Camera Fiber Ethernet Port

Anyone know what the ethernet port on the camera fiber converter is for? I don't see it mentioned at all in the manual.

My real question is if just passes through the connection to whatever network the studio fiber converter is connected to? Was wondering if I could plug in any device for a network connection: PC, ethernet-based comm beltpack, etc.

[Gary Adams]

The Ethernet port is not implemented at this time.

Regards. Gary


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Hi Gary
Will it ever be ?
Any news on activation ? We are eagerly awaiting the activation of this port. Its very much needed for our purposes!

thank you ver much
Peter

That is why other companies diverted to other brands with fiber converters that DO carry ethernet.

I mean the whole system is based on Tico 10G ethernet. But the Ethernet port is not active..

More and more companies start using digital IP based intercom which has much more functions but you need IP at the camera side for that.

I dont have a feeling this will ever get implemented due to the simple reason BMD does not need IP at the camera side for there own system to work. So it has no priority for there own products.

The ethernet path would be super helpful to our workflow, but after near 2 hours of troubleshooting, I was told be BMD customer service that the port still isn’t active. Very dissatisfied and disappointed that it seems like no effort has been put into making what should be a basic feature work.

They wont.. As BMD itself does not need the Ethernet port for their cameras so why spend time and effort in it to make it work.. And probably there is a Bandwidth issue preventing proper implementation As they use TICO 10Gbit to transport 12G-SDI video.. Which basically uses up all bandwidth in the 10G SFP they use for the fiber link.

it would be nice that after however many years that they would just plug that hole in manufacturing so people dont expect it. wouldnt be a big retool to just get rid of it. not everyone reads the entire manual to find the one sentence that mentions it not being functional. and if youre looking at pictures, its reasonable to assume that having the ports means they work.

just bad form all 'round on this one. i guess while im at NAB ill ask them for the 3rd time why they havent fixed this yet.

chatgpt: write me a 10 page essay on why BMD keeps releasing new products but won't fix issues with the ones that are already out.

chatgpt: write me a 10 page essay on why BMD keeps releasing new products but won't fix issues with the ones that are already out.

Thats pretty simple anwser.. New products means new revenue.. Updates to existing products do not give you any new money or sales..

In the end workers and building must be paid with money.. Not with Pats on the back how good the new update was..

but once customers buy the first product and realize BMD doesnt support their products well.. they might not buy anything else.

This is an observation more than a solution.

We have just built a case for a customer with four fiber converters and naturally cabled the network to the fiber converters not realizing at the time that the feature is not currently fully implemented.

Observation: If there is no camera attached to the converter, what looks like a Multicast/IGMP join is sent from the fiber converter.

The issue with this is that it spams the control network and kills the comms between the 40x40 router and hard panel. Very repeatable. So the trick is not to connect the fiber converter to the network.

So I guess this may be used to connect to a separate 2110 network at some point in the future(?)

Like I say it's just what I found and it's not a problem if you don't connect the fiber converter to the network.

Wireshark extract...
1117 169.339858 Blackmag_1a:42:e9 Broadcast ARP 60 Who has 169.254.234.66? (ARP Probe)
1118 171.342088 Blackmag_1a:42:e9 Broadcast ARP 60 ARP Announcement for 169.254.234.66
1119 171.343276 169.254.234.66 224.0.0.2 IGMPv2 60 Leave Group 224.2.127.254
1120 171.390316 169.254.234.66 224.0.0.251 IGMPv2 60 Membership Report group 224.0.0.251

The Ethernet port is not implemented at this time.

Regards. Gary


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it's been more than a year, are we to see this feature appear anytime, or is it a lost cause ?

i talked to them at NAB for my 3rd or 4th time, i forget. same message as always: "we hear this a lot" and "we dont have any information right now"

BUMP

it's been more than a year, are we to see this feature appear anytime, or is it a lost cause ?

Lost cause! The product have not seen an update in a long time.. And normally that means BMD abondoned the further development of that product.

That they brought out an update for this device about a year ago was just because there were so many issues with the Ursa G2 in combination with this converter that people stopped buying the converter as it was not compatible.
So when you loose big revenue you need to change the firmware to make it compatible again..

But they hardly loose ANY revenue over a not working Ethernet port as it's not needed for the BMD ecosystem..

I guess this will never happen. BMD rarely publishes significant feature updates for existing products. Much requested audio routing for the Constellation switchers? Came with the Television Studio HD8 only. The "Sting" Button on the Mini Extreme? Still no function, even on the SDI Extreme ISO. Gigabit Ethernet port that "we're going to be able to use (...) for a few things in the future as well"*? Built-in Streaming Bridge function also came the the HD8 only.

* Quote from this YouTube video at timestamp 6:20.
==>

I don't get it.

If the Ethernet port would be working, BMD had so many more arguments to sell this product!

As Daniel already mentioned:

- use any IP based intercom solution,
- use it for PTZ control
- use it for Internet or any other IP based task

Why is BMD not interested in these benefits?

It would make the camera / studio fiber converter much more attractive.

Knut

Knut the whole problem is that they need the full 10G ethernet link to run TICO protocol in 12G-SDI.

It means they do NOT have bandwidth left to put 100/1000Mbit network on the same 10G SFP that is inside those converters.

Probably there has been some test firmware where they tested with Ethernet and the whole thing just became unstable. Loosing that function in release as it isnt needed in the BMD eco system makes sense..

I think more things that we wish for have been tried and tested by the R&D department and found unstable behaviour or issues that users could be running into.. Scrapping features that are not announced makes it sometimes easier.. Keep in mind that if they were to remove the port after release. They have to do all CE and FCC certification again.. So sometimes its better to leave things as they are.. Even if they have no function..

Daniel, thanks for those insights.

Now I understand and don't have to rant anymore.

Sad, but this means for me to move on. Even though the investment didn't fully pay back, yet.

Anyone interested in 3 Camera & Studio converters?

Knut

Sad, but this means for me to move on. Even though the investment didn't fully pay back, yet.

Anyone interested in 3 Camera & Studio converters?

Knut

I know a company that makes Fiber converts on Smpte with 12G-SDI in and out, Have dual Ethernet 1Gbit with PoE support.. And is also cheaper then the BMD SMPTE converter at 4 units..

Hey Daniel, mind DMing me the name of the company with the alternate smpte units to the BM ones.

dankjewel,

Clayton