Coretec VCX-2400-E, VCX-2400-ER, VCX-2400-DR, VCX-2400-D Installation And Operating Instructions Manual

INSTALLATION AND OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS

Revision Date: March 3, 2010

VCX-2400-E MPEG-2 Encoder, IP
VCX-2400-ER MPEG-2 Encoder, IP Rack Mount

VCX-2400-D MPEG-2 Decoder, IP
VCX-2400-DR MPEG-2 Decoder, IP Rack Mount

Core Tec Communications, LLC
2950 Lake Emma Rd
Suite 1030
Lake Mary, FL 32746 USA

Phone [phone]
Fax [phone]

www.coretec.com

Technical Support:

U.S. 877-331-0547
(Toll Free)

Elsewhere: 407-331-0547

TableofContents

Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 3

Familiarization with the VCX2400-E ......................................................................................... 4

Com Port Data Interface ............................................................................................................. 5

Video Input Interface .................................................................................................................. 5

Ethernet Interface ........................................................................................................................ 5

Audio Interface ........................................................................................................................... 5

Power .......................................................................................................................................... 5

Display ........................................................................................................................................ 6

Mounting the Encoder ................................................................................................................. 6

Quick Start ...................................................................................................................................... 7

If user wishes to test video using the VCX-2400-E and VCX-2400–D: .................................... 7

If user wishes to configure settings of VCX2400-E via COM Port or Network: ....................... 8

Updating Firmware using VCXNetBurner ................................................................................... 10

Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 10

Overview ................................................................................................................................... 10

Screenshots ............................................................................................................................... 10

Menu Bar .................................................................................................................................. 13

Instructions for Use ................................................................................................................... 16

IP Configuration............................................................................................................................ 16

Overview ................................................................................................................................... 16

Initial IP Addressing ................................................................................................................. 16

Connecting to Unit ........................................................................................................................ 18

Program Commands...................................................................................................................... 28

Network Setup .......................................................................................................................... 28

Comm Port Setup .................................................................................................................. 30

Encoder Commands .............................................................................................................. 32

Decoder Commands .............................................................................................................. 35

Common Commands ............................................................................................................ 38

SAP Settings ......................................................................................................................... 40

MISCALLANEOUS SETTINGS ......................................................................................... 42

Specifications ................................................................................................................................ 42

Model Numbers ............................................................................................................................ 44

Appendix A ................................................................................................................................... 45

Pinouts....................................................................................................................................... 45

Com Port Data Interface Pin Out (uses RJ-45 Plug)............................................................. 45

Standard Ethernet Pin Out .................................................................................................... 46

RJ-11 to Serial Interface Adaptor Pinout .............................................................................. 47

Introduction

The VCX-2400-E and VCX-2400-D are the chassis versions of the Core Tec stand-alone VCX­2400 MPEG-2 IP product series. These units are fully compatible with the “-R” card cage versions of the
product series.

The VCX-2400 Digital Video Codec system consists of a video encoder/decoder pair providing
the capability for one-way end-end transmission of compressed digital video in IP packets at data rates in
the 1.2 to 6.0 Mbps range.

The system employs MPEG-2 MPEG2 standard ISO/IEC 13818-2 (ITU-T H.262) encoding. The
encoding-decoding process is applied to an NTSC (or PAL) video input, selected in software.

The video encoder converts the analog video to a serial digital signal, which is multiplexed with
any data sub-channels present. The stream is then formatted into a series of IP packets sent to the
network through a standard Ethernet connection.

Modification of video format and resolution, data sub-channel characteristics, and basic IP
parameters is achieved through one of the following means:

a) A Terminal Program

b) Telnet through the Ethernet connection

c) Core Tec Watchdog software

d) Web Interface (only available for VCX-2400-E)

The video decoder receives the IP packets, separates the video data from the data sub-channels,
and converts the video data to analog form, providing an NTSC (or PAL) output.

The units feature two bi-directional data sub-channels (programmable for RS-232 or RS-422). Data
bits are multiplexed with the digital data stream.

FamiliarizationwiththeVCX2400E

The VCX-2400-E Video Encoder accepts one video and two data signals. The output from the
encoder is a stream of IP packets. It also contains a fluorescent LED display to allow monitoring of unit
performance and to facilitate troubleshooting. The encoder has a programmable reset, which prompts the
re-initiation of the video stream.

The VCX-2400-D Video Decoder accepts the signal from the network originally generated by a
VCX-2400-E video encoder. The unit effectively decompresses this data stream and re-creates an analog
waveform in NTSC (or PAL) video format. The unit supports the bi-directional data transmission of two
data sub-channels, corresponding to the encoder. The unit also features an LED display. The encoder has
a programmable reset, which prompts the re-initiation of the video stream, as well as a reboot command.
The decoder also has a programmable reset command, tied to errors in the incoming video stream, as well
as a reboot command.

Front Panel

Control Port

-Used to directly
communicate with
encoder to configure
settings

Power
switch

-controls
unit power

the

VCX2400-E-H, Full Size Encoder

Back Panel

Power Supply

Refer to “Power
Interface” in
Table of Contents

VCX2400-E-H, Half Size Encoder

Video Input

Please refer to
“Video Interface” in
table of

contents

Ethernet

Refer to “Ethernet
Interface” in Table
of Contents

2 Data Sub­channels

Refer to “Com Port
Data Interfaces” in
Table of Contents

ComPortDataInterface

There are 2 bi-directional data interfaces, RS-232 and RS-422 selectable, on the encoder and
decoder assemblies. Each interface uses RJ-45 connectors. Refer to Appendix A for the correct pin out.
When using the RS-232 configuration pin 7 is ground.
system software.

Refer to Appendix A for the correct pin out

.

Com Port parameters are configured through the

VideoInputInterface

Connect a BNC-terminated coaxial cable from a composite video source (e.g., CCTV camera) to
the BNC connector labeled “VIDEO IN” (encoder). The composite video input should be in NTSC or
PAL format. The maximum length of cable that should be interfaced to the encoder or decoder is 100
feet, although the specific installation environment will dictate the actual permissible length.

EthernetInterface

There is one Ethernet interface for encoder and decoder, which uses a standard RJ-45 connector.
Refer to Appendix A for the correct pin out.

Refer to Appendix A for the Straight Through and Crossover Ethernet Pin Out.



AudioInterface

There is an optional stereo audio Interface for each assembly, which uses the standard RCA-type
audio connector. This is contained on units equipped with the “-A” option. Stereo audio connection is
made via the two stacked (red – right channel; white – left channel) RCA type audio connectors. These
connectors are located next to the video (BNC) connector.

Audio levels are standard line level (1 v p-p) levels.

Note that the audio is uni-directional, in the same direction as the video.

Power

Power is applied through a standard IEC type detachable line cord at the rear of the unit. The unit
automatically senses 110 VAC or 220 VAC supply and will operate with either.

Note that the LED display will be illuminated when power is applied. The display will show
parameters upon activation of the ON/Off switch.

Display

The fluorescent LED display provides a scrolling list of key parameters when the unit is in its active (non­stand-by) state.

The display is a two-line display. Each parameter is displayed, in turn, for three seconds on the
bottom line. It then moves to the top line while the next parameter is displayed on the bottom line.

The parameters displayed are as follows:

 Name of unit

 Software version

 Device IP address

 Sub-net mask

 Video IP (multi-cast group)

 Maximum Bit Rate (encoder only)

 Audio On or Off

 Com 1 On or Off

 Com 1 Bit Rate

 Com 1 IP

 Com 2 On or Off

 Com 2 Bit Rate

 Com 2 IP

MountingtheEncoder

The VCX-2400-E Encoder and VCX-2400-D Decoder mount in an identical fashion. The 1RU
high units are furnished with mounting ears allowing installation in a 19” rack frame.

All signal connections are from the rear, eliminating any need for setback from the front plane of
the rack. The user programming port on the front panel is used to alter system parameters via Hyper
Terminal.

A circulation fan is located on the side of the unit.



QuickStart

IfuserwishestotestvideousingtheVCX2400EandVCX2400–D:

1. Unpack the VCX-2400-E Video Encoder.

2. Connect a BNC-terminated coaxial cable from a composite NTSC (or PAL) video source

(e.g., CCTV camera) to the BNC connector labeled “VIDEO IN” on the VCX-2400-E Video
Encoder.

3. Connect a BNC-terminated coaxial cable to a composite NTSC (or PAL) video output (e.g.,

CCTV monitor) to the BNC connector labeled “VIDEO OUT” on the VCX-2400-D Video
Decoder.

4. Connect the VCX-2400-E Video Encoder to the VCX-2400-D Video Decoder via the

Ethernet port (RJ-45), located to the left of the two RJ-45 sub channel-ports on the rear of
each unit, using a Cat 5 Ethernet cross over cable (the send and receive pairs are swapped
end-to end). Normally, when units are connected to an Ethernet Switch, straight through
cables are used, unless connecting to a crossover port on the Ethernet Switch.

Refer to Appendix A for Ethernet Straight through and Cross Over Pin Outs.

5. Insert the detachable line cord into the receptacle on the rear of the VCX-2400-E Encoder and

VCX-2400-D Decoder. The unit automatically senses 110 VAC or 220VAC supply and will
operate with either.

6. The LED display will be illuminated when power is applied.

7. The display will scroll through the parameters currently programmed in the unit.

8. After a few moments, video should appear on the output of the VCX-2400-D Video Decoder.

9. If no video is present on the VCX-2400-D decoder verify the following:
a. Both the Encoder and Decoder LED display are in the operate mode. Display should

indicate “Core Tec Communications Initializing”.

b. The link light on the Ethernet port (RJ-45), located on the upper left of the port

connector is lit on both the Encoder and Decoder. If not the Ethernet cross over cable
may be defective.

c. If the above are correct, please read the network setup installation instructions

included in the manual. Note: the setting in default network setup may have been
changed.

IfuserwishestoconfiguresettingsofVCX2400EviaCOMPortorNetwork:

Set up for COM Port:

User may configure VCX2400-E setting using a PC connected to the encoder control port

at the front of the unit. A simple 6-wire phone cable (PCA-2400 programming cable) with the
RJ-11 adaptor described in Appendix A will supply the proper RS-232 connection to the PC’s
serial port. Note: This is not the same as the “Sub-Channel” interface. Do not use the RJ-11
adaptor for this channel.
This configuration will permit the unit configuration by a terminal program running on a PC.
Once you have connected the encoder to the PC’s serial port open your terminal program. The
encoder will boot up then ask for a password. The default password is: admin.



The PC should have its Com Port configured as:

Baud rate 38,400 kbps

Data bits 8 bits
Parity No Parity
Stop Bits 1 Stop Bit
Flow control None



Refer to Appendix A for pin layout for RJ-11 connector.



Set up for network:

If the operator wishes to configure the unit through the network the user may accomplish

this by the following procedure. Note: The operator must be sure that the VCX-2400-E is
accessible on their SUBNET. Before completing this step, please refer to the Programming
Configuration Section of this Manual. Here you will set the IP address and SUBNET Mask of
the VCX-2400-E so that it is accessible on your SUBNET and has a valid IP address. (An
example IP address is being used in the following example.):

Open a “cmd” window and enter the following commands:

Telnet192.168.0.253 <enter>

The encoder will reply asking for a password. Default password is “admin”.

Password: admin

Having used either of these methods, the encoder is ready to receive configuration commands.

Main unit configuration

The VCX-2400-E units incorporate support for one form of encoding from two different input
channels. It is important the operator understand this to be able to configure the unit properly. All
commands follow this simple format:

(command<space>parameter<enter>)

From the command prompt, the operator may view the current configuration by entering the
“display” command. This will dump the entire configuration status for the selected encoder. Remember
there are two encoders in one unit. Enter the following configuration for each of the encoder channels.
Take note the IP address must be of valid encoders on the network. The IP addresses below are just used
as an example. Locate a VCX-2400-E (MPEG2 encoder).

Connection Configuration

ip 192.168.5.150 (use a valid IP on your network)

ipmask 255.255.240.0

name CoreTec Encoder

com1 1

com1ip 192.168.5.151 (IP address of the decoder that is sending sub-channel commands)

com1tcp 1 (assume a universal decoder)

com1server 0

com1timeout 10

com1baud 38400

MPEG2 Configuration

The MPEG2 encoder requires the following parameters be configured to your network:

videoip 239.5.5.151 (use a valid IP on your network)

port 4570

bitrate 1000

res cif

fps 15

Saving Configuration

When all the configuration parameters have been entered, they must be saved to memory and the unit
restarted by entering the following command:

Commit<enter> (please wait a moment until the following prompt appears:)

COMMIT

DONE

Reboot<enter>

UpdatingFirmwareusingVCXNetBurner

Introduction

VcxNetburner is a Windows 2000/XP application that allows updating of the VCX-2400
Encoder/Decoder firmware (as well as the VCX4400E and VCX6400E.) VcxNetBurner can
simultaneously update the firmware of all VCX-2400 devices that can be accessed on your network. If
you can telnet to the device then VcxNetBurner can update the firmware. The only exception is that the
device’s current firmware version must be v1.5 or higher. Firmware v1.4 does not contain the update
feature.

Overview

VcxNetBurner has a few interface features that the user should be familiar with before attempting to
update a device. The basic steps are… 1) import the firmware description, 2) broadcast the server IP, and
then 3) initiate the update. However the user needs to be aware of the general process, optional steps,
potential problems, and what to do in the case of an error. We will start with an overview of the user
interface.

Screenshots

The Activity Screen

The Activity screen contains a list of the current activity and a history of past update operations.
A VCX-2400 device that has finished updating will indicate either 1) Complete, 2) Version Current, or 3)
Failed. The Device column lists the serial number of each unit that is responding to the update command.

NOTE: It is important that a VCX-2400 device that has a Failed status NOT be turned off or rebooted.
At the point that the failure occurs the device will not be in a bootable state. If power is cycled or the
firmware cannot be updated without failure after repeated attempts then the firmware chip will need to be

replaced. The 10Mbps revision 2.5 devices (in current production) have removable chips that can be
replaced in the field. The 100Mbps revision 3.0 devices must be reprogrammed at the factory. Since
revision 3.0 is not yet in production there may be other safeguards, such as automatic firmware backup
that may modify these instructions.

When a device is in the process of upgrading, the Activity screen will show the progress as a percent of
complete for each stage. There are four stages.. 1) Erasing, 2) Startup Code, 3) Application Code, and 4)
FPGA. When erasing the progress may not update but erasure will compete in a few seconds. The startup
code frequently completes so quickly that you don’t see it in the Status column.

After the FPGA status reaches completion you should see the Status column change to
Complete. If it changes to Failed at any time during the firmware update you will need to retry updating
the firmware for that unit before cycling power or rebooting.

The Clear Complete button will clear the list display of any operations that did not fail. The Clear Failed
button will clear the list display of any failed operations. The Initiate Update will Broadcast a command
to all online units to connect to the update server to perform a firmware update. Normally the update
server will be the computer that is running VcxNetBurner. However it would be possible to have VCX­2400 devices configured to use a different server. When Initiate Update is pressed, all of the VCX-2400
devices within range of multicast packets will connect to its preset update server.

The VCX-2400-D Screen

The VCX2400D is accessed through the VCX-2400D tab and displays the parameters used to select the
version of the firmware sent to VCX-2400 decoder devices. This information is imported from a
import.ini file that is provided with each firmware update. This screen allows the operator to see what
update is selected. It is important to confirm that the files indicated in the file selection boxes are located
on your computer. The import file is selected using the menu’s File- >Import option. This is explained
later in this document. The Apply button saves the current setting on this screen so that when
VcxNetBurner is loaded these parameters are restored. The Revert button will reload the currently saved
parameter set. So if you have modified this screen it can be restored if you haven’t used apply.

The Encoder Screens

The Encoder screens are accessed through the VCX2400E, VCX440E, & 2/4/J-E tabs and work
identically the same as the VCX-2400D, except that the parameters are applied to the firmware sent to the
VCX-2400, 4400, or 2/4/J Encoder devices.

MenuBar

The File Menu

The menu contains selections for 1) File, 2) Options, and 3) Help. The File menu selection presents the
following drop down menu:

The Exit option will close the application. The Import selection is used to select and configure
VcxNetBurner for a particular firmware update version. Each firmware update will come with an
import.ini file that contains the necessary information and is accessed though the Import menu selection.
The import files are normally separate for both the decoder and encoder, and the supplied updates should
each be stored in a unique directory so that the various update files are not overwritten. When the operator
selects Import, a file selection dialog will be presented. The operator should navigate to the directory were
the firmware update is located and the import.ini file well be selected by default as shown in the
following picture:

After pressing the Open button the following dialog will be displayed.

This dialog is telling you that you can save the imported parameters by pressing OK. Or by pressing
Cancel just use the parameters until the application is closed. If you press Cancel the parameters are still

loaded but the old parameters will be loaded then next time VcxNetBurner is used. Selecting OK is the
same as selecting Cancel and then Apply.

NOTE: If you have both encoder and decoder devices you will need to perform the Import operation
twice. One import should be performed for each type of device.

The Options Menu

The Options menu selection will provide the following dropdown menu.

There are five selections in the Options menu… 1) Ignore Version, 2) Broadcast Server, 3) Lock Update

4) Perform Packet Test & 5) Write CTC File.

The Ignore Version selection toggles between on and off. It normally should not be checked. It will
cause a device to update using the current parameters regardless of the current version. It can be used to
change a device to an older version, or even re-update the current version. Devices will normally update
only if the current device firmware version is less than the version listed in VcxNetBurner. For example if
the current device firmware version is 1.5a and the new version is 1.5a or below, an update command will
return the status “Version Current”. See the Activity screen in this document for an example. If the
Ignore Version selection is checked then you will never get a “Version Current” status.

The second option is Broadcast Server. When the operator makes this selection it causes
VcxNetBurner to multicast a command to all devices to set their Update Server IP to the
computer running VcxNetBurner. The devices will only remember the Update Server IP until the next
reboot or power cycle. Reboots automaticall occur after a successful firmware update. It is not necessary
to perform a Broadcast Server operation if the devices have already been programmed with an Update
Server IP. This can be done with Telnet using the command:

UPDATEIP xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx

It is also possible to configure a device to use a hostname (or URL) to address the server if a DNS server
is also configured. The following are example Telnet commands for this operation.

UPDATENAME www.myupdateserver.com

DNSIP xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx

However, unless you have specific reasons for setting up your update server in the device, the Broadcast
Server command will suffice for updating your VCX-2400 device.

The Lock Update allows you to update all VCX-Devices of one type (i.e.- all VCX-2400E connected to
the network) simultaneously. We do not recommend this if you are just beginning to use the software, due
to the risk of overlooking a failure of one particular device.

Rather than this, it is suggested to update only one device at a time. This is done by following the first 6
steps of the instructions listed above and then Telnet into the unit you wish to update and issue the
following command:

UPDATEFIRMWARE

OR
UF

You should monitor the Activity screen for progress. The Telnet session will also provide some text
display that indicates completion. If the operation is successful then the device will automatically reboot
and the Telnet session will be dropped. If the operation failed then you should retry the
UPDATEFIRMWARE command.

TIPS: If using Telnet, use the DISPLAY IP command to verify that an update server IP is listed. Also
ensure that the update server IP is reachable. This would be true if the update server is the same as the
computer in the Telnet session.

The Perform Packet Tests tests to see if the firmware can be downloaded successfully without actually
being burnt into the unit.

The Write CTC File is for Coretecs internal use only.

The Help Menu

The Help menu selection will present the following dropdown menu.

At this time the only option is the About box selection. The about box will display the current version of
VcxNetConfigure. The current version in this example is V1.1 as shown.