Introduction
4
“Brick” style mini converters are very popular for
converting and processing video and audio. However
using lots of mini-converters can become cumbersome
as they each require their own power supply and each
needs to be independently secured to avoid damage
to attached equipment. Rack-based converters solve
this problem as a single, rack-mounted frame can
hold multiple converter cards securely and power only
needs to be supplied to the frame itself.
Blackmagic OpenGear Converters are designed to
be used in openGear
™
rack frames. openGear
™
is the
television industry’s open standard for rack-based
conversion and processing. If you already own an
openGear
™
frame, you can use it with your Blackmagic
OpenGear Converters without having to purchase
anything extra.
Blackmagic OpenGear Converters include the rear
modules which means you only need a standard
openGear
™
rack frame and don’t need to spend money on
rear modules you might not use. The rear modules feature
industry standard BNC connectors for SDI and analog
video as well as openGear
™
standard WECO 3-pin block
connectors (type 930-HFL) for balanced audio which can
be switched between AES/EBU and analog audio.
Blackmagic OpenGear Converters are compatible with
20-card models of the 2 RU (rack unit) openGear
™
frames.
Some models such as SDI to HDMI, HDMI to SDI and
Optical Fiber, don’t require settings because they are
completely automatic! Other models use the DashBoard
network control, USB or mini switches as three different
ways to change settings on the converters. These
converters are virtually identical to Blackmagic Design’s
popular Mini Converters, and the OpenGear Converter
range includes models for analog video, HDMI, audio
and optical fiber to and from SDI.
USB ports are included on some models where a
firmware update might be useful in the future. Firmware
updates may support new formats and standards or
provide increased compatibility with other video and
audio hardware.
Before installing Blackmagic OpenGear Converters, you
will need to install an openGear
™
frame. Please refer
to the manual which accompanied your openGear
™
frame for full installation instructions, including general
installation instructions for installing cards in to a frame.
The Blackmagic OpenGear Converter manual provides
information specific to the installation of Blackmagic
OpenGear Converter cards. It should be read in
conjunction with the openGear
™
frame manual and is
not a substitute for the openGear
™
frame manual.
There is no need to switch off the power to the
openGear
™
frame before installing a Blackmagic
OpenGear Converter. The openGear
™
frames are
hot
swappable
meaning that cards can be installed or
removed while the frame is powered on.
A few additional steps are required if installing a
Blackmagic OpenGear Optical Fiber card. Blackmagic
OpenGear Optical Fiber installs in to your openGear
™
frame in just the same way as any other Blackmagic
OpenGear Converter card. However the fiber optic
module must be temporarily removed from the card
before attempting to install the card in an openGear
™
frame. The fiber optic module is a standard SFP
transceiver module which includes an LC connector
port for attaching fiber optic cables. While other kinds
of optical connectors exist, the SMPTE standard for
Optical Fiber SDI specifies that LC type optical fiber
connectors be used and this makes it easy for all
compliant optical equipment to connect together.
Installing a Blackmagic OpenGear Converter is easy and
this manual contains illustrated, step-by-step guides
to help you start using your Blackmagic OpenGear
Converter immediately.
Overview
Introduction