Ambient ACD 301 RF User Manual

CLOCKIT

MASTER SLATE

ACD 301 / RF

Time code Slate

MK III - 2009

Ambient Recording GmbH

Schleissheimer Str.181 C, D-80797 Muenchen

Tel: [phone] Fax: [phone]

Email: [e-mail]

www.ambient.de

Table of contents

1 User instructions

1.1.5 Changing the batteries

1.1.6 Tuning the Slate

1.2 Check features

1.2.1 Camera speed check

1.2.5 Frame rate identification

1.3 Manual Set Mode

1.3.1 Moving the Cursor

1.3.2 Changing the digit values

1.3.4 The cursor ring

1.5 Setting the generator from ASCII source (Aaton protocol)

2 Operating modes

2.1 Generator

2.2 Generator RTC mode

3 New Features in ACD301RF MKIII

4 Technical data

1.1 Controls & Control elements

1.1.1 The DIP- switches

1.1.2 Brightness control

1.1.3 The ‘RED’ and ‘GREEN’ LED

1.1.4 Voltage readout, low battery warning

1.2.2 Checks with No external TC connected

1.2.3 External TC frame rate identification

1.2.4 EXT TC error check

1.3.3 Cancelling changes

1.3.5 Notes on selecting digits

1.3.6 The Aaton configuration

1.3.7 The AMPS configuration

1.3.8 The Time Field

1.3.9 The Frame (FF) Digits

1.3.10 The CD and CT functions

1.3.11 Setting the generator

1.3.12 Setting the Real Time Clock (RTC)

1.4 Jamming the generator from external TC

2.3 Reader / Generator mode

3.4 Reader

3.1 CLOCKIT Radio Slate

3.1.1 Transceiver unit TC-TRX

3.1.2 Built-in TC-TRX

3.2 Operating Note

3.3 Large Writing Sleeve

4.1 Mechanical specification

4.2 Electrical specification

4.3 Signal specification

4.4 Plug descriptions

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1 User Instructions

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1.1 Controls & Control elements

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Bottom edge ON/OFF switch

Antenna

Left side 1/8” jack time code In/Out socket

5 PIN LEMO interface socket

Between clapstick

and body Push button left. ( RED )

9a

9b

Push button right. ( BLUE )

All internal setting functions are carried
out using these two buttons in
combination with the DIP-switches.

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11

10

3

6

7

8

9

9a

9b

Front 2 RED flash-LED’s

RED and GREEN single LED

LED display with Anti-glare mask and

polarizing red filter

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Writing surface for boardmarker

Right side Two sliders are on this side of the slate.

The top slider exposes the DIP-switches.

DIP-switch with 12 switches

DIP-switch with 4 switches

The Bottom slider locks the battery

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contact strip and allows the exchange of
batteries.

Back cover Has a short form instruction manual laser

engraved, it describes the main functions
of the slate.

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1.1.1 The DIP-switches

There are two switch field’s inside. One with 12 DIP-switches and one with 4 DIP­switches. Their functions are outlined in this chapter. It is important to note that
changes made to the DIP-switches (12 switch-field) 1, 2 and 3 are activated only
after a power-down, power-up cycle. Switches 4 through 12 take effect at once.

DIP-switch with 12 switches:

OFF

ON
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Frame rate
SW 24 Frs 25 Frs 30 Frs 29.97 Frs

1 ON OFF OFF ON
2 OFF OFF ON ON

3 ON Drop Frame with 29.97 and 30 frames
Note. Drop Frame with 24 is slow 24 (23.98frs!)

Drop Frame with 25 in Reader mode is Enhanced reader (see
section 3.4)

Operating modes

SW Gen Gen/ RTC Read/Gen Read

4 OFF OFF ON ON
5 OFF ON OFF ON

Display modes

6 ON

Display userbits with RED button.
OFF

Slate closed Display userbits for 2 secs,

7 ON

OFF
Note: With SW 7 down LED display shuts off after 3 minutes.

8 ON

OFF

Time code only displayed

No transition to userbits when slate closed.

Normal slate function

Slate open Time code display.

Clapped time shown

No clapped time displayed

Advance display
Retard display

.

.

or userbits with RED button.

for 2 minutes.

.

frames as selected by switches 9. 10. 11.

frames as selected by switches 9.10.11.

Frs 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

9 1’s 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1
10 2’s 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1
11 4’s 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1
12 OFF Running time code shown when clapstick lifted.

ON

Userbits shown for one second.

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DIP-switch with 4 switches:

OFF

1 2 3 4

ON

1 TRX OFF / ON Transceiver is transmitter when slate is in GEN mode,

receiver when in READ or READ/GEN mode.
Make sure TRX is switched off when not in use, reading or jamming
TC from LEMO or 1/8” jack is not possible if TRX is left on.

2 TX continuous / burst: when in GEN mode, TC is transmitted continuously

or as a 5 seconds burst when slate is clapped.

3 Flash-LED ON / OFF: LEDs flash at second’s start (5 frames) when up.

This aids syncing up if the frames are not readable on the display.

4 Read TC is inserted in userbits when in RD/GEN mode

1.1.2 Brightness control

Open the clapstick and hold down one button while incrementing or
decrementing the brightness with the other.
The brightness of the slate can be altered in 9 steps with the blue and red
pushbuttons. This optimises film exposure of the display and helps save
batteries. Additionally, when the brightness is at maximum there is an
automatic control which reduces the brightness in 10 second cycles. When
the slate is closed the internal counter counts back to 0 seconds. The display
will show maximum brightness on opening again.
Due to the increased brightness of the slate, it is necessary to save batteries.
In the clap mode the slate is opened and clapped usually within 10 seconds,
so that this feature does not impair the maximum brightness at slating time.

Note a: When the batteries get low and don't recuperate in the time the display is
off, the processor reduces the maximum brightness until batteries are changed. If you
can't get 9 brightness levels it is time to change the batteries. (See chapter 1.1.4 and

1.1.5)
Note b: No external time code should be connected in the generator mode when
changing brightness otherwise the generator could be jammed if the red button is
pressed while holding down the blue. In reader mode changing the brightness will not
influence the generator.

1.1.3 The “Red” and “Green” LED

On the top right hand corner of the display are a Green and a Red LED which
indicate the status of the generator and reader.
RED LED flashes at one second intervals. Gen ON and running but hasn't
been set from an external or RTC source.
GREEN LED flashes at one second intervals. Gen ON and has been set from
external source or RTC on start up.
Note. If the generator loses time due to unsuccessful ext. Jam or other
problem, the Red LED will flash instead of the Green.

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When the generator is set from an external source while it is running the Red
LED will go on shortly and then the Green LED will flash at 1 sec. intervals.
A full on LED indicates latchup or time code/noise present at the input.
Repeat jamming process, or turn OFF then ON to reset.

Generator mode When the slate is turned ON, the Red LED will flash at
one second intervals indicating that the generator is running but not set.

Generator RTC mode When the slate is turned ON the Green LED will
flash indicating that the generator has been set from the internal RTC.

Reader/Generator mode When the slate is opened and the reader mode is
active the Red LED will be ON if no ext TC is present. The Green LED will be
ON indicating that an external TC is being read successfully.
When the slate switches over to generator on closing the slate the Green or
Red LED will flash as described in the generator mode.

Reader Mode The Red LED is full ON when no Ext TC is present or there are
reading problems. The Green LED will be full ON when an external code is
being read correctly.

1.1.4 Voltage readout, low battery warning

Pressing the right / blue button shows the battery voltage for 5 seconds
before going into the camera speed check (only in GEN mode with no TC
signal at the input or in READ mode).
When the batteries have gone below 6.9 Volts or the batteries are being
changed the Red or Green LED will double flash.
If using good alkaline, this threshold gives you about one hour to replace the
batteries (with lit LED display at a medium brightness level).
If using Ni-MH or Li-Ion batteries, that time may be shorter due to the different
discharge curve of those.
For rechargeable or Lithium batteries, we recommend monitoring the voltage
indication and double flash behaviour to gather an empirical value about how
long those will last when they are close to being empty.

1.1.5 Changing the batteries

The ACD301 accepts 6 pcs. AA 1,5 Volt batteries.
Make sure to observe polarity, reversed batteries will leak!
Alkaline, Lithium or rechargeable Ni-MH are possible.
Due to the high current draw with display at higher brightness levels, Lithium
batteries will last longer when operating with permanently opened slate.
The slate’s internal Ni-MH accumulator will keep the generator running for 5
minutes when the batteries have been removed. The LED display is shut off
while running on the backup battery. The internal data are not lost during
battery change. After new batteries are inserted, double flashing will go on for
about a minute.

1.1.6 Tuning the slate

The generator Xtal of all Clockit units can be "tuned" using the Clockit
Controller (ACC 101 - 501) to within +- 0.1 ppm to it’s reference Xtal, which in

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