Extron electronics Annotator 401 User manual

User Guide
Annotator 401
Signal Processor
HDCP-Compliant Annotation Graphics Processor
68-2951-01 Rev. A
08 23

Safety Instructions
.

Copyright
© 2023 Extron. All rights reserved. www.extron.com
Trademarks
All trademarks mentioned in this guide are the properties of their respective owners.
The following registered trademarks(®), registered service marks(SM), and trademarks(TM) are the property of RGBSystems, Inc. or Extron
(see the current list of trademarks on the Terms of Use page at www.extron.com):
Registered Trademarks (®)
Extron, Cable Cubby, ControlScript, CrossPoint, DTP, eBUS, EDID Manager, EDID Minder, eLink, Flat Field, FlexOS, Glitch Free,
GlobalConfigurator, GlobalScripter, GlobalViewer, Hideaway, HyperLane, IPIntercom, IPLink, KeyMinder, LinkLicense, LockIt,
MediaLink, MediaPort, NAV, NetPA, PlenumVault, PoleVault, PowerCage, PURE3, Quantum, ShareLink, Show Me, SoundField,
SpeedMount, SpeedSwitch, StudioStation, SystemINTEGRATOR, TeamWork, TouchLink, V-Lock, VN-Matrix, VoiceLift, WallVault, WindoWall,
XPA, XTP, XTPSystems, and ZipClip
Registered Service Mark(SM) : S3 Service Support Solutions
Trademarks (™)
AAP, AFL (Accu-RATEFrameLock), ADSP(Advanced Digital Sync Processing), AVEdge, CableCover, CDRS(ClassD Ripple Suppression),
Codec Connect, DDSP(Digital Display Sync Processing), DMI (DynamicMotionInterpolation), DriverConfigurator, DSPConfigurator,
DSVP(Digital Sync Validation Processing), EQIP, Everlast, FastBite, Flex55, FOX, FOXBOX, IP Intercom HelpDesk, MAAP,
MicroDigital, Opti-Torque, PendantConnect, ProDSP, QS-FPC(QuickSwitch Front Panel Controller), RoomAgent, Scope-Trigger, SIS,
SimpleInstructionSet, Skew-Free, SpeedNav, Triple-Action Switching, True4K, True8K, Vector™ 4K, WebShare, XTRA, and ZipCaddy


FCC Class A Notice
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital
device, pursuant to part15 of the FCC rules. The ClassA limits provide reasonable
protection against harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a commercial
environment. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and,
if not installed and used in accordance with the instruction manual, may cause harmful
interference to radio communications. Operation of this equipment in a residential area is
likely to cause interference. This interference must be corrected at the expense of the user.
ATTENTION:
• The Twisted Pair Extension technology works with unshielded twisted pair (UTP)
or shielded twisted pair (STP) cables; but to ensure FCC Class A and CE
compliance, STP cables and STP Connectors are required.
• La technologie extension paires torsadées fonctionne avec les câbles paires
torsadées blindées(UTP) ou non blindées(STP). Afin de s’assurer de la
compatibilité entre FCC ClasseA et CE, les câbles STP et les connecteurs STP
sont nécessaires.
NOTES:
• This unit was tested with shielded I/O cables on the peripheral devices. Shielded
cables must be used to ensure compliance with FCC emissions limits.
• For more information on safety guidelines, regulatory compliances, EMI/EMF
compatibility, accessibility, and related topics, see the Extron Safety and
Regulatory Compliance Guide on the Extron website.
VCCI-A Notice
この装置は、クラスＡ情報技術装置です。 この装置を家庭環境で使用すると、電波妨害を引き
起こすことがあります。 その場合には使用者が適切な対策を講ずるよう要求されることがあります。
ＶＣＣI－Ａ
Battery Notice
This product contains a battery. Do not open the unit to replace the battery. If the
battery needs replacing, return the entire unit to Extron (for the correct address, see the
Extron Warranty).
CAUTION: Risk of explosion. Do not replace battery with an incorrect type. Dispose of
used batteries according to the instructions.
ATTENTION: Risque d’explosion. Ne pas remplacer la pile par le mauvais type de
pile. Débarrassez-vous des piles usagées selon le mode d’emploi.

Conventions Used in this Guide
Notifications
The following notifications are used in this guide:
CAUTION: Risk of minor personal injury.
ATTENTION : Risque de blessuremineure.
ATTENTION:
• Risk of property damage.
• Risque de dommages matériels.
NOTE: A note draws attention to important information.
Software Commands
Commands are written in the fonts shown here:
^AR Merge Scene,,0p1 scene 1,1 ^B 51 ^W^C.0
[01]R 0004 0030000400 00800 00600 [02]35 [17] [03]
EX!*X1&* X2)* X2#* X2!CE}
NOTE: For commands and examples of computer or device responses
mentioned in this guide, the character “0” is used for the number zero and “O”
is the capital letter “o.”
Computer responses and directory paths that do not have variables are written in the font
shown here:
Reply from 208.132.180.48: bytes=32 times=2ms TTL=32
C:\Program Files\Extron
Variables are written in italics form as shown here:
ping xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx —t
SOH R Data STX Command ETB ETX
Selectable items, such as menu names, menu options, buttons, tabs, and field names are
written in the font shown here:
From the File menu, select New.
Click the OK button.
Specifications Availability
Product specifications are available on the Extron website, https://www.extron.com.
Extron Glossary of Terms
A glossary of terms is available at https://www.extron.com/technology/glossary.aspx.

viiAnnotator 401 • Contents
Contents
Introduction ............................................... 1
About this Guide.................................................. 1
Product Description............................................. 1
Features ............................................................. 1
Application Diagram ............................................ 4
Installation .................................................. 5
Installation Overview ........................................... 5
Rear Panel Features ............................................ 5
Connection Details .............................................. 6
TP Cable Termination for Ethernet
Communication .............................................. 6
Remote RS-232 Control Wiring ....................... 7
LockIt Lacing Bracket Installation..................... 7
Operation.................................................... 8
Front Panel Features............................................ 8
Operation ............................................................ 9
Powering Up ................................................... 9
Pairing the Annotator 401 to USB Extender
Plus Receivers ............................................... 9
Front Panel Lockout (Executive Mode)........... 11
Resetting ....................................................... 11
Front Panel Menu System.................................. 13
Menu Overview.............................................. 13
Menu Navigation ........................................... 14
Quick Setup................................................... 15
Picture Controls............................................. 15
Input Configuration ........................................ 16
Output Configuration ..................................... 17
Image Capture/Recall .................................... 19
Advanced Configuration ................................ 20
View Comm Settings ..................................... 21
Exit Menu ...................................................... 22
On-screen Annotation ............................... 23
Touchpanel Compatibility and Configuration ...... 23
USB Port Connections ..................................... 23
Touchpanel Calibration ..................................... 24
Annotator Toolbars and Buttons ....................... 24
Default Annotation Buttons ........................... 25
Product Configuration Software................. 27
Software/Firmware Installation .......................... 27
Connecting to PCS ........................................... 29
Device Discovery Panel.................................. 29
TCP/IP Panel ................................................. 30
Offline Device Preview ................................... 31
Software Overview ............................................ 32
Software Menu .............................................. 32
Device Menu ................................................. 34
SIS Configuration and Control .................. 36
Host Control Ports............................................. 36
Verbose Mode ............................................... 36
Simple Instruction Set Control ........................... 37
Host-to-Unit Instructions ............................... 37
Device-Initiated Power-Up Message ............. 37
Error Responses............................................ 37
Timeout ......................................................... 37
Using the Command and Response Table ..... 37
Symbol Definitions ......................................... 38
Command and Response Table for SIS
Commands ...................................................... 45

Annotator 401 • Contents viii
Internal Web Page .................................... 64
Accessing the Internal Web Page ...................... 64
Web Pages Panel ............................................. 65
Device Info..................................................... 65
Device Status ................................................ 66
Network Settings ........................................... 66
Inputs and Outputs ....................................... 67
Firmware ...................................................... 67
Roles and Permissions ................................. 69
Licensed Third-Party Software .......................... 69
Equipment Mounting ................................. 70
Mounting the 401 .............................................. 70
Tabletop Use ................................................. 70
Mounting Kits ............................................... 70
Furniture Mounting......................................... 71

Annotator 401 • Introduction 1
Introduction
This section gives an overview of the Annotator 401 and its features. Topics include:
• About this Guide
• Product Description
• Features
• Application Diagram
About this Guide
This guide contains information to install, configure, and operate the Extron Annotator 401
HDCP-compliant annotation graphics processor.
NOTE: Throughout this guide, the general terms “scaler" and “Anntotator" are used
interchangably to refer to Annotator 401.
Product Description
The Extron Annotator is a high performance, hardware-based annotation processor that
enables users to draw, point, or type over live presentations. Presenters can annotate
using any combination of a touch display, keyboard, or mouse. An intuitive on-screen menu
allows for quick and easy annotation. Annotated images may be captured and saved to
internal memory, a removable USB flash drive, or a network location. The unit is HDCP 2.3
compliant and supports HDMI signals from 480i up to 4K/60 @ 4:4:4. Dual HDMI outputs
provide selectable annotation, menu, and cursor visibility.
Features
• Inputs: One female HDMI Type A connector
• Outputs: Two female HDMI Type A connectors
• 4K/60 4:4:4 hardware annotation processor with high-performance scaling —
The Annotator 401 allows a presenter to draw, point, or add text in real-time over live
video and graphics presentations.
• Dual HDMI outputs with selectable annotation, menu, and cursor visibility —
Two HDMI outputs are available to drive the main display and a confidence monitor.
• Intuitive, graphical, and customizable annotation user interface — A user-
friendly on-screen display facilitates quick and easy annotation. Essential annotation
tools enable drawing freehand or lines, adding rectangular or elliptical shapes, typing
text, highlighting an area of an image, pointing to an object, and using the screen as a
whiteboard. Customization options are available for text and graphics, including point or
font size and color.
• Capture and store images to a USB flash drive, internal memory, or a network
location — An image can be captured as a snapshot of the live video output, including
annotations, and saved to internal memory, a removable USB flash drive, or archived in
a network location.

Annotator 401 • Introduction 2
• Directly print captured images using a network printer — The Annotator 401
supports direct connection to a printer on the network, enabling captured images to be
sent directly to the printer without requiring a PC.
• Integrated USB Extender Plus transmitter — Enables remote use of annotation
peripherals. Paired with a USB Extender Plus receiver, signals can be sent up to 1,980
feet (600 meters) through a Gigabit Ethernet network or up to 330 feet (100 meters)
point-to-point over a CATx cable.
• Universal USB driver ensures out of the box compatibility with most
touchpanels — Universal driver support eliminates the need for custom drivers for
most touch interfaces.
• Supports the existing drivers in the Extron HID Module library
• Input and output support for resolutions up to 4K/60 @ 4:4:4 with selectable
output data rate
• Accepts HDMI signals from 480i up to 4K/60 @ 4:4:4
• Selectable output rates from 640x480 to 4096x2160 @ 4:4:4
• Supported HDMI specification features include data rates up to 18 Gbps and
HD lossless audio formats
• Advanced Extron Vector™ 4K scaling engine — The Vector 4K scaling engine is
specifically designed for critical-quality 4K imagery, with best-in-class image upscaling
and downscaling.
• Supports 32 total device connections and annotation for multiple users —
Allows up to 32 pointing device connections via USB hubs. It is ideal for collaboration
applications requiring on-screen annotation from multiple users.
• Supports IP network connectivity to multiple Extron USB Extender Plus Series
receivers — Using a Gigabit Ethernet switch, the Annotator 401 can support up to four
receivers via an IP network.
• Supports USB 3.2 specifications and data rates up to USB 5Gbps, as well as
previous standards
• Seamless presentation of signals sourced from upstream devices — Signals
sourced from an upstream switcher can be transitioned using cut to black, fade to
black, seamless cut, or seamless fade for clean, professional-looking presentations.
• 30-bit signal processing — Vector 4K video processing is performed at 30 bits per
pixel to maximize grayscale and color accuracy. This maintains color fidelity and detail
present in native 30-bit source content and reduces issues such as banding that can
result from loss of color depth.
• High performance, motion-adaptive deinterlacing for signals up to 1080i — The
Extron exclusive scaling engine features highly accurate, motion-adaptive deinterlacing
for all interlaced signals up to 1080i, delivering optimized image quality. It ensures
absolute detail and fidelity in the reconstructed progressive video frames, such as
1080p/24 content.
• HDCP 2.3 compliant — Ensures display of content-protected media and
interoperability with other HDCP-compliant devices.
• User-selectable HDCP authorization — Allows individual inputs to appear HDCP
compliant or non-HDCP compliant to the connected source, which is beneficial if the
source automatically encrypts all content when connected to an HDCP-compliant
device. Protected material is not passed in non-HDCP mode.