User's Guide

AATON CODE

an outside source and keep accurate time (within a half a frame)

for 8 hours. After 8 hours of keeping time, the yellow diode on the

base of the Xterà will ﬂash once every four seconds, indicating that

accurate time is no longer guaranteed.

In order for the internal clock to operate, the camera must be

powered before initialization. The camera is also equipped with

an instantly charged supercapacitor buffer that is designed to keep

time between battery changes. Keep in mind that a battery which is

too low to run the camera has enough energy to drive the internal

clock for hours. Get into the habit of leaving an exhausted battery

on-board the camera until you have a fresh battery close by. The

supercapacitor allows a full minute for battery replacement before

timecode is lost.

6.3 ORIGINCPLUS

For the most efﬁcient and foolproof means of working with Aaton-

Code, it is highly recommended that an Aaton device called Orig-

inCplus is used. OriginCplus can be quickly

programmed with a production ID, full date and time of day, then

initialize timecode devices in either ASCII or SMPTE form. Orig-

inCplus is TCXO-controlled and will run for 150 hours with an

internal 9V lithium cell; it is designed to be left on during the shoot

day and used as a comparator to monitor timecode drift between

devices.

OriginCplus can also be used as a SMPTE generator to supply accu-

rate timecode for slates and inserters, or to record timecode on one

audio channel of a non-timecode audio recorder.

6.4 INITIALIZING AATONCODE IN THE

CAMERA