Blackmagicdesign UltraScope, Pocket UltraScope Operation Manual

Operation Manual

Blackmagic UltraScope and Pocket UltraScope

Windows

™

June 2010

Mac OS X

™

Contents

Blackmagic UltraScope and Pocket UltraScope

How to Install

How to Install on a Windows PC 7

Installation Requirements for Windows 7
Installing the UltraScope card in your PC 7
Before Connecting Pocket UltraScope via USB 3.0 9
Connecting Pocket UltraScope to your USB 3.0 computer 11
Installing the UltraScope Software for Windows 12

How to Install on a Mac Pro 13

Installation Requirements for Mac OS X 13
Installing the UltraScope card in your Mac Pro 13
Installing the UltraScope Software for Mac OS X 15

Software

Using Blackmagic UltraScope 17

Understanding Blackmagic UltraScope Views 18
Zoom Function 19
Parade Display 20
Waveform Display 21
Vectorscope Display 22
Histogram Display 23
Audio Metering Display 24
Picture Display 25

Helpful Information

Support 27

USB 3.0 Frequently Asked Questions 27
Troubleshooting 29

06

30

16

26

Connection Diagrams

Connecting to an SDI digital deck 31
Connecting Pocket UltraScope to an SDI digital deck 32
Connecting to a color grading system 33

Warranty

Warranty Terms and Conditions 35

34

Welcome

3

Welcome to Blackmagic UltraScope!

We hope you share our dream for the television industry to become a truly creative industry by allowing
anyone to have access to the highest quality video.

Previously broadcast quality television and post production scopes were incredibly expensive custom
solutions that only let you see one scope at a time on a tiny screen! Some scopes look ugly and don’t really
look good in front of your client. With Blackmagic UltraScope, you get 6 wonderful scopes that let you see
all aspects of your video signals while you edit, color correct and perform quality control checks on your
broadcast masters!

Now with new Pocket UltraScope you get the incredible features of UltraScope with a USB 3.0 connection
so you can take anywhere, making it perfect for location shoots! Pocket UltraScope is incredibly easy and
fast to install, simply connect the USB 3.0 cable into your compatible computer and a SDI cable to your
deck or camera and away you go!

This instruction manual should contain all the information you’ll need for installing your Blackmagic
UltraScope, although it’s always a good idea to ask a technical assistant for help if you have not installed
hardware cards into computers before. We think it should take you approximately 10 minutes to complete
installation. As Blackmagic UltraScope uses your computer’s 3D acceleration, you will need a compatible
graphics card. More information on compatible graphics and computer systems can be found at

www.blackmagic-design.com/support/

Before you install UltraScope, please check our website at www.blackmagic-design.com and click the
support page to download the latest updates to this manual and the UltraScope software. Lastly, please
register your UltraScope when downloading software updates. We would love to keep you updated on
new software updates and new features for your UltraScope.

We are constantly working on new features and improvements, so we would love to hear from you!

Grant Petty

CEO Blackmagic Design

Welcome

4

Blackmagic UltraScope Interface

1. Parade Display 2. Waveform Display 3. Vectorscope Display

4. Histogram Display 5. Audio Metering Display 6. Picture Display

Welcome

5

Blackmagic UltraScope

Pocket UltraScope

Optical Fiber
3G/HD/SD-SDI In & Out

3G/HD/SD-SDI Output

3G/HD/SD-SDI Input

USB 3.0 Connection 3G/HD/SD-SDI Input

How to Install

6

How to Install on a Windows PC

7

Installation Requirements for Windows

The Blackmagic UltraScope software interface requires a computer display with a minimum resolution
of 1280 x 800 pixels to view two scopes simultaneously. Blackmagic Design recommends viewing all
6 scopes simultaneously by using a computer display resolution of 1920 x 1200 or 1920 x 1080 pixels.

Blackmagic UltraScope includes the UltraScope hardware and a software package which consists of the
Blackmagic UltraScope utility and driver. It does not matter in which order the hardware and software
are installed.

Pocket UltraScope hardware connects via USB 3.0. Older computers only have USB 2.0 ports and it is
essential that that Pocket UltraScope directly connects to a dedicated USB 3.0 port.

Blackmagic UltraScope hardware is a x1 lane PCI Express card and should work in any x1, x4, x8 or x16
lane PCI Express slot. Blackmagic UltraScope works in PCI Express and PCI Express 2.0 slots.

A x16 lane PCI Express 2.0 slot is required for the graphics card in your computer. The latest list of
compatible graphics cards can be found in the support pages at www.blackmagic-design.com. Full
frame-rate HD monitoring of all 6 scopes requires either an Nvidia GeForce 9800 GT or faster, or
an ATI Radeon 4670 or faster graphics card. Suitable graphics cards can be purchased for less than
US$100. More expensive graphics cards are no guarantee of compatibility. It is essential to check the
list of compatible graphics cards before buying a graphics card for use with Blackmagic UltraScope.
If you launch the Blackmagic UltraScope utility with an incompatible graphics card installed, you may
encounter an error message similar to that pictured on this page. The solution is to replace the graphics
card with a compatible graphics card.

Please see the support pages at www.blackmagic-design.com for a comprehensive list of the latest,
minimum system requirements for Mac OS X and Windows.

Installing the UltraScope card in your PC

Blackmagic UltraScope installs in to your computer in just the same way as any regular PCI Express card.
However the fiber optic module must be temporarily removed from the card before attempting to install
the card in a PCI Express slot. This is because the location of the protruding fiber optic module makes it
awkward to install the card in the PCI ports of many computer cases. Temporarily removing the fiber optic
module overcomes this obstacle to installation. 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.

Blackmagic UltraScope PCI Express card

How to Install on a Windows PC

8

Installing the UltraScope card in your PC

Remove the power plug from the back of your computer. This is a safety precaution before opening your computer.
Ensure that you are statically discharged by using a static strap.

Remove the side cover of your computer to gain access to the PCIe slots.

Remove your UltraScope PCIe card from the protective static bag making sure you don’t touch the gold connectors
on the base of the card. These precautions should be taken when handling any PCI card.

Remove the metal port access cover and screw from the back of your computer.

Remove the protective cap from the LC connector port of the fiber optic module. Don’t throw it away as the
protective cap will be needed to prevent dust if the LC connector port is exposed when no fiber optic cables are
connected.

Pull the wire tab outward to an angle of 90° to release the SFP module latch.

Grip the main portion of the SFP module, between your thumb and forefinger, and pull it from the SFP module
port. Do not pull the wire tab as it might break and prevent the SFP module from being removed.

Install Blackmagic UltraScope in a suitable PCI Express slot in your computer, ensure that it clicks firmly into place
and secure the card with a screw.

Replace the SFP module and push the wire tab back to its original position.

If you are not ready to connect fiber optic cables to the LC connector port, replace the protective cap.

The procedure for installing a graphics card is similar to the above.

Now replace the side cover of your computer. Reconnect the power and start up the computer.

12

11

Windows

Mac OS X

12

11

3 4

43

How to Install on a Windows PC

9

Before Connecting Pocket UltraScope to your USB 3.0 computer

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

If your computer uses the NEC chip for its USB 3.0 connection, then you might need to update its
software driver before you install your Blackmagic Design USB 3.0 product.

USB 3.0 is a new technology, so it requires the latest version of the NEC software drivers to enable the
high speed performance required for high definition video capture and playback.

Please follow the instructions to check if your computer has the NEC USB 3.0 chip, and if its software
driver needs updating.

Check your Computer

The first step is to check your computer to see if it uses the NEC chip and if the software needs
updating. This can also apply to plug in USB 3.0 cards that use the NEC USB 3.0 chip as well.

To check the firmware and driver versions installed on your computer, you will need to run the

Renesas Electronics USB 3.0 Host Controller Utility.

If your computer has the NEC chip, then this utility will already be installed on your computer.
Go to the

Start/Programs menu on your desktop, then click All Programs/Renesas

Electronics

and then USB 3.0 Host Controller Utility.

Once you run this, it will indicate your current driver and firmware version. You will need to have
firmware version 3.0.2.5, and driver version 2.0.4.0, or higher. If not, you will need to download and
update both the firmware and the driver, as described in Step 2.

Download the Updates

If you need to update your NEC driver and firmware, then the next step is to download the
software and install it on your computer. The NEC USB 3.0 driver and firmware packages can be
downloaded from the following website www.station-drivers.com/page/nec.htm. Double-click
the downloaded files to extract the installers to your preferred directory.

2

Checking the NEC driver and firmware on your computer.

How to Install on a Windows PC

10

Update your USB 3.0 Firmware

Install the Updates

Now you have downloaded the correct updates for your computer’s NEC USB 3.0 chip, the next
step is to install them onto your computer.

• Before you install the software driver, disconnect all USB 3.0 devices from your computer

• Run the 32 or 64 bit software driver installer as appropriate for your version of Windows.

The installer is named RENESAS-USB3-Host-Driver-2040-setup.

• After installing the drivers, navigate to the Firmware folder, which was previously

extracted, and run the firmware update utility named F302508FWUP1. Your machine will
require a reboot after the update.

• Verify that the driver and rmware updates have been successful by running the USB 3.0

Host Controller Utility again as in Step 1.

3

How to Install on a Windows PC

11

Connecting Pocket UltraScope to your USB 3.0 computer

Before using Intensity Shuttle, it is essential to run the latest USB 3.0 drivers and firmware for your
USB 3.0 equipped motherboard. Currently the NEC USB3 Controller uPD720200 is used by all
motherboards recommended by Blackmagic Design. It is essential to update its firmware version
to 3.0.2.5, and driver version to 1.0.20.0, or newer. These updates can be found on the websites of
some motherboard and computer manufacturers as well as via third party driver websites including
www.station-drivers.com/page/nec.htm.

Use the included SuperSpeed USB 3.0 cable to connect Pocket UltraScope directly to a dedicated USB 3.0
port on your compatible computer.

If Pocket UltraScope software has previously been installed and offers to update the firmware, click

Update to run the update. When the firmware update is finished, follow the onscreen prompt to restart

the computer.

Pocket UltraScope is now ready for use. You can connect a SDI cable to Pocket UltraScope at any time. The
connection diagrams toward the end of this manual show how to connect Pocket UltraScope to various
kinds of video equipment.