
Note that a single card can hold a maximum of about 500 files. (ver1.5.126)
File= (1st 2 digits: Unit ID, 01 to 99 or AA to ZZ) (next 3 digits: clip number, 000 to 999)
(last field: File Format .MOV / .MXF / .MPG) (ver1.5.249) (ver1.6.18)
llows the user to control file naming, to a limited degree. The unit ID is used in the first two
digits of the file name. (See File Naming Conventions, pg 16.) If your shoot involves multiple
nanoFlash units, this can be used to set unique IDs for each unit.
The middle 3 digits are the clip number, which can also be set. Take care not to create
duplicately named files on a single CF card.
Last field sets the file format: QT (Quicktime / .mov file), MXF (.mxf file format), or MPG. See
Software ccessories and NLE Compatibility for playing / editing files.
Pre-Record Buffer (for MXF, QT file formats only)
Enables 4 to 7 seconds of internal storage of video before a record session starts. When the
record session is started, recording will begin 4 to 7 seconds in the past. (Pre-buffer = 7
seconds up to 100 Mbit bit rate, 4 seconds @ 140 Mbit bit rate)
> The record will begin 4-7 seconds in the past and then will catch up to the present
moment over the course of 10 to 30 seconds recording. When the recording is stopped,
there may be a delay of up to 25 seconds, particularly for very short clips on slower CF
cards, while the internal buffering is being cleared out. This delay is minimized by using
a faster CF card or recording for a minimum of 20 to 30 seconds.
> When turning on the Pre-Record Buffer or changing inputs, allow at least a few
seconds for the internal buffer to fill before beginning a record.
> Pre-Record buffer can only be used with bit rates up to an inclu ing 140 Mbit.
> n additional 1.5 Watts of power will be consumed while the nanoFlash is in idle (non-
recording) mode when using pre-record buffer. There will be no effect on power
consumption during record.
nanoFlash 11

> Turn off Pre-Record Buffer when playing back off the CF cards out of the nanoFlash.
> Do not use Pre-Record Buffer in combination with Time-Lapse, Crank, 720p60-
>30/50->25, or 3:2 Pulldown Removal.(ver1.5.126)
Trigger
Selects the record/ stop trigger source (or Play source, for the “Remote Play” option). Note
that unless otherwise mentioned, each trigger is mutually exclusive (i.e. only one trigger is
active at a time). This means that, for example, in timecode trigger mode the Record and Stop
buttons will be disabled – only the behavior of the incoming timecode will start and stop a
record. The only exception to this is the “Remote & Record” option, below.
•Remote Play – Unit will play (but not record). Formatting is also disabled. Use Play
/Stop buttons to control play (see Play menu, below). Remote tally also becomes a Play
mechanism: start (1 press) / pause (1 press) / stop (double press). (In this mode,
Remote tally can also be used for Cue Play (in the main menu).) (ver1.5.31)
•Timecode – Recording will start when incrementing time-code is detected from the HD-
SDI input and will stop recording when time-code is not incrementing. This is particularly
useful when wanting to trigger a record session from the camera's record. To use
Timecode Trigger, in addition to this setting System->Trigger->Timecode :
> Set System->Timecode->Source to “Embedded” or “LTC” as appropriate.
> Set the camera's timecode to “Record Run”.
> Most cameras require a tape or solid-state media within the camera to enable
the record function. lso, note that when the media in your camera becomes full,
the time-code will cease to increment and the nanoFlash will stop recording.
> Time-code increment may also take place on some cameras when playing
back from the camera's media, or inserting or ejecting a tape or powering on/off
the camera, causing the recording of very short unexpected clips in these cases.
Use “TC > Last TC”, below, to help minimize unexpected recordings.
•TC > Last TC – Same as Timecode Trigger, above, except that the nanoFlash will only
trigger to record if the incoming timecode is greater than the ending timecode of the last
recorded clip. This helps to minimize unexpected recordings, for example when inserting
or removing media in the camera, or playing back video off of the camera's internal
media. Be aware, however, that if the camera's timecode is re-set to a smaller value, the
nanoFlash may not trigger from the timecode unless the nanoFlash is then turned off and
back on. (ver1.5.126)
•Remote switch – Recording is triggered by a remote control tally switch. In this mode,
the keypad is disabled during record. lso, the remote switch must be held down
approximately 1 second to stop the recording. (See remote switch pin-out, or a cable
can be purchased from Convergent Design.)
•Remote level / hold – gain via remote control, except that Record is initiated by
pressing and holding Remote Tally, Record is stopped by releasing Remote Tally.
•Record button – Recording is started by pressing the Record Button on the unit, and
stopped by pressing the Stop button.
•Remote & Record button – Remote switch and Record button can be used to start /
stop Record. (ver1.5.126)
•Power up – Recording is automatically started by applying power and video source,
Record is stopped by removing video source. Do not use in combination with Pre-
Record Buffer (System->PreBuffer), Crank, 720p60->30/50->25, 3:2 Pulldown Removal,
or Time-Lapse. (ver1.5.126)
nanoFlash 12

Duration HH:MM:SS If enabled, each record session will last only for the specified
HH:MM:SS. (ver1.5.31)
Timecode
Sets the time-code source, and (for internally generated timecode only) the drop-frame flag
and the initial value (seed)
Source (Embedded, Internal, LTC)
1. Embedded – timecode is extracted from HD/SD-SDI stream from the source
2. Internal – timecode is generated internally in the nanoFlash
3. LTC – timecode from external LTC input
4. Jam Sync – provide momentary timecode jam sync (via the LTC input port)
while unit is in idle mode with a valid input source. If video source is lost,
timecode must be re-sync'ed after video source returns.
Dropframe – [ ] enable (checked) if drop-frame time-code should be generated (only
valid for internal time-code generation and 59.94/29.97 frame rates)
Seed – initial value for internal time-co e only:
1. Set 01:00:05:19 – llows you to manually set the initial time code. Use the left
and right arrows to navigate to the various settings (HH:MM:SS:FF) and then use
the up and down arrows to increase / decrease the values.
2. Time of day – Use time of day time code, based on the System->Time setting.
3. Reset – set the initial time-code to 00:00:00:00.
Source: Selects the video input source – choose between SDI and HDMI.
Format: Format (erase) all inserted CF cards. The 1st 7 characters of the CF card Volume
name are preserved. If the last 4 characters of the Volume are digits, they will be incremented
automatically (to help indicate card usage). (ver1.5.31)
Power Saving
Auto Sleep (temporarily disabled due to occasional difficulty waking up
properly) (1.6.29)
If this feature is turned on, the nanoFlash will drop to low power mode after 1 minute of
inactivity if no SDI input is present. (This feature does not apply for HDMI input.)
When the unit is in low power mode, power consumption drops to 0.3 watts, and the lcd
screen is active with “Low power mode” message displayed.
In low power mode, any of the following events will bring the unit back to full power:
> SDI input resumes.
> ny of the keys on the keypad are pressed.
> remote tally, if attached, is pressed.
Auto LCD Off
This turns off the LCD backlight after 15 seconds of inactivity. The LCD backlight
consumes about 0.2 watts of power, so this provides slight power saving.
Create Settings.txt: Primarily a tech support diagnostic tool, creates a file settings.txt with all
current settings. Only use this option with a formatted, blank CF card inserted. (ver1.5.31)
Restore Defaults: Restores factory default settings.
About: Displays the current firmware version number.
nanoFlash 13

Video
Bit Rate
This option allows the user to set the compressed bit-rate of the video being recorded. Note
that most NLE's place a 50 Mbit label on high bit rate files, but nevertheless accept the high bit
rate files natively. The actual bit rate of a file can be seen in Quicktime Player by using
Window->Movie Inspector, which has a bit rate field. For MXF, the bit rate can be seen in the
XDC M Viewer (an MXF Player, see link in Software ccessories), Product / Version fields
(under View->Metadata). (ver1.5.31)
HD Bit Rate (Quicktime, MXF)
1. *18/35 Mbps = Full-Raster (1920x1080/1280x720) 4:2:0 Long-GOP (XDC M EX)
2. *18/35 Mbps = (1440x1080/1280x720) 4:2:0 Long-GOP (XDC M HD)
3. 50/(80 ver1.5.31)/100/140/180 Mbps = Full-Raster (1920x1080/1280x720) 4:2:2
Long-GOP (XDC M 4:2:2) (100 Mbps and above = Master Quality)
4. 100/140/180/220/280 Mbps = Full-Raster (1920x1080/1280x720) 4:2:2 I-Frame
(XDC M 4:2:2) (180 Mbps and above = Master Quality)
SD Bit Rate (Quicktime, MXF)
1. for Standard Def: 50, (40, 30 ver1.5.31)Mbit IMX 4:2:2 (720x486/720x576)
* 18/35 Mbit recording depends on 35 Mbit 1080 Width setting (below) (ver1.5.31) .
HD Bit Rate (MPG)
1. 19/25/35 Mbps (1920x1080/1280x720) 4:2:0 Long-GOP
SD Bit Rate (MPG)
1. 5/9 Mbps 4:2:0 Long-GOP
CODEC (Long GOP / I-Frame)
This option selects the XDC M 422 CODEC format. Long GOP supports the bit rates at 18,
35, 50, 100, 140, and 180 Mbps. I-Frame only allows recording at 100, 140, 180, 220, and
280 Mbps. The nanoFlash utilizes the high quality Sony XDC M 4:2:2 CODEC for video
compression. The data rates of 100 Mbit or greater Long GOP and 180 Mbit or greater I-
Frame are generally considered to be Master Quality video. In brief, long-GOP codec
compresses 12 or 15 frames at a time, sharing the information between the frames, resulting in
greater efficiency (in part by throwing out duplicate information), especially at bit rates of 100
Mbit and below. I-Frame codec compresses each frame separately. The highest quality video
recording from nanoFlash is 280 M it I-Frame.
Record PSF->Progressive [ ]
Turn this option “On” to record PSF input video or progressive input video as progressive.
Turn “Off” to record PSF input video or interlaced video as interlaced.
Play Progressive->PSF [ ]
Turn this option “on” to play 1080p progressive video off of a CF card as PSF video to the
video outputs. ( Note: some SDI monitors only accept 1080PSF video, not progressive.
In this case, turn this option “On”.)
Turn “off” to play 1080p progressive video as 1080p. ( Note: HDMI monitors do not support
1080psf23.98 . In this case turn this option “Off”. )
Remove 3:2 Pulldown (for SDI or HDMI sources)
Preserves 1080p2398 frame rate from a 1080p2398 source which is outputting as 1080i59.94
with 3:2 pulldown by removing the pulldown, such as Canon cameras in 24F mode or other
nanoFlash 14

cameras in 24p mode which output with a pulldown (1080i60). lso works with 720p60
sources with pulldown (to 720p24) (ver1.5.31). The bit rate selected applies to the video after
pulldown, meaning, for example, @ 280 Mbit setting the recorded bit rate will be the full 280
Mbits / second.
> Only use this option if the video source does indeed contain a pulldown.
> Do not use in combination with Pre-Record Buffer (System->PreBuffer), Crank,
720p60->30/50->25, or Time-Lapse. (ver1.5.126)
SD Aspect Ratio
For Standard Definition Video input only: select the pixel aspect ratio (16:9 or 4:3). This
setting needs to match the camera's aspect ratio setting for SD recording.
E to E Direct (SDI Output loop-through only)
Sets the SDI loop-through output to the exact same format as the incoming video format (such
as psf). This is particularly useful for looping through a PSF input. However, in E to E mode,
only embedded video/audio/timecode are looped to the output (not analog audio, nor
LTC/internal timecode). ( Note: some SDI monitors only accept 1080PSF video, not
progressive. In this case, set E to E “On” to loop out PSF from a PSF input.)
Time-Lapse
Records individual video frames (as I-Frame only) based on a set time interval
(Hours:Minutes:Seconds). Special points to consider:
> the hour glass on the lcd screen will only change on the selected time interval.
> when a time-lapse record is stopped, there may be a delay up to the selected time interval to
close the clip. In addition, the clip will end with under a half second of regular speed footage,
which will need to be edited out.
> Use a reliable power source so as not to lose power and lose footage.
> Time-Lapse mode can support all bit rates (up to 280 Mbit) during record on approved CF
cards (including slower CF cards), due to the lower data rate; however, not all CF cards can
play back high bit rate recordings.
> Time-lapse is always I-frame only recording.
> Time-lapse is only supported in MXF and Quicktime file formats.
> System->Max File Size has an expanded range of 100% to 2% in time-lapse mode.
> t end of a time-lapse record, there may be a few extraneous video frames in the closing file.
> minimum of 15 frames should be recorded to complete a successful record.
> Do not use time-lapse mode in combination with Pre-Record Buffer (System->PreBuffer),
Crank, 720p60->30/50->25, or 3:2 Pulldown Removal. (ver1.5.126)
Crank [ ] [Recorded Frame Rate] [Crank Frame Rate] (ver1.5.126)
llows frame rate overcrank / undercrank to provide slow motion / fast motion effects. The
recorded format corresponds to the incoming video format – for example, if 720p60 is the
incoming format, and recorded rate is set to 24, the recorded format will be 720p24. In this
example, if the crank rate is set to 60 then this provides a 2.5x slow motion effect.
Recorded Rate: 24, 25, 30, 50, or 60. Can not exceed incoming video frame rate.
Crank Rate: Frames per second to preserve from the incoming video: 1 to 60. Can
not exceed incoming video frame rate.
> Crank is I-Frame only recording, minimum 50 M it, and the audio is not for use in this mode,
only video.
> In Crank mode, incoming 720p60 can only be used with 60, 30, or 24 recorded rates (and
1080p30 with 30 or 24 recorded rates) .
nanoFlash 15