Zektor Z88 User manual

ZEKTOR Z88

8X10 VIDEO MATRIX

INSTALLATION GUIDE

MANUAL CONTENTS

P3 Cabling Advice

P4 Setup

P6 Connect to the Web Interface

P8 Setting up the Matrix Without an Internet Connection

Third Party Control Drivers

P9 Setting up CEC

P10 Troubleshooting

P11 Warranty Information

IMPORTANT CONCEPTS AND DEFINITIONS

When reading this manual we refer to devices that send video into the matrix

system as source devices or sources, examples of source devices include Blu-

Ray players, Set Top Boxes, Game Consoles and Media Centres.

Devices that receive video from the matrix are called sink devices or sinks.

Examples of these are Ampliers (AVRs) TVs and projectors.

CABLING ADVICE

WHAT IS THE BEST TYPE OF CABLE TO USE?

You can use Cat5e, Cat6, Cat6A or Cat7 with Zektor products.

The minimum cable standard for this system is Cat5e. Slightly greater distances may be achieved by using Cat6A,

or slightly better still with Cat7, which has stricter shielding requirements and reduces potential cross talk between

data pairs.

Whichever network cable type you choose, ensure that the main wiring architecture is solid core, not stranded patch

cabling. Patch cabling can be used for the last few metres of a run (e.g. from a wall plate) but must be avoided over

longer runs as signal transfer over stranded cores is heavily reduced.

The use of pre-made leads is not recommended unless you can be absolutely sure of their construction credentials (i.e.

solid core 568B). Please note that CCA (Copper Clad Aluminium) cable is NOT supported.

SHIELDED CABLES

Unlike other systems, shielded FTP cable is not a stipulation. If, however, you prefer this type of cable please ensure

compatible shielded accessories are used. Failure to terminate cable screen at all points can induce interference

rather than eliminating it.

CABLING BEST PRACTICE

Our best practice policy is to terminate to a wall plate at either end and then use solid core patch cables (usually

it is better to make your own than use pre-made) between the patch panel and the matrix and the wall plate and

HDBaseT™ receiver.

HDBASET™ WITH PATCH PANELS AND WALL PLATES

If the patch panels are terminated correctly, there is minimal loss of distance. The use of wall plates and patch panels,

however, has the potential to cause increased resistance on the cable if not done correctly, introducing pinch points

for signal transmission, and could reduce advertised transmission lengths.

Instead of using RJ45 wall plates, you can use brush plates to maintain the neat nish.

CONNECTION TERMINATION

Terminate the cabling using RJ45 connectors to the 568B wiring standard. (See diagram)

IMPORTANT

Please note that local building regulations may apply to the installation of cabling in

properties. It is important to check building regulations to guarantee that you are in

accordance with the laws of your territory.

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IN THE BOX

Zektor Z88 Matrix Chassis

8x SoloCAT Ultra 70 PoH HDBaseT™ Receivers

4 Button Contextual Remote Control

4x IR Transmitter

4x IR Receiver

Rack Mounting Kit

48V Desktop Power Supply

Mains Cable

4 5

INITIAL SETUP

1CONNECT SOURCE DEVICES

Connect your source devices into the input ports using a High Speed HDMI cable or better (not supplied). It is

recommended to connect devices from Input 1 to Input 8, although you can connect them in any order you wish.

2CONNECT SINKS

Sink devices are connected to ports 1-8 via category cable (see cabling advice at the start of this guide) from the

Output port to the supplied receivers. Complete the connection from the receiver to the Sink device (i.e. your TV) via

a HDMI cable.

For Output ports 9 and 10, connect sink devices directly via high speed HDMI cables. Once all connections have been

made, turn the matrix on by connecting the power supply to the mains.

3CONNECT INFRARED

Using the supplied IR pairs, insert the IR Emitter (matte) into the relevant Infrared Out port (for example Out 1 for Input

1) and attach the bud to the front of the source device, over the IR window. On the sink device (i.e TV) place the IR

Receiver (shiny) in a visable location and plug the end into the RX port on the SoloCAT receiver. Each IR port has an

LED which ashes Red when IR is transmitting and ashes green when IR is being received

4CONNECT RACK EARS

You can mount the system either at the front or back with the supplied rack ears. Simply screw in the supplied M4

screws to connect the rack ears to the matrix.

5NETWORK CONNECTION

The Z88 is designed to be on and connected to an active internet connection at all times. It will operate correctly when

not connected to a network (or the internet) but certain functions will not be available. Connect a standard Ethernet

cable between the ethernet port and your router/network switch, cross over cables are not supported.

IR Receiver and Transmitter Ports Use the supplied IR buds to link the SoloCAT receivers to the relevant

Infrared ports. LED indicators will light when connected correctly. In ports 1-8 send IR from the matrix to the sink

and in ports numbered 9-10 send IR from the matrix to the active source for that port.

HDBaseT Outputs - Connect your sink devices Connect the appropriate Cat5e or higher grade cable to

each output, these cables should be attached to the receiver at the sink end (TV/amplier etc)

HDMI Outputs - Connect your sink devices Connect the appropriate high speed HDMI cable to each

output, these cables should be attached directly to the sink device

HDMI Inputs - Connect your source devices Connect your source devices via a high speed HDMI cable

Power Use the supplied mains power cable and connect to the chassis. Do not use any other power cables

with this product.

Global IR Used for a control system to be able to see all IR signals from all zones. We recommend using a P8-IR-

Optocable for connectivity from this port to your control system

Ethernet - Connect to your home router Use a standard Cat5e (or higher grade) cable to provide internet

access to the matrix. This will allow you to receive automatic updates and remote monitoring services

System Health LED Indicator When system is running correctly, the LED will light green

Network LED Indicator When system is connected correctly to the network, the LED will light green

Cloud LED Indicator When system is connected correctly to the cloud, the LED will light green

B C

FGE

6 7

RENAMING A SOURCE DEVICE

Click on the  display icon, enter a new name and click on Save Changes. This name is used by Voice Services

when controlling specic sinks- be careful when naming these if you intend to use voice control to make sure they

are pronounceable.

Names must be 13 characters or less and cannot be blank, start with or end with a space, certain special characters are

also not allowed. Custom names are displayed in the source menu in a CEC enabled TV* and used for voice services.

*where supported.

CONFIGURING NETWORK SETTINGS

By default, the matrix is set to retrieve an IP address via DHCP, you must connect the system to a router or server that

has DHCP enabled. Once initially congured you can modify this setting and switch to a static IP address.

You must ensure that the new settings are correct before saving them as you will no longer be able to access the

matrix if they are incorrect. In order for the internet based functions to operate such as the cloud based monitoring

and gotomymatrix.com facility you must provide at least one valid DNS address. We recommend using the Google

Public DNS address 8.8.8.8 for Primary DNS and 8.8.4.4 for Secondary DNS

DIAGNOSTICS & SETTINGS

Within the web interface you can also check the hardware health under the  System Health tab. Here you will

nd the system status, power, connectivity and temperature. You will also nd a HDBaseT link quality test which will

indicate if the HDBaseT link is stable over a sustained period of time.

Under the  Routing Control tab you will nd useful options to create custom IR profiles and disable HDMI-CEC

support. Backlight options for the front LEDs can be accessed under the  Front Panel tab.

Additional setup information can be found under 'Documentation & Guides' on the installer monitoring portal.

CONNECT TO THE WEB INTERFACE

To setup your matrix you need to use the built in web interface. Firstly check your system is connected correctly by

ensuring the network LED is lit green on the front of the matrix.

The web interface can be accessed from any locally connected device via Wi-Fi or a xed wire connection. You can

access the web interface from a mobile, tablet, laptop or desktop PC. Many of the controls in the user interface (UI)

are drag and drop friendly.

GOTOMYMATRIX.COM

You can easily access the web interface by visiting www.gotomymatrix.com into any web browser, on any device,

this will locate the matrix automatically on your local network. (An Android app version is also available)

VIDEO ROUTING

The home page of the UI displays the current routing - devices in blue are active, we have detected they are

powered up*. Select an input with a single click/press and the outputs that this input is routed to will be highlighted.

Press again the same input to restore the normal display.

To change the routing of the matrix, drag the input and drop it on the output you want to send that video to. Once

routing is successful a green success message will display at the top of the screen. If for some reason this routing

cannot be done a red error message will be shown explaining the reason.

You can also change the routing by click on the display icon (or when in user mode) on the output and then

selecting the input from the drop down list. You do not need to click to save changes, the change is immediate.

*Due to certain HDMI limitations this may not be 100% accurate at all times

ACCESS THE ADMIN SETTINGS

Some options are hidden to the user so to access the admin settings go to the  ‘Cloud Connection’ link on the left

hand nav, then click on the ‘[Admin]’ link at the foot of the page.The default password in ‘admin’.

LINK MONITORING PORTAL

Keep your system up to date and get notied automatically if a problem occurs by linking your monitoring account,

simply insert your Installer ID in the box under the  Cloud Connection tab and it will link to your account. (If you do

not have a monitoring account please contact your sales manager)

RENAMING SINKS

Click on the display icon, enter a new name and click on Save Changes. This name is purely cosmetic and only

used within the web interface. Names must be 13 characters or less and cannot be blank, start with or end with a

space, certain special characters are also not allowed..

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SETTING UP CEC

Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) is a built in technology within HDMI, widely supported in modern TVs, AVRs,

Blu-Ray players and Media Centres.

INTRODUCTION

The Z88 has built in support for all CEC implementations from different vendors, where possible we have included

additional vendor specic support to maximise compatibility. That said implementation varies between different

brands and continues to improve, certain features described in this manual may not be available on all makes and

models in your setup. If we can detect that a feature is not supported, this incompatibility will be displayed in the

web interface.

DIFFERENT BRANDS

Common brand names for CEC are, Anynet+ (Samsung), BraviaLink or BraviaSync (Sony), EasyLink (Philips), SimpLink

(LG), VieraLink (Panasonic) Kuro Link (Pioneer) CE-Link and Regza Link (Toshiba), RIHD (Onkyo)

More and more devices are using the common name “HDMI-CEC”, often it is disabled by default, and you may

need to enable it in the settings menu before continuing. (Consult the manual for your source or sink device on how

to do this)

HOW IT WORKS AND SWITCHING SOURCES

Depending on the TV you are using will depend on exactly which button you press, for example, on a Sony TV you

press the “Sync Menu” button, this brings up a menu, from here select HDMI Device selection and your source

devices are listed, if you have customised their names, these names will be listed.

The order in which they are displayed may change from time to time, there is no ability to specify the sort order of

devices in these lists. In other brands, simply pressing the “Source” button will list all of the devices alongside other

inputs (such as Network or USB media)

ACCESSING THE MATRIX WITHOUT

AN INTERNET CONNECTION

While the Z88 works best with an active internet connection it is possible to still congure and operate the system

without one. However to congure the system from its defaults a local network connection is required. Normal

operation of the CEC and IR control systems does not require any network connection, but IP based API control or

Web based controlled does require a persistent network connection.

DISCOVERY TOOL

You can download a discovery tool from the Pulse-Eight monitoring portal at http://monitoring.pulse-eight.com/ this

program will run on Windows 7 or newer only, when run it will scan your network and detect the IP address of your

matrix. If you have multiple matrix systems on the same network, the discovery tool will only display the last found. If

you do have more than one system, it is advised that you disconnect other systems rst.

The discovery tool will display the IP address of the matrix, you can then access the matrix by typing that IP address

into your web browsers address bar.

It is recommended in this mode that you congure the networking to use a static IP address, this allows for you to

bookmark the page easily and return to the web interface easily without needing to run the discovery tool again.

THIRD PARTY CONTROL DRIVERS

You can control the matrix via IR, Serial or our recommended method, TCP/IP. We supply drivers for common control

systems, including Control 4, AMX, Crestron, RTI and Elan. We are constantly improving our native integration with

other platforms, more information and driver downloads are available at http://monitoring.pulse-eight.com/

API REFERENCE

We provide a fully documented API for the matrix, this is available in the Pulse-Eight monitoring portal

(http://monitoring.pulse-eight.com/). You must be logged in to access it.

If you have questions, please speak with your distributor, we are not able to provide programming support directly.

10 11

TROUBLESHOOTING

Should you encounter installation difculties or issues with device communication, the following checklist of common issues

and causes should help resolve your issues. If you still continue to experience issues, please contact your place of purchase.

NO OR POOR PICTURE QUALITY:

• Connected and powered? Double check all HDMI, Ethernet and power cables are rmly connected into the correct

ports an all devices are correctly powered.

• Cable length? Are you approaching the maximum distance of the cable (70m) if so, adjust the picture quality or try using

an additional extender kit to go further distance. Cables bundled together may cause cross talk and further degrade

signal quality.

• Signal strength? The use of cable joins, stranded patch panels, wall outlands and stranded patch leads as interconnects

between them, can signicantly reduce signal strength. Use solid core straight through connections wherever possible.

•

If you reduce the resolution of the source do you get a picture? If so, this suggests a conicting resolution between source and

display or a bandwidth capacity issue with your cable. Check all inputs and outputs share the same resolution capabilities.

• Picture ‘snow’ / HD ‘noise’ signies a failure to fully establish a signal and can often be caused by poorly terminated RJ45

connectors or excess cable lengths. Ensure your cable is correctly wired to 568B standards.

• Pink or off-colour picture? This could be caused by an invalid EDID or the source device failing to read the EDID from the

matrix. Try re-booting matrix and all source devices to force the re-reading of the EDID.

• Cable quality and condition - HDMI cable/connectors can easily be damaged and the quality of material can vary,

Always use good quality leads and cables and try swapping cables that are known to be working into the solution to see

if this improves your image.

IR CONTROL:

• Are the IR emitters and receivers correctly positioned to allow infrared signals to be transmitted and received?

Emitters should be xed rmly over infrared sensors of sources. Receivers should be attached to displays ensuring a

clear line of sight to the remote control used to operate. Each IR port has an LED, when correctly installed the LED will

ash red when IR is transmitting and ashes green when IR is being received

• Is your remote control powered and sending a signal? As IR is invisible to the naked eye, check your remote is

transmitting a signal by viewing the remote handset sensor though a digital camera/camera phone. The sensor

should ash when a button on the handset is held down.

• IR signal dropout can be experienced due to exterior emissions of infrared radiation. Ensure emitters and receivers

are away from direct sunlight. Halogen lighting and plasma screens may also interfere with IR signals

FRONT PANEL LED VALUES

SYSTEM HEALTH LED

• Solid red - Powering on or fault

found

• Solid green - System healthy

CLOUD LED:

• Solid red - Not connected to

the cloud

• Solid green - Connected to

our cloud

NETWORK LED:

• Solid red - No network cable connected

• Flashing yellow - Discovering IP address

• Solid yellow - Have IP but can’t ping

router

• Flashing green - Cannot reach internet

• Solid green - Network healthy

WARRANTY INFORMATION

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS, AS WELL AS LIMITATIONS AND EXCLUSIONS THAT MAY APPLY TO YOU.

YOUR RIGHTS AND THIS LIMITED WARRANTY

This Limited Warranty gives you specic legal rights. You may also have other

legal rights that vary by state, province or jurisdiction. The disclaimers, exclusions,

and limitations of liability under this Limited Warranty will not apply to the extent

prohibited by applicable law. For a full description of your legal rights you should

refer to the laws applicable in your jurisdiction and you may wish to contact a

relevant consumer advisory service.

1. WHAT THIS LIMITED WARRANTY COVERS; PERIOD OF COVERAGE

Zektor US Inc. (“Zektor”), 12635 Danielson Court, Suites 201/202/203, Poway,

CA, 92064, warrants to the owner of the enclosed product that the product

contained in this box (“Product”) will be free from defects in materials and

workmanship for a period of three years from the date of delivery following

the original purchase (the “Warranty Period”), or if this product has been

professionally installed, the warranty start date is from the date your installer

purchased the item, not your system commissioning date. Please check with

your installer for their purchase date. If the Product fails to conform to this Limited

Warranty during the Warranty Period, Zektor will, at its sole discretion, either (a)

repair or replace any defective Product or component; or (b) accept the return

of the Product and refund the money actually paid by the original purchaser

for the Product. Repair or replacement may be made with a new or refurbished

product or components, at Zektor’s sole discretion.

If the Product or a component incorporated within it is no longer available,

Zektor may replace the Product with a similar product of similar function, at

Zektor’s sole discretion. This is your sole and exclusive remedy for breach of

this Limited Warranty. Any Product that has either been repaired or replaced

under this Limited Warranty will be covered by the terms of this Limited Warranty

for the longer of ninety (90) days from the date of delivery or the remaining

Warranty Period. This Limited Warranty is transferable from the original purchaser

to subsequent owners, but the Warranty Period will not be extended in duration

or expanded in coverage for any such transfer.

2. TOTAL SATISFACTION RETURN POLICY

If you are the original purchaser of the Product and you are not satised with

this Product for any reason, you may return it in its original condition within thirty

(30) days of the original purchase and receive a full refund. If this a professionally

installed product, you must check with your installer regarding their own returns

policy.

3. WARRANTY CONDITIONS; HOW TO GET SERVICE IF YOU WANT TO CLAIM UNDER

THIS LIMITED WARRANTY

Before being able to claim under this Limited Warranty, the owner of the Product

must (a) notify Zektor of the intention to claim by emailing [email protected]

during the Warranty Period and providing a description of the alleged failure,

and (b) comply with Zektor’s return shipping instructions, and (c) ship the Product

at owner’s cost (except where prohibited by applicable law) to Zektor for repair

or replacement. Zektor will have no warranty obligations with respect to a

returned Product if it determines, in its reasonable discretion after examination

of the returned Product that the Product is an Ineligible Product (dened below).

Zektor will bear all costs of return shipping to owner, except with respect to any

Ineligible Product, for which owner will bear all shipping costs.

4. WHAT THIS LIMITED WARRANTY DOES NOT COVER

This warranty does not cover the following (collectively “Ineligible Products”):

Products marked as “sample” or sold “AS IS”; or Products that have been

subject to: (a) modications, alterations, tampering, or improper maintenance

or repairs; (b) handling, storage, installation, testing, or use not in accordance

with the Installation Guide or other instructions provided by Zektor; (c) abuse or

misuse of the Product; (d) breakdowns, uctuations, or interruptions in electric

power or the telecommunications network; or (e) Acts of God, including

lightning, re, ood, tornado, earthquake, or hurricane. This warranty does not

cover consumable parts, including batteries, unless damage is due to defects

in materials or workmanship of the Product, or software (even if packaged

or sold with the product). Zektor recommends that you use only authorized

service providers for maintenance or repair. Unauthorized use of the Product or

software can impair the Product’s performance and may invalidate this Limited

Warranty. Zektor does not warrant that operation of the Product will be error-free

or uninterrupted or that the Product will in every case process all data correctly.

5. DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTIES

Except as stated above in this limited warranty, and to the maximum extent

permitted by applicable law, Zektor disclaims all express, implied, and statutory

warranties and conditions with respect to the product, including the implied

warranties of merchantability, tness for a particular purpose. To the maximum

extent permitted by applicable law, also limits the duration of any implied

warranties or conditions to the duration of this limited warranty.

6. LIMITATION OF DAMAGES

In addition to the above warranty disclaimers, in no event will Zektor be liable

for any consequential, incidental, exemplary, or special damages, including

any damages for lost data or lost prots, arising from or relating to this limited

warranty or the product, and Zektor’s total cumulative liability arising from

or related to this limited warranty or the product will not exceed the amount

actually paid for the product by the original purchaser.

7. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

Zektor disclaims all liability of any kind of Zektor’s suppliers. The Zektor online

services (“services”) may provide you information (“product information”)

regarding your products performance and/or peripherals connected to your

product (“product peripherals”). The type of product peripherals that may be

connected to your product may change from time to time. Without limiting the

generality of the disclaimers above, all product information is provided for your

convenience, “as is”, and “as available”. Zektor does not represent, warrant, or

guarantee that product information will be available, accurate, or reliable. You

use all product information, the services, and the product at your own discretion

and risk. You will be solely responsible for (and Zektor disclaims) any and all loss,

liability, or damages, including to your hvac system, plumbing, home, product,

product peripherals, computer, mobile device, and all other items and pets

in your home, resulting from your use of the product information, services, or

product.

Product information provided by the services is not intended as a substitute for

direct means of obtaining the information.

8. VARIATIONS THAT MIGHT APPLY TO THIS LIMITED WARRANTY

Some jurisdictions do not allow limitations on how long an implied warranty lasts

or exclusions/limitations on incidental or consequential damages, so some of

the limitations set out above may not apply to you

No part of this document may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or any of its part translated into any language or computer

le, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, magnetic, optical, chemical, manual, or otherwise) without express written permission and consent from

Zektor US Inc.