Configuring Device Assignments. Imagine communications ADC Device Server and Config Tool

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ADC™ Device Server and Config Tool

Installation and Operations Configuring Device Assignments

Configuring Device Assignments

Assigning Devices to Lists

To assign devices to lists for a specific Device Server, perform the following procedures in order presented in this section.

Generally speaking, once a device has been assigned to a list, it cannot be used by any other lists. To use a media device on another list, it must first be un-assigned from the first list.

Devices with multiple output streams may be assigned to several lists simultaneously. A cart machine with four VTRs, assuming that the cart machine is capable of routing the output from each VTR to a different destination simultaneously, may have its VTRs assigned to different lists for different purposes.

A video server with multiple decoder ports will generally have each decoder port assigned to a different list.

Stand-alone VTRs may be left un-assigned and used as "floater" VTRs. This makes the VTR available for use by any list. See the Air Client Operator Guide for more information about using "floater" VTRs.

To Start List Configuration

1. From the main menu select File > List Configurations OR Right-click on the name of the Device

Server and from the pop-up menu select "List Configurations.

2. The List Assignments window is opened.

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The left pane displays the available lists in your system – your system may not have a full 16 lists available.

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The right pane displays the configured media devices available for assignment to a list.

ADC™ Device Server and Config Tool

Installation and Operations

Main Menu Options

The List Assignments window has a number of drop-down menus available.

Configuring Device Assignments

File menu

The File menu has the following options:

Option Select to…

Save Properties Save the current configuration to the Device Server’s configuration files. It has the same action as the Save Devices option in the Configured Devices window’s File menu.

Save

Configuration

Locally

Save the Device Server’s configuration files to an alternate location. Only the

ADC1000NT.INI and LISTCONF.INI files are saved. This allows you to back up your current configuration on a floppy disk (recommended). Choosing this option will open an Explorer window and allow you to choose where to save the files.

Configuration

Print the Device Server’s configuration files, if you have a printer attached to the client PC (or a network printer configured).

CAUTION: The configuration files can be quite large! Be sure to have plenty of

paper in your printer.

Unassign Un-assign the selected device from its list and return it to the Available Media pane. This may be accomplished using the keyboard’s DEL key as well.

Add Requester Associate a GMT Requester with a specific device. See chapter 7 of this manual for more details about GMT and Requesters.

Remove a GMT Requester from its association with a specific device. Remove

Requester

Properties

Audio Video

Invoke the properties configuration GUI for the selected list.

Invoke the audio/video routing table configuration GUI for the selected list.

Preview Audio

Video

Preview audio/video routing table configuration GUI. The routing tables configured here apply globally to all devices used by the system.

Close the List Assignments window.

View menu

The View menu has the following options:

Option

Connections

Refresh

Select to…

Open a window that displays all of the Device Servers and client applications currently logged into this Device Server.

Refresh the display in the List Assignments window.

ADC™ Device Server and Config Tool

Installation and Operations

Help menu

Configuring Device Assignments

The Help menu has the following options:

Option

Help

About…

Select to…

Launch the help file.

Launch a dialog displaying version and copyright information of the currently selected Device Server.

To Assign a Device to a List

1. Select a device in the right pane (Available Media), drag and drop it on to the desired list in the left pane.

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Once a device has been assigned to a list, that device is exclusive to that list, and cannot be shared by another list.

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The only exception to this rule is a video disk with multiple streams. Each stream of a video disk can be assigned to a different list, thereby allowing multiple lists to share the same video disk.

Example: The record stream could be assigned to a media list, and the playout stream assigned to the play list.

2. Save this assignment: From the List Assignments window main menu select File > Save Properties.

This saves the list configurations to the device server’s configuration files.

Assigning a Breakaway Device to a Breakaway

List

With the initial implementation of the AirFlex functionality, if ADC AirFlex functionality is enabled and

properly set up on your system, Breakaway Lists are visible in the List Assignments window, but are not accessible as no configuration is necessary at this time.

ADC™ Device Server and Config Tool

Installation and Operations Configuring Device Assignments

• While Breakaway Lists do not count towards the maximum number of allowed lists, Breakaway

Devices do occupy device channels and count towards the 128 device maximum. However, they do not require a serial port and do not count towards the limit of 64. Breakaway Devices require no configuration other than assignment to a Breakaway List.

• In the current implementation of ADC AirFlex, Breakaway devices are the part of Switch Onlys in

Config Tool. By default there can be only 30 Switch Only devices which contains Switch Only, Switch

Only (Missing) and Breakaway devices. If a customer uses lots of Switch Only devices, they can be limited in use of Breakaway devices.

IMPORTANT: Breakaway Lists and Breakaway Devices will not be added to Device Server configurations without prior consultation. Contact Automation Support for assistance.

Reference Note: For information on viewing Breakaway lists in the Config Tool List Assignments window, reference section: Configuring List Types > About Breakaway Lists > To View Breakaway Lists in the

Config Tool (see "To View Breakaway Lists in the Config Tool" on page 426).

Add Breakaway Device to a Channel

For each Breakaway List, a Breakaway Device is required. First, a Breakaway Device object must be created for each Breakaway List, then one Breakaway Device assigned to each Breakaway List.

1. From the Config Tool select a Server, then from the main menu select File > Configured Devices.

2. Expand the Switch Only entry in the right pane (Available Media), drag and drop the Breakaway

Device to the desired channel in the left pane. The entry BKWAY (breakaway device) is shown in the left pane.

3. Repeat, creating a Breakaway Device for each Breakaway List.

Note: If a particular Breakaway List is not utilized, a Breakaway Device does not have to be created for it.

Assign a Switch Only Breakaway Device to a Breakaway List

1. From the Config Tool select a Server, then from the main menu select File > List Configurations.

ADC™ Device Server and Config Tool

Installation and Operations Configuring Device Assignments

2. Expand the BKWAY (breakaway device) entry in the right pane (Available Media), the drag and drop a Breakaway Device to the desired channel in the left pane. The entry BKWAY (breakaway device) is shown in the left pane.

3. Repeat, assigning one Breakaway Device to each Breakaway List.

Note: If a particular Breakaway List is not utilized, a Breakaway Device does not have to be assigned to it. It is not necessary to assign a Breakaway List to every Breakaway List.

Assigning a Protect Device

Stations that have purchased the Air and Protect option for their Automation system, may wish to assign a Protect device to a list to run in parallel with their primary Air playout device.

• If the automation system detects a failure in the Air device – for example, a tape or video server decoder port fails to cue – the automation system sends a command to your master control switcher to take the Protect device to air and switch away from the (now failed) Air device. The Air device and the Protect device run in parallel, synchronized to frame-accuracy, so the switch is not apparent on air.

• If the Air device fails due to an error not detectable by the automation system, such as a tape head clog or simply bad audio or video, operators may manually switch to the Protect device using a button on either the Air Client’s software or hardware control panels.

It is recommended that Air and Protect only be used with devices of a similar type. A cart machine may protect another cart machine, or a decoder port on one video server may protect a decoder port on another video server. A video server with multiple decoder ports sharing a common storage array may have decoders on the same device protecting one another, but is recommended that the Air decoder and Protect decoder be on separate I/O nodes.

Note: Both the Air and Protect devices must have exactly the same media available in storage.

To Assign a Protect Device to a List

1. Select the Protect device from the right pane.

2. Drag and drop it on the Air device in the left pane.

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Take care not to drop it on the list. This will assign this device to the list as a Protect device for the Air device.

ADC™ Device Server and Config Tool

Installation and Operations Configuring Device Assignments



The word "Protect" in parentheses indicates that this device is now protecting the Air device above it.

Configuring a GPI Trigger

Devices that cannot be controlled through a serial or Ethernet interface may be controlled using a

General Purpose Interface (GPI) trigger. A GPI is a relay contact closure that provides either a high-tolow or a low-to-high transition to trigger devices that accept this type of control. A single Device Server can support up to 32 contact closures (four GPI cards), although the standard Device Server configuration includes two GPI cards. Additional GPI cards may be purchased separately.

GPI triggers are configured in the Configuration Manager Tool as Switch-Only devices.

IMPORTANT RECCOMMENDATION: Wait at least one minute before applying power to the Device

Server CHP after a shut-down. This allows sufficient time for the capacitor or capacitors to discharge, at which point the circuitry is inactive on restart, and prevents transient functions, such as GPI firing.

To Configure a GPI Trigger

1. After assigning a Switch-Only device to a device channel, double-click the entry in the Configured pane (Left pane) to open the configuration GUI.

ADC™ Device Server and Config Tool

Installation and Operations Configuring Device Assignments

2. Select the General tab. On this tab enter names for any Switch-Only GPI triggers being used. Up to eight GPI triggers may be configured for a Switch-Only device. While the names may used be anything you want, these names are the IDs that must appear in the Transmission list to trigger the

GPI.

3. Select the GPISheet tab.

ADC™ Device Server and Config Tool

Installation and Operations

Configure the following entries as required:

Configuring Device Assignments

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GPI Card: Select which of the Device Server’s GPI cards contains the relay contact you wish to associate with this Switch-Only device.

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Contact Number: Select which of the eight contacts (bits) on the selected GPI card you wish to associate with this Switch-Only device.

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Pulse Width: For Primary GPI events, specify the length of the contact closure (in frames). See the Air Client Operator Guide for an explanation of Primary and Secondary GPI events.

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Pulse Offset: For Primary GPI events, specify any back-timed offset from the zero crossing for this contact closure (in frames). With a zero offset configured, Primary GPI events will trigger at the list pre-roll time.

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Switch Only: In this drop-down box, select which of the eight Switch-Only device media heads you wish to associate with the GPI trigger. The eight media heads correspond to the eight names configured on the General tab.

Note: Refer to the device manufacturer’s manual for information regarding GPI triggering requirements.

4. When finished click Apply, then click OK.