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Table of Contents IMPORTANT NOTICE: ..................................................................................................................................VI STATIC DANGER NOTICE:........................................................................................................................ VI PRODUCT REGULATORY COMPLIANCE ..................................................................................................VI PRODUCT SAFETY COMPLIANCE .........................................
Hard Disk Tray......................................................................................................................................... 22 CD / DVD / Removable Media Drives ..................................................................................................... 22 ADDING STORAGE ........................................................................................................................................ 23 6 – CARD RETENTION ............................................
IMPORTANT NOTICE: Please read the following information very carefully before attempting any installation. Failure to comply with the precise instructions may result in damage to your Merging hardware. Please read this entire section of the manual carefully before installation. STATIC DANGER NOTICE: Please note that the Quintessence AV Chassis contains delicate electronic components that can be damaged or even destroyed when exposed to static electricity.
Any changes or modifications not expressly approved by the grantee of this device could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment. The customer is responsible for ensuring compliance of the modified product. Only peripherals (computer input/output devices, terminals, printers, etc.) that comply with FCC Class B limits may be attached to this computer product. Operation with noncompliant peripherals is likely to result in interference to radio and TV reception.
Quintessence Warranty Information This product is warranted to be free of defects in materials and workmanship for a period of one year from the date of purchase. Merging Technologies, Inc. extends this Limited Warranty to the original purchaser. In the event of a defect or failure to confirm to this Limited warranty, Merging Technologies, Inc. will repair or replace the product without charge within sixty (60) days.
1 – Introduction Thank you! Congratulations on your Merging Technologies Quintessence AV Chassis purchase. Quintessence is a precision enclosure with custom interface modules for Pyramix and VCube workstations and the Luxor Media Server and will considerably enhance the operating experience. Creativity Distilled Quintessence is a custom designed aluminium Chassis, with a very efficient, low-noise cooling system and bespoke interface modules.
2 - Installation Positioning Rack spacing and airflow recommendations: When Quintessence is to be rack-mounted, we recommend allowing one RU of blank space below the unit, in order to allow for optimum air flow to cool the equipment. However, in the following specific circumstances the bottom air intake can be obstructed and machines may be stacked without the recommended blank space: 1. Machine room or rack ambient temperature is kept below 25° 2.
3 – External Features Front Panel Power and Reset The elegant blue Merging Logo also houses the Power and Reset buttons. As shown below, the chassis’ Soft Power function is controlled by the left-hand, larger, section of the pyramid while smaller, right-hand part is used to invoke the Reset function. Reset button illumination increases in intensity to denote hard drive activity. POWER & RESET The logo glows softly when the machine is in standby. I.e. connected to the mains but in power-off mode.
Rear Panel Connections From top to bottom and left to right: • • • • • • • • 4 x DB-25 slots for 4 x 8 channels of AES/EBU, SDIF or TDIF I/O installation Power Supply with IEC socket, voltage selector and switch RS-422 connector with master / slave mode switch, for machine or remote control connections.
4 – Chassis modules Overview The MTCHIO Sync Board module, coupled with the master Mykerinos board, provides various I/O directly to the rear of PC. The USB/FIREWIRE (IEEE1394) module extends the internal USB and Firewire connections directly to the front panel of the PC. Finally, the LOGO module extends the motherboard power switch, reset switch and IDE activity LED to the front panel of the PC.
Mykerinos Connection • J6 – 16 pin ribbon cable to the primary (master) Mykerinos card for TimeCode and sync. In order for the MTCHIO Sync board’s TimeCode & Video functionalities to be fully operational, it is necessary to connect the J6 socket to the primary (TimeCode Master) Mykerinos card, with the 16 pin ribbon cable provided. In multi-board systems, by convention, the primary Mykerinos card is the one fitted in the PCI slot closest to the graphics adapter.
RS-232 connection • • J1 – RS-232 connector with pinout A works with Asus and Intel on-board RS-232 connectors. This is also the connector used with the Merging Technologies USB to RS-232 adaptor. (see below) J3 – RS-232 connector with pinout B is provided for compatibility with motherboards from other manufacturers. Note: This connector may not be available on recent revisions of the MTCHIO board.
USB to RS-232 adapter Since many modern motherboards do not have spare RS-232 headers MTCHIO is generally supplied from the factory already connected to an on-board USB header via an included USB to RS-232 adapter and cable. The RS-232 USB converter transforms RS-232 signals to/from USB signals. It has been developed to allow the MTCHIO RS-422 functionality to be retained with motherboards lacking an internal RS-232 connector. This converter is USB 2.0 compliant (12Mbps).
USB to RS-232 adapter Software Installation Where a USB to RS-232 converter is supplied, a driver is required: 1. Do not plug the 5 pin connector of the Merging Y-type USB cable into a USB port of the motherboard. First, power on the computer and extract the drivers located on the accompanying CD to a temporary folder. The file to extract is labelled CP210X_DRIVERS.EXE. 2. Then, plug the 5 pin connector of the Merging Y-type USB cable into a USB connector of the motherboard.
MTCHIO Panel Connections WordClock, Video Ref and LTC connections provide identical functionality to that originally offered by the TC-BreakOut optional cable. RS-442 provides functionality originally enabled by external 3rd party RS-232 to RS-422 adapters such as an “Antona”. Note: Please take care never to connect an (old) optional breakout cable and a MTCHIO board to the TC Master Mykerinos at the same time.
Word Clock The word clock connection offers a bi-directional signal flow, software controlled directly by Pyramix/VCube. This is typically used for clocking the Mykerinos audio engine from external AV equipment such as AD/DA converters, workstations or player/recorders.
Front Panel USB / IEE 1394a Module This module is attached to the front panel of the Quintessence AV Chassis. It extends the following internal signals to the front panel: • 2 x USB • 1 x Firewire (IEEE 1394a) IMPORTANT: Use only the corresponding Merging supplied USB and IEE 1394 cables.
Front Panel Logo Module This module is attached to the front panel of the Quintessence AV Chassis. It extends the following internal signals to the front panel: • 1 x Power switch • 1 x Reset switch • 1 x IDE led These three functions are displayed through the Merging logo (a) located on the chassis front panel. This logo glows blue when the PC is in stand by (b) and shines brightly when the PC is ON (c). Each HD access makes the smaller part of the Merging logo (reset) shine more brightly.
5 – Storage Hard Disk / CD-ROM Trays Quintessence has easily removable disk trays for 6 internal and 3 removable drive bays: Hard Disk Tray All 4x retaining screws are easily visible and accessible Hard disk tray is removed as a single unit CD / DVD / Removable Media Drives Media drives screws are also easily visible and accessible 22 Quintessence User Manual Media tray is removed as a single unit © 2007 Merging Technologies
Adding Storage On large systems, (especially with multi-board Mykerinos configurations) most of the PCI 32Bit (Legacy) bus bandwidth is needed and used by the Mykerinos cards in Pyramix & by Mykerinos & Video output cards in VCube, so for attaching storage units dedicated to real time media record and playback, we recommend, wherever possible, NOT using any I/O connection or PCI add-on card that will interfere with the PCI bus bandwidth. Determining I/O connections suitable for real time storage: 1.
6 – Card Retention A card retaining bar is supplied with the case. The retaining bar serves two functions. It braces and strengthens the case and the retaining fingers prevent the Mykerinos and other cards from becoming dislodged. Although the retaining bar may be safely omitted in permanently installed systems its use is recommended in all cases and mandatory for machines intended to be moved. E.g. hire and touring systems. This image shows the retaining bar in situ with a card retaining finger ringed.
7 – Sample System Specifications Pyramix & VCube Systems (Intel DP965LT motherboard) • Quintessence AV Case – All aluminium ultra lightweight Custom Case • High performance Intel 965 chipset and Code 2 Duo processor • Gigabit Ethernet, Firewire/1394a, USB 2.
8 – Dimensions 23.5 **597 mm Luxor & VCube HD2K 19.9 *507 mm Pyramix & VCube Pyramix & VCube weights & dimensions (*) Installation: Turnkey, standard configuration: 14 kg Chassis size: mm: 507(D) x 482.6(W) x 176.7(H) Shipping: In shipping box, including accessories & manuals: 20.5 kg Box size, mm: 630(D) x 630(W) x 330(H) Luxor & VCube HD2K weights & dimensions (**) Installation Turnkey, standard configuration: 16 kg Chassis size: mm: 597(D) x 482.6(W) x 176.
9 – Troubleshooting How can I determine which Mykerinos board is connected to the MTCHIO panel? By default, the Mykerinos board connected to the MTCHIO panel is the one nearest of the PC power supply / PC Graphics card. In a multiboard system, this board must be set as the Master for the system (check the TC checkbox in the VS3 control Panel), in order to be able to use the connected Video or the Word clock sync capabilities.
Appendix I Motherboard Specific Notes RS-232 An on-board COM header is not available on many modern motherboards including the Tyan Thunder S2676. Therefore it is necessary to use the Merging USB – RS232 converter and reworked Y-type USB cables. Tyan Thunder S2676 motherboard only (VCube HD2K only) On this motherboard, there are only 2 on-board USB headers. This means you can only connect the USB – RS232 converter and ONE front panel USB port.
Appendix II Luxor and VCube HD2K Slot Configuration The following tables apply to Luxor and VCube HD machines using the Tyan Thunder S2676 motherboard.
