Sencore VB2 Series User manual

VB2xx GigE Probes
Applies to software release v5.4
Form 7653J • February 2018

VB2xx GigE User’s Manual
Revision f734473 (2018-02-14)
Copyright
© 2018 Sencore, Inc. All rights reserved.
3200 Sencore Drive, Sioux Falls, SD USA
www.sencore.com
This publication contains confidential, proprietary, and trade secret information. No part of this document
may be copied, photocopied, reproduced, translated, or reduced to any machine-readable or electronic
format without prior written permission from Sencore. Information in this document is subject to change
without notice and Sencore Inc. assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors or inaccuracies.
Sencore, Sencore Inc, and the Sencore logo are trademarks or registered trademarks in the United
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the trademarks, service marks, or product names as designated by the companies who market those
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third-party web pages that are beyond the control of Sencore. The presence of such links does not imply
that Sencore endorses or recommends the content on those pages. Sencore acknowledges the use of
third-party open source software and licenses in some Sencore products. This freely available source
code can be obtained by contacting Sencore Inc.
About Sencore
Sencore is an engineering leader in the development of high-quality signal transmission solutions for the
broadcast, cable, satellite, IPTV, and telecommunications markets. The company’s world-class portfolio
includes video delivery products, system monitoring and analysis solutions, and test and measurement
equipment, all designed to support system interoperability and backed by best-in-class customer support.
Sencore products meet the rapidly changing needs of modern media by ensuring the efficient delivery
of high-quality video from the source to the home. More information about Sencore is available at the
company’s website, www.sencore.com.
All trademarks and registered trademarks mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners.

Contents
Contents 3
Document Revision History 9
1 INTRODUCTION 10
1.1 About the Probe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
1.1.1 Probe – Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
1.1.2 Probe – Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
1.1.3 Probe – Functionality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
1.2 How to Use This Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
2 PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION 15
3 SAFETY 17
4 INSTALLATION AND INITIAL SETUP 18
4.1 Quick Installation Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
4.2 The Enhanced Chassis (VB300) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
4.2.1 Dual Power Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
4.2.2 Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
4.3 The Enhanced Chassis –48V DC version (VB300-DC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
4.3.1 Dual Power Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
4.3.2 Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
4.3.3 VB300-DC Power Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
4.4 Serial Number Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
4.5 The VB200/VB200-DC Hardware (VB220) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
4.5.1 Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
4.5.2 VB200 Power Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
4.5.3 VB200-DC Power Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
4.5.4 Serial Number Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
4.6 Portable chassis (VB20) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
4.6.1 AC Power Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
4.6.2 Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
4.6.3 Serial number location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
4.6.4 Interfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
4.7 DMG3200 chassis (VB220-DMG) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
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4.7.1 Interfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
4.7.2 Additional notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
4.7.3 Serial number location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
4.8 The Hardware Modules and Connectors (VB220) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
4.8.1 The Probe Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
4.8.2 The VB242 ASI Input Module (VB220 option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
4.8.3 The VB252 COFDM Dual Demodulator Module (VB220 option) . . . . . . . . . 26
4.8.4 The VB262 Dual QAM/8VSB Demodulator Module (VB220 option) . . . . . . . 27
4.8.5 The VB272 Dual DVB-S/S2 Demodulator Module (VB220 option) . . . . . . . . 28
4.8.6 The VB273 DVB-S/S2 Redundancy switch (VB220 option) . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
4.9 Installing the Unit in a Rack (VB220) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
4.9.1 Default Installation — Connectors at the Front of Rack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
4.9.2 Optional Installation — Connectors at the Rear of Rack . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
4.9.3 Optional Installation — Mid-Mounting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
4.10 Powering up the Unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
4.11 Initial Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
4.11.1 Initial Configuration Using the Pre-Set IP-Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
4.11.2 Initial Configuration Via Serial Console Emulated Over USB . . . . . . . . . . . 33
4.11.3 Verifying Correct Initial Setup of the Probe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
4.11.4 Initial Setup Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
5 QUICK SETUP GUIDE 39
5.1 Basic Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
5.2 Input Signal Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
5.2.1 ASI Input . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
5.2.2 Multicasts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
5.2.3 OTT Input (OTT Engine Option Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
5.2.4 Demodulator Inputs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
5.3 Monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
5.4 Adjusting Alarm Thresholds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
6 THE PROBE GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE 44
6.1 Main ............................................. 46
6.1.1 Main — Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
6.1.2 Main — CPU usage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
6.1.3 Main — Thumb overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
6.1.4 Main — Eii graphing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
6.2 Alarms ............................................ 53
6.2.1 Alarms — All Alarms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
6.2.2 Alarms — Alarm setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
6.2.3 Alarms — Flash Alarms (FLASH option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
6.3 OTT (Option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
6.3.1 OTT — Active testing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
6.3.2 OTT — Details . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
6.3.2.1 OTT — Details — Profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
6.3.2.2 OTT — Details — Manifest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
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6.3.2.3 OTT — Details — Alarms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
6.3.2.4 OTT — Details — Thumbnails . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
6.3.2.5 OTT — Details — Alignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
6.3.3 OTT — Latency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
6.3.4 OTT — Channels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
6.3.5 OTT — Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
6.3.6 OTT — Thresholds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
6.4 Multicasts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
6.4.1 Multicasts — Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
6.4.2 Multicasts — Parameters — Fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
6.4.3 Multicasts — Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
6.4.4 Multicasts — History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
6.4.5 Multicasts — Join . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
6.4.6 Multicasts — Streams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
6.4.7 Multicasts — Ethernet thresh. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
6.5 MW (Media Window) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
6.5.1 Media Window — Selected channel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
6.5.2 Media Window — Bandwidth graph . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
6.5.3 Media Window — Inter Arrival Time graph . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
6.6 RDP (Return Data Path) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
6.6.1 RDP — Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
6.6.2 RDP — Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
6.7 Traffic............................................. 109
6.7.1 Traffic — Protocols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
6.7.2 Traffic — Detect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
6.7.3 Traffic — Filter statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
6.7.4 Traffic — Filter setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
6.7.5 Traffic — Microbitrate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
6.8 Ethernet ........................................... 118
6.8.1 Ethernet — FSM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
6.8.1.1 Ethernet — FSM — Monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
6.8.1.2 Ethernet — FSM — Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
6.8.1.3 Ethernet — FSM — Syslog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
6.8.2 Ethernet — IGMP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
6.8.3 Ethernet — PCAP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
6.9 ETR 290 (Option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
6.9.1 ETR 290 — ETR Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
6.9.2 ETR 290 — ETR Details . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
6.9.3 ETR 290 — PIDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
6.9.4 ETR 290 — Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
6.9.5 ETR 290 — Bitrates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
6.9.6 ETR 290 — Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
6.9.7 ETR 290 — PCR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
6.9.8 ETR 290 — T2MI (requires T2MI-OPT) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
6.9.9 ETR 290 — SCTE 35 (requires SCTE35-OPT) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
6.9.10 ETR 290 — Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
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6.9.11 ETR 290 — Compare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
6.9.12 ETR 290 — ETR threshold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
6.9.13 ETR 290 — PID thresholds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
6.9.14 ETR 290 — Service thresh. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
6.9.15 ETR 290 — Gold TS thresholds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
6.10 ASI .............................................. 174
6.10.1 ASI — Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
6.10.2 ASI — Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
6.11 ASI (VB242 Option for VB220) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
6.12 COFDM (VB252 Option Module for VB220) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
6.12.1 COFDM — Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
6.12.2 COFDM — Tuning setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
6.12.3 COFDM — COFDM threshold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
6.12.4 COFDM — Impulse response (Requires Advanced RF Option) . . . . . . . . . 190
6.12.5 COFDM — RF overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
6.13 ISDBT (VB256 Option Module for VB220) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
6.13.1 ISDBT — Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
6.13.2 ISDBT — Tuning setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
6.13.3 ISDBT — ISDB-T threshold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
6.14 QAM/VSB/RF (VB262 Option for VB220) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
6.14.1 QAM — Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
6.14.2 QAM — Tuning setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
6.14.3 QAM — QAM Threshold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
6.14.4 QAM — RF overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
6.15 SAT (VB272 Option for VB220) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
6.15.1 SAT — Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
6.15.2 SAT — Tuning setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
6.15.3 SAT — Frequency scan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
6.15.4 SAT — SAT threshold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
6.15.5 SAT — RF overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
6.16 SAT Redundancy Switch (VB272 and VB273 Option for VB220) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
6.16.1 Tuning setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
6.16.2 SAT Tuning setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
6.16.3 Threshold setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
6.16.4 Redundancy status and overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
6.16.5 Redundancy modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
6.16.6 Status for input . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
6.17 Setup............................................. 222
6.17.1 Setup — Params . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
6.17.2 Setup — Pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
6.17.3 Setup — Colors (requires EXTRACT-OPT) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
6.17.4 Setup — Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
6.17.5 Setup — Ethernet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
6.17.5.1 Setup — Ethernet — IPv6 Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
6.17.5.2 Example 1 – Separate Management IPv4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
6.17.5.3 Example 2 – In-Line Management IPv4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
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6.17.5.4 Example 3 – Mixed Mode IPv4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
6.17.6 Setup — VLANs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
6.17.7 Setup — VBC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
6.17.8 Setup — Login . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
6.17.8.1 Access Control Lists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
6.17.9 Setup — ETR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
6.17.10 Setup — VBC thresh. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
6.17.11 Setup — Scheduling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
6.17.12 Setup — Routing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
6.17.13 Setup — Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
6.18 Data.............................................. 244
6.18.1 Data — Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
6.18.2 Data — Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
6.18.3 Data — Table Descriptors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
6.18.4 Data — Eii . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
6.18.5 Data — Storage (FLASH option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
6.19 About............................................. 249
6.19.1 About — Release info . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
6.19.2 About — License . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
6.19.3 About — Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
6.19.4 About — Credits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
A Appendix: VB220 Versus VBC Alarms 252
B Appendix: Monitoring Practices 253
B.1 RTP Monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
B.2 Default Multicast Monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
B.3 Strategy for MediaWindow Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
B.3.1 IAT Before and After Router . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
B.3.2 Identifying UDP Packet Loss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
B.4 Multicast Thresholds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
B.5 Dedicated interface for OTT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
B.6 OTT descrambling with Verimatrix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
B.7 OTT Bandwidth requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
C Appendix: OTT Profile Health 260
C.1 OTT Profile Health Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
C.2 OTT Profile Health Timeline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
D Appendix: Software Maintenance 262
E Appendix: Software Upload 263
E.1 Obtain the software image . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
E.2 Export and save the probe configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
E.3 Delete any existing probe stream recordings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
E.4 Transfer the image to the probe and save to flash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
VB2xx GigE User’s Manual version 5.4 7

E.5 Wait while the software is being saved . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
E.6 Verify the new image . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
E.7 Software upload troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
F Appendix: Restoring probe factory defaults 268
8VB2xx GigE User’s Manual version 5.4

Document Revision History
Date Version Description
February 2018 5.4 Updated manual to reflect changes in v5.4 software
February 2017 5.3 Updated manual to reflect changes in v5.3 software
March 2016 5.2 Updated manual to reflect changes in v5.2 software
February 2015 5.1 Updated manual to reflect changes in v5.1 software
January 2014 5.0 Updated manual to reflect changes in v5.0 software
VB2xx GigE User’s Manual version 5.4 9

1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 About the Probe
1.1.1 Probe – Overview
The VB2xx series of probes consists of the VB220 rack-mount IP probe, the VB220-DMG DMG3200
chassis 1RU/4RU IP probe and the VB20 portable IP probe. The VB220 can be bundled with a range of
interface modules for monitoring of signals as found in cable (QAM), satellite (DVB-S/S2) and terrestrial
(DVB-T/T2/8VSB). The feature set and capabilities of the VB220, VB220-DMG and the VB20 are
otherwise identical.
The VB2xx series of probes enables full confidence monitoring of one Ethernet input (electrical or optical)
in addition to optional contents check of one electrical ASI transport stream input. It provides detailed IP
packet monitoring of up to 260 IP multicasts.
The OTT software option is available on the VB220, VB220-DMG and VB20 and enables monitoring of
up to 250 adaptive bitrate channels in steps of 10 depending on license activated. Supported streaming
formats include Apple ™ HLS, Microsoft ™ Smoothstream, RTMP, MPEG DASH, Adobe ™ HDS and
Nullsoft SHOUTcast™.
SUPER HEADEND CORE NE TWORK REG IONAL METRO NETWORK RG
STB
PHONE PADTV
PC
ACCESS NETWORK
DSLAM OR
FIBRE
AGGREGATION
VB330 PROBE
VB288 CONTENT EXTRACTOR
VB330 PROBE
VB330 PROBE
VB220 PROBE
microVB™
HOME NETWORK
MDC –MicroDEVICE Controller™
VBC –VideoBRIDGE Controller™
Remote Video Wall – Site 1
DIGITAL TERRESTRIAL
REGIONAL MUX AND COFDM MODULATOR
IP
GPS
COFDM
RF
ASI
CABLE DISTRIBUTION
REGIONAL MONITORING OF SATELLITE AND IP
IP ASI QPSK/
DVB-S/S2
DIGITAL SATELLITE
REGIONAL MUX AND QAM MODULATOR
IP ASI QAM
REGIONAL
CABLE
NETWORK
VB120 PROBE & VB252 DVB-T/T2 MODULEVB120 PROBE & VB272 QPSK/DVB-S/S2 MODULE
VB12-RF PROBE
VB120 PROBE & VB262 QAM/VSB DVB-C MODULE
10 VB2xx GigE User’s Manual version 5.4

The ETR 290 software option performs extended ETSI TR 101 290 analysis, enabling detailed transport
stream monitoring, including verification of PSI/SI and bitrate monitoring for individual services and
service components.
A built-in web server in the probe allows remote signal monitoring using a standard web browser. This
can be managed either through a separate Ethernet network, or by using the regular video/data network
– both IPv4 and IPv6 are supported on the management interface.
The probe can also be managed via the VideoBRIDGE Controller – a centralized server management
solution. The VBC adds management features like alarm aggregation and report functionality as well as
centralized access and user roles.
The VB220 probe is a module housed in a 1 RU chassis. Three probe modules may be installed in one
chassis, thus tripling the monitoring capacity.
1.1.2 Probe – Features
The main differences between the VB20, VB220 and the VB220-DMG probes are summarized in the
following table:
VB20 VB220 VB220-DMG
RF/ASI inputs No Up to 4 RF inputs by
adding interface mod-
ules in chassis,
QAM/8VSB: VB262
DVB-S/S2: VB272
DVB-T/T2: VB252
ASI: VB242
No
1PPS front panel
connector
Yes Yes No
Number of IP/
Ethernet multicast/
unicast streams
260
Full Service
Monitoring (FSM)
Yes
IGMP logging Yes
Ethernet Traffic
analysis
Yes
T2MI analysis and
monitoring
Requires T2MI-OPT
VB2xx GigE User’s Manual version 5.4 11

ETR analysis No
(Requires ETR290-OPT,
can be licensed with up
to 50 parallel ETR290
Engines for Ethernet
and one Engine for
ASI.)
No
(Requires ETR290-OPT,
can be licensed with up
to 50 parallel ETR290
Engines for Ethernet
and one Engine for ASI.
Each additional RF in-
terfaces get their own
ETR Engine.)
No
(Requires ETR290-OPT,
can be licensed with up
to 50 ETR290 Engines
for Ethernet.)
OTT monitoring and
analysis
Up to 250 channels in steps of 10 per license. Requires OTT-ENG-OPT.
SCTE 35 monitoring
and analysis
Requires SCTE 35-OPT and at least one ETR 290 engine
The illustrations and GUI screenshots used in this user’s manual will refer to VB220. They are equally
valid also for the VB20 and the VB220-DMG.
In subsequent text the word probe is used as a generic reference to VB20, VB220 and VB220-DMG.
1.1.3 Probe – Functionality
An IP-based network is fully transparent with respect to signal contents quality, provided that the IP
packets arrive, and provided that they arrive in time. The Probe therefore uses the patented MediaWindow
to allow monitoring at-a-glance of packet loss and errors in inter-packet arrival time. This way the operator
can conveniently ensure correct signal quality at IP-level.
The advanced Ethernet protocol analysis tool automatically detects all protocols carried over Ethernet
past the port the Probe is connected to, and it displays statistics like percentage utilization of the interface
and percentage of the different transported protocols. This gives the Probe a real-time sniffer capability.
The Probe allows the user to define a Return Data Path (RDP), using the regular video/data network or
the management network to return a stream. A faulty signal can then be further analyzed at the studio
premises, when necessary.
The recording functionality allows the user to record a stream, either triggered manually by the user or
triggered by a user defined alarm.
12 VB2xx GigE User’s Manual version 5.4

Full Service Monitoring (FSM) checks that vital system components like CA-servers are active.
Optional Ethernet TR 290 monitoring allows the operator to check parameters like transport stream sync
and PSI/SI standards conformity. This option also performs further PSI/SI analysis, making it possible to
view PSI/SI contents. PID and service bitrates are also continuously measured.
Optional OTT monitoring allows the operator to set up active testing of Over-the-top type signals as
found in adaptive bitrate streaming architectures. Formats supported include Apple ™ HLS, Microsoft ™
Smoothstream, RTMP, MPEG DASH, Adobe ™ HDS and Nullsoft SHOUTcast™.
The Probe can be expanded through license options to monitor the T2MI protocol layer as found in
DVB-T2 networks.
The Probe can also be licensed with an SCTE 35 option that allows monitoring and logging of splice time
codes embedded in the transport streams.
1.2 How to Use This Manual
This User’s Manual is valid for software version 5.4 of the VB220, VB220-DMG and VB20 Probe.
Throughout this manual the term stream is often used rather than unicast or multicast. One stream may
consist of one or more services, and refers to one IP uni- or multicast (for Ethernet input) or one transport
stream (ASI, COFDM, QAM/VSB or QPSK/DVB-S2).
Chapter 2 PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION provides a simplified block-diagram overview of the probe.
Chapter 3 SAFETY lists safety precautions, and this chapter should be read prior to equipment installation.
VB2xx GigE User’s Manual version 5.4 13

Chapter 4 INSTALLATION AND INITIAL SETUP explains how to install the equipment in a rack, and also
how to perform the necessary initial configuration of the Probe management IP address. A step-by-step
quick installation guide is found in section 4.1.
Chapter 5 QUICK SETUP GUIDE contains a quick setup guide; a step-by-step description of how to
setup the Probe once the initial setup has been performed.
Chapter 6 THE PROBE GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE describes the graphical user interface (GUI) as
seen when pointing a web browser to the Probe’s IP address.
A Appendix: VB220 Versus VBC Alarms describes the alarm handling in the Probe versus the Video-
BRIDGE Controller.
B Appendix: Monitoring Practices explains some useful monitoring practices.
C Appendix: OTT Profile Health explains the OTT profile health bar and timeline.
D Appendix: Software Maintenance briefly describes software maintenance licenses and how they are
used.
E Appendix: Software Upload explains how to upgrade the software on the Probe.
F Appendix: Restoring probe factory defaults details how to reset the Probe to factory default settings.
Note that current version of the User’s Manual can be obtained from Sencore ProCare support by
emailing [email protected].
14 VB2xx GigE User’s Manual version 5.4

2 PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION
The probe module is equipped with two RJ45 Ethernet ports and one SFP optical port. The user selects
which transport stream signal input to be used by the monitoring engine, either the Ethernet video/data
port or the SFP optical input. Management of the probe is conducted via the Ethernet management port
or alternatively in-band via the video/data ports.
VB220 Module
Monitoring Engine
SFP Video/Data *
RJ45 Video/Data *
ASI Input
ASI Output
Optional Demodulator Input(s)
1PPS
Ethernet Management
SNMP Traps
*Optional license enables simultaneous
use of RJ45 and SFP monitoring inputs
Figure 2.1: The VB220 Module – Principle of Operation
A simplified diagram of the alarm handling mechanisms of the Probe is shown in figure 2.2. The input
signals are continuously analyzed, and measured data are checked against user defined threshold values.
VB2xx GigE User’s Manual version 5.4 15

If the data do not comply with the threshold values alarms will be generated. The overall alarm settings
further make it possible to enable and disable alarms, thus defining which alarms should be reported in
the Probe alarm list and sent as SNMP traps to an external management system.
Signal
Measurements
Threshold
Settings
Alarm
Settings
SNMP
Alarms
Alarm
Lists
Figure 2.2: Simplified Diagram of the Alarm Handling in the Probe
16 VB2xx GigE User’s Manual version 5.4

3 SAFETY
Read the installation instructions before connecting the chassis unit to the power source. Do
not install the chassis unit with power on.
The chassis or the portable unit is intended for installation in restricted access areas. A re-
stricted access area can be accessed only through the use of a special tool, lock and key, or
other means of security.
Blank face plates and cover panels serve three important functions: they prevent exposure to
hazardous voltages and currents inside the chassis, they provide electromagnetic interference
shielding and they direct the flow of cooling air through the chassis. Do not operate the chassis
unit unless all modules, face plates, front covers and rear covers are in place.
Only trained and qualified personnel should be allowed to install, replace or service this equip-
ment.
This equipment must be installed and maintained by service personnel as defined by AS/NZS
3260. Incorrectly connecting this equipment to a general-purpose outlet could be hazardous.
If SFP modules are used ensure proper precautions are taken to protect eyes against harmful
infrared radiation. Do not look straight into the SFP module or fibers connected to the SFP
module. The SFP modules employed are certified in Laser Class 1.
Ultimate disposal of this product should be handled according to all national laws and regula-
tions.
To prevent the system from overheating, do not operate it in an area that exceeds the maximum
ambient temperature of 45 degrees Celsius.
Do not work on the system or connect or disconnect cables during periods of lightning activity.
The chassis or the portable unit requires short-circuit (overcurrent) protection. Ensure that the
protective device is rated not greater than 120 VAC, 15 A; 240 VAC, 16 A; 60 VDC, 20 A.
VB2xx GigE User’s Manual version 5.4 17

4 INSTALLATION AND INITIAL SETUP
4.1 Quick Installation Guide
1. Read the safety instructions, refer to chapter 3
2. Install the unit in a 19 inch rack for rack mount probes, refer to section 4.9
3. Connect the signal cables, refer to section 4.8.1
4. Power up the unit, refer to section 4.10
5. Perform initial set-up of IP addresses, refer to section 4.11
6. Verify that the GUI launches correctly, refer to section 4.11.3
4.2 The Enhanced Chassis (VB300)
The 1RU Enhanced Chassis can house a maximum of 3 modules, and it is equipped with two 100–240V
AC 75W power supplies. The unit is forced air ventilated, the air flow going from front to back. The
maximum power consumption of the chassis with optional modules is 75W. By default all connectors are
located at the front of the unit. The power plugs are located at the rear of the unit. The rack ears of the
chassis may be moved to provide for mid or rear mounting of the unit. The rack ears are designed to
support the weight of the unit.
Figure 4.1: The Enhanced Chassis with probe boards installed
18 VB2xx GigE User’s Manual version 5.4

4.2.1 Dual Power Supply
The Enhanced Chassis (VB300) is delivered with two 100–240V AC / 75W power supplies, providing
power redundancy. Each VB300 unit consists of a 1RU chassis with 3 option slots. In normal operation
load is shared between the two power supplies. If mains fall-out occurs for one of the power sources or
one of the power supplies fails, the power supply still in operation will take the full load, seamlessly. This
means that monitoring operation will not be affected if one of the power sources fails.
4.2.2 Cooling System
The chassis is equipped with six long-life fans that suck in air from front of the chassis. The air exits at the
back of the unit. The fans are temperature controlled, allowing them to run at an optimum speed. Venting
holes at the sides of the chassis provide an optional air intake, ensuring good aerodynamic properties of
the cooling air flow. It is recommended, but not essential, that these venting holes are not covered.
4.3 The Enhanced Chassis –48V DC version (VB300-DC)
The 1RU Enhanced Chassis can house a maximum of 3 modules, and it is equipped with two –48V DC
75W power supplies. The unit is forced air ventilated, the air flow going from front to back. The maximum
power consumption of the chassis with optional modules is 75W. By default all connectors are located at
the front of the unit. The power plugs are located at the rear of the unit. The rack ears of the chassis
may be moved to provide for mid or rear mounting of the unit. The rack ears are designed to support the
weight of the unit.
4.3.1 Dual Power Supply
Figure 4.2: VB300-DC rear: two –48V DC connectors located on the the right
The Enhanced Chassis (VB300-DC) is delivered with two –48V DC / 75W power supplies, providing
power redundancy. Each VB300-DC unit consists of a 1RU chassis with 3 option slots. In normal
operation load is shared between the two power supplies. If mains fall-out occurs for one of the power
sources or one of the power supplies fails, the power supply still in operation will take the full load,
seamlessly. This means that monitoring operation will not be affected if one of the power sources fails.
VB2xx GigE User’s Manual version 5.4 19

4.3.2 Cooling System
The chassis is equipped with six long-life fans that suck in air from front of the chassis. The air exits at the
back of the unit. The fans are temperature controlled, allowing them to run at an optimum speed. Venting
holes at the sides of the chassis provide an optional air intake, ensuring good aerodynamic properties of
the cooling air flow. It is recommended, but not essential, that these venting holes are not covered.
4.3.3 VB300-DC Power Supply
The VB300-DC unit is equipped with two –48V DC / 50W power inlet connectors. The power plug is a
male 3-PIN D-sub(15) connector. Matching female plugs are supplied with the VB300-DC unit. This plug
should be soldered to the power cable in accordance with the drawing in figure 4.4.
Figure 4.3: The VB200-DC Power connector on the chassis
Figure 4.4: Soldering the Female 3-PIN D-sub(15) Connector to the Power Cable
20 VB2xx GigE User’s Manual version 5.4