EMS Vigilant-X Series User manual

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Vigilant-X
User Manual
UK Headquarters
Electronic Modular Solutions Ltd.
Kendal House, 20 Blaby Road, S. Wigston, Leics., LE18 4SB, England.
Tel: [phone] Fax: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Web: www.ems-imaging.com

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Contents
Introduction.....................................................................................3
Vigilant-X Models ...........................................................................4
Hardware Installation......................................................................6
Multi Screen Configuration...........................................................14
Accessories..................................................................................21
Troubleshooting............................................................................24
EMS Limited.................................................................................26
Index.............................................................................................28
Appendix 1 – Defining Custom Modes.........................................30
Appendix 2 – Screen Order..........................................................31

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Introduction
The EMS Vigilant-X multi-screen graphics accelerators are single slot PCI cards for displaying
Windows across multiple screens as one extended desktop.
Based on the S3 Graphics DeltaChrome graphics processors with 32MB of DDR per graphics
processor, the Vigilant-X provides crisp, high resolution displays.
There are a number of different models in the Vigilant-X range, which are described in detail
in the Vigilant-X Models section.
All cards in the Vigilant-X range feature:
•Analog or DVI-D outputs.
•Fully PCI compliant for improved host to screen BITBLTs and other bus related
operations.
•Supports VESA modes up to 1600 x 1200 and non-VESA modes up to 2048 x 1536.
•Dedicated hardware acceleration across all colour depths for key 2D graphics
functions, high speed BITBLT, line drawing and rectangle and polygon fills.
•Full hardware cursor support for flicker free Windows cursors in all modes.
•Multiple card hardware support for multiple screen systems.
Specifications:
Processors 4 S3 Graphics DeltaChrome GPU’s
Video Memory 32Mb DDR per GPU (Total 128Mb)
Board Format 32 bit - 66Mhz PCI adapter
Connectors Special D-type connectors, cables
supplied.
Video Output Each output supports up to 2048 x 1536 x
60Hz (Analog) and 1600 x 1200 x 60Hz or
2048 x 1536 x 35Hz(DVI)
Pixel clock Up to 300MHz – Analog
Up to 165 MHz – DVI-D

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Vigilant-X Models
The Vigilant-X range includes a variety of models and options providing live video overlay for
complex data/video walls or multi-screen desktop applications.
Vigilant-X
•Four port graphics adapter.
•Four S3 Graphics DeltaChrome graphics processors each with 32MB of DDR
250MHz frame buffers (Total 128MB).
•Four Analog VGA outputs.
•Four DVI-D outputs.
•Up to sixteen Vigilant-X cards can be used to support a maximum of sixty-four screens
from a single PC.
Vigilant-Xplus
In addition to the Vigilant-X specifications, the Vigilant-Xplus provides high quality video
overlays enabling the display of live video sources.
•Four high quality de-interlaced video overlays with triple buffering, each at 720 x 576
resolution. (1 per screen) Overlays can be positioned anywhere on the wall.
•Increase the number of composite video inputs to 128 by using the EMS VxSwitch32-
H card.
•Four PAL, NTSC and SECAM decoders.
•Up to sixteen Vigilant-Xplus cards can be used to support a maximum of sixty-four
screens and sixty-four video overlays from a single PC.

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Vigilant-XSQ
The Vigilant-XSQ has all the specifications of the Vigilant-X and in addition:
•Four SIP processors each with 64Mb overlay memory (Total 256Mb)
•High speed 5Gb/s SIP digital video input port for AVANT-16SQ supporting up to 128
video channels.
•Sixteen video overlay windows per display channel. (Total 64 windows)
•Four 1280 x 1024 high resolution video overlays.

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Hardware Installation
This section deals with installing Vigilant-X cards and spreading the Windows desktop across
all the screens. If you are intending to use the Vigilant-X cards with other EMS products, you
should follow this section first to get the Windows desktop working correctly.
System Requirements
•A Pentium PCI bus computer.
•128Mbytes of RAM.
•Windows® 2000, Windows® XP or Windows® Server 2003.
Unpacking
Your packing box should contain the following items:
•The Vigilant-X plug-in card.
•HCS-cable
•Two RGB-S-cables, two DVI-S-cables or two Vigilant Video cables, depending on
model purchased
•Installation CD-ROM.
Cables are provided depending on which card you have purchased for example:
Vigilant-X Vigilant-X supplied with two analog VGA
splitter cables - (RGB-S-cable).
Vigilant-X-DVI Vigilant-X supplied with two DVI splitter cables
- (DVI-S-cable).
Vigilant-Xplus Vigilant-Xplus supplied with two analog VGA
splitter cables - (RGB-S-cable).
Vigilant-Xplus-DVI Vigilant-Xplus supplied with two DVI splitter
cables - (DVI-S-cable).

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Vigilant-XSQ Vigilant-XSQ supplied with two analog VGA
splitter cables - (RGB-S-cable).
Vigilant-XSQ-DVI Vigilant-XSQ supplied with two DVI splitter
cables - (DVI-S-cable)
Vigilant-X-HDTV Vigilant-X supplied with two analog TV splitter
cables for connection to High Definition TV -
(HDTV-S-Cable).
Vigilant-Xplus-HDTV Vigilant-Xplus supplied with two analog TV
splitter cables for connection to High
Definition TV - (HDTV-S-Cable).
Vigilant-XSQ-HDTV Vigilant-XSQ supplied with two analog TV
splitter cables for connection to High
Definition TV - (HDTV-S-Cable).
If you are installing a single card (up to four screens), follow the section Installing the Master
Vigilant-X Card.
If you are installing more than one card, start by installing one card as described in Installing
the Master Vigilant-X Card. Once the system works correctly with four screens, install the rest
of the cards as described in Installing the Slave Vigilant-X Cards.
Installing the Master Vigilant-X Card
A requirement of PCs is that there is a VGA graphics device in the system. When you switch
on your PC, the VGA graphics device is used to display boot messages. The boot messages
include some or all of the following:
•A message from the graphics card BIOS.
•A logo for the motherboard.
•Messages describing the results of the Power On Self Test (POST).
Some display devices take a long time to show an image so you may miss some of the boot
messages.
Before you install the master Vigilant-X card, you need to know if there are any VGA graphics
devices already in the system. There may be a PCI or AGP plug-in graphics card in the
system. There may be a graphics device on the motherboard or SBC.
The Vigilant-X can be used in systems that contain other manufacturer’s graphics devices.
The screens connected to Vigilant-X cards are used for the main display. Another screen is
connected to the other graphics device and is used to configure or control the system. Due to
the number of other manufacturer’s graphics devices available, it is not possible to support
them all. In general, a modern graphics device with an up-to-date display driver should work.
If you do not want to use the other graphics device at the same time as the Vigilant-X and the
graphics device is a plug-in card, remove the plug-in card from the system.
If you want to use Vigilant-X graphics cards only, the links on the master Vigilant-X should be
configured according to the following diagram:

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If you want to use another graphics device at the same time as the Vigilant-X, you need to
change the links on the Vigilant-X so that the motherboard does not display the boot
messages on the Vigilant-X.
If your machine is on, shut down Windows and switch the machine off.
Notes:
All plug-in cards are static sensitive and packed in antistatic materials. 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
satisfied with the Vigilant-X card, and it is fully installed and working correctly. We

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also recommend that you make note of the serial number of the card in a prominent
place before you plug the card 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 and the box label.
•Locate an available PCI slot to install your Vigilant-X card (you may need to remove
the expansion slot cover and screw, please retain these for future use).
•Holding the card firmly by its top edge at each end of the card’s length, slide it into the
slot. Extreme care should be taken when sliding the card into the PCI slot to avoid
damage to the components on the Vigilant-X card.
Note:
Vigilant-X models have a rear bracket to ensure that the card is firmly seated in the
slot. This bracket supports the card when installed in the machine.
•Using the retaining screw, secure the bracket to the back panel.
•Using the splitter cables provided, connect screens to all the outputs from the card. If
there are other graphics devices in the system, connect screens to them (even if you
don’t intend to use all the outputs in your final configuration).
•Switch all the screens on then switch the machine on.
You should see the boot messages on one of the screens. If the master Vigilant-X has VGA
enabled, the boot messages should appear on output 1 of the master Vigilant-X. If the master
Vigilant-X does not have VGA enabled, the boot messages should appear on one of the other
graphics devices (not one of the Vigilant-X outputs).
If the boot messages appear on the correct monitor, you can install the display driver.
If the boot messages appear on the wrong monitor, or you don’t see any boot messages at
all, there is something wrong with the system.
Installing the Display Drivers for the Master Vigilant-X
Once the master Vigilant-X card has been installed and the boot messages are appearing on
the correct monitor, you can start Windows.
•Log on as a user with administrative access rights.
•The Found New Hardware Wizard will announce that new hardware has been found.
•Do not use the Found New Hardware Wizard to install the Vigilant-X drivers.
•Install the display drivers from the CD supplied using the install program setup.exe.
•Alternatively the display drivers can be downloaded from our web site; www.ems-
imaging.com and installed using the install program install.exe.
•If your final configuration has less than four screens select the number of screens
required, otherwise select four screens.
•Restart the machine.
When Windows starts up, the desktop should be spread over all the screens connected to the
master Vigilant-X.
Installing the Slave Vigilant-X Cards
As the number of required screens increase, the likelihood of reaching a system limitation or
encountering a problem increases. The system limitations are the amount of address space
available and the capacity of the power supply.

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Address Space
The 32-bit Intel architecture has a 4GB address space. System RAM occupies the bottom
part of the address space. The system BIOS occupies the top part of the address space. PCI
devices are assigned parts of the remaining address space by the motherboard BIOS shortly
after the system is switched on or reset.
A Vigilant-X requires 1MB + 128MB of address space.
You can calculate the minimum amount of address space required for the Vigilant-X cards.
For example, the minimum address space required for a 24-screen system is calculated as
follows:
At least 6 x (1MB + 128MB) = 774MB address space is required for the Vigilant-X cards.
The actual amount of address space used by the motherboard BIOS for Vigilant-X cards
varies. The parts of address space allocated to the Vigilant-X must be aligned on boundaries.
Different motherboard BIOSs use different algorithms to allocate the parts of the address
space. Some motherboard BIOSs do not pack the allocated address ranges together
efficiently.
In addition to the memory and the Vigilant-X cards there are other PCI devices in the system
which require address space.
Power
The amount of current a power supply can deliver on each voltage rail is limited. Often there
is also a limit on the total power.
Each Vigilant-X card requires +5V @ 1.7A and +3.3V @ 3.5A.
Each Vigilant-Xplus card requires +5V @ 2.5A and +3.3V @ 3.5A
Each Vigilant-XSQ card requires +5V @ 5A and +3.3
You can calculate the amount of current and the amount of power required for the Vigilant-X
cards. For example, the requirements for a 24-screen system of Vigilant-Xplus cards is
calculated as follows:
Current
+3.3V 6 x 3.5A = 21A
+5V 6 x 2.5A = 15A
Power
( 3.3V x 21A ) + ( 5V x 15A ) = 144W
These are the requirements for the Vigilant-X cards, you must take into account the
requirements of all the other devices in the system.

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Connecting up to 64 Screens
To connect up to 64 screens to Vigilant-X cards, configure the links as shown in the diagram
below:
The links control the order in which the display driver uses the Vigilant-X cards. Insert the
slave Vigilant-X cards into the PCI slots.
Connect screens to the slave cards. The first slave card should be connected to the second
group of four screens, the second slave should be connected to the third group of four
screens and so on.

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Switch the screens on then switch the machine on.
The boot messages should appear on the same screen that they appeared on when the
Vigilant-X master had been installed.
Log on as a user with administrative access rights.
The Found New Hardware Wizard will announce that new hardware has been found. This
will happen once for each slave Vigilant-X card you have added to the system. Do not use
the Found New Hardware Wizard to install the Vigilant-X drivers.
The Windows desktop should appear on the four screens attached to the master card as it did
after the display driver had been installed for the master Vigilant-X card.
You need to install the display driver again. This time you should specify the number of
screens you wish to use.
Restart the machine.
The Windows desktop should now be spread across the number of screens you specified.
If you encountered any problems, please refer to the Troubleshooting section.
Connecting the HDTV-S-Cable
The HDTV-S-Cable enables the outputs from the Vantage card to be displayed on HDTV and
standard TV.

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Each output channel has three connectors as shown in the diagram above, black for the first
output channel and grey for the second output channel.
The following table explains how the connections are made:
HDTV S-Video Composite
Y1 Luma – Y1 PR1
1st Output Channel PR1 Chroma – PB1
PB1
Y2 Luma- Y2 PR2
2nd Output Channel PR2 Chroma – PB2
PB2
Supported Display Resolutions for Standard TV Output, S-Video and
Composite
Resolution NTSC PAL
640 x 480 ab
720 x 480 bb
800 x 600 bb
1024 x 768 bb
Supported HDTV Resolutions
1920 x 1080
1280 x 720
720 x 483

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Multi Screen Configuration
To change the display settings for the Vigilant-X cards, use the Display Properties dialog in
the Control Panel.
If you have more than one graphics device in your machine, the Settings tab allows you to
control which graphics devices are used and what their position on the desktop is. There
should be a monitor icon for each Vigilant-X card and at least one monitor icon for each of the
other graphics devices in the system (there is a limit to the number of monitor icons that are
displayed).
If you are using a non-Vigilant-X device as a control screen, make that device the primary
monitor.
The first Vigilant-X device should have the Extend my Windows desktop onto this monitor
control checked.
Do not check Extend my Windows desktop onto this monitor for any of the other Vigilant-
X devices.
To change other properties of the Vigilant-X display, select the first Vigilant-X device, click on
the Advanced button and go to the TWIN tab.

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Resolution per Screen:
Note:
Changing the resolution may alter the colour palette settings, so check that it is correct
before clicking OK or Apply.
Colour Palette:
Select the number of colours you want to use.
Refresh Rate:
Use the drop down arrow to select a refresh rate for the desktop. Only the refresh rates
available at the selected resolution and colour depth are displayed. The maximum settings
are restricted to the capabilities of the screens connected to the system.

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Source of Mode:
When the TWIN tab is selected, the display driver reads the EDID information from each
monitor and reads the Registry to find detailed display timing information.
The Source of Mode group box shows which mode sources are available for the selected
resolution and colour depth.
The Source of Mode has four options.
Default
Monitor timing information from the display driver’s internal tables.
Custom
Monitor timing information from the Registry. (See Appendix 1: Defining Custom Modes for
details)
Monitor (Master)
Monitor timing information from the monitor attached to output 1 of the Master Vigilant-X is
used for all outputs.
Monitor (Each)
The monitor timing information from each monitor is used for the output connected to that
monitor.
No. Screens
Change the number of screens the display driver uses. You should always install the driver
(using install.exe) for the maximum number of screens you want to use.
Screen Arrangement
Use the drop down menu to select the screen arrangement you require. The illustration in the
Monitor Configuration box will reflect your choice.
Force DVI Output
When the EMS display driver initializes it reads the EDIDs of the attached screens to
determine if the DVI (digital) or analog outputs should be used. If no monitor EDID is read
then this function is used to decide which output to enable.
If the check box is in an indeterminate state it signifies that the enabled outputs are not as
requested by the user. This will occur if a mixture of analog and digital screens are used or if
the type of monitor used is different to the Force DVI state.
If the check box state is changed the Apply button will become active, click on Apply to force
the required output.
Since the DVI (digital) output supports a lower pixel dot-clock frequency than the analog
output, the resolution dialog is updated when the check box is changed to reflect the
resolutions supported by the active output.

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Prune Modes
Enabling the check box limits the resolutions displayed in the resolution box to those that are
supported by all of the screens attached to the Vigilant-X cards active outputs. This
information is read from the monitor EDIDs when the TWIN tab is opened. If the state of this
check box is changed then the resolution control is updated.
When you click on OK or Apply the following dialog is displayed:
This dialog gives you the option to accept the changes or restore the previous display
settings. The display will return to the previous settings after 15 seconds should Yes or No
not be selected.
Warning!
Always close all video overlay applications before performing any operation that
modifies the settings of any attached display. Failure to do so could result in the
machine locking up and requiring a reboot.

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Video Overlay Tab
The Video Overlay Tab allows you to configure the video overlay driver.
Video Gaps
If a video overlay is displayed across multiple screens that have wide casings around the
edges, strange effects maybe seen in the video images. Diagonal lines appear broken and
circles appear elongated.
Original Video:
Image spread across screens with wide edges:

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With video gaps, the video is spread across the gaps between the screens so that the lines
are straight and the circles remain circular. Parts of the video are lost in the gaps.
•Using a ruler, measure the size of the image on the screen and enter the values in
Screen size. Note that the image on the screen does not necessarily fill the whole
screen area.
•Measure the size of the gaps between the screen images, this should also include any
area of the screen that is not covered by the displayed image as shown in the
following diagram:

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