Chapter 3: Installation And Setup
24
Deko1000 & Deko550 Technical Reference And Service Guide
Deko1000 and Deko550 GPI Input And Output Connections
GPI’s (General Purpose Interface) can be used to interface Deko1000 and Deko550 with
peripheral devices that are capable of sending and receiving GPI pulses. A GPI Input can be
selected from the Deko Sequencer to trigger through a graphics sequence manually. A GPI Output
can be set from a Deko macro command to trigger an external device. For details on how to use
GPIs within the Deko application, refer to the “Deko User’s Guide” provided with your system.
The RS-232 port on the back of your Deko1000 or Deko550 system can be repurposed to provide
a single GPI input and output. The diagram in Figure 3-6 below shows the pin connections on the
RS-232 port that are used as GPI’s.
Figure 3-6: Deko1000 and Deko550 RS-232 Port Pinout
GPI Input
Pins 1 and 4 of the RS-232 connector can be used to detect a GPI from a standard contact closure
(such as a GPI output from a switcher). Alternatively, a short pulse (minimum 10 milliseconds) on
pin 1 will also trigger the GPI input on the Deko application.
GPI Output
Pin 7 on the RS-232 connector will pulse high (for approximately 100 milliseconds) when a GPI
output command is issued from the Deko application. This can be used to trigger an external
device that is expecting a pulse to trigger an event from the Deko.
For an external device that will not trigger from a short pulse, but requires a contact closure, the
custom circuit illustrated in Figure 3-7 can be used. This circuit will convert the pulse on Pin 7
into a contact closure to properly trigger devices that expect a somewhat more traditional GPI
(e.g., Pinnacle’s Thunder Clip Server).
Figure 3-7: Custom Circuit for GPI Output
Note:
If you require more RS-232 ports than are available on your Deko chassis, an external USB to
RS-232 converter can be used. Refer to the “Using External Peripheral Devices with Pinnacle’s Deko
Products” Application Note for details on specific models. This and other Application Notes and White
Papers can be found on Pinnacle’s website at www.pinnaclesys.com
