VideoHub 40x40, Smart Control, & GPI

I have a VideoHub 40x40 router that I want to control with a Digital Broadcast Inc automation system. I need to be able to do macros (to assign closed captioning boxes in paths, etc.). To that end I believe I need to use a VideoHub Smart Control (if I understand the product correctly). It appears to be able to do up to 16 macros and this leads me to my first question:
Does the GPI/Tally Interface function only as an X-Y control or can it be made to access macros off the Smart Control?

Next question: There are only 8 GPIs per GPI/Tally Interface. Can the GPI/Tally Interfaces be daisy-chained to give me 16 macros (same number the Smart Control is capable of) to use to interface the automation system?

I don't know the product line very well so any help would be greatly appreciated.

John

BMD "smarthubs" are not that smart. Macros is a long asked feature. But not available.

The panels have a 1 on 1 routing system So select destination. Then select source and take.

For "macros" you could shoot off a text based Channel selection trough telnet.

The gpio boxes Im not Sure off..

EDIT:: I was wrong this time.. Sorry guys.. Got an Email from Hersh Burston

Our Videohub range support Macros via our Blackmagic Smart Control panel.

You can assign 10 Macros buttons each of which can do up to 16 crosspoint switches.

Text based telnet commands can also be used but not as straight forward to program.

GPI and Tally interface can switch crosspoints based on contact closure and there are only 8 available. This can be increased by connecting more units onto the network.

You could use the automation system to send the 16 switches or if the automation system supports contact closure then GPI and Tally is the only way to do this as it can’t access the Smart Panel.

So Macros ARE possible

Do the Smart Control panels not work? I have the Master Control Panels, and not the Smart ones, but I thought that feature worked on them to at least a significant degree.

Videohub Smart Control
Videohub Smart Control is a compact 1 RU panel that controls your Videohub over your existing ethernet network. It features 40 customizable buttons that can be set to any cross point so you can quickly switch video sources using fast, direct “cut-bus” style routing. Each panel can be setup for 1, 2, or more destinations, so you can control video routing to multiple decks and monitors from one panel!

I swear the description on this used to say it would do multiple switching at once. Or am I crazy?

I don't think the GPI Tally interface works with the videohub, just the ATEMS. And I don't think you can daisychain them. I could be mistaken on this as well.

Using Macros
If you press a green macro button, it will simultaneously make the crosspoint changes you have previously configured in the Videohub Hardware Panel Setup software. Each button can be configured with up to 16 crosspoint routes. If you have the Take button enabled, the simultaneous change of routes will only take place when you confirm by pressing the Take button. If for any reason the macro cannot be performed, the button will flash.

So, it is supposed to be able to have macros assigned to all the buttons, but only 16 routes can be in each macro button push. Assuming it works properly. If you want precision and critically timed switched routing, this unit probably won't do it. But it ought to be close to the same timing and the macros should work. I cannot confirm this in practice. I use telnet for this functionality.

The GPI and Tally Interface has two ethernet ports so that you can connect one port to a Videohub and use the other port to link other GPI and Tally Interfaces together

So . . . According to the literature, it does work with Videohub, and can be daisychained.

Scott i made a mistake.. I corrected my post

I Do have a smart video hub but not a smart controller as i control it from the software and by a central system that controls the Videohubs, Tally, UMD, but also the complete OBV status...

Because there are no "macro functions" in the software as far as i could find.. It seems the macro's they do by the panel is send out multiple switch events in a row and then give a Take command were it does switch 16 channels at once..

It happens. I've been corrected on here a few times myself.

My guess is the Smart Control Panel sends out a list and teh take button in a manner very similar to how it works when you use telnet. I've found the telnet solution to be pretty easy to use, and always go to it for any renaming of inputs or outputs, or to send a salvo. Macro really isn't the right term, though it is the one they use. I'm old school. It is more properly called a salvo, when you switch multiple router inputs at once.

I want to set up my BM 40X40 Hub to restore to a default routes. I work in higher education and sometimes resetting makes everything better. I was hoping for a software upgrade to include macros. I saw on this thread that Telnet is an option for doing what I want. Is there somewhere I can see what the Telnet script would look like?

I have been doing it with Windows PowerShell. I define the hub command as a string with any number of dest/source combinations like

$VHMacro1 = @"
VIDEO OUTPUT ROUTING:
11 35
13 35
`r`n
"@

Then from my PowerShell code listening for GPIO event (Using Arduino), X-Keys button press, Midi event or Switcher event, I call a function passing in the required macro string like this

$result = hubCommand($VHMacro1)

Hubcommad function is just calling another script and setting the hub details for connection so I can control multiple hubs

function hubCommand($cmd){
..\VideoHub\send-tcprequest.ps1 -remoteHost "10.1.1.150" -port 9990 -inputObject $cmd
}

send-tcprequest can be found here
https://gist.github.com/imorrish/b03fc2 ... equest-ps1

I use the same method to extract the hub configuration information for the Excel documentation script shown here https://ianmorrish.wordpress.com/2017/1 ... and-excel/

Ian,

Thanks! I was able to do it in Telnet. I was missing the info regarding using port 9990.
Once I had that, I was able to write a simple program to reset my router to a default route set.
It works great.