West Pond MX-400SR User manual

MX-400SR Installation & Operations
Manual
Software Revision 1.4.2
West Pond Enterprises, LLC
11/28/2017

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Contents
Revision History ............................................................................................................................................2
Related documentation ................................................................................................................................2
Terms and terminology.................................................................................................................................2
MX-400SR...................................................................................................................................................... 3
MX-400SR Hardware.................................................................................................................................4
MX-400SR Software ..................................................................................................................................4
Setting up the system ...................................................................................................................................5
Unpacking the unit.................................................................................................................................... 5
Installing in the rack..................................................................................................................................5
Making the connections............................................................................................................................5
Power On ..................................................................................................................................................5
Configuring the system .................................................................................................................................5
Front panel................................................................................................................................................5
Accessing the WebUI ................................................................................................................................6
Getting familiar with the MX-400 .................................................................................................................7
Output....................................................................................................................................................... 7
Fixed Rate..............................................................................................................................................7
Opportunistic ........................................................................................................................................7
Providers ...................................................................................................................................................8
Monitor...................................................................................................................................................10
TS Capture...............................................................................................................................................10
System.....................................................................................................................................................12
Settings................................................................................................................................................12
Accounts..............................................................................................................................................12
Log.......................................................................................................................................................13
Info ......................................................................................................................................................13
Tools....................................................................................................................................................13
Appendix A –Quick Start Help....................................................................................................................14

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Revision History
Date
Version
By
Description
7/25/2017
1.0.2
sdh
Created for version 1.0.0 of the software
11/21/2017
1.3.2
sdh
Added providers, monitor, front panel video, etc.
11/27/2017
1.4.1
sdh
Added TS Capture, updated images
11/28/2017
1.4.2
sdh
Included information on omitting maximums and minimums. Fixed
various typos and grammatical errors.
Related documentation
Date
Version
By
Description
10/26/2017
1.0
nf
Flexstream MX-400SR Datacasting API 1.0:
Documents the MX-400SR client REST API which is used by
datacasting providers to transmit data.
Please contact West Pond for a copy of this specification.
Terms and terminology
TS
MPEG2 Transport Stream
MPTS
Multi-program Transport Stream
Inputs
Physical inputs to the MX-400
Sources
TS traffic entering the multiplexor
Outputs
TS traffic exiting the multiplexor
Targets
Output devices receiving TS traffic from the multiplexor
Clients
Web services that interact with the MX-400SR datacasting API
Providers
Datacasting sources that use the MX-400SR datacasting API to include
content in the broadcast transport.
Monitor
Feature of the MX-400 software which scans the target RF plant for unused
frequencies and monitoring used frequencies.
MX-400IO
Digital video encoder specifically designed for the variable bitrate demands
of datacasting. This device is compatible with the MX-400SR.

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MX-400SR
Thank you for purchasing the MX-400SR datacasting system. This product was designed to integrate
one or more datacasting services into a broadcast transport. Each datacasting provider is allocated a
pipe within the transport and each pipe is independently configured based upon priority and bandwidth
requirements. Once installed, the flexibility of this device reduces the need for additional datacasting
hardware even as new opportunities present themselves. The MX-400SR is compatible with the MX-
400IO Adaptive Bitrate Video Encoder, the RR-ST1000 receiver/router, and the IPDforPC datacasting
application. An SDK for creating custom receivers is also available. This document will explain the MX-
400SR architecture, management interface, and installation procedure. A companion document
explains the datacasting API used by customer equipment to create and manage data carousels and a
quick start guide for installers is provided at the end of this document. See Appendix A –Quick Start
Help. For more information please contact West Pond Enterprises sales or support.

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MX-400SR Hardware
Each MX-400SR unit is equipped with four GigE ports, two USB ports, and an RF monitor port. A variety
of ASI modules are available, including an opportunistic module as shown in the above image. The
opportunistic module provides an ASI input and an ASI output. This configuration allows the MX-400SR
to replace NULL packets made available by the upstream multiplexer. If not ASI, the output can be IPTV
or even RF via modulated channels when so equipped. The front panel can be used to configure the
network ports, monitor status, and view the video from the RF monitored channel.
MX-400SR Software
The MX-400SR software package provides a
number of features for datacasting providers.
These include file serialization, forward error
correction, file carousels, carousel priorities, IP
encapsulation, encryption, targeting, key
management, TS capture pid filtering and more.
The datacasting Rest API provides a programming
interface for datacasting services to create and
control carousels and enable opportunistic
streaming devices such as the MX-400IO. For
broadcasters the MX-400SR includes a self-
provisioning tuner which provides TS monitoring
including data rates for each packet and datacasting bandwidth analysis. The front panel acts as an IRD
buy displaying all video channels in the transport. The MX-400SR WebUI is accessible via any device
with a web browser and can be remotely accessed using the West Pond FlexDM remote management
service. All of the MX-400SR software resides on the MX-400SR and is accessible via the internal Web UI
or Management API.

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Setting up the system
Unpacking the unit
The MX-400SR may include an ASI module for passing data to the station multiplex. An opportunistic
module has an ASI input and output. When configured with this module the MX-400SR will replace NUL
packets rather than adding data to the transport stream. The MX-400SR software will autodetect these
he hardware and enable the WebUI configuration when present.
Installing in the rack
The MX-400 is a standard 19” 1RU AV rack mounted (round hole) device. Air flow for cooling the
devices is moved from front to back and it can be used in slots adjacent to other devices. Mount the
device using 4 front panel screws, connect power to the rear of the unit.
Making the connections
There are four Gigabit Ethernet ports on the back of the MX-400. These can be independently
configured to support four unique LANs. Configure at least one of them as a management LAN from
which you can access the MX-400 via a Web UI. Others may be used to communicate with other
equipment as needed.
ASI connections vary with installation. The ports are labelled for use. Install these as you would any
other data inserter or multiplexing device.
The F connector marked M1 is the monitor input. Connect this to your broadcast (terrestrial) RF. Treat
this connection just as you would a TV. This input will be used by the MX-400 to monitor the broadcast
transport for errors or anomalies due to oversubscription, misconfiguration, interference or any other
unplanned interruption. The video on the front panel is provided by this transport.
Power On
Power on the MX-400 using the switch at the rear of the unit near the power receptacle. The blue LED
located at the center of the front panel will light immediately. Soon after this the two quarter VGA
screens will be illuminated. These screens will provide system status, real time video monitoring, and
basic system configuration.
Configuring the system
The MX-400 basic system configuration is
performed using the front panel. Software
features are configured using the MX-400
Web UI.
Front panel
Use the front panel of the MX-400 to configure each of the MX-400 network ports that are in use. Once
configured, and connected to the network, the network icon on the front screen should be outlined in

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green. If not, check the connections at the rear of the device and the configuration screen for errors.
One common error is mistaking N1 for N4, i.e. mentally reversing the logical order of the network ports.
The front panel also provides access to status information (serial numbers, model numbers, system
state, etc.) and real time video monitoring (screen on the right). The video monitoring screen displays
video from the RF monitor transport. Once the monitor is running, the station video should be visible on
the right hand screen. Use the up channel and down channel buttons to cycle through the video. This
can be done at any time and has no impact on the state of the system.
Accessing the WebUI
Using a computer that shares a LAN with the MX-400, point a web browser to the IP address to which
the MX-400 was set. You will be prompted to login. Use the administrator credentials
User: Administrator
Password: admin
Note: Firefox and Chrome preferred.
There are three built-in users. The passwords for these
users can be set by the administrator.
Administrator: Used by installer to configure and manage the system. This user has access to all
controls and settings.
Operator: Used to configure TS capture filters. Read only access to all other features.
Monitor: Used by anyone who has an interest in the technology but should not be making any
configuration changes to the system.

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Getting familiar with the MX-400
The West Pond manufacturing team will often preconfigure your device to provide a head start for your
particular application. The IP addresses used for IP inputs and outputs are likely inappropriate for your
installation. In this section we will review how to make small changes to these settings to get your
system running as quickly as possible.
Output
The output page is used to configure
how the MX-400SR integrates with
other broadcast equipment. If
equipped with an opportunistic
datacasting module, the menu will
appear as it does to the right.
Mode: Select the mode in which you
wish to generate bits. For a
constant bitrate, select Fixed Rate,
for a variable rate that replaces
unused NUL packets, select
Opportunistic.
Fixed Rate
In Fixed Rate mode you need to configure the PID, bitrate, and the state of the bypass hardware. Fixed
bitrate will only create a constant bitrate if the carousels defined by the datacasting providers are
configured to do so.
PID: Set the PID, in hex, that will be used to carry the datacasting signaling and ident packets. Make sure
this PID is not already in use on the transport. This data is used by receivers to detect a valid carrier and
identify that carrier by the MX-400SR server ID. This consumes about 2kb/s of bandwidth. This same
PID can be used when configuring the datacasting providers if the broadcaster wishes to use a single PID
for both datacasting TS management and carousels.
Bitrate: Set the maximum aggregate bitrate you wish to allocate to the datacasting service. The MX-
400SR will not exceed this number even if additional NUL packets exist. Actual bitrate consumption will
vary to meet the needs of the datacasting providers but will not exceed this number.
Bypass: Set to Disabled if you wish to force the MX-400SR hardware to mechanically bypass the
datacasting system and electrically connect the MX-400SR ASI input to the ASI output.
Opportunistic
In opportunistic mode you need to configure the PID, maximum bitrate, the rate of NUL packets that
should remain in the stream for other equipment, and the state of the bypass hardware.

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PID: Set the PID, in hex, that will be used to carry the datacasting signaling and ident packets. These are
used by the receivers to detect a valid carrier and identify that carrier by the MX-400SR server ID. This
consumes about 2kb/s of bandwidth. This same PID can be used when configuring the datacasting
providers if the broadcaster wishes to use a single PID for both datacasting TS management and
carousels.
Max Bitrate: Set the maximum aggregate bitrate you wish to allocate to the datacasting service. The
MX-400SR will not exceed this number even if additional NUL packets exist. Actual bitrate consumption
will vary to meet the needs of the datacasting providers but will not exceed this number. If you wish the
MX-400 to consume all of the available NUL packets, sans the NUL Bitrate below, set this to 0.
NUL Bitrate: Set this value to the minimum NUL packet bandwidth that should remain in the transport
stream downstream of the MX-400SR. This could be used to reserve bits for another purpose or simply
to allow “breathing room” for TV receivers.
Bypass: Set to Disabled if you wish to force the MX-400SR hardware to mechanically bypass the
datacasting system and electrically connect the MX-400SR ASI input to the ASI output.
Providers
This page provides the Administrator with the ability to enable additional datacasting providers to use
the MX-400SR. Providers supply datacasting content using the web services datacasting API (Rest API).
This API is used by the provider to create carousels and feed data to them. Provider bitrates are capped
and prioritized against other providers using this configuration page.
Enabled: Select Yes to enable this provider when creating it. Enabling a provider allocates bandwidth to
that provider and enables the REST API for use by clients with the provider’s certificate.

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PID: The PID to be assigned to this provider. Multiple providers can be assigned the same PID or
assigned independent PIDs. The PIDs should not be used by any other service in the transport.
Priority: 0 –100 where 100 is the highest priority. Higher priority carousels are allocated their share of
the opportunistic data before any data is allocated to the next lower priority provider.
Min Rate & Max Rate: Bandwidth is allocated, in priority order, to meet the minimum bitrate of each
provider. Once all providers have achieved their minimum bitrate, the remaining bandwidth is allocated
to the providers in priority order. As each provider’s maximum bandwidth is allocated, the next lower
provider will be allocated until all of the maximum bitrates are achieved. At no point will the output
maximum bitrate be exceeded nor will the output minimum NUL bitrate be undersubscribed. Setting
the Max Rate to 0 will block all lower priority providers from receiving more than their minimums.
Certificate: Provider certificates are provided by West Pond to both the broadcast facility and the
provider. The provider uses this certificate to access the Rest API. The provider equipment will
communicate with the MX-400SR datacasting API using this certificate. The MX-400SR will check the
certificate to ensure that the Rest API user is accessing resources allocated to that provider. The Rest
API cannot be used without a certificate. Navigate to the certificate file to enable the provider.
Once a provider is enabled and running, the provider’s status screen will contain statistics about that
provider’s datacasting activities. Additional client certificates can be enabled using the “Authorize Client
Certificate” button as seen in the Provider page of the WebUI.

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Monitor
The Monitor feature uses the MX-400SR tuner to analyze the station transport stream for datacasting
content and NUL packets flow patterns. The monitor is automatic. The monitor will scan continuously
until the RF is connected and the MX-400SR datacasting signaling is discovered. Once discovered the
monitor will remain on that frequency until lock is lost for an extended period of time. The monitor
page is used during installation to assist the broadcast engineer in allocating NUL packets. Monitoring
continues after installation to detect anomalies in the datacasting stream and show the continued
existence of datacasting content. If the MX-400SR bypass is enabled the datacasting signaling will be
removed from the transport and the monitor will begin scanning again. One bypass is disabled it will
rediscover the transport and resume normal monitoring. See the image below for detailed information
about the MX-400SR monitor information.
TS Capture
This feature is used to tap a PID, or group of PIDs, from either the ASI input or RF monitor tuner and
send that content as TS over IP to a networked destination. For example, you can use this mechanism to
pass an audio PID to an IP destination for analysis, or capture the 0x911 datacasting PID and send it to a
consuming device for testing. To add a TS capture tap, click on Create Capture to see the menu below.

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Address: Type in the IP address of the target to which you will send the captured transport stream
PID(s). Multicast addresses are supported.
Port Type in the Port to be used for the
RTP/UDP packets. Note, all packets are
RTP.
Interface: Specify which Ethernet interface
the RTP/UDP stream will be bound.
Source: Select ASI or RF as the source of
the TS packets.
Pids: Select one or more PIDs to be
included in the transport stream.
The screen below provides an example configuration of two capture streams. One ASI, the other RF.

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System
The System page is used for configuring and monitoring system level features of the MX-400 system.
Settings
This page provides a more comprehensive
view into the system configuration of the
MX-400SR.
Network: The network configuration is
shown both here and on the front panel.
Changes may be made on either UI. Click
on the gear icon to configure any one
of the four network ports.
Server Certificate: Each datacasting server
is uniquely identifiable and uses a
certificate to sign all signaling data to
prevent other services from masquarading
as an MX-400SR datacasting server. i.e.
Spoofing. In most cases the certificate will be installed prior to shipment. If no certificate is shown
please contact West Pond technical support.
FlexDM remote management: West Pond’s
remove management allows authorized
personel to access the web UI of this, and
other West Pond devices, via a cloud hosted
web service. If authorized, West Pond can also
used this for support. Communications for this
feature utilize UDP port 1193 and TCP/IP port
443 for communication. All communications
are between the device and the flexdm.net
subnet. If the MX-400SR has internet access
and this feature is enabled, green check marks
should exist on the Web UI next to Enabled,
Registered, and Online. If you wish to disable this feature, click on the gear and select Enabled/No.
The “Nonce” value is used during provisioning to identify this device and validate that it is in the hands
of the owner. For more information on creating a FlexDM remote management contact West Pond
sales or technical support.
Accounts
There are three preconfigured accounts for managing the MX-400. This page allows the administrator
to set the passwords for these three accounts. Use the User pulldown to select the user and then enter

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the new passwords. If you have lost your password, contact West Pond technical support for assistance
in accessing the device WebUI.
Log
The Log page provides insight into status changes and errors that may occur at both the system and
software level in the MX-400. This is most useful when diagnosing system related errors. West Pond
technical support may ask you to send a copy of this log for clues when diagnosing system errors. Note:
Some warnings and errors may exist in the log during normal operation.
Info
Make, model, serial number, etc.
Tools
These are tools that are used to maintain
the system state.
System Config: You may export or import
the system configuration at any time. This
includes account information, the output
configuration, and network settings. It
does not currently export the provider
settings. Use this feature to archive your
settings and to clone devices for
distribution. Note: Configuration settings
are tied to software revision. You must
import a configuration file that was
exported from a system with the same
software revision.
License: The MX-400 software is keyed to the hardware. This tool is used to upgrade or otherwise
change the features provided with your MX-400 software.
Firmware: Use this tool to update the firmware of the MX-400SR. A software update will reboot the
system which can cause temporary anomalies in the output TS. Software updates are posted to the
West Pond ftp side. ftp://ftp.westpond.com Login: support, PW: flexstream
Reboot: If you wish to reboot the system. Rebooting the system can cause temporary anomalies in the
output TS.

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Appendix A –Quick Start Help
This section is provided to enable installers with a check list of things to do when installing the system.
1) Mount the device and make all the required connections. Power the system on. For more
information follow the instruction above in the section: Setting up the system.
2) Use the front panel to configure the network interfaces. See Configuring the system for more
information on this topic
3) Configure the datacasting output, a heartbeat should not be detectable in the transport stream.
Bench test if required. Once bench test is complete, repeat steps 1 –3 using station transport.
4) Connect the RF and check the monitor page in the Web UI to see that the heartbeat was
detected. It should discover the channel and show an analysis of the transport stream. Check
the front panel to verify that the station video is present.
5) Allocate space (NUL packets) in the transport stream for datacasting providers. Verify NUL
packet bandwidth using the monitor page of the WebUI.
6) Enable the datacasting provider(s).
7) Contact the datacasting provider to initiate content delivery testing. Verify the content
insertion using the monitor page of the WebUI.
8) Enable any required TS captures.