Videohub joystick preview

Hello, we have in our company some videohub routers and I would like to know if there is any way to use a joystick preview function (to change cameras in a WFM or monitor just pressing the pvw button in the OCP) in these routers.
Are you thinking to build a Smart Control with this function? Or to had GPI´s to the routers?
Thanks

Sorry, I meant "to add" this function...

Hello,

we are thinking about to Buy an 288x288 Videohub but the thing is we need also like Juanjo Triviño an GPI possibility for our Camera Matching with the Ikegamie-OCP. Maybe you Think about to add an GPI function for Videohub.

With my best regards

Marcus Rueben

We also miss this function on the BMD Routers...
Is there a solution in the planning ?
Maybe some-kind of converter LAN - GPI ? (with no delay)

I know some have just jumpered RCP's to the buttons on a Videohub Smart Control.

That's an option...

But I also read on this forum from Baz who build something with Arduino to control the matrix...
So I asked his by a PM about his experience.
When I know more I'll post it...

I only hope BMD comes with a professional solution.
Because everything we do is always live! No room for errors...
(we now use a older model matrix from BTS)

Hi!

I have the same question!
I´m thinking if the "GPI and Tally Interface" can do the work?


/Kristofer

Hi Kris,

yeah! The "GPI and Tally Interface" should could do the work I guess...
But not out of the box! BMD should have to update the firmware.
(i didn't even know this product)

I am curious what technician's of BMD think about...?

Hi,

If you read at the BM website you find nothing about the Tally/GPI box but when you are looking at resellers you can read "For ATEM Switchers / Videohub Routers".
Example: http://protel.jetshop.se/gpi-and-tally- ... c-220.aspx

It´s strange....

/Kris

BMD hides it here: http://www.blackmagicdesign.com/product ... ers/models
and here: http://www.blackmagicdesign.com/support ... lse&os=mac
Download the ATEM manuel and go to page 105....

Thank You!
I have read these pages alot but I can´t find anything about that the Tally/GPI box is supporting the Videohub.

No no... I also can´t find anything about that the Tally/GPI box is supporting the Videohub!!

But this BOX with GPI over the network between BMD products gives me the idea it would be easy possible... I mean I think (and hope) that the hardware isn't the problem and BMD can solve our problem/wanted feature with a "simple" firmware update of the "Tally/GPI box".

I had done some quick tests and came up with my solution.

I had an associate who had 8 camera's that used 8 CCU OCP's. He had 2 CCU operators, 2 people 4 camera's each.

I got him to buy a BMD Video router and I built him an Arduino micro-controller to do the job. This was the configuration -

1 Arduino Uno with an Ethernet shield
10 inputs (pins) wired to a DB15 connector -
4 pins and a ground to camera 1 - 4's OCP
4 pins and a ground to camera 5 - 8's OCP
Ethernet connector to his trucks network router (with optional POE)
Usb connector from the Arduino to his control PC (or Mac)

Using the USB connector and running a terminal program (putty) was the method of setting the 'button to cross point' arrangements, hub ip address, toggle/switch function, default output etc using simple text commands eg....

with CCU operator 1 controlling camera's 1 to 4 and CCU operator 2 controlling camera's 5 to 8 and camera's 1 to 8 using inputs 1 to 8 of the router and output 1 of the router going to CCU 1's monitor and output 2 going to CCU 2's monitor....

"1=1,1" - this set button 1 (OCP 1's first joystick) to be destination 1's 1st input
"5=2,5" - this set button 5 (OCP 2's first joystick) to be destination 2's 5th input
"1=L" - this set button 1 to 'latch meaning 'press once' and selection remains
"1=T" - this set button 1 to 'toggle' meaning 'selection only when button down' then return to 'default'
"1=0,16" - this set button 1's default output to input 16 as used in toggle mode

Toggle mode is the 'normal operation' where the CCU operator would see (in the above example) input 16 when no button is pressed (usually 'program output'), and input 1 if the first joystick is pressed and held then back to input 16 when the joystick was released.

Once the Arduino was setup using the USB port the settings are stored in EEPROM memory so are permanently stored between power cycles.

I am also looking at incorporating 'button tally' so the CCU operator can see on monitor which camera they have selected.

I am currently working on a similar program to control the Aux busses on the ATEM to do the same function without needing the Videohub.

Baz
(ps. also working on a project to remote start a VTR deck (including Hyperdeck) from an ATEM button push - imagine just 'cutting' (or dissolving) to a pre-cued tape deck and it immediately starts playing)

Hi,

There is a box that performs the joystick override function mentioned here.

http://bmrouter.co.uk

Cheers

Richard

Hi Baz!

I looks very promising...! And with some knowledge of Arduino there would be much more possible in the future... Only one thing I don't like for our situation. And that is that we need a PC or Mac as master-controller. But I understand you (have to) use the SDK from BMD to communicate from the PC/Mac to the VideoHub.

And binaryburford, I think your solution works in the same way, isn't it?

Does one of you maybe tried to program "wireshark" to intercept the communication between the SDK and the VideoHub? Ohhh... Wait... You have connected the VideoHub with USB to the PC/Mac?? Is it also possible by LAN??

Kind regards,
Edgar

I read that some people connected/soldered the GPO's of the RCP's to the buttons of a Videohub Smartcontrol. Did anyone on this forum do this and how easy is it?

... we need a PC or Mac as master-controller. But I understand you (have to) use the SDK from BMD to communicate from the PC/Mac to the VideoHub.

No. My setup connects ethernet to the network router which is connected to the PC or Mac server which has the connection via USB to the Videohub. This way you can have multiple devices controlling the Videohub matrix as per usual.
My use of USB is local to the Arduino for programming the individual button functions.

I am not using any BMD SDK.

Baz

And Baz (or everybody else) do you also have a "Videohub Smart Control" ??
If so, did you ever installed a sniffer to check the IP Packages between the hub and the control?
I'm very curious if it is just UPD. And I hope certainly not if it is a https traffic...

It would be great if the Arduino board can just behave like a "Videohub Smart Control"...

Videohub Smart Control features 40 crystal look WRGB illuminated buttons that can be set to any router output. To set the input to any SDI equipment now just requires a single button press!

The box I made functions exactly the same as a 'Videohub Smart Control' except in place of the 'buttons' there is a connector to wire the joystick preview switch closures.

If you want I can post a short youtube video on its functionality. (I will have to build another one, as the one's that I have already made are installed and on the road).

Baz

I've used the DNF Anywhere Interface Box (http://www.dnfcontrols.com/product/deta ... e=51&ref=1) to do this on other switchers. It can send a text string to an Ethernet port in response to a contact closure (from the joystick) which looks like what the Videohub requires.

Hi LloydCFerguson,

this is an super interesting solution!!
I also was looking for RS422 (sony remote) <--> GPI,
so we can trigger an Hyperdeck easily...

This product covers both!!

Now I just only have one question left:
Can somebody with a VideoHUB and a Videohub Smart Control
post some TCP/UDP data of there traffic to each other??

Hi Baz,
I would be really interested in some more information on this. I bought a GPI and Tally unit to do the same thing you discuss, as it was being advertised to do this. However according to Blackmagic, they haven't actually release the firmware to control a videohub in this way yet, and there's no timescale for implementation! I'm a complete novice when it comes to Arduino's, but I have a collegue who can program them. Is there any information online about the formatting of the data outputs that need to be sent over the ethernet connection to the router?
I have up to 8 OCPs, and a broadcast videohub being controlled by an engineering computer, so at the moment, the vision operator has to manually switch his monitor inputs via a smart control panel.

The idea of GPI triggering to RS422 control also sound handy - being able to control a couple of hyperdeck studios and sony VT decks usibng the GPI out on my vision mixer would be very handy, without expensive conversion boxes would be great!


Cheers,
Mat.