English Manual Applies to UpCon software version 1.
Important safety instructions Warning Service Caution EMC/EMI For the customers in Canada 1 1 1 1 1 1 About this manual Getting support 2 2 Before you get started Register your product Stay up-to-date on loudness 2 2 2 Unpacking and setup Package contents 3 3 Software: TC Icon and UpCon firmware Finding and installing TC Icon software – Microsoft Windows Finding and installing TC Icon software – OS X 3 UpCon: An introduction Cinema-quality upconversion Uncompromised Downmix Loudness Transparen
Important safety instructions Important safety instructions – Please read these instructions. – Keep these instructions. – Heed all warnings. – Follow all instructions. – Do not use this apparatus near water. – Clean only with dry cloth. – Do not block any ventilation openings. – Install in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. – Do not install near heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other apparatus (including amplifiers) that produce heat.
Before you get started About this manual Before you get started This manual will help you learn understanding and operating the TC UpCon. This manual is available in print and as a PDF download from the TC Electronic website. Register your product Please read this manual in full, or you may miss important information. tcelectronic.com/support/account-registration/ registration/ Please register this product so we can inform you about updates and other product-related news.
Software: TC Icon and UpCon firmware Unpacking and setup Package contents The product box should contain the following items: – UpCon – 2 power cables – 1 USB stick containing… – the TC Icon software for Windows and OS X, – the UpCon software (firmware), – this manual in PDF format, – this manual. Software: TC Icon and UpCon firmware Operating UpCon requires a TC Icon remote or a computer running the TC Icon software.
Software: TC Icon and UpCon firmware Finding and installing TC Icon software – Microsoft Windows The most current version of TC Icon software for Microsoft Windows at the time of production is provided on the USB stick that came with your UpCon, but you may want to download the latest version from the TC Electronic website. You can download the latest version of TC Icon software for Microsoft Windows from: www.tcelectronic.com/support/software/ – On this page, locate the “UpCon” section.
Software: TC Icon and UpCon firmware Updating TC Icon software To update the TC Icon software on your PC when a newer version is released, – quit the TC Icon software if it currently running on your PC, – download and extract the newer version as described in this section and – replace the currently installed version by copying the newer version over it. – Right-click the “Icon” application file and choose “Extract…“ from the context menu.
Software: TC Icon and UpCon firmware Finding and installing TC Icon software – OS X The most current version of TC Icon software for OS X at the time of production is provided on the USB stick that came with your UpCon, but you may want to download the latest version from the TC Electronic website. You can download the latest version of TC Icon software for OS X from: www.tcelectronic.com/support/software/ – On this page, locate the “UpCon” section.
Software: TC Icon and UpCon firmware Updating TC Icon software To update the TC Icon software on your Mac when a newer version is released, – Launch TC Icon by double-clicking the application. TC Icon will try to establish connections to all connected TC devices on a local network, including your UpCon. If a connection cannot be established, please refer to “Networking basics and troubleshooting” on page 13.
UpCon: An introduction UpCon: An introduction conversion from stereo to 5.1, you can stay compliant – regardless of the signal’s channel format. Thank you for choosing UpCon. Redundancy and reliability UpCon is a state-of-the-art upconverter that gives you absolute piece of mind that your transmission is always optimized for 5.1 HD TV. We are aware that UpCon is inserted at a very critical point in your audio signal path.
UpCon: An introduction in need of processing multiple streams simultaneously. – Instructions on upgrading a base UpCon with one or two Transmission 3G cards are not part of this manual. They are provided in a separate document that comes with the 3G Transmission card. – UpCon presets – UpCon comes with ready-to-use presets based on international standards. More presets will be made available as part of software updates, and from the TC website.
Getting to know UpCon Getting to know UpCon This section of the manual describes the device’s status indicators and connectors. LED color / Status indication Off Green Startup – no lock achieved. An SDI stream has been detected at the corresponding input, and UpCon is locked to it. There is an SDI anomaly. UpCon cannot lock to the SDI audio stream. ! Please note that additional status information can be displayed using TC Icon software – see “Obtaining UpCon status information” on page 20.
Getting to know UpCon Front panel reset button The Reset button on the front panel can be used to reset the IP address of a UpCon unit or to reset Ethernet communication between UpCon and a computer when a communication error has occurred. Resetting the IP address of a UpCon unit It may be necessary to reset the IP address of a UpCon unit. To do so, proceed as follows: – Switch off UpCon by disconnecting both power supplies.
Getting to know UpCon BNC connectors with a nominal impedance of 75 Ohms. GPIO Port(s) – (1 / 3) Recalling (Loading), storing (saving) and deleting Routing Presets is covered in the “Recalling, storing and deleting settings” on page 26 section of this manual. Connect a controller to this port to control various UpCon features remotely. Scenes, Routings, Engines UpCon offers considerable flexibility in routing, and processing audio signals.
Setting up UpCon Setting up UpCon UpCon can be used in a variety of configurations and setups. However, as all TC Broadcast processors in your system can be controlled from a single computer running TC Icon software, even large and complex setups are basically operated in the same manner as the basic setup described in this chapter.
Setting up UpCon Changing your computer’s subnet mask and TCP/IP address If and where you can change the subnet mask and IP address of your computer depends on… – the operating system you are using and – your account privileges. In case of doubt, please consult your company’s network administrator. To find and change the TCP/IP address and the subnet mask on a computer running Windows: – Go to Control Panel / Network Connections / Internet Protocol (TCP/IP). – Set the TCP/IP address.
Setting up UpCon Changing subnet mask and TCP/IP address of a UpCon To change the subnet mask and TCP/IP address of a UpCon, you need to access it using a computer running the TC Icon software. This means that in case of an IP address conflict that keeps you from accessing UpCon in the first place, you need to change your computer’s IP first as described in the previous section. Quick Setup This guide applies for a simple setup as illustrated below. – Launch the TC Icon software on your computer.
Setting up UpCon – Select the device you wish to access. – If you cannot access UpCon, please refer to “Networking basics and troubleshooting” on page 13. That’s it – you are now ready to configure and operate your UpCon. Updating UpCon software The latest version of both the UpCon software and the TC Icon software editor available at the time of production are supplied with your UpCon. However, from time to time, software updates are made available by TC, containing both bug fixes and new features.
Basic operation Basic operation Introduction This section of the manual is a general introduction to operating UpCon using the TC Icon software. In the following chapters we assume that you have connected UpCon and your computer directly or as part of a network as described in “Setting up UpCon” on page 13. Several UpCon and other TC signal processors (e.g.
Basic operation above that fader. Fine Adjust mode will be indicated by two triangles in the label field. Fader label indicating Fine adjustment mode Fader Groups UpCon algorithms encompass many parameters on several pages. For efficient operation, the most important parameters can be assigned to the on-screen faders in Fader Groups. Fader Groups allow you to access the most important features immediately, no matter what particular page is currently being displayed.
Accessing UpCon Accessing UpCon In the following sections of this manual, we assume that you are operating a basic system with only one UpCon connected. – Connect your computer and UpCon as described in the “Setting up UpCon” chapter. – Power up your computer and your UpCon. – On your computer, launch the TC Icon software. – When you do this for the first time or the system configuration has been changed, the following screen will appear: – Click “Assign”.
Obtaining UpCon status information Obtaining UpCon status information A power supply failure may be indicated as described in the following section. Please note that the LEDs on the front of a UpCon will display basic status information as long as the device is powered – see “Front panel indicators” on page 10. The states and color codes shown here are the same as those shown by the respective UpCon Sync LED – see “Sync LED(s)” on page 10. Additional status information can be displayed using TC Icon.
Setting up audio Setting up audio To set up audio, go to Frame / System / I/O / SDI. Use this page to display information about incoming audio, select audio for processing and change Advanced SDI settings. Audio Groups selector Use the Audio Groups selector to select audio groups for metering and processing. Available settings are “Groups 1+2” and “Groups 3+4”. ! Please note that the UpCon always receives two of the audio groups in the incoming stream.
Setting up audio Follow In Group setting The processed audio signals will be assigned to the same audio channel groups at the SDI output that were selected using the Audio Groups selector. This is the default setting which is also used when Advanced SDI mode has not been activated. Group 1+2 and Group 3+4 settings The processed audio signals will be assigned to the audio channel groups 1 and 2 or groups 3 and 4 at the SDI output.
Setting up audio Dither out parameters Use the four Dither out parameters (1/2, 3/4, 5/6, and 7/8) to configure dithering for each pair of audio signals. Available settings are “Off” (no dithering applied), 24 bit, 20 bit, 18 bit and 16 bit. ! If you are handling data-reduced formats, be sure to set these parameters to “Off”.
Setting up GPI/O Setting up GPI/O Setting up GPI To set up GPI, go to the Frame / System / GPI/O / GPI page. Use this page to configure GPI operation. UpCon GPI calibration page UpCon GPI page UpCon includes four multi-state GP inputs used to signal… – preset change, – content data, – meter functions and – logging functions. The famous multi-state functionality inherited from DB4 and DB8 makes use of precise voltage windows to define which function is selected.
Setting up GPI/O GPO 1 and GPO 2 parameters Use the GPO 1 and GPO 2 parameters to specify which status information should be transmitted to the GPO pins. Available settings are “Off”, “Sync LED”, “Alert LED” and “Signal LED”. If you select one of the three LED options, the selected GPO pin pair will communicate the status of the respective UpCon front panel LED.
Recalling, storing and deleting settings Recalling, storing and deleting settings The Library concept The Library gives you access to all settings of all parameters of the currently selected UpCon. The highest organizational level of the Library is a Bank. A Bank will hold either… – 50 Scene presets or – 50 Routing presets or – 100 Engine presets. Factory presets vs. user presets When recalling presets, you will see that there are two categories of presets: Factory presets and User presets.
Recalling, storing and deleting settings – Select the subpage for the setting type you want to store: – Scene – to store all settings (including Routing and all algorithm settings) as a Scene. – Route – to store the current Routing. – E(ngine) 1 or E(ngine) 2 – to store the settings of either Engine 1 or 2 as an Engine preset. – Select a User preset group. There are 8 User preset groups, with each group holding up to 8 presets. – Select a preset slot in the currently selected group that you want to use.
Updating UpCon firmware continue operating the faders even when the keyboard is shown on screen. Library – Bank page Use the Library Bank page of the TC Icon software to copy Scene, Routing and Engine Presets from one location to another. You can copy Scene, Routing and Engine Presets from and to Banks and files. Files can be transferred to other computers, allowing you to easily reuse your presets.
Updating UpCon firmware Finding and installing UpCon firmware – Microsoft Windows You can download the latest version of the UpCon firmware from: www.tcelectronic.com/support/software/ – In Windows Explorer, navigate to the folder containing the ZIP file you just downloaded. – Right-click the ZIP file and choose “Extract All…“ from the context menu. – On this page, locate the “UpCon” section.
Updating UpCon firmware – In the TC Icon software, select the UpCon that you want to update. – Go to the Frame / System / Setup / Version page. Here, you will find the current software version of your UpCon (shown as “UpCon SW Version”). Note this version number. – Go to the Frame / System / Setup / Update page. – Click into the “Common Software Update Folder” field. – Enter the path to the folder where the downloaded .tca file is located.
Updating UpCon firmware Finding and installing UpCon firmware – OS X You can download the latest version of the UpCon firmware from: www.tcelectronic.com/support/software/ – On this page, locate the “UpCon” section. – In this section of the support page, look for “Firmware” and click the button representing the latest version of the UpCon firmware. Depending on your browser type and configuration, a dialog may be shown asking you what you want to do with this file. Choose “Save”.
Updating UpCon firmware Locating and transferring the UpCon firmware file – example 1 – A confirmation message will be shown once the update has been applied. This is a simple default scenario where we assume that… – your hard disk drive is called “Macintosh HD” – your (short) user account name in OS X is “joe” and – you have not moved the .tca file from its download location.
Icon Setup Icon Setup This chapter covers screens and parameters of the TC Icon software not directly related to the day-to-day operation of your UpCon. Accessing the Icon Setup pages – If it isn’t already, switch the TC Icon software to Base mode by clicking the Icon symbol in the upper left corner of the window – see “TC Icon modes: Base and Device operation” on page 17. In Base Mode, you will see the Select, Auto and Setup tabs on the upper edge of the TC Icon window. – Select Setup.
Icon Setup Joystick page Color Element parameters The MIDI Joystick setup page of the TC Icon software is not required for operating UpCon and not described in this manual. Use the Color Element parameters to customize the colors of the currently selected User scheme. You can change the colors used for: UI page – – – – – – TC Icon Window parameter Use the TC Icon Window parameter to specify if and where faders should be shown. Three options are available.
The UpCon algorithm The UpCon algorithm UpCon is an automatic, real-time 5.1 upconversion audio processor. It continuously monitors the format of the incoming audio – and if the signal falls back from true 5.1 to stereo, it seamlessly crossfades into a convincing 5.1 surround upconversion, without adding any interruptions or artifacts. Detection does not require metadata or GPIs to function correctly, and the processing delay is only 0.8 ms (less than 1/40th frame).
The UpCon algorithm Compliance parameter Use the Compliance parameter to specify the norm that the upconverted signal should comply to. Available settings are “Off”, “A/85 Norm”, “R128 Norm” and “TR-B32 norm” UpCon algorithm – Level page Main page – Mixdown section Gain Center parameter When you have set the Format Convert parameter on UpCon’s Main page to Downmix, the Gain Center parameter can be used to apply a static gain to the Center channel before delay and truepeak limiting.
The UpCon algorithm LFE parameter Use the LFE parameter to adjust the level of the LFE channel when upconversion is active. parameter in tandem with the front channel gain parameters on the Format – UpCon page. Expect some consumers to have LFE reproduced up to 10 dB louder than the main channels. A conservative LFE setting is recommended. Also note that LFE level is disregarded in BS.1770. LFE Proc. Hi Cut parameter Use the LFE Proc.
The UpCon algorithm Decorrelate Tone parameter Use the Decorrelate Tone parameter to sharpen or dampen the de-correlation tone in the surround channels. UpCon algorithm – Limit page All setting – If a threshold is exceeded in any channel, all channels are limited. Profile parameter True-peak limiters may use different profiles. And although all these profiles are adaptive, they have been optimized for different applications. Use a profile that suits the signal being processed.
The UpCon algorithm sets the conditions for engaging or disengaging upconversion. The 24 bit, 20 bit and 16 bit settings enable detection based on the presence of dither. The -60, -50, -40, -30, and -20 dB settings enable detection based on audio level. When Main Only mode is selected, the automation system measures the Center, L and R Surround inputs. For instance, if Detect is set at “16 bit”, UpCon reads dither on the C, LSr and RSr inputs. If dither is available on any of them, UpCon assumes that a 5.
Appendix 2: UpCon GPI/O page Appendix 1: Links and additional information Appendix 2: UpCon GPI/O page – UpCon support page: www.tcelectronic.com/upcon/support/ GPIO Technical specifications – TC Electronic HD Audio YouTube channel: youtube.com/user/tcelectronicHDaudio Subscribe for up-to-date information on TC Electronic broadcast products. The General Purpose Input/Output (GPIO) connector on the UpCon back panel is configured as follows: Fig.
Appendix 2: UpCon GPI/O page D-SUB connector. The input voltage is compared against voltage windows that correspond to certain presets. Max typ / V RL1 Target typ / V 1 1.000 (idle) 2.67 3.30 3.30 open 2 0.000 0.00 0.00 0.51 clos. 1 1.000 (idle) 3.20 3.30 3.
Technical specifications Technical specifications UpCon Frame General Frame configuration UpCon holds 1 to 3 UpCon 3G cards Front indicators Status for: PSU 1, PSU 2, Sync, Alert, Signal Finish Black anodized aluminum face plate. Plated steel chassis Dimensions 19 x 1.75 x 13.2 inches (483 x 44 x 334 mm), 1 RU Weight UpCon w/ one card 9.5 lbs. (4.3 kg) UpCon expanded max. 10.4 lbs. (4.
Technical specifications Input return loss Typ. 17 dB, < 1.5 GHz, typ. 12 dB, 1.5 to 3 GHz Output return loss Typ. 18 dB, < 1.5 GHz, typ. 12 dB , 1.5 to 3 GHz Relay bypass return Typ. 19 dB, < 1.5 GHz, loss typ. 14 dB , 1.5 to 3 GHz Adaptive cable equal- 480 m @ SD, 250 m ization (input) @ HD, 150 m @ 3G, Belden 1694A Jitter tolerance Timing: > 10 UI, Align(input) ment: > 0.7 UI Output jitter Timing: < 0.25 UI, (output @ clean Alignment: < 0.22 UI source) @ SD Timing: < 0.5 UI, Alignment: < 0.
Technical specifications Item No.
