Convergent Design nanoFlash, nano3D User Manual

nanoFlash™ / nano3D™

HD/SD Portable Recorder/Player

User Manual

For nanoFlash Formal Release Version 1.6.248, 12 – Jan - 2011

For nano3D Formal Release 1.6.246, 16 – Dec - 2010

“cd” -- “support” -- “at” -- “convergent-design” -- “.com”

nanoFlash 1

4465 Northpark Drive, Suite 400

Colorado Springs, CO 80907 USA

http://www.convergent-design.com

Support: ++[phone]

nanoFlash 2

Table of Contents

Welcome and Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

The Essentials: Required Reading (Quickstart), CompactFlash Cards . . . . 5

Input / Output Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Front Panel Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

LCD Screen Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Menu Navigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

System Configuration: Date/Time, Time-code, Trigger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Video Setup: Data-Rate, CODEC, PSF I/O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Audio Setup: Analog / Embedded . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Play Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Loop, Cue Play, Loop Record . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Compact Flash: Capacity, Usage. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

File Naming Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Firmware Update Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Hardware Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Operating Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Safety and ESD Protection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Connector Pin-Outs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Mounting Plate Dimensions and Hole Pattern . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Warranty and Obtaining an RMA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Addendum A: Camera Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Addendum B: Recording Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Addendum C: Monitoring Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Addendum D: Playback Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Addendum E: Viewing Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Addendum F: Other Software Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Addendum G: NLE Compatibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Addendum H: Managing Menu Settings / Menu Tree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Addendum I: RS232 Remote Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Addendum J: nano3D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Addendum K: nano3D Upgrade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Addendum L: nanoFlash Known Issues / Limitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Version History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

©2009-2010 Convergent Design, Inc. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission.

nanoFlash 3

Welcome and Thank You

Congratulations on selecting Convergent Design HD/SD Portable Recorder, nanoFlash. nanoFlash is
manufactured in the USA of foreign and domestic components, and shipped from the factory in the
most secure packaging available. Please inspect the contents of the package. In the unlikely event
that you find any shipping damage or missing components, please contact us.

Shipping Contents

Your nanoFlash shipping container should come packaged with the following:

1. nanoFlash recorder/player

2. Power Supply (100 to 240 VAC Input; 12V DC @ 1.25A Output)

3. USB Reader (for CompactFlash cards)

nanoFlash Overview

nanoFlash is a revolutionary solid-state HD/SD recorder/player that uniquely utilizes the very high­quality Sony XDCAM 4:2:2 CODEC to write native Quicktime, MXF (video/audio/time-code), or MPG
files onto affordable Compact Flash media. nanoFlash breaks ground in terms of weight, power, size,
ruggedness and ease of use. We are confident you will agree that the video quality is
indistinguishable from uncompressed (at 100+ Mbps Long-GOP or 180+ Mbps I-Frame modes).

Product Support Contacts

Please read the user manual before contacting support.

1. Support E-Mail: “cd” -- “support” -- “at” -- “convergent-design” -- “.com”

2. Sales E-Mail: “cd” -- “sales” -- “at” -- “convergent-design” -- “.com”

3. Main Telephone: ++[phone]

4. Sales Telephone: ++ [phone]

5. Web Site: http://www.convergent-design.com

6. Forum: http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/convergent-design-nanoflash/

nanoFlash 4

The Essentials (Quickstart), CompactFlash Cards

1. Please Register your nanoFlash by sending an e-mail to “cd” “support” “at” “convergent-
design.com” with your name, serial number of unit, and where the nanoFlash was purchased.
You will get automatic notice of firmware updates and service bulletins.

2. Use only the qualified Compact Flash cards for the specified bit rates:

1. **Lexar 32/16/8 Gbyte 300x CF cards up to 220-280 Mbps (ver1.6.226)

2. Lexar 32/16/8 Gbyte 600x or 400x CF cards up to 280 Mbps (ver1.6.226)

3. **Transcend 400x 64/32/16 Gbyte CF cards up to 180-220 Mbps (ver1.5.249)

4. Transcend 600x 32/16 Gbyte CF cards up to 280 Mbps (ver1.6.29)

5. ***Delkin UDMA 420/450x 64/32/16 Gbyte CF cards to 180 Mbps (ver1.6.245)

6. ***Delkin UDMA 625x 32/16 Gbyte CF cards up to 280 Mbps (ver1.6.245)

7. **Calumet ProSpec 64/32 Gbyte CF cards to 180-220 Mbps (ver1.6.226)

8. Hoodman 675x 32/16 Gbyte CF cards up to 280 Mbps (ver1.6.226)

9. Silicon Power 600x 32/16 Gbyte CF cards up to 280 Mbps (ver1.6.226)

10. SanDisk Extreme / Extreme Pro 64/32 Gbyte CF cards up to 280 Mbps

11. Axtremex 600x 128 Gbyte CF cards up to 220 Mbps (ver1.6.226)

12. Axtremex 600x Plus 64 Gbyte CF cards up to 280 Mbps (ver1.6.226)

**Card performance may vary from card to card. The bit rate will automatically be
reduced during record for under-performing cards. (ver1.5.31)
***Delkin cards require firmware version 1.6.245 or later.

3. Please keep your firmware up to date. (pg 20)

4. ** Note: This user manual is subject to change with each firmware update. Please see the
most up-to-date nanoFlash user manual at:
http://www.convergent-design.com/Portals/58/Documents/nanoFlash_Manual.pdf

5. Connect a power source to the 4-pin Hirose on the nanoFlash.

6. Set the time and date (page 11), set the video input (System->Vid Src) as SDI or HDMI

7. Set the file format to Quicktime (MAC) or MXF (PC) and Record Trigger Source (page 11,12)

8. Select the Time-code source and set the initial value (if needed) (page 11)

9. Set the compressed bit-rate and choose I-Frame or Long-GOP CODEC (page 13)

10.Set the PSF In and PSF Out options, depending on your video format (page 13)

11. Set up the audio source, line/microphone input and gain (page 15)

12.Connect a valid SDI or HDMI source and time-code source (as appropriate). Connect the SDI
or HDMI output to a compatible monitor. You should see valid video output.

13.Insert a qualified Compact Flash card into either CF slot (manufacturer’s logo side up) and
format (System->Format). Warning: all files will be erased off the card!

14. Ensure that your camera's SDI / HDMI output has any status display information turned off, so
that this is not recorded to the CF cards.

15. Please back up your data. There is a very slight risk of damage to CF cards upon
insertion and usage with a USB or Firewire CF reader attached to a computer. As a
precaution to protect your video, please consider backing up your data as a 1st step
after recording, and before inserting CF card into a CF reader attached to a computer.
We suggest using the portable Nexto Drive for this purpose (see accessories, page 21).

16.Do a test record, transfer data from CF card, preferably via Nexto drive, or via USB or Firewire
CF reader, to computer for viewing / editing. (See viewing / NLE options, Addendum F, G).

17.Charge your batteries or use a reliable AC source to prevent loss of data.

18.Hot-swapping of CF cards during record is now supported. See discussion in “Recording
Notes” Addendum. (ver1.6.226)

19.Enjoy some fantastic video/audio!

nanoFlash 5

Input / Output Connections

Left Side Connections

nanoFlash 6

Bottom Connectors

Left Side Connections

• CompactFlash Slots (2): Insert (at least 1) solid-state Compact Flash card(s) face up for

record and playback.

• CompactFlash LEDs: Compact Flash Status:

> No Light means no card inserted or the card has not been properly recognized.
> Solid green means card is OK and ready for use.
> Flashing Red means card is being written to during a record session (do not remove card).
> Flashing green means card is being read from during playback (do not remove card).
> Solid Red means the card is full (may be removed).

Bottom Connections

• Status: General indicator.

> Solid Green: cards are inserted and ready to record.
> Solid Red: recording.

• Remote Control / LTC input: 10-pin hirose locking connector for external trigger and tally light

control. To use Remote for recording: press tally once to start record, press and hold for 2 to
3 seconds to stop record. To use Remote for playing: press once to start play, once to pause,
twice in quick succession to stop Play. See System->Trigger for uses, or pg 27 for pin-out.
Also can be used for Linear Timecode input. Tally light flashes once a second during normal
record, twice a second during record with less than 5 minutes total record time remaining, 4
times per second with less than 1 minute total record time remaining. (ver1.5.31)

• Power: 4-pin Hirose locking connector power input.

• On/Off (Red): power button. Note that units shipped after October 2009 have the power

button disabled or removed, so that the nanoFlash always powers on when power is applied,
and only powers off when power is removed. See System->Power Saving to help reduce
power consumption.

• HDMI In: non-locking mini-HDMI input (HD/SD) . Please note that the HDMI port is not nearly

as robust as the SDI port for handling high motion environments, and therefore the HDMI input
is not recommended for use in such conditions. Also, be careful if using with HDMI switchers,
a poor quality switcher can cause nanoFlash to frequently lose the video lock.

• HDMI Out: non-locking mini-HDMI output (HD only) . Ideally, to use, do not connect this port

until after the unit has been powered on. (ver1.5.31)

• SDI/ASI In: SDI or ASI video source for recording. (HD/SD)

• SDI/ASI Out: SDI re-clocked stream with embedded audio and time code, or ASI re-clocked

output stream. Note there is no delay in the SDI output in E to E mode (Video->E to E) from a
live source. If E to E is turned “off”, there is a bit of delay (4 frames). (HD/SD)

• Analog Audio In: 3.5 mm consumer line level or microphone 2 channel stereo input.

• Headphone Out: 3.5 mm headphone audio output. No delay in Headphone Out from a live

source. Also, headphone out provides 2 rising beeps at record start, 2 falling beeps at stop.

nanoFlash 7

Front Panel

nanoFlash 8

Front Panel Details

1. LCD Display: Shows the status of the nanoFlash in the various operating modes. Also
displays warning and errors in correspondence with flashing LED error lights. (see p. 10)

2. Navigation Buttons: Allows the user to navigate the menu. (see p. 11)

3. Record, Stop, Play Buttons: <REC>, <STOP>, and <PLAY> buttons for control of respective

modes. The nanoFlash, when powered on, is in a ready mode. Record or Playback can be
activated by pressing the appropriate buttons, as described below:

REC: Press <REC> to start recording a clip to the card. (This assumes that System­>Record Trigger is set to “Record Button” - other Trigger modes will disable the Front
Panel buttons. See Record Trigger menu description for more details.)
Unless stopped, the unit records to current CF slot til full and continues recording to
next card slot til full. Cards may also be hot-swapped for indefinite record length.
During Record, the led next to the actively recording CF card slot will flash red, and a
rotating hourglass will appear on the lcd screen.
“Skip to next file”: Pressing the Record button during a record session will cause the
current file to be closed and a new clip started.
“Skip to next card”: Similarly, pressing the Record button twice in rapid succession
during a record session causes the recording to continue on the next card.
(See “Recording Notes” Addendum.) (ver1.6.226)

STOP: Press <Stop> button to terminate record or playback mode. Also used to
cancel a card format.
Note: the STOP button is immediately responsive upon being pressed. To prevent
accidentally stopping a record, see alternative record trigger options (timecode trigger,
remote trigger)(page 11), which de-activate the REC and STOP buttons.

PLAY: Press once to enter Playback mode. By default, Play will start with the last
recorded clip. Other features:

1. Use the left and right arrow keys to advance / backup to the next / previous file.
You can hold down these keys to move very quickly from file to file.

2. During Play, press Play button to pause, press again to resume play.

3. During Play, hold Play button 1 second for fast forward 2x, hold 2 seconds for

fast forward 4x, 3 seconds for 6x (see progress bar on menu for fast forward
level). Fast forward performance will depend on card speed and bit rate – see
Play setup for more details. Press Play again to return to Play/Pause.

4. Set the Loop option in the main menu off or on to loop play.

NanoFlash now also supports playback of Canon XF Series CompactFlash card recordings at 50
Mbit. (ver1.6.226)

Other button functions:

Delete Last Clip: Press and hold the Stop key, then press left arrow key, to delete last clip off

of currently inserted card which was last recorded to. (Not working in version 1.6.248)
Fifo Meter Display: Displays the CF card's ability to keep up with the data rate of the video.
From the main menu, press and hold the left arrow key, and then press record button to initiate
a record session. If Fifo meter rises over time towards 100%, the CF card is too slow to
handle the data rate. (Small spikes in the meter will appear during file transitions.) (ver1.6.226)

nanoFlash 9

LCD Screen Layout

The LCD screen will change in appearance depending on the operating mode. This is the essential
layout information:

1. Compact Flash Card levels: 0 to 100% full

2. Individual Compact Flash Level Indicators

3. Time-code Display

4. Play Menu Line with current file name displayed

5. Audio Channels 1-2 Level Indicators

6. Audio level markers (-60dB to 0dB)

7. Current Video Source Format

8. Recording (compressed) bit-rate

9. Total remaining record time (minutes) across all cards

10.Audio Over-Range Indicator

11. Not shown: Record Ready Indicator |>

nanoFlash 10

Menu Navigation

Use the up, down, left, right and the center (enter) buttons to navigate through the various menus on
the nanoFlash. Press the right arrow button to traverse into a menu, and the left arrow to back out.
Use the up/down arrows to modify a selection and (very important) press the center (OK) button to
apply the selection, or else your selection will not be entered.
Below is a detailed explanation of each of the menus:

System

Time (HH:MM:SS / Temperature)

Sets time in Hours: Minutes: Seconds (24 hour format only) and displays internal temperature.

Date (YYYY MM DD)

Sets the current Year Month Day

(File Format option was formerly here, please see “File=” below to set file format. (ver1.6.18)

Max File Size (100% to 20%)

Maximum file size to use during long records which will create multiple files. Default is 100%
(~ 3.5 Gbytes each file). As an example, 50% setting will yield max 1.75 Gbyte files.
Not available at the bit rate of 180 Mbit or above – at this rate the file size is 100%.
In time-lapse mode, the available range is expanded, 100% to 2%.
Note that a single card can hold a maximum of about 500 files. (ver1.5.126)

File= (1st 2 digits: Unit ID, 01 to 99 or AA to ZZ) (next 3 digits: clip number, 000 to 999)
(last field: File Format .MOV / .MXF / .MPG) (ver1.5.249) (ver1.6.18)

Allows the user to control file naming, to a limited degree. The unit ID is used in the first two
digits of the file name. (See File Naming Conventions, pg 16.) If your shoot involves multiple
nanoFlash units, this can be used to set unique IDs for each unit.
The middle 3 digits are the clip number, which can also be set. Take care not to create
duplicately named files on a single CF card.
Last field sets the file format: QT (Quicktime / .mov file), MXF (.mxf file format), or MPG. See
Software Accessories and NLE Compatibility for playing / editing files.

Pre-Record Buffer (for MXF, QT file formats only)

Enables 4 to 7 seconds of internal storage of video before a record session starts. When the
record session is started, recording will begin 4 to 7 seconds in the past. (Pre-buffer = 7
seconds up to 80 Mbit bit rate, 4 seconds @ 100, 140 Mbit bit rate)

> When turning on the Pre-Record Buffer or changing inputs, allow at least a few
seconds for the internal buffer to fill before beginning a record. Also, allow a few
seconds after stopping record for remaining data to be flushed out, if record session
does not immediately end.
> If this mode is used in combination with “Timecode (TC)” or “TC > Last TC” Trigger
(System->Trigger), the timecodes of the camera's recording and nanoFlash's recording
may not match, as the nanoFlash begins recording in the past (before the camera's
record-run timecode was running), causing a potential timecode mismatch of a few
seconds. Also, with “TC > Last TC” trigger used with Pre-buffer, nanoFlash will be
delayed 1 to 8 seconds to start recording for similar reasons. (ver1.6.29)

nanoFlash 11

> Pre-Record buffer can only be used with bit rates up to and including 140 Mbit.
> An additional 1.5 Watts of power will be consumed while the nanoFlash is in idle (non­recording) mode when using pre-record buffer. There will be no effect on power
consumption during record.
> Turn off Pre-Record Buffer when playing back off the CF cards out of the nanoFlash.
> Do not use Pre-Record Buffer in combination with Time-Lapse, Crank, 720p60­>30/50->25, or 3:2 Pulldown Removal.(ver1.5.126)

Trigger

Selects the record/ stop trigger source (or Play source, for the “Remote Play” option). Note
that unless otherwise mentioned, each trigger is mutually exclusive (i.e. only one trigger is
active at a time). This means that, for example, in timecode trigger mode the Record and Stop
buttons will be disabled – only the behavior of the incoming timecode will start and stop a
record. The only exception to this is the “Remote & Record” option, below.

Remote Play – Unit will play (but not record). Formatting is also disabled. Use Play /Stop

buttons to control play (see Play menu, below). Remote tally also becomes a Play
mechanism: start (1 press) / pause (1 press) / stop (double press). (In this mode,
Remote tally can also be used for Cue Play (in the main menu).) (ver1.5.31)

Timecode – Recording will start when incrementing time-code is detected from the HD-SDI

input and will stop recording when time-code is not incrementing. This is particularly
useful when wanting to trigger a record session from the camera's record. To use
Timecode Trigger, in addition to this setting System->Trigger->Timecode :

> Set System->Timecode->Source to “Embedded” or “LTC” as appropriate.
> Set the camera's timecode to “Record Run”.
> Most cameras require a tape or solid-state media within the camera to enable
the record function. Also, note that when the media in your camera becomes full,
the time-code will cease to increment and the nanoFlash will stop recording.
> Time-code increment may also take place on some cameras when playing
back from the camera's media, or inserting or ejecting a tape or powering on/off
the camera, causing the recording of very short unexpected clips in these cases.
Use “TC > Last TC”, below, to help minimize unexpected recordings.
> Can be used with Trigger Delay (System->Timecode->Trigger Delay). With
some tape-based cameras which unexpectedly shift the timecode at the start of
record, a trigger delay of 1 to 3 seconds can help to precisely sync the camera's
timecode with nanoFlash timecode. A 1 second setting can also help eliminate
the creation of very tiny files on the nanoFlash caused by slight, random
adjustments of the timecode by some cameras while in idle mode. (ver1.6.226)

TC > Last TC – Same as Timecode Trigger, above, except that the nanoFlash will only

trigger to record if the incoming timecode is greater than the ending timecode of the last
recorded clip. This helps to minimize unexpected recordings, for example when inserting
or removing media in the camera, or playing back video off of the camera's internal
media. Be aware, however, that if the camera's timecode is re-set to a smaller value, the
nanoFlash may not trigger from the timecode unless the nanoFlash is then turned off and
back on. (ver1.5.126)

Remote switch – Recording is triggered by a remote control tally switch. In this mode, the

keypad is disabled during record. Also, the remote switch must be held down
approximately 2 to 3 seconds to stop the recording. (See remote switch pin-out, or a
cable can be purchased from Convergent Design.)

Remote level / hold – Again via remote control, except that Record is initiated by pressing

and holding Remote Tally, Record is stopped by releasing Remote Tally.

nanoFlash 12

Record button – Recording is started by pressing the Record Button on the unit, and

stopped by pressing the Stop button.

Remote & Record button – Remote switch and Record button can be used to start / stop

Record. (ver1.5.126)

Power up – Recording is automatically started by applying power and video source, Record

is stopped by removing video source. Do not use in combination with Pre-Record Buffer
(System->PreBuffer), Crank, 720p60->30/50->25, 3:2 Pulldown Removal, or Time­Lapse. (ver1.5.126)

Duration HH:MM:SS If enabled, each record session will last only for the specified
HH:MM:SS. (ver1.5.31)

Timecode

Sets the time-code source, and (for internally generated timecode only) the drop-frame flag
and the initial value (seed)

Source (Embedded, Internal, LTC)

1. Embedded – timecode is extracted from HD/SD-SDI stream from the source

2. Internal – timecode is generated internally in the nanoFlash

3. LTC – timecode from external LTC input

4. Jam Sync – to use: provide momentary timecode jam sync (via the LTC

input port) while unit is in idle mode with a valid video input source. If video
source is lost or nanoFlash is placed in Play mode, timecode must be re-

sync'ed after video source returns or nanoFlash returns to idle mode.
Dropframe – [ ] enable (checked) if drop-frame time-code should be generated (only
valid for internal time-code generation and 59.94/29.97 frame rates)
Seed – initial value for internal time-code only:

1. Set 01:00:05:19 – Manually set the initial time code. (HH:MM:SS:FF)

2. Time of day – Use time of day time code, based on the System->Time setting.

3. Reset – set the initial time-code to 00:00:00:00.

Trigger Delay – Seconds to delay Recording when using “Timecode” or “TC > Last TC”
trigger (System->Trigger). (See discussion in Trigger section, above. ) (ver1.6.226)

Source: Selects the video input source – choose between SDI and HDMI.
Format: Format (erase) all inserted CF cards. Use with caution! Note: CF card Volume

names may be defined on a computer. If the 8th,9th,10th, and 11th characters of the Volume
name are all numbers, they will be incremented automatically with every format of the CF card
on nanoFlash (to help indicate card usage and life).

Power Saving

Auto Sleep

If this feature is turned on, the nanoFlash will drop to low power mode after 1 minute of
inactivity if no SDI input is present. (This feature does not apply for HDMI input.)
When the unit is in low power mode, power consumption drops to 0.3 watts, and the lcd
screen is active with “Low power mode” message displayed.
In low power mode, any of the following events will bring the unit back to full power:

> SDI input resumes.
> Any of the keys on the keypad are pressed.
> A remote tally, if attached, is pressed.

Upon wakeup, the nanoFlash is completely rebooted (5 to 7 seconds). (ver1.6.226)

Auto LCD Off

nanoFlash 13

Video

This turns off the LCD backlight after 15 seconds of inactivity. The LCD backlight
consumes about 0.2 watts of power, so this provides slight power saving.

Create Settings.txt: Primarily a tech support diagnostic tool, creates a file settings.txt with all
current settings. Only use this option with a formatted, blank CF card inserted. (ver1.5.31)
Create Menu.stg: Saves menu settings to an inserted CF card as “Menuxx.stg” (1 to 20) into
a created }CFG{ folder. Menu settings can be saved and restored. See discussion in
“Managing Your Menu Settings” Addendum.

Restore Defaults: Restores factory default settings.
About: Displays the current firmware version number.

Bit Rate

This option allows the user to set the compressed bit-rate of the video being recorded. Note
that most NLE's place a 50 Mbit label on high bit rate files, but nevertheless accept the high bit
rate files natively. The actual bit rate of a file can be seen in Quicktime Player by using
Window->Movie Inspector, which has a bit rate field. For MXF, the bit rate can be seen in the
XDCAM Viewer (an MXF Player, see link in Software Accessories), Product / Version fields
(under View->Metadata). (ver1.5.31)

HD Bit Rate (Quicktime, MXF)

1. *18/35 Mbps = Full-Raster (1920x1080/1280x720) 4:2:0 Long-GOP (XDCAM EX)

2. *18/35 Mbps = (1440x1080/1280x720) 4:2:0 Long-GOP (XDCAM HD)

3. 50/(80 ver1.5.31)/100/140/180 Mbps = Full-Raster (1920x1080/1280x720) 4:2:2
Long-GOP (XDCAM 4:2:2) (100 Mbps and above = Master Quality)

4. 100/140/180/220/280 Mbps = Full-Raster (1920x1080/1280x720) 4:2:2 I-Frame
(XDCAM 4:2:2) (180 Mbps and above = Master Quality)

SD Bit Rate (Quicktime, MXF)

1. for Standard Def: 50, (40, 30 ver1.5.31)Mbit IMX 4:2:2 (720x486/720x576)

* 18/35 Mbit recording depends on 35 Mbit 1080 Width setting (below) (ver1.5.31) .
HD Bit Rate (MPG)

1. 19/25/35 Mbps (1920x1080/1280x720) 4:2:0 Long-GOP

SD Bit Rate (MPG)

1. 5/9 Mbps 4:2:0 Long-GOP

CODEC (Long GOP / I-Frame)

This option selects the XDCAM 422 CODEC format. Long GOP supports the bit rates at 18,
35, 50, 100, 140, and 180 Mbps. I-Frame only allows recording at 100, 140, 180, 220, and
280 Mbps. The nanoFlash utilizes the high quality Sony XDCAM 4:2:2 CODEC for video
compression. The data rates of 100 Mbit or greater Long GOP and 180 Mbit or greater I­Frame are generally considered to be Master Quality video. In brief, long-GOP codec
compresses 12 or 15 frames at a time, sharing the information between the frames, resulting in
greater efficiency (in part by throwing out duplicate information), especially at bit rates of 100
Mbit and below. I-Frame codec compresses each frame separately. The highest quality video

recording from nanoFlash is 280 Mbit I-Frame.

Record PSF->Progressive [ ]

Turn this option “On” to record PSF input video or progressive input video as progressive.
Turn “Off” to record PSF input video or interlaced video as interlaced.

Play Progressive->PSF [ ]

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Turn this option “on” to play 1080p progressive video off of a CF card as PSF video to the
video outputs. ( Note: some SDI monitors only accept 1080PSF video, not progressive.
In this case, turn this option “On”.)
Turn “off” to play 1080p progressive video as 1080p. ( Note: HDMI monitors do not support

1080psf23.98 . In this case turn this option “Off”. )

Remove 3:2 Pulldown (for SDI or HDMI sources)

Preserves 1080p2398 frame rate from a 1080p2398 source which is outputting as 1080i59.94
with 3:2 pulldown by removing the pulldown, such as Canon cameras in 24F mode or other
cameras in 24p mode which output with a pulldown (1080i60). Also works with 720p60
sources with pulldown (to 720p24) (ver1.5.31). The bit rate selected applies to the video after
pulldown, meaning, for example, @ 280 Mbit setting the recorded bit rate will be the full 280
Mbits / second. Audio is preserved in this mode.
> Only use this option if the video source does indeed contain a pulldown.
> Do not use in combination with Pre-Record Buffer (System->PreBuffer), Crank,
720p60->30/50->25, or Time-Lapse. (ver1.5.126)

SD Aspect Ratio

For Standard Definition Video input only: select the pixel aspect ratio (16:9 or 4:3). This
setting needs to match the camera's aspect ratio setting for SD recording.

E to E Direct

Sets the SDI loop-through output to the exact same format as the incoming video format (such
as psf). This is particularly useful for looping through a PSF input.
In E to E mode, 1 of 2 combinations is output:
> if video source is SDI, audio source is Analog, and timecode source is LTC: these sources
will be looped out of the SDI output in E to E mode. (ver1.6.226)
> for any other combination of video/audio/timecode sources: only embedded video / audio /
timecode are looped to the output.
> This setting always applies to the SDI output. For the HDMI output, the setting only applies if
the input is SDI. If the input is HDMI, the HDMI output is always E to E.

Time-Lapse

Records individual video frames (as I-Frame only) based on a set time interval
(Hours:Minutes:Seconds). Special points to consider:
> the hour glass on the lcd screen will only change on the selected time interval.
> when a time-lapse record is stopped, there may be a delay up to the selected time interval to
close the clip. In addition, the clip will end with under a half second of regular speed footage,
which will need to be edited out.
> Use a reliable power source so as not to lose power and lose footage.
> Time-Lapse mode can support all bit rates (up to 280 Mbit) during record on approved CF
cards (including slower CF cards), due to the lower data rate; however, not all CF cards can
play back high bit rate recordings.
> Time-lapse is always I-frame only recording, audio is not preserved in this mode.
> Time-lapse is only supported in MXF and Quicktime file formats.
> System->Max File Size has an expanded range of 100% to 2% in time-lapse mode.
> At end of a time-lapse record, there may be a few extraneous video frames in the closing file.
> A minimum of 15 frames should be recorded to complete a successful record.
> Do not use time-lapse mode in combination with Pre-Record Buffer (System->PreBuffer),
Crank, 720p60->30/50->25, or 3:2 Pulldown Removal. (ver1.5.126)

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Crank [ ] [Recorded Frame Rate] [Crank Frame Rate] (ver1.5.126)
Allows frame rate overcrank / undercrank to provide slow motion / fast motion effects. The
recorded format corresponds to the incoming video format – for example, if 720p60 is the
incoming format, and recorded rate is set to 24, the recorded format will be 720p24. In this
example, if the crank rate is set to 60 then this provides a 2.5x slow motion effect.

Recorded Rate: 24, 25, 30, 50, or 60. Can not exceed incoming video frame rate.
Crank Rate: Frames per second to preserve from the incoming video: 1 to 60. Can

not exceed incoming video frame rate.

> Crank is I-Frame only recording, minimum 50 Mbit, and the audio is not for use in this mode,
only video.
> In Crank mode, incoming 720p60 can only be used with 60, 30, or 24 recorded rates (and
1080p30 with 30 or 24 recorded rates) .
> Incoming 720p50 can only be used with 50 or 25 recorded rates (and 1080p25 with 25 only).
> Press right or left arrows during record to dynamically adjust crank rate.
> The recorded bit rate of cranked recording is reduced based on the ratio of the recorded
frame rate to the incoming frame rate. For example, a 720p60 incoming signal @ 280 Mbit,
with record rate of 24 (yielding 720p24 recording) will adjust the bit rate by a ratio of 24/60,
giving a recorded bit rate of 112 Mbits /sec. This is necessary due to the way the nanoFlash's
codec handles cranking.
> 720p24 / 25 / 30 can not be played out of the nanoFlash at this time.
> For best results, set your camera to the full frame rate. For example, for cranking in 720p
PAL set the camera to 720p50 (not 720p25), for cranking in 720p NTSC set the camera to
720p60 (not 720p30 nor 720p24).
> Do not use Crank mode in combination with Pre-Record Buffer (System->PreBuffer), Time­Lapse, 720p60->30/50->25, or 3:2 Pulldown Removal.

720p60->30, 50->25 (ver1.5.126)
Cuts the frame rate in half for incoming 720p60 or 720p50 signals by throwing out every other
frame. Useful, for example, with cameras with a 720p30 or 720p25 mode which then double
the frame rate of the camera's SDI output. The nanoFlash bit rate in this mode is applied to
the reduced frame rate. For example, @ 280 Mbit from a 720p50 source reduced to 720p25,
the recorded bit rate will be the full 280 Mbit. Audio is preserved in this mode.
> Do not use this mode in combination with Pre-Record Buffer (System->PreBuffer), Time­Lapse, Crank, or 3:2 Pulldown Removal.

HDMI Rx Color (HDMI input only)

Choose between Full color and Legalized color. Most HDMI based cameras are Full color,
computers and game boxes are examples of Legalized HDMI video sources.

35 Mbit 1080 Width

Choices are: 1920 (for 35 Mbit 1920x1080 4:2:0 XDCAM EX) or 1440 (for 35 Mbit
1440x1080 4:2:0 XDCAM HD). This setting only applies when Video->Bit Rate->CF HD Rate
is set to 35 Mbit. Bit rates of 50 Mbit and above are always 1920x1080 4:2:2 (for 1080
sources). (ver1.5.31)

Record Tally (ver1.5.249)

Places a red bar on SDI output during record, as a record indicator. Also requires Video->E to
E Direct to be activated.

Flip V (ver1.6.226)

Inverts (flips) the video input vertically. (HD only)

Flop H (ver1.6.226)

Inverts (flips) the video input horizontally. (HD only)

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