SIERRA VIDEO SYSTEMS Tahoe Series 20 Routing Switchers Models 2010V, 2010VA, 2010VAA, 2010A, 2010AA, 2020V, 2020VA, 2020VAA, 2020A,2020AA User’s Manual
TAHOE SERIES 20 ROUTING SWITCHERS User’s Manual Sierra Video Systems P.O. Box 2462 Grass Valley, CA 95945 Tel: (530) 478-1000 Fax: (530) 478-1105 Email: info@sierravideo.com Version 2.
Table of Contents Introduction Before You Begin Warnings & Safety Regulations Warnings Cautions Cautions (continued) Power Supply Cords North American Power Supply Cords International Power Supply Cords EMC Regulatory Notices Delivery Damage Inspection Tahoe Family Overview Introduction Model Suffix Designations Tahoe Series System Components Frame 804030 Factors Affecting Quality of Results Installation Introduction Rack Mounting Dimensions Connecting To Video Devices Connecting To Audio Devices Balance
Sierra Video Systems 1 Chapter Introduction Before You Begin There are several terms and acronyms that you should become familiar with before reading this manual. They are shown below. Term/Acronym Definition Crosspoint The electronic switch that assigns one of the inputs on the matrix crosspoint modules to an output. Destination The output of a routing switcher connected to a device that receives signals from the output of the switcher.
Sierra Video Systems Warnings & Safety Regulations The information in the following section provides important warnings and safety guidelines for both the operator and service personnel. Specific warnings and cautions may be found throughout this manual. Please read and follow the important safety precautions noting especially those instructions relating to risk of fire, electrical shock and injury to persons.
Tahoe Series 20 Cautions (continued) Leave the side, top, and bottom of the frame clear for air convection cooling and to allow room for cabling. Slot and openings in the frame are provided for ventilation and should not be blocked. Only an authorized Sierra Video Systems technician should service the switchers. Any user who makes changes or modifications to the unit without the expressed approval of the Sierra Video Systems will void the warranty.
Sierra Video Systems Tahoe Family Overview Introduction The Tahoe Family is Sierra Video Systems’ most extensive line of analog routing switchers, setting the standard in mid-sized switchers for more than a decade. Tahoe frames can be populated with limited modules, providing flexibility for future expansion. Tahoe routing switchers can contain video and audio in one frame or video in one frame and audio in a separate frame with the frames connected together by a J1 connecting cable.
Tahoe Series 20 Model Suffix Designations Model Suffix Designations V Analog video (50MHz bandwidth) 2020 Matrix size 20x20 A, AA… Number of analog audio channels-1 channel per “A” R Redundant Power Supplies Tahoe Series System Components This User's Manual provides installation and operation information for the Tahoe Series 20x Routing Switchers. Front and Rear panel illustrations are provided in the following subsections for each switcher model.
Sierra Video Systems Frame 804030 Note The Tahoe model shown here and in the subsequent sections are fully populated video and / or audio matrices. In some cases, these frames may be configured with fewer video channels and perhaps no audio. i.e. Tahoe models also offer redundant power supplies. Consult the rear panel serial number and model number to verify your order and product. The system you receive is customized for the size & type requested at time of purchase from Sierra Video Systems.
Tahoe Series 20 Factors Affecting Quality of Results There are many factors affecting the quality of results when signals are transmitted from a source to a destination. Signal cables — Use only the best quality cables to avoid interference and degraded signal quality and elevated noise levels. Sockets and connectors of the sources and destinations — Use only the highest quality, since "zero ohm" connection resistance is the target.
Sierra Video Systems 2 Chapter Installation Introduction Carefully inspect the frame to ensure that there has been no shipping damage. Make sure all shipping material is removed from the router frame. The routing switcher described in this manual can be rack mounted in a standard 19" (RU) EIA rack assembly and includes rack "ears" at the ends of the front of the frame. None of the switcher models require spacing above or below the unit for ventilation.
Sierra Video Systems Connecting To Video Devices Video sources and output devices (such as monitors, or recorders) may be connected to the routing switchers through the BNC type connectors located on the back of the unit. Keep in mind that the output signal format will be that of the input signal format. All signal connections that use more than one cable interconnecting between devices should be of equal timing length (example: cables between a camera and the switcher should have the same time delay).
Tahoe Series 20 * Balanced/Unbalanced Audio Connections All audio sources from the routing switcher are balanced audio. Connect the balanced audio to the balanced input of your destination device(s). If this is a 2-channel system used for stereo audio, ensure that you keep the same phase relationship. Connect the positive designated pin to the same relative pin on the destination device of both channels.
Sierra Video Systems Audio Follow Video and Breakaway Audio Configurations Video and Audio signals are switched by separate crosspoint modules. Audio can be switched following the video or separately after the breakaway. Audio channels can be configured to “breakaway” from each other (left and right, ect.). J1 Connector The connector labeled J1 on the back panel is used to connect other routing devices to the router, such as an RS-422 machine control switcher.
Tahoe Series 20 Connecting Peripherals Control panels, sync inputs, and power are all connected to the rear of the frame. The peripherals area may vary depending on the model size and type. Tahoe series routing switchers offer redundant power supplies but must be specified prior to order. RS-232/422 Serial Control SYNC RS-485 Control Panels J1 Frame Interconnect Note: Rear Panels vary according to model. See back panel for precise detail.
Sierra Video Systems Sync Input There are two BNC connectors labeled "SYNC". This is a "looping" input for sync referencing. Connect either composite sync or video with sync to either BNC. If desired, use the second BNC to loop the signal to another device. If the loop is not used, terminate the second BNC with 75 ohms. If no sync is available, the routing switcher will switch at a random point rather than during the vertical interval of the reference signal.
Tahoe Series 20 Note: Changing any Dip Switch causes an automatic reset after a few seconds.
Sierra Video Systems Names Source, Destination, and level names can be applied using two methods. Names can be applied using the GRIP program (See the GRIP manual for details on naming), or names can be applied using the serial port (See the Generic Protocol section of this manual). Salvos A Salvo is a group of Sources and Destinations that are stored in the routing switcher and switched by a single “Salvo Take” command.
Sierra Video Systems 3 Chapter Operation Control System Overview The Tahoe Family’s three port control system incorporates many powerful features, while retaining control compatibility with many leading third party control systems and with earlier generation SVS routing switchers. The control system uses an intuitive interface for routing switcher control and configuration, passwording, salvo setup, multiple input/output configuration and name configuration.
Sierra Video Systems Host & Terminal Port Installation Pin RS-232 RS-422 1 Ground Ground 2 Transmit Transmit (-) 3 Receive Receive (+) (Tied to pin 8) 4 Not used Not used 5 Not used Not used 6 Not used Not used 7 Not used Transmit (+) 8 Receive Receive (-) 9 Ground Ground Control Panels (RS-485) Tahoe Family video routing switcher frames have two male 3-pin connectors labeled “Control Panels” on the rear. These connectors are “looped” together.
Sierra Video Systems Communication Protocol 4 Chapter Introduction The protocol uses the 7-bit ASCII character set, usually sent over an RS232-C or RS422 serial link — 9600 bps is recommended with 8 data bits and no parity. The protocol is compact, with few characters required to cause switch changes to occur. It is also human-readable and thus easy to understand and use.
Sierra Video Systems The protocol uses only 7-bit ASCII characters. The 8th bit of received characters is treated as if it is 0. Within the command string, certain ASCII characters may be present and are ignored: any ASCII character whose code is less than the SPACE character (includes all control characters and the SPACE character) and the DEL (ASCII 7F) character. Alphabetic characters within the command string may be in either upper-case or lower-case letters.
Tahoe Series 20 Leader and Trailer The simplest possible command string would be “**!!” which consists of the leader and trailer characters but no command between them. This command string would generate the response “**OK!!” followed by “CR”. This can be useful for verifying that the serial link to the switcher is operational. The following is the set of commands available for sending to the router, a subset of which may be implemented in any given routing switcher.
Sierra Video Systems “R”: Router Reset Use this command to force the routing switcher to reset, by sending it the command "RESET". If an administrator password has been set (using the “G ADMIN_PASSWORD” command described later in this document), then the password must be sent in a “K” message prior to sending this command, else this command will generate an error.
Tahoe Series 20 might return the following string: ** L64,3,32,VIDEO~AudioL~AudioR~~ OK !! indicating that the router has 64 outputs, 3 levels, and 32 inputs, and the levels are named "VIDEO", "AudioL", and "AudioR". “O”: Output Status Inquiry The command "O" requests that matrix status information for a single output be returned to the host. The status information is sent as a “Y” command or a “V” command or as a sequence of L “X” commands, where L=number of levels.
Sierra Video Systems Thus, a 21-level 16 output router would generate 2x16 = 32 substrings of status command output. The length of each substring depends on the size of the particular switcher involved. Larger switchers use bigger numbers for inputs, outputs, and levels. The first substring of status is for level 1 output 2, etc.; however, each substring contains the level and output numbers, so the sequence in which the data is sent is not important).
Tahoe Series 20 password is the one that must be sent in the “K” command to permit the router configuration to be changed, while in the latter case the password that was used to lock the output is the one that must be sent in the “K” command to permit the take to occur. Refer to the “B” command and the “G ADMIN_PASSWORD” command (in a separate document) for more information. For example, the command: ** M197 K1777 !! requests that password 1777 be stored as the current password for remote address 197.
Sierra Video Systems establishes password 9664 as the password for remote address 139. The response to this command string would be: ** M139 OK !! If remote address 13 later sends the command: ** M139 Y8,27 !! to request that output 8 be connected to input 27, the router would check to see if output 8 has been locked. If so, the router compares the password of remote address 139 (which has previously been set to 96643) to the password that was used to lock output 8.
Tahoe Series 20 more immediate feedback to the controlling device that is sending a crosspoint change command. The U1 mode of operation is provided for compatibility with older control systems. “V”: Connect Levels The command "V" is used to request that a connection be made. It must be followed by an output number, a comma, and a comma-separated list of input numbers, one for each level, up to the number of levels in the router.
Sierra Video Systems **X8, 3, 2!! This string says that a connection is to be made between output 8 and input 3 on level 2. If the level number is specified as “0”, this means that the connection is to be made on all levels (AFV). For example, the command: **X8, 3, 0!! This string says that a connection is to be made between output 8 and input 3 on all levels. “Y”: Connect AFV Use command Y to request that a connection be made. It must be followed by an output number, a comma, and an input number.
Tahoe Series 20 says that input 5 is to be connected to output 1 on all levels, then a delay of 300 (=200+100) sync intervals is to occur, then input 6 is to be connected to output 1 on all levels, then a status response is to be returned. It is generally recommended that the host computer be responsible for timing the initiation of commands, rather than using this command to do the job. The host computer can simply send the appropriate commands at the appropriate times.
Sierra Video Systems “B”: Output Lock inquiry or change The command "B" requests that lock information for the specified output be returned to the host, and optionally that the lock status of that output be changed. Whenever the router receives a “B” command, it sends one back. In routers that support the “B” command, the router reports changes to output lock status using the “B” command, not the “G OUTPUT_LOCK” command.
Tahoe Series 20 Since output lock status changes frequently, it is not really useful to cache output lock status for outputs, so the output lock version number is not really useful. For example, to request whether or not output 21 is locked: ** B21,0,0 !! The response might be: ** B21,0,0 OK !! indicating that output 21 is NOT locked. Or, the response might be: ** B21,6741,1 OK !! indicating that output 21 is locked with password 6741.
Sierra Video Systems however, will add one more field to the minimum possible delay. Thus, delayfields specifies the number of full fields of delay between end-of-crosspoint-command-stringreceived and crosspoint-switch-occurs. Note that the actual minimum value of delayfields depends on the particular router model. Routers typically have a limit to the number of crosspoint commands they can process in one field.
Tahoe Series 20 Basic “G” Command: Action Modify Query Query Response Modify is Protected: Report Changes: From Host Host Router Syntax G command_name { arguments… } ~ G command_name { arguments… } ~ G command_name { arguments… } ~ Yes No The command "G" is used to query or modify a router configuration parameter or parameters.
Sierra Video Systems Every “G” command must be terminated with a tilde (‘~’) character. This allows a command parser to ignore any received “G” command that has a command_name that it doesn’t know about. The “G” commands available for any given router may vary, depending on the router model. The “G SUPPORTED” command allows controllers to find out whether particular “G” commands are supported by a given router or not. A router may be sent “G” commands that it doesn’t understand.
Tahoe Series 20 VAR1: Modify or query single-dimensional array variables Action From Syntax Modify Host G VAR1,,,[,…]~ Query Host G VAR1,,~ Query Response Router (same as Modify) Modify is Protected: Report Changes: Yes No The “G VAR1“ command is used to change or query single-dimensional array variables that control specific features of the router.
Sierra Video Systems VAR2: Modify or query two-dimensional array variables Action From Syntax Modify Host G VAR2,,,,[,…]~ Query Host G VAR2,,,~ Query Response Router (same as Modify) Modify is Protected: Report Changes: Yes No The “G VAR2“ command is used to change or query two-dimensional array variables that control specific features of the router.
Sierra Video Systems 5 Chapter Troubleshooting Introduction NOTES: If the output signal is disturbed or interrupted by electromagnetic interference, the signal should return and stabilize when the interference ends. If not, turn the power switch off and on again to reset the switcher. If the following recommended actions still do not result in satisfactory operation, please consult your Sierra Video Systems Dealer.
Sierra Video Systems Video Signal Problem No video at the output device, regardless of input selected. Video level is too high or too dim. Remedy Confirm that your sources and destination device are powered on and connected properly. Video signals connected to the input of the switcher should be of an identical signal format as the output of your source. Video signals at the output of your switcher should be of an identical signal form required by your video monitor or recorder.
Tahoe Series 20 Audio Signal Problem Remedy No audio at the destination device, regardless of source selected Confirm that your sources and destination device are powered on and connected properly. Audio signals connected to the input of your switcher should be properly wired from the output of your source. Audio signals connected to the output of your switcher should be properly wired to the input of your destination device.
Sierra Video Systems Switching Malfunctions Problem Remedy The switcher succeeds in switching a number of sources then fails to switch one. Malfunction in the particular source or cable assembly. NOTE: The most common failure mode in transferring the signal of an audio source is a break in the connecting wire. Disconnect the source from a channel that is switching successfully and connect the suspect source to it.
Sierra Video Systems 6 Chapter Theory of Operation Introduction The Tahoe 16 Series routing switchers can be configured using three different modules, video, audio, and the processor modules. Your router includes a combination of all or some of these modules. Schematics and circuit descriptions for each module are described in the following section.
Sierra Video Systems described in the Communication Protocol section of this manual and can be addressed using the SVS windows program “GRIP”. Two 8-bit dip switches allow the user to make configuration choices. See the section on Dip Switch settings. Power-Up Reset The power-up reset signal is used to reset the MC68302 under certain conditions. The primary source of reset is U24, an MC34064 low-voltage detector.
Tahoe Series 20 The matrix interface has special timing requirements. These time delays are too long to be provided by the MC68302 wait state or DTACK generator. This special timing is generated externally using U14, U15, and U12. The basic operation of the circuit is U14, which counts up to 32 starting from 0 whenever a CS3 cycle is initiated. At this count it returns DTACK to the MC68302 which terminates the memory cycle. U14 is a 74F579 binary counter being clocked by CLKO at a 60 nanosecond rate.
Sierra Video Systems impedance output to sync separator Q1. The output of Q1 is inverted sync. U23E and U23F form a low pass filter which separates vertical sync from the signal. U23D performs several functions. When sync is present at its input, it acts as an inverter. If no sync is present at the output of U23E, it may be in either state it is AC coupled by C1 to U23D. U23D then functions as a free running oscillator. The oscillator is made by the resistive feedback around U23D and the value of C1.
Tahoe Series 20 The gain of the output amplifier is adjusted by a 15 turn control (R7). R9, a 75 ohm 1% resistor provides the required output line driving impedance. Control Circuits The 504034 is usually controlled by a centralized control processor module which may be in the same frame as the 504034 or in another frame in the overall system. Each of the data inputs to the 504034 is in series with a 4.7K resistor. This serves two functions.
Sierra Video Systems damage. Second, it protects the bus in the system from a failure on an individual 504035 module. U6 is a 4 line to 16 line decoder. Its output determines which bus on the 504035 is being addressed by the central controller. The strobe input (J1-6S) is centered timing wise in the data time that appears on the other logic lines to the 504035. Power Supply Low voltage AC enters the 504035 on J3 pins 27 and 28.
Tahoe Series 20 Schematics 504001 47
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Sierra Video Systems 504034 52
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Sierra Video Systems 504035 54
Sierra Video Systems 7 Chapter Specifications Audio Specifications Audio Nominal Input Level +4 dbm Maximum Input Level + 24 dbm Input Impedance 15k ohms, balanced Common Mode Rejection ≥ 40 db @ 60 Hz Nominal Output Level +4 dbm Maximum Output Level +24 dbm into 150 ohms Output Source Impedance 150 ohms, balanced Voltage Gain Unity ± 0.1db (High Z load) Frequency Response 20Hz to 20kHz ± 0.1 db Bandwidth 100 kHz S/N Ratio (20 Hz to 20 kHz) 110 db ref.
Sierra Video Systems Video Specifications Video 56 Nominal Input Video Level 1 V p-p Maximum Input Video Level 1.5 V p-p Input Impedance 75 ohms Input Return Loss ≥ 40 db @ 5 MHz Superimposed DC ±5V External Sync Color Black to 4 V p-p Nominal Output Video Level 1 V p-p Maximum Output Video Level 1.5 V p-p Output Impedance 75 ohms Output Return Loss ≥ 35 db @ 5 MHz DC on Signal ± 50 mV Gain Unity (± 2 db adj.) Response ± 0.1 db to 5 MHz; + 0/- 3 db, 5 – 50 MHz Diff.
Sierra Video Systems Software Upgrades 8 Chapter Introduction From time to time software upgrades will be available from SVS. Check our web site (sierravideo.com) for available downloads, or contact the factory. Tahoe series router processors can be upgraded via the 9 pin serial port on the router’s Host port. Upgrades are accomplished using the GRIP program. For details on software upgrades refer to the GRIP manual. Operation Download the software upgrade to a folder on your PC. Open G.R.I.P.
Sierra Video Systems Warranty 9 Chapter A. General Buyer assumes all responsibility for ascertaining the suitability of Sierra Video (hereinafter "SVS") products for Buyer's intended use. No product sold by SVS is designed or manufactured for use in any manner or under any conditions other than those described in SVS's instruction manuals and other printed material for each particular product.
Sierra Video Systems THIS LIMITED WARRANTY IS EXPRESSED IN LIEU OF ALL OTHER WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND ALL OTHER OBLIGATIONS OR LIABILITIES ON SVS'S PART. SVS neither assumes nor authorizes any other person to assume for SVS any other liabilities in connection with the sale of products of its own manufacture. 2.
