URSA Studio and Camera Converter Issues

We're in the process of upgrading our old Grass Valley triax camera chains to URSA Broadcast fiber systems.

In this ecosystem, we're outputting video into our router (HD-SDI) then to our GV Switcher (1080i 59.94). We have a ClearCom matrix and TSI-1000 tally system that we're currently working to tie into the DB25 connector on the back of the Studio converter for Comms and Tally. I'm only using a BMD Switcher to facilitate camera control/video return.

I got one of our fiber runs terminated and hooked both the Studio converter, Camera converter and URSA Broadcast up. After a short time, they handshake with each other, the Studio shows the image and feeds return video to the camera perfectly. Sometimes if I start patching stuff around they get kind of fussy and I have to start power-cycling the units to get them to handshake again.

Question #1: Is there a proper way to re-patch and cycle these chains?

So, then I began hooking the Studio Converters up to my router/switcher. The SDI output is working, however, my tri-level sync/reference/genlock (analog 1080i) is not allowing the camera feed to lock in with my switcher.

I have the tri-level hooked into the reference in on the Studio Converter and I verified the Camera Converter is properly jumped over to the REF IN on the camera body. I verified it's good reference on another device. The camera is set to External reference and is matching the switcher's video standard.

Question #2: Am I missing a setting re: reference?

I don't know what else to check here. Ideas? Thanks in advance!

OK before you do anything else, take time to download camera update 6.9.2 from Blackmagic support and install 6.9.2 on your camera bodies and use the same application to update the SFC and CFC to version 1.2.
Once you've updated if all goes well, your reference issue should be resolved. Before this update came out, about half of fresh out of box SFC units straight up didn't pass reference. Big problem. Now with this update, setting up reference should get your camera in the system pulse once set to "external" reference in the camera, however inherent line delay still existed (meaning your video is locked, but misaligned in the y axis) for me when I did this, so in that same menu item you can add line reduction or increases to fill the frame. This number was about -30 for me on two separate builds.

As for the striking, best results have always happened for me when firstly, cleaning all fiber contacts, then punching the camera at both the SFC side and CFC side, then hitting the power switch on the SFC. So, make sure everything is connected, then press power. That's by far given me best results. Still takes way too long IMO as BMD is being overly cautious with the power inspection compared to other camera brands, but it should almost always be less than a minute to strike.

Also, weird side note, if you keep getting a fiber/return failure to the camera head, but video is making it back to the SFC from the camera, physically unplug (or break the patch of its hitting a patch bay) return 1 while it's on on the SFC side then plug the return back in, fixes it for me almost every time.

Thanks Mitchell.

I forgot to mention, I had previously applied 6.9.2 to the cameras, SFCs, and CFCs.

Could it be that the updates didn't properly take, they sure seemed to. I did notice; however, updating the SFCs, some required manual restart and some didn't, which I thought was odd.

Are you cleaning fiber connections every time to re-patch the SMPTE cables? What are you using to do so?

If you've got language selection, the update was properly applied.
Same happened to me when I updated mine, some needed restarting, some did it themselves.

What kind of ATEM are you using. Our previous workaround to this issue was to genlock the ATEM, and set cameras reference to "Program" instead of "External" to take a pulse packeted in the ATEM's return feed as the cameras reference. This might be an option for you, otherwise, I'm drawing a blank.

Maybe... I'm assuming you are using an analog DA to send reference to your SFC's, and might I ask before that in the chain what sync/pulse generator are you using to generate tri-level? If you have a good old analog scope, you should plug it into a reference line hitting a SFC and make sure the analog tri-level signal isn't over-modulated, meaning the peaks and valleys of the reference are too high, or potentially too low (unlikely though as other devices are accepting the reference.) If it is over-modulating, you can bring down the gain on the analog DA to get the reference signal in a legal range.

Make sure to throw a 75 ohm BNC terminator on the reference loop of any open reference loops if you don't have it there already. Also, just double checking, your URSA is setup both on the record tab, and on the monitor tab, 1080i59.94. If your output is 1080i, but your system setting isn't, it'll goof up the works. Are all your SFC's looped together reference? If so how many. You should only use a single loop to another SFC then use a terminator to maintain the integrity of the tri-level analog signal. Too many loops degrades the signal for all members in the loop. That's one hop of reference, no more, run a new line from an analog DA for any following pairs of SFC's.


Yes, I clean, not before every use, but rather when a camera doesn't strike properly multiple times in a row. We bought a couple of model number: FIBERCLEAN-1 from Markertek to clean the LEMO fibers. Really all you need from that kit though is the LEMO brand ferrule removal tool for 311M, fiber optic cleaning spray, and the cotton swabs. Remove the ferrules if on the female end, spray cotton swab with cleaner, wipe the tips of both fibers, replace ferrules. Pretty simple process once you've done it a few times. Warning though, the ferrules require much more force to pull out and reinsert than you may feel comfortable when yanking on a fiber optic head of a $400 connector. The force is necessary though, they're pretty tight.

Hope to hear back, and hope this helps.

Hey Mitchell!

Yeah, it is saying 1.2 is applied and I do see the language option.

I'm only using our ATEM 2 M/E Production Studio for camera control/return video. The output of the SFCs feed our GV Trinix HD-SDI router which then feeds our GV Kayenne switcher.

As far as what feeds reference, that's where I'm not quite sure. I've inherited this setup from my predecessor and as far as I can tell we have a master clock generating the analog tri-level that is then being sent through multiple Evertz 500ADAs to all my gear that needs it.

Once we full deploy, the plan was to connect reference to SFCs 1 and 2, and have them loop to the other 8 SFCs down the rack (10 total). Right now, I just have the reference plugged into one. I did not think about putting a terminator on the unused outputs though. We're using the same reference feeds that were looping through our old GV LDK Triax CCUs.

Yes, I've verified I'm outputting the correct 1080i/59.94 that my switcher needs.

I'll try terminating the loop out. See if that changes anything.