Specifications

Io Express Installation and Operation Guide — Using the AJA Control Panel

Primary Format—The video format currently assigned to Io Express. This is the format

that the framebuffer will use and is shown in the Control Panel using the color blue.

All icons in blue are the same as the Primary Format used by the framebuffer. Also

any text descriptions in the block diagram that appear in blue also indicate that

something is in the primary format. So, for example, if you see that the input and

output icons are blue, then you know that the same format is used throughout the

video path and that no format conversion is being performed. If a different color is

displayed on the input or output, say green for example, then you know that Io

Express is performing a format conversion in the video path.

Secondary Format—Any format other than the currently selected Primary Format, is a

secondary format. As described previously, this means that either the Inputs or

Outputs are somehow different from the framebuffer’s assigned format (i.e., the

“Primary Format”). This can be seen at a glance because the color will be different

than blue.

Input/Output Icons—The input and output icons are triangles that together with their

color show all the input and outputs and their status (selected, not selected, input

present or not, format, etc.). A complete video path is shown when inputs and

outputs are connected with lines going to/from the framebuffer.

Input/Output Icon

Conversion Icons—when an input or output is a different standard than the

framebuffer, the Io Express may be down-converting the signal to the selected

standard. This may be automatic, because it's detected an input signal that differs

from the standard currently selected, or because you've explicitly told it to convert.

In either case, the block diagram will show the conversion by displaying a conversion

icon in between the input/output and the framebuffer.

Color Meanings—All items in the IO Express Control Panel block diagram are color-

coded to show what is happening in realtime. This applies to both icons and text. These

colors have the following corresponding meanings:

Blue: video is same format as the Primary Format (framebuffer)

Red: the selected operation cannot be performed

Yellow: reference video (black burst or other reference source)

Green: indicates that Io Express is performing an active change to the video

making it different from the Primary Format (e.g., down-conversion).

Tabbed Windows—The bottom area of the IO Express Control Panel provides different

information categorized by topic. Clicking on a “Tab”—or a block diagram element—

displays an information screen corresponding to a tabbed topic. The arrows at either side

of the displayed tabs can be clicked to see any additional tabs not visible on the screen. If

an arrow is “grayed out”, there are no additional tabs in that direction. Each of these

tabbed windows are described on the following pages. Tabs that can be selected are:

Control: configures Io Express operation (pass through, desktop, etc.) plus setting

output timing.

Format: select the framebuffer primary video format and any secondary formats

for down-conversion of inputs/outputs

Input Select: view and edit input selections and how they are mapped

SDI Out: select output format—Primary or Secondary (downconversion)

Down-conversion icon