Contemporary Research QMOD-HDSC User Manual

Product Manual

QMOD-HDSC

QMOD™ HDTV Modulator

April 17, 2014
Control Firmware 5.8
Encoder Firmware 02E7

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Table of Contents

Table of Contents .................................................................................................................................................... 2

Overview ................................................................................................................................................................. 3

Features ............................................................................................................................................................... 3

Specifications .......................................................................................................................................................... 4

Setup Tips ............................................................................................................................................................... 6

Front Panel Setup ................................................................................................................................................... 7

Front Panel Menus .................................................................................................................................................. 7

Tips & Troubleshooting ......................................................................................................................................... 10

RS-232 Control Protocol ....................................................................................................................................... 12

RS-232 Commands ............................................................................................................................................... 13

Control Commands ................................................................................................................................................. 13

Terminal Communication Commands ....................................................................................................................... 13

RS-232 Cable Connections ................................................................................................................................... 14

Single QMOD-HD ................................................................................................................................................... 14

QMOD-HD Daisy-Chain ........................................................................................................................................... 14

Rack Mounting ...................................................................................................................................................... 15

RK2 Dual Rack Kit with Tie Bar Mounting ................................................................................................................. 15

RK1 Single Unit Rack Mount .................................................................................................................................... 15

RK2 – Locking Cases together ................................................................................................................................. 15

Safety Instructions ............................................................................................................................................... 16

Limited Warranty and Disclaimer ......................................................................................................................... 17

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Overview

CR QMOD™ technology is opening the door to new HDTV applications. Create your own on-site HDTV
broadband distribution system using a variety of HD and SD sources with the Contemporary Research
QMOD-HDSC HDTV Modulator. No matrix routers or IP resources required, just tune in with standard
displays or CR HDTV tuners.

Compact and easy to integrate, the QMOD-HDSC features an internal, in-stream HD scaler for digital signage
applications. PC video fed through the RGBHV (or Component) input is automatically scaled to either 1080i
or 720p output settings. In addition, the video can be zoomed in and out and positioned so that signage can
be presented edge-to-edge when tuned by displays. An RGB Out HD-15 connector allows monitoring of
incoming VGA.

The QMOD-HDSC also accepts Component video and stereo, and coax/optical digital audio. GPI inputs can
trigger EAS broadcasts fed to the Composite input and assigned audio input.

Features



Super-easy scaling for VGA or Component input up to 1920x 1080 (see resolution list in
Specifications), Auto-scales by resolution, format in few simple steps:



Horizontal - Up/down arrows zoom and shrink, left/right move image on horizontal axis



Vertical - Up/Down rows move image up and down, Left/Right zooms and shrinks vertically



Clock Phase – adjust scanning to optimize image



QMOD-HDSC automatically saves formatting for each resolution (different refresh rates are
saved as unique presets)



Provides EDID data to support Apple and Windows 7 high-resolution connections (with upcoming
firmware update)



Employs pro-grade HD encoding that minimizes artifacts for motion video and signage “tickers”



Merges audio with video from analog stereo, digital optical and coax inputs



Creates an HD 720p/1080i or SD 480p/480i MPEG-2 stream with MPEG1 stereo audio for broadcast
Delivers a fully agile QAM 64/256 digital cable channel 2-135



Presently, the composite video input is not operational



Amplifies for distribution over an on-site broadband cable system with adjustable output level,
compatible with all cable format broadband systems



Sets up with front-panel buttons and easy to use menus, including inputs, encoding, channel, and RF
options



Integrates with RS-232 control and feedback with simple ASCII commands



Saves power and rack space using efficient design, fan-free cooling, and compact enclosure



Includes compact switching power supply



Mounts in optional 1RU single (RK1) or dual (RK2) 19” rack kits



Meets RoHS safety and California energy standards

 New – Inputs 1280x800 PC video, 480i via Component

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Specifications

Physical

Size: 8.5” [216mm] wide x 1.75” [44mm] height (1RU) x 6.0” [153mm] deep
Weight: 1.5 lbs [0.68kg]
Temperature: +32° to 122° F operating temperature, convection cooled
Mounting: Rack mounting for one or two units side-by-side optional (RK1, RK2)

Front Panel

Setup, Select and directional buttons for front-panel setup
Menu LCD, 2 lines of 20 blue characters each

Scaling

In-stream onboard scaler supports the following resolutions from the RGB or Component
inputs:

1920x1080p at 59.94/60Hz
1920x1080i at 29.97/30 Hz, 25 Hz
1440x1050 at 60 Hz
1440x900 at 60 Hz
1280x1024 at 60 Hz
1360x768 at 60 Hz
1280x800 at 60Hz
1280x768 at 60 Hz
1280x720p at 59.94/60 Hz, 50 Hz
1152x864 at 75Hz
1024x768 at 60, 75 Hz
800x600 at 60, 75 Hz
720x576p at 50 Hz
720x480p at 59.94/60 Hz
720x480i, 29.97 Hz on Component
640x480 at 60, 75Hz

Refresh rates separated by a comma are saved as separate presets
More resolutions added as needed via firmware updates

EDID

Supports EDID data (upcoming firmware update)

Encoding

MPEG2 Profile: MP@HL for HD, MP@ML for SD
1080i, 720p, 480p, and 480i resolution, depending on input
Video Encoding bitrate 18 or 25 Mbps
MPEG1, Layer 2 audio

Modulation

Latency

Switchable 64/256 QAM, J83 Annex B, Interleaving Modes (128,1)
MER 38 dB typical
360 ms@720p, 660ms1080i, includes all processing and tuning
HDTV modulators experience more latency, as the media is converted to
MPEG2 and QAM, then distributed over RF.

Compliance

FCC Class B, ROHS, meets California standards

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Rear Panel

Power

RS-232

Video Inputs

RGB Output

Audio Inputs

RF Out

2.1mm coaxial jack (inside center conductor positive)

0.8 A maximum, 11.5 to 13.5 VDC, 12 VDC typical

DB-9 male, RS-232 data link to control system
300 to 19,200 baud (9600 default), 8 data bits, no parity, 1 stop bit

RGB: RGBHV DB-15 female
Component: RCA Pr, Pb, Y (1080i/720p/480p/480i), available if RGB not wired
Composite: Included in the input block, but is not operational

RGBHV DB-15 female buffered

Digital SPDIF: Coax and TOSlink optical output, PCM 48K sample rate
Analog L and R: 2 stereo RCA female jacks

Inputs assignable to video inputs
‘F’, female, 75 ohm impedance
Agile, channels 2-135 (48-860 MHz), standard, HRC, or IRC spacing
6 MHz bandwidth fits any open channel without interference to adjacent channels
1 KHz resolution, +/- 30 ppm accuracy, +/- 35 ppm stability
29 dBmV typical output power, attenuated in 5 steps, approx 4 dB

Includes

PS12-1 Switching power supply, 1A 12 VDC, fits in typical AC power strips

Options

RK1 Single Rack Kit
RK2 Dual Rack Kit
CC-232 RS-232 Cable

Firmware

5.0 adds 720x480i on Component, 1280 x 800 resolution

4.9 adds 1080p, EDID, and improved scaling for all settings

4.8 adds improved 1280x720 operation with off-standard PC video cards

5.0 1080p ingest with EDID

5.2 FPGA resets after 2 encoder resets

5.5 Expands 1400 x 900 parameters

5.6 Expands 1080p parameters to accept Apple 1080p, improves EDID database

5.8 Fixes encoding issues with 1080i/480i Component video

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Setup Tips

Scale Horizontal

The internal in-stream scaling engine handles a number of tasks for you – converting VGA to
video 1080i/720p, shaping VGA resolutions to 16:9, and compensating for overscanning by TV
sets. For all that, the process is very intuitive and easy to perform.
At the Horizontal menu, press the SELECT button to start the process – you will see a white bar
in the middle of the QMOD display.

- Up zooms the video horizontally, while Down scales the video down

- Left moves the video left, Right moves the image right – line up the left side first, then zoom out
to line up the right edge

- The solution is automatically saved for that resolution. Repeat for other resolutions, if needed.

- If you get a crosshatched “green screen”, hold the Up arrow and click SETUP. That will restore
settings. The usual cause for the screen is shrinking the video to extreme settings.

Scale Vertical

At the Vertical menu, press the SELECT button to start the process – you will see a white bar in
the middle of the QMOD display.

- Up moves the video up, while Down moves the video down

- Left zooms the video out vertically, Right scales the video down

- The solution is automatically saved for that resolution. Repeat for other resolutions, if needed.

CLK Phase

This menu tweaks how the scaler scans the video.
Select values 0-7 and select the best scan result – differences show up more with static images
rather than videos.

Test Setup

Before connecting to a full RF distribution system, set the system up offline.



Connect PC or Signage player to VGA In (or Component)



Set HDSC to RGBHV (or Component, Channel 2, RF Level 13, 1080i or 720p



Connect RF Out to an HDTV RF In, set the TV to scan for Cable. The set should find Channel 2
quickly, EXIT scanning



If the PC is off or the input doesn’t match, you should see a color screen on the TV.



As a general rule, use the QMOD resolution that is the closest to the input resolution. For example, a
1080i video will look better at 1080i than downscaling to 720p.

The reason you want to use a test setup first is to test and format scaling and formatting first. Once you
know the setup is correct, there’s a lot less to resolve across the system. The major time-saver is setting
horizontal, vertical, and clock phase visually on a local TV. Trying to do this when the TVs are a few hundred
feet away is very difficult.

Testing Resolution

Once the PC is running and the input is selected, the QMOD-HDSC will tell you the resolution on the bottom
line of the front-panel display. You’ll get one of three messages:



RGBHV: 1024 x 768 60 – the PC resolution is in the HDSC list. You should see the PC on the TV.
The display is an exact scan of the input video – on some VGA cards, this can be different than what
the card states it is.



RGBHV: NO SIGNAL – the input may be incorrect, or the PC isn’t outputting on the VGA out, or a
bad cable



RGBHV: Unknown SIG – the scaler sees the output, but it does not match the current list in the
HDSC. See list on page 4. Call CR Support and we’ll work on adding the resolution, if possible

Formatting

Hit SETUP and use the arrows to follow the menus in sequence:

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