Data Video DN-200 User manual

1
.ANALOGUE / DIGITAL RECORDER.
DN-200
Instruction Manual
www.datavideo-tek.com
Rev 300410

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Contents
Warnings and Precautions...............................................................................4
Warranty.............................................................................................................5
Standard Warranty .....................................................................................................................5
Two Year Warranty.....................................................................................................................5
Disposal......................................................................................................................................5
Packing List ................................................................................................................................5
Product Overview..............................................................................................6
Features .....................................................................................................................................6
Connections & Controls...................................................................................7
Front Panel.................................................................................................................................7
DN-200 Clip Status Display Explained.......................................................................................7
Rear Panel Connections.............................................................................................................8
Powering On...............................................................................................................................8
DN-200 Menus ...................................................................................................9
Main Menu Options ....................................................................................................................9
Record Setup Options..............................................................................................................10
Play Setup Options...................................................................................................................10
System Setup Options..............................................................................................................11
DN-200 General Setup Notes..........................................................................12
Set the signal type....................................................................................................................12
Set HDD partition to 1 or 2.......................................................................................................12
Choose a file operating system, FAT32 or NTFS ....................................................................12
Set the HDD volume ID............................................................................................................12
Select which time code to display ............................................................................................12
Empty the current or all bins.....................................................................................................12
Normal Recording...........................................................................................13
Select the video source............................................................................................................13
Set the file type.........................................................................................................................13
Synchronize to tape motion......................................................................................................13
Select the audio sampling rate in DV mode.............................................................................13
Set the record date (optional)...................................................................................................13
Before starting to Record..........................................................................................................13
Starting the Record Process ....................................................................................................13
Pausing the Record Process....................................................................................................14
Marking the Recording .............................................................................................................14
Stop a recording before powering down...................................................................................14
Power on auto record .....................................................................................14
Time Lapse Recording....................................................................................14
Using Record Pre-trigger................................................................................14

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DN-200 GPI Trigger connection and operation.............................................15
GPI Trigger cabling and circuit.................................................................................................15
SET GPI TRIGGER MODE......................................................................................................15
PULSE trigger Record process................................................................................................15
LEVEL trigger Record process.................................................................................................15
PULSE trigger Playback process.............................................................................................15
LEVEL trigger Playback process..............................................................................................15
Playback...........................................................................................................16
Set up loop play........................................................................................................................16
Power on auto play...................................................................................................................16
Play out.....................................................................................................................................16
Pause and Go To Mark ............................................................................................................16
Connection to a Computer in AV HDD Mode...............................................17
Preparation...............................................................................................................................17
MAKE MEDIA FILES................................................................................................................17
Operating File System limitations.............................................................................................17
File Organization ......................................................................................................................17
Updating DN-200 Firmware ............................................................................18
DN-200 RS-232 Controller Command Set......................................................19
Connector Pin Assignment.......................................................................................................19
System Control.........................................................................................................................20
Sense Request.........................................................................................................................20
Transport Control......................................................................................................................21
Service and Support .......................................................................................23

4
Warnings and Precautions
1. Read all of these warnings and save them for later reference.
2. Follow all warnings and instructions marked on this unit.
3. Unplug this unit from the wall outlet before cleaning. Do not use liquid or aerosol cleaners.
Use a slightly damp cloth for cleaning.
4. Do not use this unit in or near water.
5. Do not place this unit on an unstable surface, cart, stand, or table. The unit may fall, causing
serious damage.
6. Any slots and openings on the case top, back, and bottom are provided for ventilation. To
ensure safe and reliable operation of this unit, and to protect it from overheating, do not block
or cover these openings. Do not place this unit on a bed, sofa, rug, or similar surface, as the
ventilation openings may become blocked. This unit should never be placed near or over a
heat source or radiator. This unit should not be placed in a built-in installation unless proper
ventilation is provided.
7. This product should only be operated from the type of power source indicated on the marking
label of the AC adapter. If you are not sure of the type of power available, consult your
Datavideo dealer or your local power company.
8. Do not allow anything to rest on the power cord. Do not locate this unit where the power cord
will be walked on, rolled over, damaged or otherwise stressed.
9. If an extension cord must be used with this unit, make sure that the total of the ampere ratings
on the products plugged into the extension cord do not exceed the extension cord’s rating.
10. Make sure that the total amperes of all the units that are plugged into a single wall outlet do
not exceed 15 amperes.
11. Never push objects of any kind into this unit through the case ventilation slots, as they may
touch dangerous voltage points or short out parts that could result in risk of fire or electric
shock. Never spill liquid of any kind onto or into this unit.
12. Except as specifically explained elsewhere in this manual, do not attempt to service this
product yourself. Opening or removing covers that are marked “Do Not Remove” may expose
you to dangerous voltage points or other risks, and will void your warranty. Refer all service
issues to qualified service personnel.
13. Unplug this product from the wall outlet and refer to qualified service personnel under the
following conditions:
a. When the power cord is damaged or frayed;
b. When liquid has spilled into the unit;
c. When the product has been exposed to rain or water;
d. When the product does not operate normally under normal operating conditions.
Adjust only those controls that are covered by the operating instructions in this
manual; improper adjustment of other controls may result in damage to the unit and
may often require extensive work by a qualified technician to restore the unit to
normal operation;
e. When the product has been dropped or the case has been damaged;
f. When the product exhibits a distinct change in performance, indicating a need for
service.

5
Warranty
Standard Warranty
Datavideo equipment is guaranteed against any manufacturing defects for one year from the
date of purchase.
The original purchase invoice or other documentary evidence should be supplied at the time
of any request for repair under warranty.
Damage caused by accident, misuse, unauthorized repairs, sand, grit or water is not covered
by this warranty.
All mail or transportation costs including insurance are at the expense of the owner.
All other claims of any nature are not covered.
Cables & batteries are not covered under warranty.
Warranty only valid within the country or region of purchase.
Your statutory rights are not affected.
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Two Year Warranty
All Datavideo products purchased after 01-Oct.-2008 qualify for a free one year extension to the
standard Warranty, providing the product is registered with Datavideo within 30 days of
purchase. For information on how to register please visit www.datavideo-tek.com or contact
your local Datavideo office or authorized Distributors
Certain parts with limited lifetime expectancy such as LCD Panels, DVD Drives, Hard Drives are
only covered for the first 10,000 hours, or 1 year (whichever comes first).
Any second year warranty claims must be made to your local Datavideo office or one of its authorized
Distributors before the extended warranty expires.
Disposal
For EU Customers only - WEEE Marking
This symbol on the product indicates that it should not be treated as household
waste. It must be handed over to the applicable take-back scheme for the recycling
of waste electrical and electronic equipment. For more detailed information about
the recycling of this product, please contact your local Datavideo office.
Packing List
Item No. Description Quantity
1 Instruction Manual 1
2 DN-200 Recorder 1
3 12V DC 1A PSU 1
4 3.5mm Jack to RCA Breakout cable 1

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Product Overview
The DN-200 is a small and portable video recorder/player capable of very long record times. A built-
in, large capacity hard drive (HDD) stores the video. It can record up to 23 hours of video depending
on the recording format, drive settings and hard drive size. The DN-200 HDD can have one or two
partitions. A second 6GB partition can be set up. The recorder will have no affect on this partition so
the user is free to name it, format it, store any type of data on it with complete confidence that the
recorder will not alter it. The unit can easily be set up for FAT32 or NTFS; PAL, NTSC or HDV frame
rates too.
This unit is capable of recording from digital or analogue sources using IEEE-1394 or Composite and
RCA stereo connections. It can also be set up to record PAL or NTSC Time Lapse sequences at a
variety of standard or triggered intervals. Set it up to buffer live video and when you press record
within 8 seconds of an event you can be confident that you have recorded that must have shot.
Once recorded Drag and Drop these video files directly to the time-line of your Non-Linear Editing
program using popular DV file wrappers such as Microsoft AVI type 2, Canopus AVI, QuickTime
MOV, MXF OP1A as well as HDV M2T. With this many useful features the DN-200 is ideal for a
variety applications within broadcast, education, animation, science, medical, construction and
security, etc.
Features
Small, easy to carry, high capacity hard drive recorder
Input Video Connections:
Composite video (BNC) and RCA stereo audio (PAL or NTSC)
IEEE-1394 supports DV,HDV including embedded external Time Code Input
Output Connections:
Composite video (BNC) and RCA stereo audio (PAL or NTSC) via breakout cable
IEEE-1394 in playback can supply DV,HDV signals
IEEE-1394 connection in AVHDD Mode also supports PC and Mac FW400 connections
Supports DV AVI, DV MOV, DV MXF-OP1A and M2T file formats directly, QuickTime HDV
and MXF-OP1A through a quick utility program
Set audio sampling rate to match 48KHz (16bit) or 32KHz (12bit)
Time-lapse single frame recording at standard intervals
Manually triggered single frame recording. Useful in model animation recordings
8 second pre-record buffer, useful in recording unexpected events especially in science
research, outdoor recording, Health & Safety or security applications
Loop Playback of video in a selected bin
Auto record or Playback to or from current video bin when powered on
Backlit LCD panel showing a comprehensive layout of the recorders status
Allocate a second 6GB HDD partition as a dedicated area for other files
Built-in 2.5" 320GB SATA HDD, allows up to 23 hours of video to be recorded*
RS-232 and GPI interfaces for simple update, trigger and control
*subject to HDD size, partitioning chosen, available HDD space and video data rate

7
Connections & Controls
Front Panel
1. Menu Button - Calls up the menu display which is navigated using buttons 6 & 7.
2. Display Panel - Displays the status and set up of the DN-200 unit or if the Menu
Button is pressed the DN-200 Menu options.
3. Play / Pause Button - Starts playback of a track, or pauses playback of a track with
the current status shown on the Display Panel. Also Starts / Pauses a recording when
the unit is in Record mode.
4. Stop Button - Stops playback or record.
5. Record Button - Puts the DN-200 into Record Mode. To start recording press the
Record Button and the Play Button simultaneously. The unit will not record if no
video signal is present.
6. Navigation Button – Used to navigate the menus and confirm set up choices.
7. Navigation Button – Used to navigate the menus and confirm set up choices.
DN-200 Clip Status Display Explained
1. Sync to Tape Indicator OFF=ST0 and ON=ST1
2. Analogue / Digital Source indicator
3. Loop Playback indicator
4. Remaining Recording Space in Hours and Minutes
5. Current Bin and Clip
6. File type indicator
7. Current Time Code or total length of clip
8. Menu options
9. Record, Pause, FFWD, REV and Playback indication

8
Rear Panel Connections
1. TC IN – This BNC connection allows the unit to record External Time Code
from a source Camera or Deck.
2. CVBS IN – This BNC connection allows the unit to accept an analogue
Composite NTSC or PAL video input.
3. AUDIO IN – These RCA L & R channel inputs allow line level analogue audio
to be recorded to the same clip as input 2 above.
4. A/V OUT – Allows output of Composite video and analogue L & R channel
audio via a breakout cable from a 3.5mm jack connection.
5. GPI socket – Can be used for simple external control. The DN-200 can
accept pulse or level trigger inputs, these can trigger record, playback and
pause commands.
6. RS-232 Socket – The DN-200 can be controlled via RS-232 from external
devices. See Page 19.
7. 6 Pin IEEE-1394 In/Out Port – supports DV25 / HDV M2T input sources or
output a DV25 signal to a monitor or supports Firewire 400 communication
with a PC/Mac for file transfer.
8. Power On/Off Switch.
9. DC In Socket. Connect the supplied 12V 1A PSU to this socket. The
connection can be secured by screwing the outer fastening ring of the DC In
plug to the socket.
Powering On
Connect the DN-200’s own power supply to the rear DC In socket. Ensure the power supply unit is
connected to a suitable mains socket. Switch the power ON/OFF switch to the ON position.
The LCD display panel will show “FOR AVHDD MODE PLEASE PRESS MENU”, ignore this message
and after a few seconds the Clip Status Display will be shown. The DN-200 is now ready for use as a
recorder or playback device.

9
DN-200 Menus
The DN-200 is a menu driven unit; there are several menus which are used to set up the unit. The
menu settings are non-volatile (settings are stored even when the unit is switched off). So general
settings, such as date and file type, may only need to be set once. We will look at specific set ups in
more detail later on in this manual, but here is an overview of the available menu options.
Pressing the Navigation Button labelled NEXT will display the next menu option. If all menu options
have been displayed and next is selected then the unit loops back to the first menu option once more.
Pressing the Navigation Button labelled ENTER will select the displayed menu option. The next level
of menu options or a specific setting choice will then be displayed. Pressing the MENU Button will
allow exit of the current menu or setting.
Example menu selection:
Main Menu Options
There are 8 initial main menu level options and they are:
Menu Option Action taken
MAKE MEDIA FILES Prepares the content to be seen by the computer in the AVHDD mode.
The operating system environment needs to be previously set to either
FAT32 or NTFS. This action is taken once before connecting to a
computer in AVHDD mode and is done for all the recorded content.
EMPTY THIS BIN Empties or erases the content within the selected bin, this action cannot
be undone once selected.
SELECT SOURCE The signal to be recorded can be chosen to come either from the IEEE-
1394 input (DIG) as a digital signal or come from the BNC and RCA inputs
as NTSC or PAL analogue signals (ANA).
EMPTY ALL BINS Empties or erases the content in ALL of the bins. This action cannot be
undone once selected.
RECORD SETUP Enters the Record Setup Menu group detailed on page 10
PLAY SETUP Enters the Play Setup Menu group detailed on page 10
SYSTEM SETUP Enters the System Setup Menu group detailed on page 11
FIRMWARE REVISION Displays the current firmware revision for the DN-200
Table 1 Main Menu
menu = exit
SELECT SOURCE
ANA DIG*
menu = exit
SELECT SOURCE
ENTER NEXT
menu = exit
EMPTY THIS BIN ?
ENTER NEXT
menu = exit
MAKE MEDIA FILES
ENTER NEXT

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Record Setup Options
Entered from the Main Menu, this set of options enable various record related parameters and modes
to be setup.
Menu Option Action taken
SET RECORD FILE TYPE Where the choice of file type is made for all un-recorded bins. File
types cannot be mixed within a bin. Choices are .mov, 2 types of .avi,
.mxf and for HDV .m2t only. Note that the current type chosen will be
marked with an asterisk as well as being indicated on the 2nd line of
the Clip Status Display, see Page 7.
SYNCtoTAPE CONTROL ST1, where the recorder will look to the time code changing to
indicate the need to record. If the time code pauses then the
recording is paused. With this setting turned off, ST0, the record
process will continue regardless of the time code behaviour. Note
that the current selection will be marked with an asterisk as well as
being indicated on the top line of the Clip Status Display, see Page 7.
SET RECORD DATE This option always modifies the date attribute of the created file when
the source is analogue. When the source is digital if the date in the
digital stream is invalid then the unit will use this date instead.
RECORD PRE-TRIGGER When enabled, the last 8 seconds of video before the record trigger
is captured ahead of the video following the trigger. Note that the
video in the pre trigger buffer is lost when the unit is power cycled.
SET DEFAULT DV AUDIO When the audio source is analogue, this option sets the audio
sampling frequency to 48KHz or 32KHz. When the source is digital,
this option helps the recorder match the incoming audio sampling
frequency. Note that the current selection will be marked with an
asterisk.
SET ASPECT RATIO When the source is analogue, this option sets the 16:9 or 4:3 aspect
ratio flag in the stream to be recorded.
TIMELAPSE RECORD Allows the recording of NTSC or PAL video at slower than real time
through a choice of 6 options. Note that the current selection will be
marked with an asterisk.
PWR ON AUTO RECORD When enabled, the recorder will go directly into record mode in the
last bin selected once power is applied.
Table 2 Record Setup Menu
Play Setup Options
Entered from the Main Menu, this set of options enable various record related parameters and modes
to be setup.
Menu Option Action taken
SET LOOP PLAY When enabled the DN-200 will loop play all clips in the current bin, the
playback will continuously loop until stopped. Note that the chosen
mode is indicated by an asterisk as well as the presence or absence of
the loop play icon on the top line of the Clip Status Display, see page 7.
PWR ON AUTO PLAY When enabled, the recorder will go directly into a play mode in the last
bin selected once power is applied.
Table 3 Play Setup Menu