BrightEye 55 TM Genlockable Sync Generator and Test Signal Generator User Guide ENSEMBLE D E S I G N S Revision 3.1 SW v1.0.2 This user guide provides detailed information for using the BrightEye 55 Genlockable Sync Generator and Test Signal Generator unit.
BrightEye 55 Genlockable SPG/TSG PRODUCT OVERVIEW BrightEye 55 is a genlockable sync and test signal generator that can be used as either a slave or master reference generator. It can lock to house reference or it can lock to its own internal precision standard. BrightEye 55 is well suited for any application requiring genlocking of signals to a house reference as well as remote trucks, desktop, and fly packs.
BrightEye 55 TM The external reference or master clock drives the Sync Gen block. The reference choice is user configured for 525 (NTSC) or 625 (PAL) line rates. The standard definition output feeds horizontal and vertical sync to the internal Test Signal Generator. The HD Tri Level Sync Gen block is further user configured in BrightEye PC or Mac to one of four HD formats (1080i, 1080p, 720p, or 1080sF). The Tri Level Sync output frame rate can be selected from two choices in BrightEye PC or Mac, 23.
BrightEye 55 - Page 4 6 Hz Pulse Switches to External Reference when valid reference is detected on Ref BNC External Reference Input Precision Frequency Reference Uses internal Precision Reference when no valid reference is detected on Ref BNC Test Signal Generator Slate Text & Cyclops Motion Marker Generator 2 Channel D to A Tone Generator BrightEye 55 Functional Block Diagram, Landscape View Sync Generator HD Tri-Level Sync Gen AES Formatter Audio Embedder Composite Encoder AES Output SD S
BrightEye 55 TM The Sync Gen section also has an output which indicates coincidence between the vertical intervals of the SD and HD outputs. In all formats except 1080sF/23.98, the vertical intervals will be coincidental in every field or frame. In 1080sF/23.98 that coincidence occurs once for every 4 sF frames and every 5 SD (NTSC) frames. Accordingly, this coincidence marker occurs at a 6 Hertz rate, and is commonly referred to as a 6 Hz pulse.
BrightEye 55 Genlockable SPG/TSG APPLICATIONS BrightEye 55’s complete feature set makes it a versatile genlock sync and test signal generator. It’s small size also makes it an excellent choice for use in mobile applications. An example of a BrightEye 55 application is given below. Genlocked Test Signals With the external reference capability, BrightEye 55 can be used to input test signals to facility devices timed to the same house reference.
BrightEye 55 TM REAR CONNECTORS All connections to the BrightEye 55 converter are made on the rear of the unit. Refer to the illustration below. BrightEye 55 Rear Connectors Power Connection Connect a modular power supply to the 12 volt DC power input connection on the far left of the unit. Use the locking ring to secure it. USB Connector The USB connector is used to provide more comprehensive control, diagnostics, and upgrades to the unit from a PC or Mac.
BrightEye 55 Genlockable SPG/TSG For Unbalanced Audio to a RCA Phono Input – to connect the audio output to a consumer audio connector such as an RCA phono jack, connect the pins as follows: • Attach Ground from Pin 1 of the Audio Out to the shell, Shield or Ground of the RCA Phono jack. • Attach the + (plus) signal from Pin 2 of the Audio Out to the center pin of the RCA Phono jack. • The – (minus) signal is not used in this application.
BrightEye 55 TM OPERATION Control and operation of the BrightEye 55 is performed from the front panel and with the BrightEye Control application. NOTE: Some control settings and parameter choices are only available with BrightEye PC or Mac. These parameters cannot be monitored from the front panel. Front Panel Controls and Indicators The front panel shown in the figure below provides status indicators and control over video and audio output.
BrightEye 55 Genlockable SPG/TSG HD Sync The currently selected HD Tri Level Sync format (1080i, 720p, 1080p, or 1080sF) is illuminated green. One of two different Tri Level Sync (TLS) frame rates can be selected in the Config menu of the BrightEye Control application as 23.98/50/59.94 (the most commonly used, default value) or 24/30/60 (for special applications such as film). Pwr (Power) Illuminates green when power is applied to the unit and the internal voltage regulator is functioning correctly.
BrightEye 55 TM Video This control selects the video test pattern with the following choices: • Black choices:, Black, Flat 20%, or Flat 80%. • Bar choices: 75% Bars, 100% Bars, or SMPTE Bars. • Sweep choices: Sweep, Mono Sweep, Multi Burst, or Mono Burst. • User choices – This pattern can be specified in the Test Pattern menu, providing over eight additional patterns (Pathological, Pulse and Bar, Ramp, Digital Blanking, Analog Blanking, Interlace, Crosshatch, and Unit Circle).
BrightEye 55 Genlockable SPG/TSG USING THE BRIGHTEYE CONTROL APPLICATION The BrightEye PC and BrightEye Mac applications included on CD-ROM are designed to allow you to configure and control the BrightEye 55 from a personal computer. Installation and instructions for using this software application are given in the PDF manual on disk.
BrightEye 55 TM Config Menu Use the Config menu shown below to set the following parameters: • Standard – select the output standard for SDI and composite video. This pulldown lets you chose between: NTSC (525) and PAL (625). • HD Standard – select the HD Tri Level Sync standard. This pulldown lets you choose between: 1080i, 720p, 1080p, or 1080sF. • Setup – turn Setup On or Off for 525 60Hz signals. • Slate Text - the contents of this text field will be displayed in the ID Slate.
BrightEye 55 Genlockable SPG/TSG Genlock Menu Use the Genlock menu shown below to set the following parameters: • Reference – The type of external reference connected to the Ref In BNC will be reported as No Ref, 525 Reference, or 625 Reference. • Ver Time – set the output timing of all output signals to match the vertical timing in relation to the external reference connected to the Ref In BNC in lines.
BrightEye 55 TM ADJUSTMENTS Frequency Adjustment The BrightEye 55 contains a precision timing source that is calibrated at the factory to meet full specifications for timing precision. However, because clock crystals shift frequency as they age, it may be necessary to adjust the frequency of the internal source. This adjustment should not be necessary until after several years of use.
BrightEye 55 Genlockable SPG/TSG WARRANTY AND FACTORY SERVICE Warranty Ensemble Designs, Inc. warrants this product to be free from defect in material and workmanship for a period of 5 years from the date of delivery. During this 5 year warranty period, Ensemble Designs, Inc. will repair any defective units at Ensemble Designs’ expense if the unit should be determined to be defective after consultation with a factory technician. This warranty is not transferable.
BrightEye 55 TM SPECIFICATIONS Reference Input Number Signal Type Return Loss One 1V P-P PAL, NTSC, or 10 MHz >40 dB DC to 5.5 MHz Composite Output Number Signal Type Impedance Return Loss Frequency Response Output DC K Factors Differential Phase SCH Phase One NTSC / PAL 75 1 >40 dB DC to 5.5 MHz -0.1 dB 10 KHz to 5.0 MHz ± 50 mV < 1.0% < 1.0 degree ± 5 degrees Accuracy and Timing Stability Internal TCX0 PAL Fsc 4.43361875 MHz +/- 1 Hz NTSC Fsc 3.579545 MHz +/- 1 Hz 601 Fs 27.
BrightEye 55 Genlockable SPG/TSG Analog Audio Output Number Type Impedance Reference Level One stereo pair or two mono 1 KHz tone 30 1, balanced -10 to + 4 dBu, adjustable General Specifications Size 5.625” W x 0.8’’ H x 5.
BrightEye 55 TM BRIGHTEYE POWER SUPPLY INFORMATION Below is a list of power supplies and optional items that may have come with your BrightEye: BEPS BrightEye Individual Power Supply. BEPS6 Spider Power Supply. This powers 6 single high BrightEyes or 3 double high BrightEyes. BEPS6-RP Redundant Power Supply for Spider. BERKMT BrightEye Rack Mount. This holds 6 single high BrightEyes or 3 double high BrightEyes, or a combination. BEBP BrightEye Blank Panel. Single high, for empty slots in Rack Mount.
BrightEye 55 Genlockable SPG/TSG GLOSSARY This is a brief glossary of commonly used terms associated with this product. AES/EBU The digital audio standard defined as a joint effort of the Audio Engineering Society and the European Broadcast Union. AES/EBU or AES3 describes a serial bitstream that carries two audio channels, thus an AES stream is a stereo pair. The AES/EBU standard covers a wide range of sample rates and quantizations (bit depths.
BrightEye 55 TM Chroma The color or chroma content of a signal, consisting of the hue and saturation of the image. See also Color Difference. Component In a component video system, the totality of the image is carried by three separate but related components. This method provides the best image fidelity with the fewest artifacts, but it requires three independent transmission paths (cables). The commonly used component formats are Luminance and Color Difference (Y/Pr/Pb), and RGB.
BrightEye 55 Genlockable SPG/TSG dBFS In Digital Audio systems, the largest numerical value that can be represented is referred to as Full Scale. No values or audio levels greater than FS can be reproduced because they would be clipped. The nominal operating point (roughly corresponding to 0 VU) must be set below FS in order to have headroom for audio peaks. This operating point is described relative to FS, so a digital reference level of -20 dBFS has 20 dB of headroom before hitting the FS clipping point.
BrightEye 55 TM user must take care to verify that a device either has a universal input (capable of 90 to 230 volts, either 50 or 60 Hz), or that a line voltage switch, if present, is set correctly. Interlace Human vision can be fooled to see motion by presenting a series of images, each with a small change relative to the previous image. In order to eliminate the flicker, our eyes need to see more than 30 images per second.
BrightEye 55 Genlockable SPG/TSG NTSC The color television encoding system used in North America was originally defined by the National Television Standards Committee. This American standard has also been adopted by Canada, Mexico, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. (This standard is referred to disparagingly as Never Twice Same Color.) Optical An optical interface between two devices carries data by modulating a light source.
BrightEye 55 TM RGB RGB systems carry the totality of the picture information as independent Red, Green, and Blue signals. Television is an additive color system, where all three components add to produce white. Because the luminance (or detail) information is carried partially in each of the RGB channels, all three must be carried at full bandwidth in order to faithfully reproduce an image.
BrightEye 55 Genlockable SPG/TSG Time Base Error Time base error is present when there is excessive jitter or uncertainty in the line to line output timing of a video signal. This is commonly associated with playback from video tape recorders, and is particularly severe with consumer type heterodyne systems like VHS. Time base error will render a signal unusable for broadcast or editing purposes. Tri Level Sync An analog sync reference signal that is used in High Definition systems.
