Grass Valley UniConfi NVISION Series v.2.1 - Manual (Page 75)

63
Machine Control
Chapter 8 discusses machine control routing, machine control port types, and using the
‘Connections’ window for machine control routers.
Topics
Background Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
The Port Configuration Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Setting Up Machine Control Ports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Background Information
Machine control routers switch signals between recording and playback equipment such as
VTRs. These “machines” have control signals such as play, stop, and rewind, and can perform
functions such as pre-roll and cueing.
Machine control ports are bi-directional and machine control routes are point-to-point. This
means that (1) an input can be connected to at most one output and (2) signals flow both ways,
from the input to the output and from the output to the input.
Because machine control routes are point-to-point, 2 ports are consumed for each route. Thus, a
256-port machine control router allows up to 128 routes.
The NV5256 is a 256-port machine control router. The NV5128 Multi-Format Router can include
include a small set of machine control ports, up to 64 ports.
Using the ‘Connections’ window (Chapter 9), you can view and test machine control ports.
Using the ‘Partitions’ window (Chapter 6), you can define machine control partitions.
Using the ‘Machine Control Port Setup’ window (described in this chapter), you can configure
machine control ports.
Machine Control Ports
When two devices communicate, through a router, one is considered the controlling device and
the other is considered the controlled device. One sends control signals to the other and receives
status signals from the other.
Router ports can be configured to match the devices to which they connect — controlling or
controlled — and they can be configured as flexible, either controlling or controlled as required
at any given time.