AJA Io4K User Manual [en, de, es, fr, it]

Installation & Operation Guide

Version 10.5r2

Published: April 2, 2014

Table of Contents

Notices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Trademarks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Copyright. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Contacting Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Chapter 1: Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Features:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Broadcast-Quality Conversion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Io XT/4K Audio. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

AJA Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

What’s In The Box? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

In This Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Chapter 2: Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Installation Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Connecting to your Computer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Cable Connections. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Connector Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Installing Io XT/4K Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Macintosh Software Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Windows Software Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Re-Installation & Repair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Chapter 3: Operation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Using Io XT/4K with Professional Video /Audio Software. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

AJA Control Panel Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Single-user & Network Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Block Diagram Screen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Control Panel Operation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Control Screen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Format Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Input Select Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

SDI Out Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

HDMI Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Analog Out Screen (Io XT Only). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Video Setup Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Audio Setup Screen (Io XT Only). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Conversion Screen (Mac OS only). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

DS Keyer Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Timecode Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Presets Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Firmware Screen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Info Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Using Io 4K for UHD/4K. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Configuring Quad SDI I/O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Input Select Screen in 4K Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

SDI Output Screen in 4K Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

HDMI Screen in 4K Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

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Video Setup Screen in 4K. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Downstream Keyer Screen in 4K Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Chapter 4: Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

If You Run Into Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Updating Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Support. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Appendix A: Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Io XT Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Video Formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Video Input. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Video Output Digital . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Video Output Analog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Audio Input Digital . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Audio Output Digital. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Audio Output Analog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Downstream Keyer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Up-Conversion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Down-conversion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Cross-conversion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

SD to SD aspect ratio conversion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Reference Input or LTC Input . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Io 4K Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Video Formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Video Inputs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Video Outputs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Audio Inputs Digital . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Audio Output Digital. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Audio Output Analog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Downstream Keyer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

4K to HD Down-Conversion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Reference Input or LTC Input . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Physical . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Machine Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Appendix B: Safety and Compliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Compliance Notices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Class A Interference Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

FCC Caution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Canadian ICES Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

European Union and European Free Trade Association (EFTA)

Regulatory Compliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Declaration of Conformity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Korean Compliance Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Taiwan Compliance Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Japanese Compliance Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Translated caution statements, warning conventions and warning messages . . . . . . . 62

Before operating your AJA unit, read the instructions in this document . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Warranty and Liability Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

Limited Warranty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

Limitation of Liability. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

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Notices

Trademarks

Copyright

Contacting Support

AJA®, KONA®, Ki Pro®, KUMO® and XENA® are registered trademarks of AJA Video, Inc.,
TruZoom™, TruScale™, Ki Pro Mini™, Io Express™, Io HD
trademarks of AJA Video, Inc. AirPort, Apple, the Apple logo, AppleShare, AppleTalk,
FireWire, iPod, iPod Touch, Mac, and Macintosh are registered trademarks of Apple
Computer, Inc. Final Cut Pro, QuickTime and the QuickTime Logo are trademarks of Apple
Computer, Inc. Avid, Avid Media Composer and Avid DNxHD are trademarks of Avid
Technology, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective holders.

HDMI, the HDMI logo and High-Definition Multimedia Interface are trademarks or
registered trademarks of HDMI Licensing LLC. DVI is a registered trademark of DDWG. All
other trademarks are the property of their respective holders.

Copyright © 2014 AJA Video, Inc. All rights reserved. All information in this manual is
subject to change without notice. No part of the document may be reproduced or
transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including
photocopying or recording, without the express written permission of AJA Inc.

When calling for support, have all information at hand prior to calling.

™

, Io™ and “Work. Flow.” are

To contact AJA Video for sales or support, use any of the following methods:

Telephone: [phone]

FAX : [phone]

Web: http://www.aja.com

Support Email: [e-mail]

Sales Email: [e-mail]

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Chapter 1: Introduction

Overview

AJA's Io XT and Io 4K provide professional-grade I/O for high-end computers. Io XT and
4K are the ideal companion for lightning-fast video capture, playback and up/down/
cross conversion. Designed for today’s workflows, Io XT/4K provides a new interface for
video Pro's working with 10-bit uncompressed, Apple ProRes 422, Apple ProRes 422 (HQ),
XDCAM HD, DVCPRO HD, stereoscopic 3D workflows, and more. Io 4K provides additional
support for Ultra HD (UHD) and 4K.

Io XT and Io 4K connect with a single Thunderbolt cable and provide a second
Thunderbolt connector for storage, making them perfect for on set, or in the edit suite.

Based on the KONA 3G hardware, these Io products provide 3G/Dual-link/HD/SD-SDI,
Component Analog, and HDMI connectivity.

Io XT's 10-bit hardware conversion capability paired with a Thunderbolt RAID System
creates a super-fast editing system, portable enough to fit in a backpack—with desktop
level power.

4K Workflows: Io 4K is the evolution of AJA’s popular devices for professional video I/O, now updated

and customized for Thunderbolt™ 2 technology and 4K workflows. Io 4K connects to any
Thunderbolt™ 2-enabled device, and offers an additional Thunderbolt™ 2 port for daisy­chaining other peripherals such as high-resolution displays and high-capacity storage.

Io 4K offers a broad range of video and audio connectivity, supporting the latest 4K and
UltraHD devices. AJA’s proven conversion technology allows realtime high-quality
scaling of 4K and UltraHD to HD.

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Features: The following table provides a comparison of Io 4K and Io XT features.

Table 1. Io 4K/XT Feature Comparison

Feature Io 4K Io XT

Two Thunderbolt ports (supports pass-through/”daisy-chaining”) X X

Supports Thunderbolt 2 connectivity X -

Two SD-SDI, HD-SDI, and 3G HD-SDI inputs and outputs X X

Single link SDI 4:2:2 or 4:4:4; Dual-link SDI 4:4:4 X X

Bidirectional SDI BNCs configurable for four 4K inputs or outputs X -

HDMI Input and Output X X

Analog component/composite output, 10-bit X

Broadcast quality hardware-based 10-bit up-conversion X

Broadcast quality hardware-based 10-bit down-conversion X

Broadcast quality hardware-based 10-bit cross-conversion (1080 to 720
and 720 to1080)

Dedicated realtime 4K to HD down-conversion output (SDI 5 BNC) X

DVCProHD hardware scaling acceleration X X

X

Broadcast-Quality Conversion

HDV hardware scaling acceleration X X

Broadcast quality hardware-based 10-bit SD aspect ratio conversion
(anamorphic to letterbox, etc.)

16-Channel Embedded SDI audio X X

Eight channels analog audio output (Tascam-style DB25-type cable) X X

Front panel LED VU meters and Headphone output w/level control X X

Reference In/LTC In (selectable) X X

LTC Output X X

RS-422 control via 9-pin X X

Rugged Chassis, Small Size X X

12V DC, 4-pin XLR Power (AC adapter included) X X

Io XT features hardware-based full 10-bit broadcast quality motion adaptive SD to HD
up-conversion, HD to SD down-conversion and HD to HD cross-conversion.

The quality of the conversion features found in the Io XT is virtually identical to AJA's
award winning stand-alone converter products used throughout the post production
market. The Io XT built-in up converter uses a a full 10-bit path, fully motion adaptive de­interlacing, and large multi-point digital interpolators. Down-conversion uses large
multi-point digital interpolators, anti-alias filtering and interpolation.

XX

Cross-conversion is high-quality hardware-based and offers true broadcast picture
quality in realtime. Because these functions are in hardware, they are available full time,
all the time—with no CPU load. Such conversions are useful for cost effective monitoring,
making standard definition dubs of an HD project, or up-converting from a standard
definition project to an HD deliverable.

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Video Formats For a complete list of supported video formats, see "Appendix A: Specifications on page

54".

Io XT/4K Audio Io XT and Io 4K provide up to 16 channels of SDI embedded audio. The front panels have

a mini TRS headphone output with a lockable level control knob.

For analog audio output monitoring, Io XT and 4K provide a DB25 connector with eight
channels of audio to be used with industry standard Tascam-style audio breakout cables.
The front panel has an eight-channel VU meter display to monitor output levels.

HDMI Audio: Both Io XT and Io 4K also support HDMI Audio, 2 or 8 channels.

AJA Software AJA’s Io XT/4K software and hardware were developed for powerful integrated video/

audio capture, editing, and production with a variety of 3rd-party software. With an
Io XT/4K and qualified Thunderbolt-enabled computer, you have the ultimate system for
standard and high definition production, post-production, broadcast, and streaming
work. AJA software is available for download at the AJA website.

• AJA device drivers for tightly integrated hardware/software operation.

• AJA Control Panel for source selection and controlling Io XT/4K within either Mac or
Windows environment, Input Pass through, and more. AJA Control Panel uses a block
diagram to show visually what is happening inside Io XT/4K.

• AJA ControlRoom—a unified cross-platform software application for ingest, playback
and output with AJA products.

• AJA-provided plugins for popular 3rd-party Professional Video Applications from
Adobe, Avid, Apple, Telestream, and more.

NOTE: For a complete software compatibility list, see the AJA website link:

System Requirements

NOTE: See the vendor of your system software for requirements/recommendations of GPU and

additional hardware requirements.

For best performance AJA recommends:

• OS 10.7.5 or later

• Windows 7/8 with all updates

• 2.5GHz dual core i5 or better

• 2.0 GHz quad core i7 or better

• 4GB RAM Minimum, 8GB Recommended

http://www.aja.com/en/category/edit/compatibility

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What’s In The Box?

As you unpack the shipping box(es), carefully examine the contents. Ensure you received
everything and that nothing was damaged during shipment. If you find any damage,
immediately notify the shipping service and supply them with a complete description of
the damage. AJA will repair or replace damaged items. If you find shipping damage,
contact your AJA dealer or distributor for details on how to have your Io XT/4K repaired
or replaced. Save packing materials and the shipping box. If you ever require service or
move your system—use the packaging materials and box for safe shipment.

Figure 1. Io XT/4K Shipping Box Contents (Io 4K shown)

In This Manual

Chapter 1 Discusses features, system requirements, and shipping box contents.

Chapter 2 Provides complete instructions for installing and configuring the AJA Io XT/4K. The user

Chapter 3 Discusses operational aspects of Io XT/4K and how to work with 3rd-party software.

Chapter 4 Discusses troubleshooting problems with your system and what to do when there’s a

Appendix A Presents a list of technical specifications for the product.

Appendix B Provides important Safety and Compliance information.

When you unpack your AJA Io XT/4K, you’ll find the following components:

• Io XT or Io 4K

• 12V power adapter and power cord

• Read Me First Notice—Contains late-breaking news and/or errata related to the
product and it’s documentation.

• Registration Sheet—allows you to register your Io XT/4K by mail or online (details
provided).

is guided through unpacking, cabling the Io XT/4K, installing AJA & third-party support
software, then getting it up and running. Important configuration information is also
provided on video settings and use of genlock/external reference.

problem you can’t solve.

The balance of the book provides Warranty information and an Index.

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Chapter 2: Installation

Installation Overview

The installation and set up of an Io XT and Io 4K is very simple. A functional description of
each connector is provided in this chapter. The steps of installation and configuration are
outlined here and each of these steps are explained in greater detail on the remaining
pages of this chapter:

1. If not previously installed on your Thunderbolt equipped computer, ensure that

appropriate application software is installed as detailed in its user documentation.

2. For latest System Compatibility and Software Version information for Io XT or Io 4K

visit the AJA website.
For Io XT, visit:

http://www.aja.com/en/products/io-xt/#/overview

For Io 4K visit:

www.aja.com/en/products/io-4k#overview

3. Install the latest AJA software on your computer from the AJA website.

For Io XT, visit:

http://www.aja.com/en/products/io-xt/#support

For Io 4K visit:

www.aja.com/en/products/io-4k#support

4. First install the Io XT or Io 4K driver package (includes the AJA Control Panel) and

then finally install any AJA plug-ins for 3rd-party software.

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Connecting to your Computer

1. With your computer off, connect a Thunderbolt cable between the computer and

the Io XT/4K.

2. Power the unit (AC supply or battery) and if it is Io XT, turn it on using the power

button on the front. Io 4K does not have a power button.

3. Cable the system audio and video sources, VTR, audio monitor, and video monitor.

4. When you run the AJA Control Panel, you’ll notice that the Io XT/4K is auto-

discovered as long as it is properly cabled and powered up.

5. Please read "Chapter 3: Operation on page 22". (The latest version of the manual can

be downloaded from the AJA support page provided above.)

Cable Connections Io XT and Io 4K connections are made directly to the unit’s rear connector plate. Both

have a Tascam-style DB25 connector providing 8 audio output channels.

Figure 2. Io XT Connectors

Figure 3. Io 4K Connectors

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Connector Descriptions

The following section describes the connectors offered on the Io XT and Io 4K chassis in
the following order:

• Connectors common to both models

• Io XT connectors

• Io 4K connectors

Connectors Common to

Both Models

HDMI Input and Output: Two HDMI connectors on the Io XT/4K provide input and output of HDMI video and

multi-channel embedded audio.

• Io XT has HDMI v1.3a capability at 30 bits per pixel allows full support of the latest 10­bit monitors.

• Io 4K has HDMI 1.4 capability, supporting Ultra HD and 4K resolutions at up to 30
frames per second.

• Both Io XT and Io 4K support 2 or 8 channel HDMI audio input and output.

HDCP is not supported on either input or output. Io XT/4K HDMI output does not have
HDCP, and input sources having HDCP are not supported. The HDMI input is designed to
support long cable runs—up to 100 ft. when using 22 or 24AWG HDMI cable, or up to 50
ft. using 28 or 30AWG HDMI cable. The HDMI output supports standard HDMI cables
only.

RS422 Machine Control: A female DE-9 connector on Io XT/4K provides connection for VTRs, camcorders, disk

media servers, and other devices using RS422 SMPTE (Sony) protocol. (Connector pinout
is listed in Appendix A, see “Machine Control” on page 58.)

Reference Video and LTC Input: Two BNC connectors on Io XT/4K provide reference Input and Output. The Reference

Video input can also be used for LTC input. The selection of Reference (sync) or LTC is set
using the AJA Control Panel (“Input Select Screen” on page 33).

In Video Pass-through mode, these connectors are effectively loop-through. Supplying
reference signal to the Reference input allows you to synchronize Io XT/4K outputs to
your house analog reference video signal (or black burst). If you have a sync generator or
central piece of video equipment to use for synchronizing other video equipment in your
studio, then connect its analog composite output here. When Io XT/4K outputs video, it
uses this reference signal for locking. When connecting a reference video source, the
locking signal should be the same format as the Primary format selected in the AJA
Control Panel. It is possible in some circumstances to use an alternate format video signal
as long as the basic frame rate is compatible.

Balanced Analog Audio

Output:

12V Power Connector: A standard 4-pin XLR type connector is provided for either battery or line source power

A 25-pin DB connector provides 8-channel, 24-bit D/A analog audio, 48kHz sample rate,
balanced via 8x XLR on DB-25 breakout cable. (Cable not supplied.)

using the supplied AC power adapter.

Io XT Connectors These connectors are used only on the Io XT model.

Thunderbolt ports: Two Thunderbolt ports are provided as describe in the figure above. These are first

generation Thunderbolt connections.

HD/SD SDI Input and Output: BNC connectors are provided on Io XT for two HD/SD-SDI inputs and two HD/SD-SDI

outputs. The input and output support video and embedded 24-bit digital audio. Use SDI
wherever possible for the best quality 10-bit uncompressed video input, capture and

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output. If peripheral equipment has a variety of inputs/outputs, look to see if it has SDI I/
O, and use it where possible. Most high-end professional broadcast equipment supports
SDI (VTRs, cameras, media storage servers, etc.).

Component Video Output: Io XT features a group of 3 BNC connectors for output of component, composite and

Y/C functions. The signals are labeled on the BNC connectors on the rear panel of Io XT.

A Note About YPbPr: Component Video, or YPbPr, has been given several names over time. YUV, Y/R-Y/B-Y, and

YCbCr, are just some examples. Although these various formats have some differences in
levels, they are all basically the same. Io XT uses the modern YPbPr terminology exclusively. Io
XT supports three different types of YPbPr: SMPTE/EBU N10, Betacam (NTSC), and Betacam
(NTSC Japan). These three formats differ in level only and are configured via the AJA Control
Panel.

Io 4K Connectors These connectors are offered only on the Io 4K model.

Thunderbolt 2: The Io 4K provides the second-generation Thunderbolt ports to support UHD and 4K

signals. Two ports are provided for “daisy-chained” network configurations.

Bi-directional SDI I/O: Four bidirectional BNC connectors can be configured via the AJA Control Panel for:

• HD/SD inputs (x2) and outputs (x2)

•Or you can input or output 4 channels of video representing individual quadrants of
the higher definition Ultra HD (3840x2160) and 4K (4096x2160) formats.

NOTE: The Io 4K can only be configured for either input or output of 4K at a time. It cannot support

4K input and output at the same time since both require four BNCs.

Dedicated SDI HD/SD Output: One BNC connector is provided for full-time, real-time output of HD/SD video. 4K video is

down-converted to 2K HD and UHD is down-converted to HD.

Installing Io XT/4K Software

Go to the AJA website and download the latest Io XT/4K driver software containing the
AJA Control Panel application. While there, also download any AJA plug-ins for 3rd-party
applications (such as Adobe and Avid). All of these software installers can be found here:

http://www.aja.com/en/support/downloads/

System software updates may occasionally become available to AJA Io XT/4K owners on
our website (www.aja.com). We recommend checking occasionally for both software
updates and additional product information.

NOTE: If your computer has previously had another video capture or multimedia device installed,

ensure you uninstall any related software before installing Io XT/4K This will prevent any
hardware or software conflicts.

If you add Io XT/4K supported applications at a later date and have not previously
installed the appropriate drivers, you must run the install program again selecting the
appropriate application support software to be installed.

Macintosh Software Installation

NOTE: If you have trouble installing Io XT or Io 4K software, turn off any virus protection and security

software that you may have installed on your computer and try again.

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Mountain Lion OS and

Gatekeeper:

With the addition of Gatekeeper functionality in Mac OS Mountain Lion, you should go to
System Preferences>Security & Privacy and choose to allow “Mac App Store and identified
developers.”

Figure 4. Mac Security & Privacy Gatekeeper Setting

1. Locate the Io XT or Io 4K software downloaded from AJA.

2. Double-click the package to log on and begin software installation. Start by installing

the Io XT/4K driver package with AJA Control Panel and then finally install any AJA
plug-ins for 3rd-party software.

NOTE: The system will respond by asking you to authenticate who you are as currently defined on

your OS X user profile. Enter the proper name and password at the Authenticate prompt; if
you have multiple users defined, ensure that you log on as a user with administrator-level
authority.

Figure 5. Log On Authenticate Prompt

3. Click on the Install Software button after entering a valid user and password.

4. The installer will launch and you’ll see a series of installer screens.

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5. On the following pages, we show the series of screens you’ll see when installing the

Io XT/4K driver software package. The Io 4K installation uses a different package but
is the same process.

6. When you launch the installer, you’ll see a series of installer screens.

Figure 6. Initial Installer Screen

7. Click Continue to begin installation.

8. The next screen lets you know that the installer will check your Mac to ensure it has

the hardware and software resources required (“System Requirements” on page 7).

Figure 7. System Check Installer Screen

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9. Read and agree to the Software License Agreement.

Figure 8. Io XT/4K Software License Agreement Screen

10. At the next screen, select the “Io XT/4K Setups” checkbox. Check any Easy Setups that

you want to use (or all of them) and then click the Continue button to place the
software on the drive you previously selected. Some 3rd-party applications provide
native setups so you can uncheck the “IoXT Setups” checkbox before clicking
Continue.

Figure 9. Installer Screen, Select Easy Setups to be Installed

11. The installer tells you how much room the installation will take and prompts you to

click Install to begin (or go back). Click the Install button to proceed.

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Figure 10. Installer Screen, Space Reminder

12. Next, the system will display a reminder that you’ll have to Restart the Mac after

installation concludes. Click Continue Installation.

Figure 11. Installer Screen, Reminder about Restarting

13. The installer runs and puts all the necessary Io XT/4K drivers and software on the

desired hard drive. When it has completed installation, a final screen will be displayed
announcing that “software was successfully installed.”

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Figure 12. Installation Success and Restart Message

14. Click the Restart button to complete the installation procedure. The system will

perform software restart.

15. After installing the Io XT or Io 4K system driver package, you will find the AJA Control

Panel software installed in your applications.

16. Finally, install any AJA plug-ins required for 3rd-party software. You can download

these from the AJA website:

http://www.aja.com/en/products/io-xt/#support

17. For example, if you wish to use the Io XT/4K with Adobe Premiere or Adobe After

Effects, you would go the AJA website Io XT or Io 4K support page (URL above) and
download the “AJA Adobe Plug-ins for Creative Cloud”. These plug-ins come with
complete documentation on how to use them.

Windows Software Installation

NOTE: If you have trouble installing AJA Windows Software, turn off any virus protection and

Locate the AJA Windows Software download file and follow the procedure below to
install the required software on the host system.

security software that you have installed on your computer and try again.

Open the AJA Windows Software download package.

Install Wizard The AJA Windows Software installation program will launch and extract the necessary

Io XT/4K drivers, AJA Control Panel Software, for installation on the desired hard drive.

NOTE: The Windows installation requires separate download and installation of application plugins

for AVID, Adobe, Eyeon Fusion, and Telestream Wirecast plugins. (See the web-link above.)

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Figure 13. Install Wizard Welcome

When you see the Welcome page, click “Next” to view the AJA Windows Software license
agreement.

Figure 14. License Agreement

Read the Windows Software license agreement and click “Yes” to accept. You will be
asked to choose the type of installation you would like to perform. Click on the Custom
button to see the installation options.

The default selections include AJA Drivers for KONA cards, Io Express/XT/4K, and T-TAP.
Software not installed is marked with a red X.

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You may choose to perform a Custom installation to select the specific software
necessary for your applications. If you use the entire collection, use the “Complete”
installation.

NOTE: By default, AJA ASIO drivers are not installed. (If you will be using the Voice-over feature in

Adobe Premiere Pro, you will need to click on the pulldown menu and include them in the
installation. For more information on using ASIO drivers, refer to the AJA Adobe Plugins
Installation and Operation Guide.

Figure 15. Custom Installation Window

The following screens depict the more elaborate Custom installation. Shown below are
the pull-down options. Click (triangle) to expand or contract.

Figure 16. Installation Item Selection

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You may deselect any Item for installation by using the pulldown to make it unavailable.

Before clicking Next to install, you can verify your disk space availability by clicking the
Disk Usage button.

Figure 17. Workstation Disk Usage Display

To return to the installation click OK. Then click Next to begin the installation.

Figure 18. Installation Progress Screen

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When the installer has completed copying the AJA Windows Software to disk, you will
see a standard Windows Logo test warning. Click on the “Continue Anyway” button to
finish the installation.

When the installation is completed, a final screen will be displayed announcing that
“Setup has finished installing AJA Windows Software on your computer.” Click on the
Finish button after the installation is complete. Restart the computer after installation to
activate the Io XT/4K.

Re-Installation & Repair

If you have problems running your newly installed plugins or need to re-install for added
applications, you can relaunch the install package and access the following window.

NOTE: Always uninstall AJA Windows Software before installing a new version.

Figure 19. Change, Repair, or Remove Installation Menu

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Chapter 3: Operation

Using Io XT/4K with Professional Video /Audio Software

NOTE: This chapter initially describes the Io XT version of the Control Panel screens that support

video formats up to 2K bandwidths. Io 4K differences will be noted and detailed UHD/4K
operations are discussed in the section “Configuring Quad SDI I/O” on page 48

After you install the Io XT or Io 4K software and any AJA plug-ins to support your choice
of 3rd-party software, you’re ready to begin capturing and playing back video and audio.

Go to the AJA website for AJA plug-ins and documentation for your favorite 3rd-party
software applications.

For Io XT, visit:

http://www.aja.com/en/products/io-xt/#support

For Io 4K, visit:

www.aja.com/en/products/io-4k#support

For further support information and downloads for third-party software and DirectShow
for Developers, go to this link:

http://www.aja.com/en/support/resources/

Once you’ve installed all the AJA software as detailed in Chapter 2, you’ll find the AJA
Control Panel application in your Applications.

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AJA Control Panel Overview

The AJA Control Panel is a software application that provides a simple visual window
showing how the Io XT/4K interface is currently configured, and that allows you to make
changes. Settings—both those you changed and those you didn’t—can be named and
saved as a snapshot for recall at anytime. This lets you save settings associated with all
your frequent tasks; then as you switch tasks you don’t have to spend extra time resetting
interface configurations—just load the previously saved settings for each task. If you
work on multiple systems and want to carry your saved setup to another location, you
can copy your saved Presets file on to movable storage and load it into any AJA­equipped system (see “Presets Screen” on page 45 for more details).

Single-user & Network Settings

User Preferences: This file exists to immediately, automatically, store preference changes made by a user on

The AJA Control Panel offers preference settings that support both:

• User Preferences— Preferences stored from the last Control Panel State to be used on
next startup of AJA Control Panel.

• Shared Preferences— Preferences saved by an Administrator for use as a default start
state for AJA Control Panel.

a particular AJA device. When any control is changed in the Control Panel, that change is
recorded in the preferences file stored in a unique user preferences location dedicated to
that particular device and serial number. Then, when AJA control panel is restarted for
any reason, it will restart with the same preferences it used when it closed.

However, if a user sets their preferences, and then replaces the AJA device with a
different one, the Control Panel will either:

• Start up with the factory defaults, or

• Start up with the “house defaults” dictated by the system administrator (if a Shared
Preferences file exists).

The User Preferences File can be found in the following locations.

On Mac:

• /Users/<USER_NAME>/Library/Preferences/com.aja.devicesettings

On Windows 8:

• C:\Users\<USER_NAME>\AppData\Local\Aja\com.aja.devicesettings

Shared Preferences: An administrator can establish house standards for the AJA Control Panel by creating the

user preferences file (described above) and placing it in a shared location where it will
establish a standard default startup state for all users of a given computer system. These
settings preempt the initial AJA default settings.

To establish the House Default for every user on every system, a system or network
administrator can move this default file to all systems on the network (manually or by
pushing it out across the network). All users on the network will then open to the House

Defaults when they launch the AJA control panel for the first time.

NOTE: If the user makes changes to the control panel themselves, those changes will be saved in

their user preferences, which will take priority over the house default dictated by the shared
preferences file.

The Shared Preferences file should be a file created at the User Preferences location
described above, and placed by the System Administrator in the following locations.

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