Ensemble Designs BrightEye 45 User manual

This user guide provides detailed information for using the BrightEye™ 45
HD/SD/ASI Electrical to Optical Converter with distribution amplifier.
The information in this user guide is organized into the following sections:
• Product Overview
• Applications
• Rear Connections
• Operation
• Front Panel Status Indicators
• Warranty and Factory Service
• Specifications
• Glossary
BrightEye-1
TM
HD/SD/ASI Electrical to
Optical Converter
User Guide
Revision 2.0 SW v1.0.3
ENSEMBLE
DESIGNS

PRODUCT OVERVIEW
The BrightEye™ 45 is an electrical to optical converter and distribution amplifier
that can be used with high definition, standard definition, or ASI type inputs. The
video input is reclocked and presented on four electrical BNCs. The input is also
routed to laser diode circuitry where it is converted to an optical signal and
presented on an optical SC connector. This optical output can drive single mode
fiber to a distance of 20 kilometers. With an optical launch power attenuator,
multi-mode fiber can also be used for longer cable runs. Refer to the functional
block diagram below.
This is a simple device with no USB port and no interface to the BrightEye PC
application. It is powered by a modular style power supply. Front panel indicators
show the presence of an input signal and power. No adjustments are required on
the unit.
A glossary of commonly used video terms is provided at the end of this guide.
BrightEye-2
HD/SD/ASI to Optical Converter
Reclocker
HD/SD/ASI In HD/SD/ASI Out
(follows input)
Front Panel Indicators
Power
Input Signal
Optical Out
Laser
Diode
BrightEye 45 Functional Block Diagram

APPLICATIONS
BrightEye 45 can be utilized in any number of different applications where con-
version of HD, SD or ASI signals to optical is required. The reclocked electrical
input can also be distributed to four electrical output BNCs.
As shown in the example below, this unit can accommodate the need to send the
input signal optically to a remote location as well as distribute the input to other
electrical destinations.The HD, SD, or ASI input can be converted and output
from the optical connector to long distances (up to 20 kilometers of single mode
fiber).
Another advantage of using optical signal distribution is the electrical isolation
provided allowing complete freedom from ground loops.
HD Optical Conversion and Electrical Distribution
One application, shown in the illustration below, utilizes fiber optic transmission
to send a converted SDI signal from a serial digital router to an SDI switcher
with an optical I/O in another building. Four additional outputs are available for
other local applications from the BNC connectors.
BrightEye-3
TM
BrightEye 45
HD Optical Out
HD In
HD Switcher
with Optical I/O
HD Router
(Remote Location (up to 20 km for single mode)
HD
Electrical
Outputs
BrightEye 45 Application

BrightEye-4
REAR CONNECTORS
All connections to the BrightEye 45 are made on the rear of the unit.
Refer to the illustration below.
This is a Class A Laser Product. The optical output emits invisible
radiation. Do not stare directly into the optical output beam or view
directly with optical instruments.
Power Connection
A modular power supply is supplied with the product. Connect it to the 12 volt
DC power input connection on the far left. Use the locking ring to secure it.
Optical Out
The optical output connector carries the same ITU-R 601 component digital
television signal as a directly modulated optical carrier in accordance with
SMPTE 297M. It also conforms to high definition and ASI specifications. The
output wavelength is 1310 nm (nanometers), with a nominal output power of -7
dBm. It is capable of driving both single mode (SM) and with an optical launch
power attenuator installed, multi-mode (MM) optical fiber. This is an SC type
connector.
Input/Output BNCS
There are five rear BNC connectors which are used as follows:
HD/SD/ASI In
Connect an HD, SD, or ASI video input to this BNC for distribution to the four
BNC outputs and for conversion to optical for outputting on the optical connector.
Out 1-4
Connect the four BNC outputs to the desired electrical video destinations corre-
sponding to the correct video input type.
BrightEye 45 Rear Connectors
CAUTION:
HD/SD/ASI to Optical Converter

BrightEye-5
OPERATION
Monitoring of the BrightEye 45 converter is performed from the front panel as
illustrated in the figure below. This is a simple device with no interface to the
BrightEye PC Control application.There are no adjustments required for this
unit.
Front Panel Indicators
The front panel of the converter, shown in the figure above, provides the following
status indicators for the video input and power to the unit.
In
Illuminates green when an SDI video input is detected on the input connector.
Pwr (Power)
Illuminates green when power is applied to the converter and the internal voltage
regulator is functioning correctly.
BrightEye 45 Front Panel
TM

WARRANTY AND FACTORY SERVICE
Warranty
Ensemble Designs, Inc. warrants this product to be free from defect in material
and workmanship for a period of two years from the date of delivery. During this
two year warranty period, Ensemble Designs, Inc. will repair any defective units
at Ensemble’s expense if the unit should be determined to be defective after con-
sultation with a factory technician.
This warranty is not transferable. Any implied warranties expire at the expiration
date of this warranty.
This warranty does not cover a defect that has resulted from improper or unrea-
sonable use or maintenance as determined by us. This warranty is void if there is
any attempt to disassemble or adjust factory set presets without factory autho-
rization.
Factory Service
If you require service (under warranty or not), please contact Ensemble Designs
and ask for Customer Service before you return the unit. This will allow the
service technician to provide any other suggestions for identifying the problem
and recommend possible solutions.
You may also refer to the technical support section of the Ensemble web site for
the latest information on your equipment at the URL below:
http://www.ensembledesigns.com/support
If you return equipment for repair, please get a Return Material Authorization
Number (RMA) from the factory first.
Ship the product and a written description of the problem to:
Ensemble Designs, Inc.
Attention: Customer Service RMA #####
870 Gold Flat Rd.
Nevada City, CA 95959 USA
[phone]
Fax: [phone]
[email protected]
http://www.ensembledesigns.com
Be sure to put your RMA number on the outside of the box.
HD/SD/ASI to Optical Converter
BrightEye-6

SPECIFICATIONS
Serial Digital Input:
Number: One
Signal Type: 270 Mb/s SD Serial Digital
(SMPTE 259M)
or 1.485 Gb/s HD Serial Digital
(SMPTE 274M or 296M)
Impedance: 75 Ω
Return Loss: > 15 dB
Max Cable Length 300 meters for 270 Mb/s
100 meters for 1.485 Gb/s
Serial Digital Output:
Number: Four
Type: HD/SD/ASI Serial Digital
(SMPTE 259M or SMPTE 274M or 296M)
Impedance: 75 Ω
Return Loss: > 15 dB
Output DC: None (AC coupled)
Optical Output:
Number: One
Type: SMPTE 297M
(Optical equivalent of 259M)
Wavelength: 1310 nm
Power: -7 dBm
Fiber Type: Single mode
Multi-mode compatible with 8 dB attenuation at transmit end
Connector: SC
General Specifications:
Size: 5.625” W x 0.8 “ H x 5.5” D
(143 mm x 20 mm x 140 mm)
including connectors
Power: 12 volts, 7 watts
(100-230 VAC modular
power supply provided)
Temperature Range: 0 to 40 degrees C ambient
Relative Humidity: 0 to 95% noncondensing
Due to ongoing product development, all specifications are subject to change.
TM
BrightEye-7

GLOSSARY
This is a brief glossary of commonly used terms associated with this product.
AES/EBU
The digital audio standard defined as a joint effort of the Audio Engineering
Society and the European Broadcast Union. AES/EBU or AES3 describes a serial
bitstream that carries two audio channels, thus an AES stream is a stereo pair.
The AES/EBU standard covers a wide range of sample rates and quantizations
(bit depths.) In television systems, these will generally be 48 kHz and either
20 or 24 bits.
Bandwidth
Strictly speaking, this refers to the range of frequencies (i.e. the width of the band
of frequency) used by a signal, or carried by a transmission channel. Generally,
wider bandwidth will carry and reproduce a signal with greater fidelity and
accuracy.
Beta
Sony Beta SP video tape machines use an analog component format that is
similar to SMPTE, but differs in the amplitude of the color difference signals. It
may also carry setup on the luminance channel.
Blanking
The Horizontal and Vertical blanking intervals of a television signal refer to the
time periods between lines and between fields. No picture information is trans-
mitted during these times, which are required in CRT displays to allow the
electron beam to be repositioned for the start of the next line or field. They are
also used to carry synchronizing pulses which are used in transmission and
recovery of the image. Although some of these needs are disappearing, the
intervals themselves are retained for compatibility purposes. They have turned
out to be very useful for the transmission of additional content, such as teletext
and embedded audio.
CAV
Component Analog Video. This is a convenient shorthand form, but it is subject to
confusion. It is sometimes used to mean ONLY color difference component
formats (SMPTE or Beta), and other times to include RGB format. In any case, a
CAV signal will always require 3 connectors – either Y/R-Y/B-Y, or R/G/B.
Checkfield
A Checkfield signal is a special test signal that stresses particular aspects of
serial digital transmission. The performance of the Phase Locked-Loops (PLLs) in
an SDI receiver must be able to tolerate long runs of 0’s and 1’s. Under normal
conditions, only very short runs of these are produced due to a scrambling
algorithm that is used. The Checkfield, also referred to as the Pathological test
signal, will “undo” the scrambling and cause extremely long runs to occur. This
test signal is very useful for testing transmission paths.
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HD/SD/ASI to Optical Converter

Chroma
The color or chroma content of a signal, consisting of the hue and saturation of
the image. See also Color Difference.
Component
In a component video system, the totality of the image is carried by three
separate but related components. This method provides the best image fidelity
with the fewest artifacts, but it requires three independent transmission paths
(cables). The commonly used component formats are Luminance and Color
Difference (Y/Pr/Pb), and RGB. It was far too unwieldy in the early days of color
television to even consider component transmission.
Composite
Composite television dates back to the early days of color transmission. This
scheme encodes the color difference information onto a color subcarrier. The
instantaneous phase of the subcarrier is the color’s hue, and the amplitude is the
color’s saturation or intensity. This subcarrier is then added onto the existing
luminance video signal. This trick works because the subcarrier is set at a high
enough frequency to leave spectrum for the luminance information. But it is not a
seamless matter to pull the signal apart again at the destination in order to
display it or process it. The resultant artifacts of dot crawl (also referred to as
chroma crawl) are only the most obvious result. Composite television is the most
commonly used format throughout the world, either as PAL or NTSC. It is also
referred to as Encoded video.
Color Difference
Color Difference systems take advantage of the details of human vision. We have
more acuity in our black and white vision than we do in color. This means that
we need only the luminance information to be carried at full bandwidth, we can
scrimp on the color channels. In order to do this, RGB information is converted to
carry all of the luminance (Y is the black and white of the scene) in a single
channel. The other two channels are used to carry the “color difference”. Noted as
B-Y and R-Y, these two signals describe how a particular pixel “differs” from
being purely black and white. These channels typically have only half the
bandwidth of the luminance.
Decibel (dB)
The decibel is a unit of measure used to express the ratio in the amplitude or
power of two signals. A difference of 20 dB corresponds to a 10:1 ratio between
two signals, 6 dB is approximately a 2:1 ration. Decibels add while the ratios
multiply, so 26 dB is a 20:1 ratio, and 14 dB is a 5:1 ratio. There are several
special cases of the dB scale, where the reference is implied. Thus, dBm refers to
power relative to 1 milliwatt, and dBu refers to voltage relative to .775V RMS.
The original unit of measure was the Bel (10 times bigger), named after
Alexander Graham Bell.
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TM

dBFS
In Digital Audio systems, the largest numerical value that can be represented is
referred to as Full Scale. No values or audio levels greater than FS can be repro-
duced because they would be clipped. The nominal operating point (roughly corre-
sponding to 0 VU) must be set below FS in order to have headroom for audio
peaks. This operating point is described relative to FS, so a digital reference level
of -20 dBFS has 20 dB of headroom before hitting the FS clipping point.
EDH
Error Detection and Handling is a method to verify proper reception of an SDI or
HD-SDI signal at the destination. The originating device inserts a data packet in
the vertical interval of the SDI signal and every line of the HD signal which
contains a checksum of the entire video frame. This checksum is formed by
adding up the numerical values of all of the samples in the frame, using a
complex formula. At the destination this same formula is applied to the incoming
video and the resulting value is compared to the one included in the transmis-
sion. If they match, then the content has all arrived with no errors. If they don’t,
then an error has occurred.
Embedded Audio
Digital Audio can be carried along in the same bitstream as an SDI or HD-SDI
signal by taking advantage of the gaps in the transmission which correspond to
the horizontal and vertical intervals of the television waveform. This technique
an be very cost effective in transmission and routing, but can also add complexity
to signal handling issues because the audio content can no longer be treated inde-
pendently of the video.
Frame Sync
A Frame Synchronizer is used to synchronize the timing of a video signal to
coincide with a timing reference (usually a color black signal that is distributed
throughout a facility). The synchronizer accomplishes this by writing the
incoming video into a frame buffer memory under the timing direction of the sync
information contained in that video. Simultaneously the memory is being read
back by a timing system that is genlocked to a house reference. As a result, the
timing or alignment of the video frame can be adjusted so that the scan of the
upper left corner of the image is happening simultaneously on all sources. This is
a requirement for both analog and digital systems in order to perform video
effects or switch glitch-free in a router. Frame synchronization can only be
performed within a single television line standard. A synchronizer will not
convert an NTSC signal to a PAL signal, it takes a standards converter to do
that.
Frequency Response
A measurement of the accuracy of a system to carry or reproduce a range of
signal frequencies. Similar to Bandwidth.
BrightEye-10
HD/SD/ASI to Optical Converter

IEC
The International Electrotechnical Commission provides a wide range of
worldwide standards. They have provided standardization of the AC power con-
nection to products by means of an IEC line cord. The connection point uses three
flat contact blades in a triangular arrangement, set in a rectangular connector.
The IEC specification does not dictate line voltage or frequency. Therefore, the
user must take care to verify that a device either has a universal input (capable
of 90 to 230 volts, either 50 or 60 Hz), or that a line voltage switch, if present, is
set correctly.
Interlace
Human vision can be fooled to see motion by presenting a series of images, each
with a small change relative to the previous image. In order to eliminate the
flicker, our eyes need to see more than 30 images per second. This is accom-
plished in television systems by dividing the lines that make up each video frame
(which run at 25 or 30 frames per second) into two fields. All of the odd-numbered
lines are transmitted in the first field, the even-numbered lines are in the second
field. In this way, the repetition rate is 50 or 60 Hz, without using more
bandwidth. This trick has worked well for years, bit it introduces other temporal
artifacts. Motion pictures use a slightly different technique to raise the repetition
rate from the original 24 frames that make up each second of film—they just
project each one twice.
IRE
Video level is measured on the IRE scale, where 0 IRE is black, and 100 IRE is
full white. The actual voltages that these levels correspond to can vary between
formats.
ITU-R 601
This is the principal standard for standard definition component digital video. It
defines the luminance and color difference coding system that is also referred to
as 4:2:2. The standard applies to both PAL and NTSC derived signals. They both
will result in an image that contains 720 pixels horizontally, with 486 vertical
pixels in NTSC, and 576 vertically in PAL. Both systems use a sample clock rate
of 27 Mhz, and are serialized at 270 Mb/s.
Jitter
Serial digital signals (either video or audio) are subject to the effects of jitter. This
refers to the instantaneous error that can occur from one bit to the next in the
exact position each digital transition. Although the signal may be at the correct
frequency on average, in the interim it varies. Some bits come slightly early, other
come slightly late. The measurement of this jitter is given either as the amount of
time uncertainty or as the fraction of a bit width. For 270 Mb/s video, the
allowable jitter is 740 picoseconds, or 0.2 UI (Unit Interval – one bit width).
Luminance
The “black & white” content of the image. Human vision had more acuity in
luminance, so television systems generally devote more bandwidth to the
luminance content. In component systems, the luminance is referred to as Y.
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Multi-mode
Multi-mode fibers have a larger diameter core (either 50 or 62.5 microns), and a
correspondingly larger aperture. It is much easier to couple light energy into a
multimode fiber, but internal reflections will cause multiple “modes” of the signal
to propagate down the fiber. This will degrade the ability of the fiber to be used
over long distances.
See also Single mode.
NTSC
The color television encoding system used in North America was originally
defined by the National Television Standards Committee. This American standard
has also been adopted by Canada, Mexico, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. (This
standard is referred to disparagingly as Never Twice Same Color.)
Optical
An optical interface between two devices carries data by modulating a light
source. This light source is typically a laser or laser diode (similar to an LED)
which is turned on and off at the bitrate of the datastream. The light is carried
from one device to another through a glass fiber. The fiber’s core acts as a
waveguide or lightpipe to carry the light energy from one end to another. Optical
transmission has two very significant advantages over metallic copper cables.
Firstly, it does not require that the two endpoint devices have any electrical con-
nection to each other. This can be very advantageous in large facilities where
problems with ground loops appear. And secondly, and most importantly, an
optical interface can carry a signal for many kilometers or miles without any
degradation or loss in the recovered signal. Copper is barely useful at distances of
just 1000 feet.
Oversampling
A technique to perform digital sampling at a multiple of the required sample rate.
This has the advantage of raising the Nyquist Rate (the maximum frequency
which can be reproduced by a given sample rate) much higher than the desired
passband. this allows more easily realized anti-aliasing filters.
PAL
During the early days of color television in North America, European broadcast-
ers developed a competing system called Phase Alternation by Line. This slightly
more complex system is better able to withstand the differential gain and phase
errors that appear in amplifiers and transmission systems. Engineers at the BBC
claim that it stands for Perfection At Last.
Progressive
An image scanning technique which progresses through all of the lines in a frame
in a single pass. Computer monitors all use progressive displays. This contrasts
to the interlace technique common to television systems.
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HD/SD/ASI to Optical Converter

Return Loss
An idealized input or output circuit will exactly match its desired impedance
(generally 75 ohms) as a purely resistive element, with no reactive (capacitive or
inductive elements). In the real world we can only approach the ideal. So our real
inputs and outputs will have some capacitance and inductance. This will create
impedance matching errors, especially at higher frequencies. The Return Loss of
an input or output measures how much energy is returned (reflected back due to
the impedance mismatch). For digital circuits, a return loss of 15 dB is typical.
This means that the energy returned is 15 dB less than the original signal. In
analog circuits, a 40 dB figure is expected.
RGB
RGB systems carry the totality of the picture information as independent Red,
Green, and Blue signals. Television is an additive color system, where all three
components add to produce white. Because the luminance (or detail) information
is carried partially in each of the RGB channels, all three must be carried at full
bandwidth in order to faithfully reproduce an image.
ScH Phase
Used in composite systems, ScH Phase measures the relative phase between the
leading edge of sync on line 1 of field 1 and a continuous subcarrier sinewave.
Due to the arithmetic details of both PAL and NTSC, this relationship is not the
same at the beginning of each frame. In PAL, the pattern repeats ever 4 frames (8
fields) which is also known as the Bruch Blanking sequence. In NTSC, the repeat
is every 2 frames (4 fields). This creates enormous headaches in editing systems
and the system timing of analog composite facilities.
SDI
Serial Digital Interface. This term refers to inputs and outputs of devices that
support serial digital component video. This generally means standard definition
at 270 Mb/s. The use of “HD-SDI” is beginning to appear to indicate High
Definition Serial Digital video at 1.485 Gb/s.
SMPTE
The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers is a professional organiza-
tion which has done tremendous work in setting standards for both the film and
television industries. The term “SMPTE’” is also shorthand for one particular
component video format - luminance and color difference.
Single mode
A Single mode (or monomode) optical fiber carries an optical signal on a very
small diameter (9 micron) core surrounded with cladding. The small diameter
means that no internally reflected lightwaves will be propagated. Thus only the
original “mode” of the signal passes down the fiber. A single mode fiber used in an
optical SDI system can carry a signal for up to 20 kilometers. Single mode fibers
require particular care in their installation due to the extremely small optical
aperture that they present at splice and connection points.
See also Multi-mode.
BrightEye-13
TM

HD/SD/ASI to Optical Converter
TBC
A Time Base Corrector is a system to reduce the Time Base Error in a signal to
acceptable levels. It accomplishes this by using a FIFO (First In, First Out)
memory. The incoming video is written into the memory using its own jittery
timing. This operation is closely associated with the actual digitization of the
analog signal because the varying position of the sync timing must be mimicked
by the sampling function of the analog to digital converter. A second timing
system, genlocked to a stable reference, is used to read the video back out of the
memory. The memory acts as a dynamically adjusting delay to smooth out the
imperfections in the original signal’s timing. Very often a TBC will also function
as a Frame Synchronizer.
See also: Frame Sync.
Time Base Error
Time base error is present when there is excessive jitter or uncertainty in the line
to line output timing of a video signal. This is commonly associated with playback
from video tape recorders, and is particularly severe with consumer type hetero-
dyne systems like VHS. Time base error will render a signal unusable for
broadcast or editing purposes.
Tri Level Sync
An analog sync reference signal that is used in High Definition systems. Tri Level
Sync is constructed with three signal levels, the sync pulses extend above and
below a mid-level average voltage (the blanking level). Unlike conventional analog
sync which is bi-level, the proper 50% pickoff point is already identified in Tri
Level Sync. This contributes to lower jitter in digital systems.
YUV
Strictly speaking, YUV does not apply to component video. The letters refer to the
Luminance (Y), and the U and V encoding axes using in the PAL composite
system. Since the U axis is very close to the B-Y axis, and the V axis is very close
to the R-Y axis, YUV is often used as a sort of shorthand for the more long-winded
“Y/R-Y/B-Y”.
Y/Cr/Cb
In digital component video, the luminance component is Y, and the two color dif-
ference signals are Cr (R-Y) and Cb (B-Y).
Y/Pr/Pb
In analog component video, the image is carried in three components. The
luminance is Y, the R-Y color difference signal is Pr, and the B-Y color difference
signal is Pb.
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