Datapath VisionAV/F User manual

User Manual
Version 1.0.0
The VisionAV
Audio/Video Capture Card

Contents
Introduction.........................................................................................1
Dual Channel Video..............................................................................2
Flexible Audio Capture.........................................................................2
Datapath Unied Vision Driver.............................................................2
Models................................................................................................2
Specication.......................................................................................3
Unpacking..........................................................................................4
Installing the Capture Card.................................................................5
DirectShow........................................................................................9
Software Installation..........................................................................9
Application Overview........................................................................10
Using the card with other Datapath products....................................10
Datapath Limited..............................................................................11
Index.................................................................................................12

Introduction
The VisionAV has two independent video capture channels – one supporting HD capture and a second
simultaneously decoding Standard Denition composite video. The VisionAV also adds analog and
HDMI audio capture, which can be perfectly synchronised with either video capture channel.
• A single card solution for distance learning, lecture capture and web casting
• Viewing analog or DVI sources from a wide range of PCs, MACs, Industrial/Medical equipment,
cameras and other video equipment.
• Videoconferencing
DirectShow drivers for WDM Streaming driver supports the following applications to encode, record
and stream video over networks or the Internet:
• Windows Media Encoder®
• VLC
• StreamPix
• VirtualDub
• Adobe Flash Encoder
• AMCap
• Any other DirectShow encoding software
1

Hardware Overview
Dual Channel Video
• Channel 1: Digital or Analog HD Video
• Channel 2: Composite Video
Flexible Audio Capture
• Balanced (XLR) and Unbalanced (RCA) from optional module
• HDMI audio through HD Video Channel
Datapath Unied Vision Driver
• Multiple cards per system, 16 streams per channel
• Frame sync and time stamping
• Direct Show interface
• Datapath RGBEasy API
Models
VisionAV/F
VisionAV/H
VisionAV/B
2

3
Board Format PCI-Express x4 low prole card, 68.9mm x 167.6mm
Connectors (main board) DVI-I , RCA (female)
Connectors (audio board) HD15 (male) for connection of supplied Audio Breakout cable:
• Stereo line in (2 x RCA), stereo balanced in (2 x XLR), stereo line out (2 x
RCA)
• 16-way header for connection to main board
HDMI Capture • Supports HDMI 1.3 to 225MHz (including deep colour modes). For HDCP
support,
contact the Sales Dept at Datapath for more information
• HDMI audio can be selected as source for audio streaming. *
• Incorporates TMDS equalizer to support up to 20m cables.
DVI Capture Supports DVI 1.0 RGB 24bit capture to 165MHz.
Incorporates TMDS equalizer to support up to 20m cables.
VGA / YPbPr Capture Triple ADCs sampling up to 170Msps. Full 4:4:4 sampling, 8 bits per colour.
5-wire, 4-wire or sync-on-green signal formats.
Composite Video Capture CCIR601 sampling. PAL, NTSC, SECAM formats automatically detected
Audio Capture Stereo Line-In/Stereo balanced inputs with programmable gain (+/-12dB)
16/24 bit sampling at 44.1kHz.
Analog stereo line-out at up to 64kHz sampling, sourced from Analog input
or HDMI stream
Video Capture Memory 256MB high bandwidth frame buer supports triple buering of HD and SD
video.
Local storage of complex scatter-gather tables for DMA engine (eliminates
read overhead)
Video Processing Polyphase FIR scaling engine (7x5) for hardware downscaling and upscaling
Colour space conversion allows captured data to be transferred in any
format:
• RGB 16 bit (5-5-5, 5-6-5), 24 bit (8-8-8) or 32 bit (8-8-8-alpha)
• YUV 16 bit (4:2:2)
• Mono: 8bit
DMA Engine Direct DMA to physical or virtual memory buers with full scatter-gather
support.
DMA bandwidth : up to 800MB/s
16 independent DMA streams:
• Any mix of HD and SD sources, colour space, cropping and scaling
parameters
Operating System
Support
Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008,
Windows Server 2012, Windows 7, Windows 8 and Linux support (not audio)
See www.datapath.co.uk for updates.
Specication

We are continuously developing the technology used within our product ranges delivering outstanding
innovative solutions, therefore the specication may change from time to time.
* Denotes availability Q4 2012, contact Sales for details.
Unpacking
Your packing box should contain the following items:
VisionAV/F VisionAV/H VisionAV/B
Base VisionAV Card √ √ √
Audio Module Card √ Fitted to base
card √X
1 x Full height bracket √ Fitted to base
card X√ Fitted to base card
1 x Half height bracket X√ One fitted to each
board √
1 x Ribbon Cable Long X√X
1 x Ribbon Cable Short √ Fitted to base
card XX
1 x Audio Breakout
Cable
√ √ X
1 x DVI/VGA Adapter √ √ √
1 x DVI/Component
Adapter
√ √ √
1 x DVI/HDMI Adapter √ √ √
Installation CD √ √ √
Note:
All plug-in cards are static sensitive and are packed in anti-static material. Please keep the card in its
packaging until you are ready to install.
It is recommended that you do not discard the packing box until you are completely satised with
the VisionAV capture card and it is fully installed and working correctly. We also recommend that you
make a note of the serial number of the card in a prominent place before the card is plugged into the
computer. This should hasten any query should you need to contact our Technical Support
Department. The serial number is displayed on the card itself and the box label.
Power Requirements Max current at 12V – 0.5A
Max current at 3.3V – 0.2A
Thermal dissipation – 6.5W
Operating Temperature 0 to 35 ºC ( 32 to 96ºF)
Storage Temperature -20 to 70 ºC ( -4 to 158ºF)
Relative Humidity 5% to 90% non-condensing
Warranty 3 years

Installing the Capture Card
You are likely to need a at blade and /or a cross head screwdriver for the installation of the
VisionAV card; it would be useful to have these to hand before you begin.
• Power down the PC (including peripherals), switch o at the mains and disconnect all the cables
connected to the computer, noting the positions for accurate reconnection.
• Remove the PC cover.
• For the VisionAV/F capture cards, locate a vacant PCI Express slot (x4 or higher) on the
motherboard and remove the blanking plate (retain all screws).
• If the VisionAV/H is to be installed in a short form computer, two locations are required. The
VisionAV/H and the Audio Module should be installed adjacent to enable both cards to be connected
together using the ribbon cable supplied. The Audio Module does not require a slot on the mother-
board.
If you are in doubt consult your motherboard documentation to correctly identify a PCI Express slot. If
the card is forced into a 32 or 64 bit PCI or PCI-X slot it will be irreparably damaged when the system is
powered up and the warranty will be void.
• Reconnect all cables to the PC then connect a DVI cable (not supplied) distributing the DVI source
signal to the connector on the VisionAV capture card
• A standard denition signal can be connected to the RCA connector on the VisionAV
• An Audio feed can be connected to the Audio Module via the Audio Breakout Cable
• Power up the PC and commence the software installation
How to Connect Input Sources
The VisionAV/F card has one DVI-I and one RCA (female) connector and one RGB (male) connector on the
Audio Module:
The DVI-I connector supports DVI, HDMI, Component and RGB (VGA) inputs using the supplied adapters
where required.
A DVI input is connected directly into the DVI-I connector which accepts DVI-D (digital) or DVI-A (analog)
inputs:
5

6
An HDMI input is connected to the DVI-I connector using the supplied DVI-HDMI Adapter:
A Component input is connected to the DVI-I connector using the supplied DVI-Component Adapter:
An RGB (VGA) input is connected to the DVI-I connector using the supplied DVI-VGA Adapter:
A Standard Denition input is connected directly into the RCA (female) connector on the VisionAV card:

Audio is connected to the Audio Module using the Audio Break Out cable provided:
1 Balanced (XLR) Input Left
2 Balanced (XLR) Input Right
3Unbalanced Input Left
4 Unbalanced Input Right
5Audio Out Left
6Audio Out Right

Installing Multiple Cards
Multiple cards can be installed in a system providing a large number capture channels. Combinations of
Vision capture cards in the same machine are supported by the driver.
In order to control the order in which the driver uses the cards, it is recommended when installing multiple
cards that the J5 links on the VisionAV are congured. The example below shows the jumper link
settings for up to 32 cards in a single system. When two cards share the same link settings, their order is
determined by the PCIe bus.
8

DirectShow
If you change the link ordering after installation you must run dplinks.exe. This program will update the
existing input names used by the windows DirectShow interface.
To run the dplinks program open the Run by clicking on Start/Run and type dplinks and then press Enter.
The program will run, however no notications are displayed.
Firmware Upgrades
The VisionAV cards allow rmware upgrade to be completed on site rather than returning the card to
Datapath. Whenever a rmware upgrade is performed, the J11 Link MUST BE FITTED on the VisionAV.
To perform the upgrade, follow the step-by-step instructions provided by the upgrade application.
In the unlikely event that something goes wrong during the upgrade process (e.g. System power outage)
it is possible to revert to the factory settings by powering down the system, temporarily removing the J11
link then powering up the system with the link removed. Once the system has rebooted, replace the J11
link link (whilst the system is powered up) and restart the rmware upgrade process.
It should be noted that the latest driver installation program includes an automatic rmware update, if
required. Therefore, prior to installing the application and driver, ensure that J11 link is tted.
Software Installation
The Vision software (driver and application) is installed by inserting the CD that was shipped with your
card into your CD ROM drive. The installation process should start automatically.
Should the CD fail to autorun use Explorer to browse the CD, locate then double click on install.exe
le e.g. d:/install.exe and click on Install Software… and follow the installation wizard instructions as
prompted.
Regular software updates are available from our website: www.datapath.co.uk
Also available on the Datapath CD:
• The Release Notes - The release notes contain the latest information on the VisionAV
• Installation instructions.
• Release history
• Known problems
• Troubleshooting
• The application Help File - Instructions on how to use the application. The help le is in d:/software/
vision.chm. The help le must be located on the local machine to view its content.
9

Application Overview
The application displays the connected source in a window; it has the following features:
• Scales the data to t in the window
• Ability to set up sources accurately (settings automatically saved)
• Save a single frame to a le in one of the following formats:
BMP, JPEG, GIF, TIFF, PNG
• Print a single frame
• Maintain the aspect ratio of the displayed captured data
• Cropping
• Display text over the data (on-screen display)
• Command line interface
• Help le documenting all features
Note:
The supplied drivers and software require that you are using:
• Windows® XP, Windows® Vista, Windows® Server 2003, Windows® Server 2008 or Windows® 7
(x86 and x64 Operating Systems)
• CD / DVD ROM Drive
10
Using the card with other Datapath products
The VisionAV captures data and stores it in an on-board video buer. This data is then copied using DMA
to the host system for display, storage or streaming.
When a Datapath graphics card is used, VisionAV transfers the data directly to the graphics card thereby
increasing performance. The VisionSDI2 sends the relevant portions of each captured image to each
display channel and instructs each channel to use its graphics engine to render the data. This fully utilises
the hardware and dramatically increases performance.
When a Direct3D compatible graphics card is used the data can be transferred direct to the graphics card
in a similar manner to the Datapath graphics card with the same benet of non-tearing captures.
When the data is displayed on a non Datapath graphics card, the VisionAV sends the data to system
memory or direct to the graphics card, dependant on the software used for display.

Datapath Limited
Datapath has a long and very successful history in the computer graphics industry. Datapath has been
designing and supplying high performance, high quality graphics display systems to the world’s larg-
est and most demanding companies and institutions since 1982. Datapath was one of the founding
companies of multi-screen Windows acceleration using single and multi board solutions. Now using
the very latest display technology Datapath oers some of the world’s leading multi screen graphics
accelerators for the most demanding applications.
As new technology advances, so we at Datapath improve the performance and functionality of both
our hardware and software to give our customers more. Following a continuous development pro-
gram, we pride ourselves on our support and responsive nature towards all our customers and their
changing needs. As more sophisticated equipment and techniques become readily available, so we
are there to exploit the power and potential that this technology presents.
Technical Support
Registered Users can access our technical support line using, email, and the Support page on the
Datapath Web Site, usually with a response within 24 hours (excluding weekends).
Via Email
Send an email to [email protected] with as much information about your system as possible.
To enable a swift response we need to know the following details:
• Specication of the PC - including processor speed
• Operating System
• Application Software
• Datapath Hardware / Software
• The exact nature of the problem - and please be as specic as possible.
Please quote version and revision numbers of hardware and software in use wherever possible.
Copyright Statement
© Datapath Ltd., England, 2012
Datapath Limited claims copyright on this documentation. No part of this documentation may be
reproduced, released, disclosed, stored in any electronic format, or used in whole or in part for any
purpose other than stated herein without the express permission of Datapath Limited.
Whilst every eort is made to ensure that the information contained in this User Manual is correct,
Datapath Limited make no representations or warranties with respect to the contents thereof, and
do not accept liability for any errors or omissions. Datapath reserves the right to change specication
without prior notice and cannot assume responsibility for the use made of the information supplied.
All registered trademarks used within this documentation are acknowledged by Datapath Limited.
11

Index
A
application10
Audio7
AudioBreakOutcable7
AudioCapture3
Audiofeed5
AudioOut7
B
BalancedXLR2
Balanced(XLR)Input7
C
Componentinput6
CompositeVideoCapture3
CopyrightStatement11
D
Datapath11
DatapathCD9
DatapathLimited11
Direct3D10
DirectShow9
DirectShowinterface9
DMAEngine3
dplinksprogram9
DVICapture3
DVIinput5
F
rmwareupgrade912
FirmwareUpgrades-VisionRGB-E29
H
HDMI5
HDMICapture3
HDMIinput6
HelpFile9
I
InputSources5
InstallingtheCaptureCard5
InstallingtheVisionRGB-E25
J
J11link9
M
Multiplecards8
MultipleCards8
O
OperatingSystemSupport3
OperatingTemperature4
P
packingbox4
PowerRequirements3
R
RelativeHumidity4
RGBEasyAPI2
RGB(VGA)input6

S
software9
StandardDenition6
StandardDenitioninput6
StorageTemperature4
T
TechnicalSupport11
U
UnbalancedInput7
UnbalancedRCA2
Unpacking-VisionRGB-E25
V
VGA/YPbPrCapture3
videobuer10
VideoCaptureMemory3
VideoProcessing3
W
Warranty4