Polycom EX4000, FX, VS4000, FX4000 User Manual

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Integrators’ Reference Manual

For ViewStation®EX, ViewStation®FX, and VS4000

March 2003 Edition

3725-20771-001

Revision A

Trademark Information

Polycom® and the Polycom logo design are registered trademarks of Polycom Inc. ARENA™, Global Management System™, ImageShare™, iPower™, LimeLight™, MGC Manager™, PathNavigator™, Polycom Office™, Polycom OneDial™, ViewStation™, ViaVideo™, Visual Concert DC™, Visual Concert FX™, Visual Concert PC™, WebOffice™, and WebCommander™ are trademarks of Polycom, Inc. in the United States and various other countries.

Internet Explorer™, NetMeeting®, Windows®, and Windows NT® are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.

Intel®, Pentium®, and Celeron® are registered trademarks and TeamStation™ is a trademark of Intel Corporation.

Adobe® Acrobat® is a registered trademark of Adobe Systems Incorporated.

ADTRAN® is a registered trademark of ADTRAN, Inc.

QuickTime™ is a trademark of Apple Computer, Inc.

Netscape® Navigator® is a registered trademark of Netscape Communications Corporation.

IP/TV® is a registered trademark of Cisco Systems, Inc.

All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Every effort has been made to ensure that the information in this manual is accurate. Polycom, Inc. is not responsible for printing or clerical errors. Information in this document is subject to change without notice.

Polycom Inc. 4750 Willow Road Pleasanton, CA 94588-2708 USA

No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, for any purpose, without the express written permission of Polycom, Inc. Under the law, reproducing includes translating into another language or format.

As between the parties, Polycom, Inc. retains title to, and ownership of, all proprietary rights with respect to the software contained within its products. The software is protected by United States copyright laws and international treaty provision. Therefore, you must treat the software like any other copyrighted material (e.g. a book or sound recording).

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information in this manual is accurate. Polycom, Inc. is not responsible for printing or clerical errors. Information in this document is subject to change without notice.

Chapter 1 - About this Manual ................................................ 1

Conventions Used in this Manual....................................................................................2

Glossary................................................................................................................................2

Chapter 2 - Technical Information.......................................... 11

System Descriptions .........................................................................................................12

Technical Specifications............................................................................................12

RS-232 Interface..........................................................................................................20

Quad BRI Network Interface Module.....................................................................22

Indicators on the Quad BRI Network Interface Module ..............................22

Quad BRI Cabling...............................................................................................23

NT-1 Information................................................................................................24

ISDN Switches.....................................................................................................25

Automatic Quad BRI Software Update...........................................................25

PRI Network Interface Module for ViewStation FX and VS4000.......................26

Indicators on the PRI Network Interface Module .........................................27

PRI Cabling..........................................................................................................29

Channel Selection ...............................................................................................30

PRI E1 Channel Information.............................................................................30

Dedicated Full PRI T1 or E1 Line.....................................................................30

V.35/RS-449/RS-530 Network Interface Module.................................................31

Indicators on the V.35/RS-449/RS-530 Network Interface Module........... 31

V.35/RS-449/RS-530 Cabling ...........................................................................32

Serial Interface Control Signals ........................................................................38

State Machine ......................................................................................................39

Crypto Resync.....................................................................................................44

Other Elements of a Typical Deployment.....................................................................45

Chapter 3 - Before You Deploy.............................................. 47

Predeployment Overview................................................................................................48

Video Network Security...................................................................................................49

Best Practices .....................................................................................................................50

Predeployment Planning .................................................................................................51

LAN/WAN Considerations.....................................................................................52

Integrators’ Reference Manual for ViewStation EX, ViewStation FX, and VS4000

Capacity Planning ..................................................................................................... 53

Call Processing Considerations...............................................................................54

Gatekeeper Identifier......................................................................................... 55

Default Gatekeeper ............................................................................................ 55

Call Routing Mode............................................................................................. 55

Developing the Dial Plan................................................................................................. 55

Services ................................................................................................................ 57

Administration, Policies, and Routing............................................................58

Network Topology............................................................................................. 59

Neighbor gatekeepers........................................................................................ 59

Addressing ................................................................................................................. 60

Zones and Zone Prefixes................................................................................... 60

Entity Addressing .............................................................................................. 61

Rules for Assigning Prefixes and Numeric Aliases ...................................... 62

Service Plans ....................................................................................................... 62

System Services ..................................................................................................63

ISDN Requirements.......................................................................................................... 63

ISDN PRI..................................................................................................................... 63

Determining Usage ............................................................................................ 65

PBX Network Configuration ............................................................................65

ISDN BRI..................................................................................................................... 65

DCP (Digital Communication Port) On Lucent Definity ECS............................ 68

Network Configuration..................................................................................... 68

Installation........................................................................................................... 68

Configuration...................................................................................................... 69

Site Considerations........................................................................................................... 72

Predeployment Worksheet.............................................................................................. 74

Chapter 4 - Installing Videoconferencing Systems.................. 77

The Deployment Process.................................................................................................78

Installation Procedures .................................................................................................... 79

Installing Network Interface Modules ................................................................... 79

Quad BRI Network Interface Module.................................................................... 79

NT-1 Device ........................................................................................................ 80

Cables Used with the Quad BRI Network Interface Module ...................... 80

Installation........................................................................................................... 80

Installing a PRI Network Interface Module ..........................................................81

External Power Supply...................................................................................... 81

Channel Service Unit ......................................................................................... 82

ADTRAN Atlas 800 Plus E1 Module............................................................... 82

If You Are Connecting to a PBX....................................................................... 83

Cables Used with the PRI Network Interface Module ................................. 83

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Contents

Installation...........................................................................................................84

Installing a V.35/RS-449/RS-530 Network Interface Module ............................85

Cables Used with the V.35/RS-449/RS-530 Network Interface Module ...85

Installation...........................................................................................................86

Network Configuration....................................................................................................88

On a PRI T1 Network: Configuring the CSU.........................................................88

Firewall and NAT Issues ..........................................................................................89

Configuring the System to Operate Behind a Firewall.................................89

Configuring the System to Operate Behind a NAT.......................................90

Connecting the System to a PC.......................................................................................91

PC Requirements ................................................................................................91

Connecting the PC to the LAN Through the ViewStation EX,

ViewStation FX, or VS4000.............................................................................92

Connecting the System to a PC off the LAN ..................................................94

Placing Test Calls ..............................................................................................................96

Chapter 5 - Supporting Advanced Users................................ 97

Multiple-Monitor Mode...................................................................................................98

RS-232 Interface...............................................................................................................105

RS-232 Control Mode.......................................................................................105

RS-232 Pass-Thru Mode...................................................................................105

Flow Control......................................................................................................106

Configure the System for RS-232 Operation........................................................107

Command Line Interface (CLI)..............................................................................107

Chapter 6 - Testing and Troubleshooting ............................. 109

Indicator Lamps ..............................................................................................................109

Indicator Lamps on the PRI Network Interface Module ...................................110

Indicator Lamps on the Quad BRI Network Interface Module ........................111

Indicator Lamps on the V.35/RS-449/RS-530 Network Interface Module.....112

Fault Isolation..................................................................................................................113

ISDN Error Codes ...........................................................................................................114

Appendix A - System Interoperability................................. 121

Appendix B - ViewStation Series Cables............................. 125

Board Room and Custom Room Systems.....................................................125

Integrators’ Reference Manual for ViewStation EX, ViewStation FX, and VS4000

Medium and Large Room Systems ...............................................................128

Small Room Systems........................................................................................ 130

Safety and Legal Notices..................................................... 133

Index................................................................................. 135

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List of Figures

Figure 2-1. RS-232 Cable for ViewStation EX and FX ....................................................... 20

Figure 2-2. RS-232 Cable for VS4000.................................................................................... 21

Figure 2-3. Keyed RJ-45 Cable, System to Network Interface Module........................... 23

Figure 2-4. Standard RJ-45 Cable, Network Interface Module to Network................... 24

Figure 2-5. Keyed RJ-45 Cable, System to Network Interface Module........................... 29

Figure 2-6. Standard RJ-45 Cable, Network Interface Module to Network................... 29

Figure 2-7. HD-44M to RS-366/V.35 “Y” Cable Diagram ................................................ 32

Figure 2-8. Pinout to the HD-44M to RS-366/V.35 “Y” Cable ........................................ 33

Figure 2-9. HD-44M to RS-449/RS-422 “Y” Cable Diagram ............................................ 34

Figure 2-10. Pinout to the HD-44M to RS-449/RS-422 “Y” Cable .................................... 35

Figure 2-11. Ascend HD-44M to HD-44M Cable Diagram................................................. 36

Figure 2-12. Pinout for the Ascend HD-44M to HD-44M Cable ....................................... 36

Figure 2-13. RS-530 Cable Diagram and Pinout................................................................... 37

Figure 3-1. The Predeployment Process.............................................................................. 48

Figure 3-2. Network Configuration (No PBX) ................................................................... 66

Figure 3-3. Network Configuration (Behind PBX) ............................................................ 66

Figure 4-1. The Deployment Process................................................................................... 78

Figure 4-2. Installing Network Interface Modules ............................................................ 79

Figure 4-3. Quad BRI Network Interface Module (Peripheral Side)............................... 80

Figure 4-4. Quad BRI Network Interface Module (Network Side) ................................. 81

Figure 4-5. PRI Network Interface Module (Peripheral Side).......................................... 84

Figure 4-6. PRI Network Interface Module (Network Side) ............................................ 84

Figure 4-7. V.35/RS-449/RS-530 Network Interface Module (Peripheral Side) ........... 86

Figure 4-8. V.35/RS-449/RS-530 Network Interface Module (Network Side).............. 86

Integrators’ Reference Manual for ViewStation EX, ViewStation FX, and VS4000

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List of Tables

Table 2-1. Electrical and Physical Specifications.............................................................. 12

Table 2-2. Connectivity ........................................................................................................ 13

Table 2-3. Video Standards Supported.............................................................................. 14

Table 2-4. Video Signal Formats......................................................................................... 14

Table 2-5. Video Input/Output Electrical Specifications................................................ 15

Table 2-6. Video Resolution, Frame Rate, and Error Correction ................................... 15

Table 2-7. Cameras and Displays ....................................................................................... 16

Table 2-8. Audio Input/Output Electrical Characteristics............................................. 16

Table 2-9. Audio Features.................................................................................................... 17

Table 2-10. Microphone Pods................................................................................................ 17

Table 2-11. Call Capabilities.................................................................................................. 18

Table 2-12. User Interface...................................................................................................... 19

Table 2-13. Quad BRI Indicator Lamps ............................................................................... 22

Table 2-14. Sample NT-1 Settings......................................................................................... 24

Table 2-15. ISDN Switch Types and SPID Allocations...................................................... 25

Table 2-16. PRI T1 and E1 Network Interface Modules.................................................... 26

Table 2-17. PRI Network Side Indicator Lamps................................................................. 27

Table 2-18. PRI Peripheral Side Indicator Lamps .............................................................. 28

Table 2-19. V.35/RS-449/RS-530 Peripheral Side Indicators........................................... 31

Table 2-20. V.35/RS-449/RS-530 Network Side Indicator Lamps .................................. 32

Table 2-21. Serial Interface Control Signals ........................................................................ 38

Table 2-22. Dial-Out State Machine...................................................................................... 39

Table 2-23. Inbound Call State Machine ............................................................................. 40

Table 2-24. Non-Dialed User-Initiated Call State Machine ............................................. 42

Table 2-25. Non-dialed Network-Initiated Call State Machine ....................................... 43

Table 3-1. Latency, Jitter, and Packet Loss........................................................................ 50

Table 3-2. Bandwidth Requirements.................................................................................. 53

Table 3-3. Zone Identifiers and Neighbor Gatekeepers.................................................. 61

Table 3-4. ISDN PRI Requirements .................................................................................... 64

Table 3-5. Example Configuration, Data Module 1......................................................... 70

Table 3-6. Example Configuration: Channel 1, Secondary Data Module 2.................. 70

Table 3-7. Site Considerations............................................................................................. 72

Table 4-1. Firewall Ports to Open for Videoconferencing............................................... 89

Table 5-1. Expected Display for Each Monitor................................................................. 98

Table 5-2. RS-232 Control and Pass-Thru Modes........................................................... 106

Table 6-1. PRI indicator lamps - Network side .............................................................. 110

Table 6-2. PRI indicator lamps - Peripheral side ............................................................ 111

Table 6-3. Quad BRI Indicator Lamps ............................................................................. 111

Integrators’ Reference Manual for ViewStation EX, ViewStation FX, and VS4000

Table 6-4. V.35/RS-449/RS-530 Indicator Lamps - Network Side...............................112

Table 6-5. V.35/RS-449/RS-530 Indicator Lamps - Peripheral Side ............................112

Table 6-6. Fault Isolation ....................................................................................................113

Table 6-7. ISDN Call Status Codes....................................................................................114

Table A-1. H.320 Endpoints................................................................................................121

Table A-2. H.323 Endpoints................................................................................................122

Table A-3. H.323 MCU Interoperability............................................................................123

Table A-4. Gateway/Gatekeeper Interoperability ..........................................................123

Table A-5. NAT and Firewall Interoperability.................................................................124

Table B-1. Cables for VS4000..............................................................................................125

Table B-2. Cables for ViewStation EX and ViewStation FX...........................................126

Table B-3. Cables for Upgrades to ViewStation EX, ViewStation FX, and VS4000.... 126

Table B-4. Cables for ViewStation EX, ViewStation FX, and VS4000 Accessories .....127

Table B-5. Additional Cables for ViewStation EX, ViewStation FX, and VS4000 ......127

Table B-6. Cables for ViewStation H.323..........................................................................128

Table B-7. Cables for ViewStation MP..............................................................................129

Table B-8. Cables for ViewStation MP DCP.....................................................................129

Table B-9. Cables for Upgrading ViewStation Models (Except FX).............................130

Table B-10. Cables for ViewStation SP 128.........................................................................130

Table B-11. Cables for ViewStation 128..............................................................................131

Table B-12. Cables for ViewStation SP 384.........................................................................131

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About this Manual

This chapter provides information to help you use the rest of the manual.

This manual covers the following topics:

Topic Page

Technical Information 11

Before You Deploy 47

Installing Videoconferencing Systems 77

Supporting Advanced Users 97

Testing and Troubleshooting 109

Integrators’ Reference Manual for ViewStation EX, ViewStation FX, and VS4000

Conventions Used in this Manual

The following typographic conventions are used in this manual:

❑ Links that allow you to jump to other sections of this manual are

blue

❑ File path names and commands you type in command lines are

shown in

this font.

❑ Screen names and elements are shown in bold type.

❑ Navigation through sequences of screens or menu selections is

shown in this form: First selection > second selection > third selection.

Glossary

4CIF 4 x CIF (Common Intermediate Format). A video

format providing resolution of 704 x 576 pixels. See also CIF, QCIF, 16CIF.

16CIF 16 x CIF (Common Intermediate Format). A video

format providing resolution of 1408 x 1152 pixels. See also CIF, 4CIF, QCIF.

ADSL Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber Line. Used to

transmit digital data over telephone wires at up to six megabits per second.

AIS Alarm Indication Signal. This indicates that there

is a problem upstream.

Analog Line A telephone line that transmits and receives

analog signals. An analog signal is a true electrical representation of the original source audio.

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Chapter 1 - About this Manual

ARJ H.323 Admission Reject Message. This message is

from the Gatekeeper, rejecting the endpoint’s request to connect to another endpoint.

ARQ H.323 Admission Request Message. This message

is from an endpoint to the Gatekeeper requesting a connection to another endpoint.

Automatic Voice Tracking

A feature on Polycom ViewStation allows the camera to point toward the person

systems that

speaking.

B channel Bearer channel. B channels carry audio and video.

Bandwidth The data-carrying capacity of a network

connection, given in terms of speed. For example, an Ethernet link is capable of moving 10 million bits of data per second. A Fast Ethernet link can move 100 million bits of data per second – it has 10 times more bandwidth.

Bonding Calls In ISDN BRI and PRI transmissions, bonding

refers to joining two or more B channels together to get one channel whose bandwidth is equal to the sum of the bonded channels’ bandwidths. Using a Quad BRI interface, up to 8 channels may be bonded. T1 allows up to 23 channels to be bonded, and E1 allows up to 30.

BRI ISDN Basic Rate Interface. Provides two B

channels and one 16 Kbps D channel (2B+D) for a total of 144 Kbps, 128Kbps of which is available for the audio and video content of the call.

Bridge A device that passes packets between network

segments that use the same communications protocol. If a packet’s destination is within the sender’s own network segment, the bridge keeps the packet local. Otherwise, the bridge passes the packet to the network backbone. Also, in videoconferencing, a Multipoint Control Unit. See MCU.

Broadcast A one-to-many transmission that can be received

by anyone connected to the network.

Integrators’ Reference Manual for ViewStation EX, ViewStation FX, and VS4000

CIF Common Intermediate Format, also called FCIF.

A video format providing resolution of 352 x 288 pixels. See also QCIF, 4CIF, 16CIF.

Client A networked PC or terminal that shares services

with other PCs. These services are provided by a server.

Conference Call

Any call that establishes all-way communication between three or more endpoints.

CPE Customer Premises Equipment.

CRC Cyclic Redundancy Check.

CSU Channel Service Unit.

D channel Data channel. The D channel carries the call

protocol signals.

Data Conferencing

Enables people in different locations to work on the same document via networked computers. Also called collaborative computing.

DB-25 The standard 25-pin connector used for RS-232

serial data communications.

DCE Data Communications Equipment.

DHCP Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol. DHCP

servers permit multiple devices to share a group of IP addresses, assigning IP addresses to specific devices as needed.

DID Direct Inward Dial.

Digital Line A telephone line that carries audio encoded as a

digital signal, which must be decoded to analog at the destination. ISDN uses digital signaling.

Downstream Closer to the endpoint. For example, the

peripheral side of a network interface module is downstream of the network side.

DSL Digital Subscriber Line. Uses existing copper

telephone lines and connects to the telephone company’s central office. See also ADSL.

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Chapter 1 - About this Manual

Endpoint A site, videoconferencing system, gateway, or

MCU.

Ethernet 10 Mbps or 100 Mbps LAN technology based on

CSMA/CD.

Far End The party or parties to whom you place a call.

Fast Ethernet 100 Mbps LAN technology based on CSMA/CD.

FCIF Full CIF. See CIF.

Firewall A network node set up as a boundary to prevent

traffic from one segment to cross over into another.

fps Frames per second. Note that there are two fields

per frame.

FTP File Transfer Protocol. A part of the chief Internet

protocol stack or group (TCP/IP) used for transferring files.

Full Duplex Transmission in two directions at once

(bidirectional communication). In a full-duplex call, all participants can both talk and hear others at the same time.

Gatekeeper An H.323 device that provides address

translation, control access, and bandwidth management to the LAN.

Gateway An H.323 device that provide real-time, two-way

communication between dissimilar (H.323 and H.320) endpoints operating across dissimilar networks.

GUI Graphical User Interface. A user interface that

incorporates icons, command menus, and other graphical elements. GUI-based software requires the use of a mouse, touch-screen, or other pointing device.

H.320 ITU-T videoconferencing standards for ISDN.

Integrators’ Reference Manual for ViewStation EX, ViewStation FX, and VS4000

H.323 ITU-T videoconferencing standard for IP. H.323

includes the H.225, H.245, G.711, G.722, G.723.1, G.728, and G.729 standards.

IMUX Inverse Multiplexer. See Quad BRI network

interface module.

IP Internet Protocol. A unique IP address identifies

every computer connected to the Internet. IP addresses take the form of the four numbers is in the range 0 to 255.

IP Precedence Audio, video and far end camera control packets

may be assigned a higher priority than other network traffic. Precedence 4 is recommended for multimedia data. By default, IP precedence is disabled by most routers and is not enabled on the Internet.

ISDN Integrated Services Digital Network. Digital

telephone service, available at 128 Kbps (BRI),

1.544 Mbps (PRI), and Broadband ISDN (2 Mbps 600 Mbps).

255.255.255.255; each

ISP Internet Service Provider.

LAN Local Area Network. A network that serves users

within a confined geographical area. It includes servers, workstations, a network operating system and a communications link.

LED Light-Emitting Diode. An indicator lamp.

MCU Multipoint Conferencing Unit or Multi Control

Unit. Hardware that allows three or more videoconferencing systems to participate in an interactive multi-way conference.

Multicast A one-to-many transmission that goes to

designated recipients only.

Multipoint call A call in which more than two sites participate.

Near End Your end or local end site of the videoconference.

Network side The portion of a network interface module that

connects to the network. See also Upstream.

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Chapter 1 - About this Manual

NFAS Non-Facility Associated Signalling.

NT-1 Network Termination type 1. The device that

converts the ISDN BRI U interface from the telecommunications service provider to the S/T interface used by ISDN products and systems.

Pan Move the camera to the left or right.

PBX Private Branch eXchange. A private telephone

switching system connected to common lines from one or more central offices. Most PBXs allow analog extensions on the system, allowing access to special features such as conferencing and transferring to analog devices. If you are using a telephone connected to a PBX, typically you will be required to dial 9 to gain access to an outside line.

Peripheral side

The portion of a network interface module that connects to the videoconferencing system. See also Downstream.

Point-to-point

A call between two sites.

call

POTS Plain Old Telephone Service. See PSTN.

PRI Primary Rate Interface.

Private Branch

See PBX.

Exchange

PSTN Public Switched Telephone Network. The voice

telephone network accessible to all those with telephones and access privileges.

PTZ Pan/Tilt/Zoom. Describes the cameras supplied

as part of the ViewStation EX, ViewStation FX, and VS4000 systems.

QCIF Quarter CIF (Common Intermediate Format). A

video format providing resolution of 176 x 144 pixels. See also CIF, 4CIF, 16CIF.

Integrators’ Reference Manual for ViewStation EX, ViewStation FX, and VS4000

QoS Quality of Service. This allows guaranteed

bandwidth and packet delivery between endpoints over a packet network.

RAI Remote Alarm Indication.

RJ-11 A six-conductor modular jack. RJ-11 connectors

are used on all standard telephones in the US for connecting to the PSTN.

RJ-45 An eight-conductor modular jack commonly used

for data lines such as LAN connections.

RJ-9 A four-conductor modular jack commonly used

for telephone handsets. Polycom uses RJ-9 connectors for all of the Extension microphone connections.

Router A networking device with ports for connection to

hubs and switches. It provides central connectivity and security for multiple workgroups and LANs.

Server A computer or software that provides services to

clients — for example, file storage (file server), programs (application server), or printer sharing (print server). See also client.

Site A location or a system; the term implies that rooms

and people are also included. Two sites participate in a point-to-point call. Multiple sites participate in a multipoint call.

Streaming A technology that allows an audio or video file to

start playing on your computer before the entire file has finished downloading.

Tilt Move the camera up or down.

UI User Interface. The controls that let you interact

with equipment or software. See also GUI.

UPS Uninterruptable Power Supply.

Upstream Farther from the endpoint. For example, the

network side of a network interface module is upstream of the peripheral side.

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Chapter 1 - About this Manual

WAN Wide Area Network. Business with LANs at more

than one location may use the public carrier network to carry data between these locations. Typical WAN services provided by the pubic carrier are Frame Relay, X.25, and ISDN for carrying data.

Whiteboard Software that allows you to share and annotate

images.

Zoom Adjust the area shown on the screen using the

camera’s telephoto and wide-angle capabilities.

Integrators’ Reference Manual for ViewStation EX, ViewStation FX, and VS4000

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Technical Information

This chapter provides descriptions and technical information about the ViewStation EX, ViewStation FX, and VS4000 systems.

This chapter covers the following topics.

Topic Page

System Descriptions 12

Other Elements of a Typical Deployment 45

Integrators’ Reference Manual for ViewStation EX, ViewStation FX, and VS4000

System Descriptions

The Polycom ViewStation EX and ViewStation FX systems are set-top videoconferencing systems designed for conference rooms. The Polycom VS4000 system is a rack-mounted videoconferencing system designed for large conference rooms or board rooms. These systems may be purchased with the following optional network interface modules:

❑ Quad BRI : allows up to four ISDN lines to be multiplexed

together to create a higher-bandwidth connection to the far-site device. Each ISDN line adds 128 Kbps to the available data rate.

❑ V.35/RS-449/RS-530: supports V.35, RS-449, and RS-530

protocols, depending on the cable used. This interface module allows you to connect the system to third-party network interfaces.

In addition, a PRI network interface module is available with the ViewStation FX and VS4000 systems. This module allows you to make video calls over ISDN T1 and E1 lines.

Technical Specifications

The following table gives electrical and physical specifications for the ViewStation EX, ViewStation FX, and VS4000 systems.

Table 2-1. Electrical and Physical Specifications

Parameter ViewStation EX and FX VS4000

Power supply type Auto-sense

Line voltage 90 to 260 VAC continuous

Line frequency 47 to 63 Hz continuous

Power consumption 40 W

Case style Set-top Rack-mount

Physical dimensions 33 x 20 x 15 cm

(13 x 8 x 6 in.)

Weight 2.7 kg (6 lbs) 4.7 kg (10.3 lbs)

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46.7 x 43.8 x 8.8 cm (18.4 x 17.2 x 3.5 in.)

Chapter 2 - Technical Information

The following table describes the network interfaces available.

Table 2-2. Connectivity

Network interface Connectivity provided

LAN/WAN Supports—TCP/IP, DNS, WINS, SNMP, DHCP,

ARP, WWW, FTP, Telnet (2) 10/100 Mbps Ethernet ports T.120 interface with ShowStation® IP,

WebStation™ and Microsoft ® NetMeeting®

Telephony Quad BRI (Basic Rate Interface)

PRI (Primary Rate Interface) T1 — not available for ViewStation EX

PRI E1 — not available for ViewStation EX V.35/RS449/RS-530; support direct connect or

RS-366 dialing Supports H.331 broadcast mode

Data port RS-232 control port/data communications port

(1200 baud to 115 K baud asynchronous)

ViewStation EX, ViewStation FX, and VS4000 are Cisco AVVID certified.

Integrators’ Reference Manual for ViewStation EX, ViewStation FX, and VS4000

The following table lists the supported video standards.

Table 2-3. Video Standards Supported

Standard Supported

Videoconferencing H.320 p x 64

H.323

Video standards H.261 + Annex D

H.263 + Annexes F, I, J, L, T, U, u ITU 60 fields/sec

Other ITU standards H.221

BONDING, mode 1 H.225, H.245 H.281 far-end camera control H.331 broadcast mode

The following table gives information about the video signal formats.

Table 2-4. Video Signal Formats

Input/Output Signal format

ViewStation EX and FX VS4000

Video inputs (NTSC or PAL)

Main camera S-video and composite

Second camera S-video S-video and composite

Document camera S-video S-video and composite

VCR (playback) Composite Composite

Video outputs (NTSC or PAL)

Main display S-video and composite S-video and composite

Additional displays S-video S-video and composite

VCR out (recording)

VGA out Up to 1280 x 1024

SXGA out Up to 1280 x 1024 Up to 1280 x 1024

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Composite Composite

Chapter 2 - Technical Information

The following table gives electrical specifications for the video inputs and outputs.

Table 2-5. Video Input/Output Electrical Specifications

Parameter Value/format

Impedance 75 Ω

Signal amplitude 1.0 Vpp typical

Coupling DC

The following table gives other video specifications for the ViewStation EX, ViewStation FX, and VS4000 systems.

Table 2-6. Video Resolution, Frame Rate, and Error Correction

Parameter Value/format

Video format NTSC or PAL

Video resolutions QCIF (176 x 144)

CIF (352 x 288) 4CIF (704 x 576) TV-quality wide-screen (letterbox)

Graphics resolutions, slide transmission

Graphics resolution,

H.261 mode: 4CIF (704 x 576) H.263 mode: 16CIF (1408 x 1152)

up to 1280 x 1024

local display

Frame rate NTSC: 30 frames/second

(60 fields/second) PAL: 25 frames/second (50 fields/second)

Error correction Polycom Video Error Concealment (PVEC)

a. PVEC is activated and deactivated automatically, as needed. Video quality degradation with the PVEC feature active may indicate that your IP network is not functioning properly. At the time of publication, PVEC is not available in dual stream mode or standards-based 60-field video.

Integrators’ Reference Manual for ViewStation EX, ViewStation FX, and VS4000

The following table gives camera and display information.

Table 2-7. Cameras and Displays

Parameter ViewStation EX and FX VS4000

Main camera Integrated Sony EVI-10 External Sony

EVI-D10

Main camera features

Main camera presets 10

Far camera presets 10

Tracking Voice tracking

Auto-PIP system Auto-on, auto-swap, auto-off

65° field of view 12 x Zoom; f=4.2 to 42 mm F=1.85 to 2.9 mm Auto focus Automatic white balance

Track to presets

The following table gives electrical specifications for the audio inputs and outputs.

Table 2-8. Audio Input/Output Electrical Characteristics

Parameter Value/format

Input

Impedance 10 KΩ minimum

Signal amplitude 1.0 Vpp full-scale (expected)

Coupling AC

Output

Impedance 800 Ω maximum

Signal amplitude 1.0 Vpp full-scale (typical)

Coupling AC

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Chapter 2 - Technical Information

The following table gives information about audio features.

Table 2-9. Audio Features

Parameter Value/format

Audio codecs

G.711, G.722, G.722.1b, G.728

Mode Full duplex

Gain control Automatic

Noise suppression Automatic

Echo cancellation Instant adaptation

a. The protocol used depends on the protocols supported by the opposite endpoint and on the line rate. Audio protocol is selected automatically to provide optimum audio clarity.

b. Provides enhanced frame loss compensation.

The following table gives information about the microphone pods supplied with the ViewStation EX, ViewStation FX, and VS4000 systems.

Table 2-10. Microphone Pods

Parameter Value/description

Pick-up elements 3 hypercardioid pressure-zone microphones

Coverage 360°

Placement Minimum 6 ft (1.8 m) from speakers

Minimum 15 ft (4.6 m) from any other microphone

Integrators’ Reference Manual for ViewStation EX, ViewStation FX, and VS4000

The following table gives information about multipoint calling.

Table 2-11. Call Capabilities

Feature Capability

Maximum data rate ViewStation EX: 768 Kbps

ViewStation FX and VS4000: 2 Mbps

Local plus three other sites ViewStation FX and VS4000: 384 Kbps

ViewStation EX: 256 Kbps

Local plus two other sites ViewStation FX and VS4000: 512 Kbps

ViewStation EX: 384 Kbps

Cascading (H.320 only) Up to 10 sites at 384 Kbps each, plus

audio only to four other sites

Mixed-protocol dialing (H.320 and H.323)

Local plus three other sites, through internal MCU

Inbound calling Sites using either H.320 (ISDN) or H.323

(IP) can dial in to an existing call

Integrated speakerphone (where approved)

Third-party audio add-in Point-to-point calling Multipoint calling

Video streaming Live multicast to Cisco IP/TV® viewer or

Apple QuickTime

player

Start and stop the stream using Polycom browser interface

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Chapter 2 - Technical Information

The following table gives information about the systems’ user interfaces.

Table 2-12. User Interface

Feature Capability

Languages English, French, German, Spanish, Italian,

Portuguese, Norwegian, Chinese, Japanese

Control system Hand-held, ergonomically designed remote control

Infrared receiver (external unit for VS4000, integrated in ViewStation EX and FX)

On-screen graphical user interface Web browser interface (requires Microsoft Internet

Explorer® or Netscape Navigator®)

Closed caption

Three lines of text

support

Presentation and collaboration tools

Collaboration accessories

PolycomSNAP™ screen capture tool pcPresent™ conversion tool for Microsoft

PowerPoint® files

Visual Concert FX™ Visual Concert PC™

API ARENA™ API (Enables custom integration with

remote devices such as touchscreen panels through RS-232 or Telnet interfaces)

Integrators’ Reference Manual for ViewStation EX, ViewStation FX, and VS4000

RS-232 Interface

The RS-232 interface allows users to connect a ViewStation EX, ViewStation FX, or VS4000 to a PC. This provides a means of access to the ARENA API, which allows users to automate some of the systems’ control features. Refer to the ViewStation EX, ViewStation FX, and VS4000 ARENA API Programmer’s Guide for information about this API.

The RS-232 interface also makes it possible to use the system as a peripheral device for an RS-232 host.

Figure 2-1 shows the RS-232 cable for the ViewStation EX and Viewstation FX systems.

Figure 2-1. RS-232 Cable for ViewStation EX and FX

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Chapter 2 - Technical Information

Figure 2-2 shows the RS-232 cable for the VS4000 system.

Figure 2-2. RS-232 Cable for VS4000

Integrators’ Reference Manual for ViewStation EX, ViewStation FX, and VS4000

Quad BRI Network Interface Module

The following paragraphs provide technical information about the Quad BRI network interface module available with the ViewStation EX, ViewStation FX, and VS4000 systems.

If you do not connect the system to an internal telephone system (PBX), you must use a network termination (NT-1) device between the Quad BRI and the ISDN connection at the wall outlet.

Note

Outside the United States or Canada, service providers or public telephone utilities generally provide the NT-1 device.

Indicators on the Quad BRI Network Interface Module

Table 2-13 shows the indicator lamp (LED) activity on the Quad BRI network interface module.

Table 2-13. Quad BRI Indicator Lamps

Indication Meaning

Green LED Off = no connection to the switch, or no clock.

On = clock is synchronized with the switch.

Yellow LED Off = in reset mode, booting

On = active

Both LEDs on Normal operation

Note

The indicators do not show whether the SPIDs, switch type, and ISDN numbers have been correctly entered into the endpoint equipment.

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Quad BRI Cabling

The Quad BRI network interface module connects to the endpoint using a cable with one keyed RJ-45 connector and one standard RJ-45 connector. Figure 2-3 shows this cable. Because it uses a non-standard connector, Polycom Inc. does not support cables of this type that are fabricated by other vendors.

Chapter 2 - Technical Information

Figure 2-3. Keyed RJ-45 Cable, System to Network Interface Module

Integrators’ Reference Manual for ViewStation EX, ViewStation FX, and VS4000

Standard RJ-45 to RJ-45 cables connect the Quad BRI to the network. Figure 2-4 shows this type of cable.

Figure 2-4. Standard RJ-45 Cable, Network Interface Module to Network

NT-1 Information

Following are sample NT-1 settings. For more detailed diagnostic information, see the manual that was shipped with your particular NT-1 device.

Table 2-14. Sample NT-1 Settings

Make and model Switch Indicator

ADTRAN NT-1 ACE Ready = ON

Error = OFF Power = ON

Motorola NT1D 1 = ON

2 = ON 3 = ON 4 = ON

Alpha Telecom (AT1) UT620F

24 www.polycom.com

1 = ON 2 = ON 3 = OFF 4 = ON

SC = ON ACT = ON LB = OFF LP= ON RP = OFF RPR = OFF

Power = ON ST&U = OFF Back = OFF

ISDN Switches

Chapter 2 - Technical Information

Depending on the type of ISDN lines you are using, your service provider may assign zero, one, or two SPIDs per line. Refer to Table 2-15 below.

Table 2-15. ISDN Switch Types and SPID Allocations

Switch Type SPIDs Allocated

AT&T 5ESS Custom None

AT&T 5ESS NI-1 1 per B-channel

NT DMS-100 NI-1 1 per B-channel

NI-2 1 per device

Siemens EWSD NI-1 1 per B-channel

Siemens EWSD NI-2 1 per device

International (outside United States or Canada)

Automatic Quad BRI Software Update

The Quad BRI is expected to have a software version at least as recent as that of the system to which it is connected. If, upon reboot, the system detects an older software version on the Quad BRI, it automatically updates the Quad BRI software. The download is accompanied by an explanatory message.

Do not turn off your system during the download process.

None

Caution

Integrators’ Reference Manual for ViewStation EX, ViewStation FX, and VS4000

PRI Network Interface Module for ViewStation FX and VS4000

The following paragraphs provide technical information about the T1 and E1 PRI network interface modules available with the ViewStation FX and VS4000. This network interface module is not available with the ViewStation EX.

Table 2-16. PRI T1 and E1 Network Interface Modules

Parameter PRI T1 PRI E1

Areas where used North America,

Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan

B channels 23 30

D channels 1 1

Total data capacity 1472 Mbps

(23 x 64 Kbps)

Power source VS4000/ViewStation

FX, via peripheral cable

External power supply available (required if not using external CSU)

Clock source Network Network

Keep-alive signal Yes No

Switch protocol AT&T 5ESS

AT&T 4ESS Nortel DMS NI-2

Europe, other areas where T1 is not used

1920 Mbps (30 x 64 Kbps)

VS4000/ViewStation FX, via peripheral cable

External power supply available

NET5/CTR4

Line signalling ESF/B8ZS CRC4/HDB3

HDB3

H0 and other higher-bandwidth channels

26 www.polycom.com

Not supported

Chapter 2 - Technical Information

Table 2-16. PRI T1 and E1 Network Interface Modules (Continued)

Parameter PRI T1 PRI E1

Non-Facility Associated Signaling (NFAS)

Special services (Caller ID, call blocking, etc.)

Not supported

Indicators on the PRI Network Interface Module

The tables below describe the expected behavior of the indicator lamps on the PRI network interface module. On the network side, the expected behavior depends on whether it is a T1 module or an E1 module.

Table 2-17. PRI Network Side Indicator Lamps

Indication PRI T1 PRI E1

Red LED blinking Not connected to the network, or no power to the

upstream equipment

Red LED on Connected to the network, but no clock sync

Yellow LED blinking Receiving clock and

frame sync; receiving RAI from the network with CRC errors

Yellow LED on Receiving clock and

frame sync, waiting for a timer to elapse

Red and yellow LEDs on

Green LED on Synchronized with the network and ready to use

Receiving clock and frame sync; receiving Remote Alarm Indication (RAI) from the network with no Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) errors

Receiving clock sync; receiving AIS Alarm Indication Signal (unframed all-ones)

Integrators’ Reference Manual for ViewStation EX, ViewStation FX, and VS4000

Indicator lamps on the peripheral side of the PRI network interface module have the same meanings for both the T1 and E1 models.

Table 2-18. PRI Peripheral Side Indicator Lamps

Indication Meaning

Amber LED onThe PRI network interface module is in boot mode.

Amber and

New software is being burned into flash. green LEDs on

Green LED on The PRI network interface module is fully booted.

a. If this LED stays on for more than a minute, new microcode is being uploaded from the system to DRAM.

b. If the PRI network interface module is connected to an external power source, the green LED turns on after several seconds, even if the peripheral link cable is not connected.

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PRI Cabling

Chapter 2 - Technical Information

The peripheral side of the PRI network interface module connects to the endpoint using a cable with keyed RJ-45 connectors. Figure 2-5 shows this cable. Because it uses a non-standard connector, Polycom Inc. does not support cables of this type that are fabricated by other vendors.

Figure 2-5. Keyed RJ-45 Cable, System to Network Interface Module

A standard RJ-45 to RJ-45 cables connects the PRI to the network. This is the same cable used by the Quad BRI network interface. Figure 2-6 shows this type of cable.

Figure 2-6. Standard RJ-45 Cable, Network Interface Module to Network

Integrators’ Reference Manual for ViewStation EX, ViewStation FX, and VS4000

Channel Selection

For outgoing calls, the system uses the lowest-numbered available channel (1-23 for a PRI T1 and 1-30 for a PRI E1). If an additional channel is needed, the system chooses the next higher-numbered channel. For example, if channels 1 through 7 are unavailable, but 8 is avail able, the sys tem use s channel 8 to pla ce an ou tgoing c all. If an additional channel is needed, the system will use the next available active channel in the range (which could be 9, and so on).

For incoming calls, the system uses the highest numbered channel that is available. If another channel is needed, the next lower channel number is used.

PRI E1 Channel Information

The PRI Status screen for E1 shows 30 channels. However, E1 trunk lines have 32 timeslots, numbered 0 - 31. Timeslot 0 is used for framing, and timeslot 16 is used for call signaling (the D channel). The remaining 30 timeslots are used as bearer (data) channels.

In call signaling between Polycom equipment and the switch, these channels are numbered 1-15, 17-31. But the PRI Status screen numbers these channels in the range 1-30. On the PRI Status screen, channels 1-15 control the status of timeslots 1-15, and channels 16-30 control the status of timeslots 17-31.

Dedicated Full PRI T1 or E1 Line

All channels should be active for a full T1 or E1 line dedicated to your ViewStation FX or VS4000.

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Chapter 2 - Technical Information

V.35/RS-449/RS-530 Network Interface Module

The following paragraphs provide technical information about the V.35/RS-449/RS-530 network interface module available with the ViewStation EX, ViewStation FX, and VS4000.

The system’s V.35/RS-449/RS-530 network interface module is not interchangeable with the previous V.35 network interface module. The new module uses HD-44F connectors for ports 1 and 2, and uses a keyed RJ-45 connector for the serial link to the back panel of the ViewStation FX or VS4000. The cable used with the V.35/RS-449/RS-530 network interface module is the same as is used for the PRI network interface module. It is shown in Figure 2-5. An HD-44M to DB-25F adapter cable is available to connect existing ViewStation DB-25 interface module V.35 network cables.

“Common speeds” are divisible by both 56 and 64. The V.35/RS-449/RS-530 network interface module supports the following common speeds:

❑ 448 Kbps

❑ 896 Kbps

❑ 1344 Kbps (E1 only)

Indicators on the V.35/RS-449/RS-530 Network Interface Module

The following tables describe the behavior of the indicator lamps on the V.35/RS-449/RS-530 network interface module.

Table 2-19. V.35/RS-449/RS-530 Peripheral Side Indicators

Indication Meaning

Amber LED and green LED flash once

Amber LED off No communication between endpoint and

Amber LED on Communication established between endpoint

Amber LED and green LED on

Power-up test

network interface module

and network interface module

Communication established with network

Integrators’ Reference Manual for ViewStation EX, ViewStation FX, and VS4000

Table 2-20. V.35/RS-449/RS-530 Network Side Indicator Lamps

Indication Meaning

Amber LED on Network interface module is connected to the

network and receiving a clock signal

Green LED on System is in a call

V.35/RS-449/RS-530 Cabling

This section provides cable drawings and pinouts for the three cables that you can use with the V.35/RS-449/RS-530 network interface module. All are common to the ViewStation EX, ViewStation FX, and VS4000.

Figure 2-7. HD-44M to RS-366/V.35 “Y” Cable Diagram

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Chapter 2 - Technical Information

Figure 2-8. Pinout to the HD-44M to RS-366/V.35 “Y” Cable

Integrators’ Reference Manual for ViewStation EX, ViewStation FX, and VS4000

Figure 2-9. HD-44M to RS-449/RS-422 “Y” Cable Diagram

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Chapter 2 - Technical Information

Figure 2-10. Pinout to the HD-44M to RS-449/RS-422 “Y” Cable

Integrators’ Reference Manual for ViewStation EX, ViewStation FX, and VS4000

Figure 2-11. Ascend HD-44M to HD-44M Cable Diagram

Figure 2-12. Pinout for the Ascend HD-44M to HD-44M Cable

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Chapter 2 - Technical Information

Figure 2-13. RS-530 Cable Diagram and Pinout

Integrators’ Reference Manual for ViewStation EX, ViewStation FX, and VS4000

Serial Interface Control Signals

If you need to customize your V.35/RS-449/RS-530 interface, use the signal information in Table 2-21 below in addition to the information provided by your network equipment vendor.

Table 2-21. Serial Interface Control Signals

Signal (Pin) In/Out Description Configuration Option

ST (TC/TT)

RT (RC) IN Receive

RTS (RTS)

DCD (DCD)

CTS (CTS)

DTR (DTR)

DSR (DSR)

OUT Send Timing

(clock)

Timing (clock)

OUT Request To

Send

IN Data Carrier

Detect

IN Clear To Send Normal: high is logic 1

OUT Data Terminal

Ready

IN Data Set

Ready

Normal: falling edge sends data Inverted: rising edge sends data

Normal: rising edge receives data Inverted: falling edge receives data

Normal: high is logic 1 Inverted: low is logic 1

Filter: allow DCD to drop for 60 seconds before changing call state

Inverted: low is logic 1

Normal: high is logic 1 Inverted: low is logic 1

On: signal remains higha

Normal: high is logic 1 Inverted: low is logic 1

Answer: Use DSR as a Ring-In indication

a. If set to ON, inverted is not an option.

b. DSR is not used as a ring-in indication if it is set to ANSWER in the V.35 Advanced Setup screen.

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State Machine

Chapter 2 - Technical Information

The V.35/RS-449/RS-530 state machine controls how the V.35/RS-449/RS-530 interface signals handshake with the network interface equipment while the call is being established. The following tables describe the machine states.

Table 2-22. Dial-Out State Machine

ViewStation or

State

VS4000 Signals Network Signals

1 Initial State:

DTR = 0a RTS = 0

CRQ = 0 USER INITIATES

Initial State: RI = 0 DLO = 0 ACR = 0 DSR = 0

CALL

2 DTR = 1a

3 Wait 10 ms

4 CRQ = 1

5 PND = 1

6 Set Digit

(NB1,NB2,NB3,NB4)

7 DPR = 1

8 PND = 0

9 DPR = 0

10 If not last digit, go to

state 4; else continue

11 Call connects on

network

12 DSR = 1 AND/OR

DCD = 1 (AND/OR DSR = 1

13 RTS = 1b

14 DATA FLOW STARTS DATA FLOW STARTS

User Hang-up Far end hang-up

Integrators’ Reference Manual for ViewStation EX, ViewStation FX, and VS4000

Table 2-22. Dial-Out State Machine (Continued)

ViewStation or

State

15 RTS = 0

VS4000 Signals

DTR = 0

CRQ = 0 All signals go low if Far End or User hang up is detected

Network Signals

DSR = 1 to 0, OR DCD = 1 to 0

A falling edge on DSR or DCD are interpreted by the ViewStation FX or VS4000 as a hang-up

16 IDLE

DTR = 0 RTS = 0 CRQ = 0

a b

IDLE RI = 0 DLO = 0 ACR = 0 DSR = 0

a. DTR does not act as shown but remains high if DTR is set to ON in the V.35 Advanced Setup screen.

b. RTS does not act as shown but acts as a resync pulse if Security/Crypto-Resync is set to ON.

c. DSR is used as a ring-in indicate if DSR is set to ANSWER in the V.35 Advanced Setup screen.

Table 2-23. Inbound Call State Machine

ViewStation FX or

State

1 Initial State:

VS4000 Signals Network Signals

Initial State: DTR = 0 RTS = 0 CRQ = 0

a b

RI = 0

DLO = 0

ACR = 0

DSR = 0

REMOTE USER

INITIATES CALL

2 RI= 0 to 1, or DCD= 0

3 Notify user of ring-in

to 1, or DSR= 0 to 1

4 System accepts call

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Chapter 2 - Technical Information

Table 2-23. Inbound Call State Machine (Continued)

ViewStation FX or

State

VS4000 Signals

Network Signals

5 DTR = 1

6 RTS = 1

7 Wait for DSR high

8 DSR = 1 AND/OR

DCD = 1 (AND/OR DSR = 1c)

9 Go to connected state

10 DATA FLOW STARTS DATA FLOW STARTS

11 User Hang-up Far End Hang-up

12 RTS = 0

DTR = 0 CRQ = 0

All signals go low if Far End or User hang up is detected

b a

DSR= 1 to 0, OR DCD= 1 to 0 OR CTS= 1 to 0

A falling edge on DSR or DCD or CTS is interpreted by the FX/VS4000 as a hang-up

13 IDLE

DTR = 0 RTS = 0 CRQ = 0

a b

IDLE RI = 0 DLO = 0 ACR = 0 DSR = 0

a. DTR does not act as shown but remains high if DTR is set to ON in the V.35 Advanced Setup screen.

b. RTS does not act as shown but acts as a resync pulse if Security/Crypto Resync is set to ON.

c. DSR is used as a ring-in indicate if DSR is set to ANSWER in the V.35 Advanced Setup screen.

d. If RS-366 Dialing is not enabled, auto answer must be enabled. If auto answer is not enabled, ring-in will be ignored when in non-dialed mode.

e. If DCD filter is set to ON in the V.35 Advanced Setup screen, the system will not react to a low DCD until DCD has been low for 60 seconds.

Integrators’ Reference Manual for ViewStation EX, ViewStation FX, and VS4000

Table 2-24. Non-Dialed User-Initiated Call State Machine

ViewStation FX or

State

VS4000 Signals Network Signals

1 Initial State:

DTR = 0 RTS = 0

a b

CRQ = 0

Initial State:

RI = 0

DLO = 0

ACR = 0

DSR = 0

USER INITIATES CALL

2 DTR = 1

3 RTS = 1

4 DCD = 0 to 1

5 DATA FLOW STARTS DATA FLOW STARTS

User Hang-up Far end hang-up

6 RTS = 0

DTR = 0 CRQ = 0

All signals go low if far end or User hang up is detected

7 IDLE

DTR = 0 RTS = 0 CRQ = 0

b a

DSR= 1 to 0, OR

DCD= 1 to 0

A falling edge on DSR

or DCD is interpreted

by the FX/ VS4000 as

a hang-up

IDLE

a b

RI = 0

DLO = 0

ACR = 0

DSR = 0

a. DTR does not act as shown but remains high if DTR is set to ON in the V.35 Advanced Setup screen.

b. RTS does not act as shown but acts as a resync pulse if Security/Crypto Resync is set to ON.

c. If DCD filter is set to ON in the V.35 Advanced Setup screen, the system does not react to a low DCD until DCD has been low for 60 seconds.

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Chapter 2 - Technical Information

Table 2-25. Non-dialed Network-Initiated Call State Machine

ViewStation FX or

State

VS4000 Signals Network Signals

1 Initial State:

DTR = 0 RTS = 0

a b

CRQ = 0

Initial State: RI = 0 DLO = 0 ACR = 0 DSR = 0

USER INITIATES CALL

2 DCD = 0 to 1

3 DTR = 1

4 RTS = 1

5 DATA FLOW STARTS DATA FLOW STARTS

User hang-up Far end hang-up

6 RTS = 0

DTR = 0 CRQ = 0

All signals go low if far end or User hang up is detected

7 IDLE

DTR = 0 RTS = 0 CRQ = 0

b a

DSR= 1 to 0, or DCD= 1 to 0

A falling edge on DSR or DCD is interpreted by the FX/ VS4000 as a hang-up

DCD= 0

IDLE

a b

RI = 0 DLO = 0 ACR = 0 DSR = 0

a. DTR does not act as shown but remains high if DTR is set to ON in the V.35 Advanced Setup screen.

b. RTS does not act as shown but acts as a resync pulse if Security/Crypto Resync is set to ON.

c. If DCD filter is set to ON in the V.35 Advanced Setup screen, the system does not react to a low DCD until DCD has been low for 60 seconds.

Integrators’ Reference Manual for ViewStation EX, ViewStation FX, and VS4000

Crypto Resync

If a cryptographic encoder/decoder is connected between the system and the network, it may require a resynchronization signal from the system. This is a signal indicating that the system has lost video synchronization due to a network problem and requires that the cryptographic encoder/decoder resync with the equipment at the other end of the connection.

To use this feature, select System Info > Admin Setup > Security. When you select the Crypto Resync option, the Crypto Resync Pulse screen appears.

On this screen you can enable crypto resync, set the time between pulses (in seconds), and set the pulse width (in milliseconds).

If the system loses H.320 synchronization while in a call, it sends the resynchronization pulses at the specified rate until H.320 regains synchronization.

The resync pulse is output on the RTS signal. If this feature is enabled, the RTS signal no longer functions as the Ready-To-Send signal.

Most installations that use encryption equipment require a custom cable. The cable should route the RTS signal from the system to the appropriate resync input on the encryption equipment. The encryption equipment can get its RTS input from the videoconferencing system's DTR output or by tying this input high. In this non-dialed mode, the DTR output and RTS output act alike.

44 www.polycom.com

Chapter 2 - Technical Information

Other Elements of a Typical Deployment

A typical deployment includes some of the following Polycom equipment and software in addition to videoconferencing endpoints:

❑ MGC Manager™

❑ Global Management System™

❑ WebCommander™

❑ PathNavigator™

For more information, please refer to the documentation supplied with the products deployed within your organization, or see www.polycom.com.

Integrators’ Reference Manual for ViewStation EX, ViewStation FX, and VS4000

46 www.polycom.com

Before You Deploy

This chapter provides a summary of the deployment process, and describes what you must do to prepare for installation.

This chapter covers the following topics.

Topic Page

Predeployment Overview 48

Video Network Security 49

Best Practices 50

Predeployment Planning 51

Developing the Dial Plan 55

ISDN Requirements 63

Site Considerations 72

Predeployment Worksheet 74

Integrators’ Reference Manual for ViewStation EX, ViewStation FX, and VS4000

Predeployment Overview

The diagram below gives an overview of the tasks involved in predeployment planning.

Document the network:

 LANs  Subnets  WAN links

Determine network capacity requirements

Specify call processing considerations:

 Define CPS architecture  Identify gatekeepers  Specify the default

gatekeeper for each endpoint or group of endpoints

 Specify direct or routed calls

as default mode

Create the dial plan:

 Define service plan  Define routing tables  Define policies  Define zones  Define the entity addressing

scheme

Verify appropriateness of the hardware that will host Polycom Office software

Start deployment

Figure 3-1. The Predeployment Process

48 www.polycom.com

Video Network Security

Polycom recommends the following general precautions to keep your video network secure:

❑ Deploy IP endpoints behind a firewall.

❑ If your deployment seldom requires centralized management

capabilities, disable all endpoints’ remote management capabilities.

❑ If your deployment does not ever require centralized

management capabilities, consider an ISDN-only deployment.

For detailed discussions of how to secure specific models of videoconferencing equipment, please refer to the documents available at Polycom’s Security Center,

http://www.polycom.com/securitycenter.

Chapter 3 - Before You Deploy

Integrators’ Reference Manual for ViewStation EX, ViewStation FX, and VS4000

Best Practices

Polycom recommends the following as best practices when deploying Polycom IP voice and video applications.

❑ Consider latency, jitter, and packet loss. All are obstacles to

high quality audio and video. Table 3-1 below recommends maximum values for these parameters.

Table 3-1. Latency, Jitter, and Packet Loss

Parameter Maximum recommended value

Latency less than 150 ms one way; 300 ms end to end

Jitter 50 ms or less

Packet loss 1% or less

❑ Consider system requirements. Be sure to meet the minimum

server hardware requirements of all software-based products.

❑ Consider network requirements. Building an end-to-end H.323

video network requires an infrastructure based on layer 2 and layer 3 switches and routers.

When planning the deployment of multimedia communication applications, ensure that switches and routers can handle more than one queue and are enabled to process applications with different requirements relating to latency, jitter, and loss characteristics.

❑ Set IP precedence appropriately (if applicable). Some Polycom

systems can set the precedence level for use in Quality of Service (QoS) enabled networks.

❑ Determine bandwidth requirements. Consider the total

amount of bandwidth associated with video sessions prior to deployment. It is recommended that all H.323 video endpoints, CPSs, gateways, and MCUs be connected to a dedicated 10/100 switched-Ethernet port.

50 www.polycom.com

Older Polycom ViewStation systems and the RADVision MCUs and gateways both support 10 Mbps half duplex only.

There are known issues with some older Cisco Catalyst 10/100 switches and video endpoints negotiating half/full duplex. If the negotiation fails, the endpoint will still function, but the system will experience video freezing every 3 to 5 seconds.

Predeployment Planning

The main factors to consider in planning the deployment are:

❑ LAN/WAN considerations — document the LANs, subnets,

and WAN links involved in the deployment.

Chapter 3 - Before You Deploy

Notes

❑ Capacity planning — assess the bandwidth requirements for

the deployment.

❑ Call processing considerations — define call processing

architecture and identify gatekeepers, define registration policy and call policy.

❑ Dial plan — define details of services, routing, policies, zones,

and addressing.

❑ Server requirements — verify that all management software

will be installed on suitable equipment.

Integrators’ Reference Manual for ViewStation EX, ViewStation FX, and VS4000

LAN/WAN Considerations

You will need to develop a network topology checklist that includes the following information:

❑ List of Networks: To take advantage of least cost routing and

alternate routing, you must define the topology of the Local area networks (LANs) that each gatekeeper serves, as well as the LANs that are logically connected to these but served by other gatekeepers. This allows the gatekeeper to determine how IP traffic is routed from one endpoint to the next. PathNavigator uses the network topology to determine when resources are unavailable so that an alternate (ISDN) path can be determined.

❑ Subnets within each network and subnet IP address: A

network address is the equivalent of a subnet. You will need to define all subnet addresses within your LAN. If this information is not available to the gatekeeper, calls may be rejected because no route can be determined.

❑ WAN links: These are logical connections from one LAN to

another LAN within the WAN cloud, or logical connections from one network to another network outside of the organization. The two types of WAN links are the dedicated WAN link, which is a logical connection via a dedicated link, leased line, frame relay or though an ATM network; and the WAN link to other networks through a VPN tunnel, which connects one network to another through a secure connection over the Internet.

❑ Network Diagram describing how networks are connected and

bandwidth capacity on each WAN link.

Each gatekeeper will need information about its neighbor gatekeepers to be able to communicate with them. Neighbor gatekeepers manage other H.323 zones within an organization and allow the network’s workload to be distributed across logical boundaries within the organization. This enables more efficient use of the network by limiting communication between zones (across WAN links). When a call originates with one gatekeeper's zone and that zone's gatekeeper is unable to resolve the dialed address, it will be forwarded to the neighbor gatekeepers for resolution. The port used for gatekeeper-to-gatekeeper communication is usually 1719.

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Capacity Planning

H.323 traffic uses more bandwidth than the selected call quality or H.320 equivalent. Polycom recommends that you allow 20% overhead for the H.323 signaling traffic. ISDN networks do not include signaling in the payload calculations, but in TCP/IP networks all signaling must also be accounted for. For example, a 384-Kbps video call would require approximately 384 Kbps + 20% = 460 Kbps of bandwidth on a TCP/IP network. These figures assume a full-duplex network.

If H.323 traffic starts out on a half-duplex network segment, it will require twice the bandwidth indicated by the bandwidth calculations described above. It will, however, take advantage of full-duplex segments as soon as it reaches them. For full-duplex segments, the calculations above remain valid. WAN segments (T1, Frame Relay, ATM) are typically full-duplex.

The following equations will help in determining the bandwidth required for H.323 traffic across various network segments:

❑ Full-duplex Ethernet = (Call Speed + 20%) x 1

Chapter 3 - Before You Deploy

❑ Half-duplex Ethernet = (Call Speed + 20%) x 2

❑ Wide Area Network = (Call Speed + 20%) x 1

❑ ATM (Using LANE) = (Call Speed + 35%) x 1

The table below provides a comparison between H.320 and H.323 point-to-point calls.

Table 3-2. Bandwidth Requirements

Call Quality (Speed)

128 Kbps 1 Basic Rate ISDN (BRI) line 153 Kbps

256 Kbps 2 BRI lines 307 Kbps

384 Kbps 3 BRI lines 460 Kbps

512 Kbps 4 BRI lines 614 Kbps

768 Kbps Fractional T1 or full Primary

Bandwidth Required over ISDN (H.320)

Rate ISDN (PRI) line

Bandwidth Required over IP (H.323)

922 Kbps

Integrators’ Reference Manual for ViewStation EX, ViewStation FX, and VS4000

Table 3-2. Bandwidth Requirements

1.5 Mbps 1 PRI line 1.843 Mbps

2.0 Mbps Multiplea PRI lines or E1 line (Europe)

a. Requires a third-party inverse multiplexer. Inverse multiplexers provide inverse multiplexing to transmit a single high-speed data channel over one or many T1 (PRI) or E1 links.

Keep in mind that the examples given here discuss only a single point-to-point call. Your capacity planning calculations must take into account the total number of calls that you expect the network to handle at one time, including multipoint calls. In addition, you will need to factor in the requirements for any other traffic that the network must handle.

For detailed information about capacity planning, please refer to the Polycom white paper, H.323 Bandwidth Considerations, available at www.polycom.com.

Call Processing Considerations

After documenting your network topology, you will need to define:

❑ Call processing architecture

2.4 Mbps

❑ Gatekeeper identifier

❑ Default gatekeeper

❑ Call routing mode

Defining the call processing architecture is outside the scope of this document. Please refer to the PathNavigator Deployment Guide in the Documentation section at www.polycom.com for detailed information on this topic.

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Gatekeeper Identifier

You will need to specify the gatekeeper identifier for each gatekeeper being deployed. You must also define the maximum number of endpoints that may be registered to each gatekeeper and the maximum number of calls that each gatekeeper may handle at one time.

Default Gatekeeper

An endpoint may register to a gatekeeper automatically or manually. If endpoint registration is automatic, the registration policy must specify a default gatekeeper — more than one gatekeeper may exist on the network.

The registration policy defines the endpoints that may register to the gatekeeper. It may allow any endpoint to register, or it may restrict registration to specific endpoints or endpoints on specific networks.

Call Routing Mode

Chapter 3 - Before You Deploy

The default call mode may be direct or routed. In direct call mode, the gatekeeper allows endpoints to send messages directly to each other — the calls do not need to be routed through the gatekeeper. If direct call mode is used, gatekeeper functionality (such as simplified dialing, Conference on Demand, and alternate routing) is not available, because the call bypasses the gatekeeper.

Developing the Dial Plan

The final element of the predeployment preparations is the dial plan.

The dial plan defines how you set numeric aliases and service prefixes. Numeric aliases look like telephone numbers. They allow people to dial a short string of numbers like a telephone extension or local telephone number instead of entering a full IP address.

Integrators’ Reference Manual for ViewStation EX, ViewStation FX, and VS4000

Service prefixes are short numeric strings that identify the services being requested, such as call speed and zone.

An H.323 dial plan allows you to associate a numeric alias to the network address of each H.323 entity. This is the calling plan that you develop for H.323 deployments.

In large deployments, the dial plan also helps to manage resources by segmenting user populations.

The dial plan defines the following elements of the deployment:

❑ Services — these include system services, gateway and MCU

services.

❑ Routing and policies — these include the default group policy

and least-cost routing tables.

❑ Network topology — includes private numbering plans (E.164

provisioning) or a public dialing plan (ISDN alias assignment).

❑ Neighbor gatekeepers — these are gatekeepers that manage

other H.323 zones within an organization.

❑ Addressing — specifies the requirements for assigning zone

and service prefixes and endpoint addresses.

Before you design a dial plan, you should document:

❑ Current telephone number dialing patterns

❑ Planned router locations

❑ Traffic routing requirements

Because no standard protocol defines the dynamic routing of E.164 addresses, H.323 dial plans must be configured statically and managed on gateway and gatekeeper platforms.

To reduce the complexity of the configuration, confine H.323 addresses to one portion of the dial plan.

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Chapter 3 - Before You Deploy

A well-designed dial plan distributes the dial plan logic among the gateways and gatekeepers. Try to keep the dial plan logic at the highest component level — for example, allow the gatekeeper to handle routing and fail-over decisions. This allows individual zones to be added or modified without affecting other zones, so the deployment is very scalable.

To assign gateways and gatekeepers:

1. Determine the area that your dial plan covers.

2. Determine what calling area(s) each gateway and gatekeeper

will be responsible for.

3. Determine the peak traffic volume, and determine how many gateways will be required to handle anticipated increases in this peak volume.

4. Logically group the gateways into zones to determine how many gatekeepers you need. A zone can have one or many gateways. The number of zones you define depends on the gateways’ capacity and traffic.

5. Determine which gatekeeper should administer each zone.

Services

System services are defined within PathNavigator. They include many of the functions that simplify the user’s interaction with the Polycom Office. System services only work within a zone.

PathNavigator’s gateway and MCU services make it simple for the user to dial out through a gateway or dial into a conference. For these services to be effective, the gateway service information such as call speed, service and zone prefixes, and device capabilities must be registered with PathNavigator.

Gateway and MCU services are defined in both PathNavigator and the MGC platform itself. It is critical that the prefixes are exactly the same in each system.

Integrators’ Reference Manual for ViewStation EX, ViewStation FX, and VS4000

Administration, Policies, and Routing

Administration Plan

The videoconferencing administration plan allows the system administrator to manage user permissions and network policies. Your plan should define:

❑ Superusers

❑ Administrators

❑ Permissions for groups and for individuals

❑ Policies such as bandwidth allocation per user

Default Group Policy

A group policy allows you to define dialing properties, services, and bandwidth management parameters for all members of a defined group without having to configure these individually for each user.

The default group is normally all users, and the policy settings for this group are the default group policy. The administrator sets policy, services, and other settings for this and other groups.

Least-Cost Routing

Least-cost routing enables calls that originate inside the organization to be routed in the manner that incurs the lowest expense. In order for least-cost routing to be implemented, the network topology must be defined — the gateways on each network, WAN link capacities, and other factors.

Each gateway has an associated least-cost routing table which is created by the administrator. The table consists of dial string entries (country code, area/city code, etc.) and cost. For calls between networks, the tables are compared to identify the least-cost route for the call. Least-cost routing will not be used if the least-cost route cannot be identified, if the required resources are unavailable, or if bandwidth limitations exist on the WAN link.

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If your organization has special rate plans, those should be incorporated into the least-cost routing tables.

Network Topology

You will need the network topology information described in

LAN/WAN Considerations

plan and configure PathNavigator to manage your video network.

If the network is physically changed, you will need to update PathNavigator’s network information so that it can manage the video network effectively.

PathNavigator provides the means for you to assign ISDN numbers to endpoints. The way numbers are assigned depends on your network:

❑ E.164 provisioning — Choose E.164 provisioning if you are

using private numbers.

❑ ISDN alias assignment — If you assign ISDN numbers to

endpoints, then the ISDN ranges need to be provided to the gatekeeper. These numbers must be coordinated with your local ISDN provider as these numbers cannot be self-populated. Assigning numbers that are not in your domain will result in failed calls when users outside the organization try to access users within the organization with self-populated numbers.

Chapter 3 - Before You Deploy

on page 52 when you design your dial

❑ Automatically assigned numbers — PathNavigator can

automatically assign direct inward dial (DID) numbers or gateway extensions. You cannot automatically assign both types of numbers on the same network.

Neighbor gatekeepers

Neighbor gatekeepers allow for the distribution of the workload across logical boundaries within the organization. This enables more efficient use of the network by limiting communication across WAN links. When a call originates in one gatekeeper’s zone and that gatekeeper is unable to resolve the dialed address, it will be forwarded to the neighbor gatekeepers for resolution.

Integrators’ Reference Manual for ViewStation EX, ViewStation FX, and VS4000

Addressing

The addressing components of an H.323 dial plan are:

❑ Gatekeeper zone identifiers or prefixes

❑ Entity addressing

❑ Terminal aliases (include numeric and alphabetic aliases)

❑ System Services

❑ MCU service prefixes

❑ Gateway service prefixes

Ea ch H.32 3 entit y mus t have a t least one network address (transport address). The network address uniquely identifies the H.323 entity on the network. It is typically a TCP/IP address.

If the entity is a terminal, it may also have one or more alias addresses associated with it.

Zones and Zone Prefixes

A zone is the collection of all terminals, gateways, and MCUs managed by a single gatekeeper. A zone may be independent of network topology, and may include multiple network segments which are connected by routers and other devices.

When using multiple zones (multiple gatekeepers), zone identifiers must be used. Zone identifiers are analogous to area codes.

Specifying local zone prefixes enables the gatekeeper to resolve addresses sent by neighbor gatekeepers. The local zone prefix identifies this gatekeeper. Some gatekeepers do not strip prefixes before the address when sending out a request for address resolution. These addresses cannot be resolved without the local zone prefix. The local zone prefix needs to be removed from the dialed address in order to match the address to a registrant.

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Chapter 3 - Before You Deploy

Table 3-3. Zone Identifiers and Neighbor Gatekeepers

Milpitas

Prefix

Local zone prefix 408 512 770

Neighbor gatekeeper 1 prefix 512 408 408

Neighbor gatekeeper 2 prefix 770 770 512

gatekeeper

Austin gatekeeper

Atlanta gatekeeper

If the local zone prefixes are configured, requests from neighbor gatekeepers with prefixes that match the local zone prefix will be resolved. All other calls will be rejected.

Entity Addressing

An entity must have a network address and may have alias addresses. These are defined as follows:

❑ Network address: This address relates to network transport. It

is usually a TCP/IP address. This address can either be automatically issues via dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP), or statically assigned by the administrator from a pool of available addresses.

❑ Alias address: This may be a telephone number (private

number or public E.164 address) or an H.323 identifier, which is an alphabetic string such as a username, email-like address, or H.323 URL.

❑ LAN host name: Any system connected to a LAN must have a

LAN host name (netBIOS name) defined. This is sometimes called the computer name.

An alias address may represent a terminal or it may represent a conference. Alias addresses must be unique within a zone. For example, within a zone there may only be one entity that uses the alias 3721005.

Integrators’ Reference Manual for ViewStation EX, ViewStation FX, and VS4000

Rules for Assigning Prefixes and Numeric Aliases

In assigning prefixes and numeric aliases, it is critically important to observe certain rules:

❑ MCUs and gateways provide services, so they must have

service prefixes assigned to them. Each service must have its own prefix. For example, an MCU or gateway will have a separate service prefix for each call speed that it provides.

❑ MCU and gateway services work across zones only if used in

conjunction with a manually entered zone prefix.

❑ If the system uses more than one gatekeeper, each gatekeeper

must have a zone identifier prefix.

❑ The numeric aliases for terminals and conferences may begin

with the same initial digit(s) as any service prefix or zone identifier prefix. This is because PathNavigator’s parsing rule is that aliases are checked first and service prefixes are checked last.

❑ The numerals used for service prefixes may not start with an

existing service prefix. Example: If 9 is selected as your access simplified dialing system service, then you may not create MCU or gateway service prefixes that begin with 9.

❑ Local zone prefixes are not considered local service prefixes.

Therefore, if you have a local zone prefix of 408, you may still use 40 to designate a service.

Service Plans

A service plan assigns numeric prefixes to services on the network. Gatekeepers use service prefixes to route terminal requests to the appropriate provider of services. Services on the network are processed by media processors on the network. Within H.323, media processors are MCUs, gateways, and proxies. A service prefix is analogous to the digit 9 that you must dial to request an outside line from a PBX system; the system’s response of connecting you to the requested outside line would be the service in this example.

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System Services

System services include the following:

❑ Conference on demand

❑ Call forwarding: set forward busy, set forward no answer, and

❑ Access simplified dialing

❑ Join or leave hunt group

System services only work within a zone. They do not work across zones.

Gateway and MCU services are defined in both PathNavigator and the MGC platform itself. It is critical that the prefixes are exactly the same in each system.

Chapter 3 - Before You Deploy

set forward unconditional.

ISDN Requirements

The following paragraphs describe the requirements for ISDN PRI and BRI interfaces.

ISDN PRI

The PRI network interface is available for the ViewStation FX and VS4000.

Note

Polycom ISDN PRI modules include an internal CSU for the PRI interface. The system’s internal CSU can be disabled via the Admin Setup.

Integrators’ Reference Manual for ViewStation EX, ViewStation FX, and VS4000

The PRI T1 needs to be provisioned for the ViewStation FX and VS4000 systems as follows:

Table 3-4. ISDN PRI Requirements

Line settings ESF/B8ZS (default)

Extended Super Frame B8ZS is modem standard for T1/PRI line encoding and framing

Line termination type

CPE (user side) only The required termination is built into the system and

most access switches

Supported PRI switch protocols

AT&T 4ESS, AT&T 5ESS, NI-1, NI-2, Siemens, Nortel DMS 100, and Nortel 250

These are standard protocols for North America

Number of channels

23 B-channels dialable at 64 or 56 Kbps, and one D channel

Ensure that you have 64 Kbps clear channel service

Number of

1 (single PRI) network interfaces

Line build-out modes

DSU+CSU (0 to –22.5dB attenuation), DSU-only

(DSX 0-665 feet)

Physical distance is offset by the settings in the user

interface

Clocking Must be derived from the external network or the

PBX

Terminal Endpoint ID (TEI)

0-63

This identifies the PRI endpoint; the common default

is 0

Numbering One local directory number per interface (23

channels)

D-channel slot number

Included to verify where the D channel is; this is

where additional diagnostic information resides

Call-by-call service codes

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Values 0-31 service codes for GVPN/PN/UPN

network-specific services

The PRI direct from the telephone service provider should support both data and voice for Polycom’s voice add-on capability of systems.

Determining Usage

To get the best rate of return from PRI lines, they should be used as much as possible. To do this, look at the data and video traffic as a whole. Establish a reasonable ratio between the total bandwidth required if every device is in use and the number of lines provided. A ratio of 10:1 is fair for general use. If you use a PBX, access switch, or other data communications unit, the total number of lines into your customer premise equipment (CPE) can be allocated by channel to your equipment, according to the bandwidth required at any given time.

PBX Network Configuration

The PBX or other CPE that will be providing the ISDN PRI interface to the system must be able to provide a clock signal.

Chapter 3 - Before You Deploy

Other than the clocking requirement, the rest of the ISDN PRI provisioning on the PBX is very similar to what would be requested of an outside ISDN provider.

ISDN BRI

All Polycom ISDN BRI interfaces are S/T-loop. ISDN BRI lines coming direct from a Telco are U-loop, so if your system is not behind a PBX or other private network, you must connect the BRI interface to BRI line(s) through an NT1 device capable of supporting multiple BRI lines.

NT1 Devices that you may order through Polycom:

❑ Single NT1 (2200-08406-001 or NT1)

❑ Triple NT1 (2200-08406-003)

❑ Quad NT1 (2200-08406-004 or NT1-QUAD)

Integrators’ Reference Manual for ViewStation EX, ViewStation FX, and VS4000

Peripheral Link

ISDN BRI

S/T-loop

Quad BRI

Quad NT 1

(May not be needed)

Figure 3-2. Network Configuration (No PBX)

ISDN BRI

U-loop

ISDN

Peripheral Link

ISD N B R I

Quad BRI

S/T-loop

Quad NT1

(May not be needed)

ISD N BRI

U-loop

PBX

ISD N PRI or

Multiple BRI

ISD N

Figure 3-3. Network Configuration (Behind PBX)

For ISDN BRI lines to be used from a PBX to a videoconferencing system, you must do these things in addition to meeting the other requirements.

❑ Determine the interface type of the ISDN BRI network module

in the PBX (U-loop or S/T-loop). This will determine whether or

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Chapter 3 - Before You Deploy

not you need an NT1 device between the PBX and the ISDN BRI interface of the videoconferencing system.

❑ If the ISDN BRI network module in the PBX is S/T-loop, there

is a 500-foot limitation with S/T-loop ISDN. The module may still require a special jack with a resistor.

❑ Ensure that the ISDN PRI or multiple BRI lines, on the public

side (from the Telco) are provisioned to carry data traffic as if it was connected directly to the videoconferencing systems as discussed in the appropriate sections above. Voice can be added but is not required. Items such as switch protocol, numbering plans, etc. are not necessary as those are determined by the PBX connecting to the ISDN lines from the Telco side.

❑ Ensure that the ISDN BRI lines’ channels that connect to the

videoconferencing systems are mapped appropriately to the channels on the public network side of the PBX that connects to the Telco’s ISDN cloud. This is critical also for the success of the inbound calls from systems outside the company to ensure that the ISDN number, provided to the videoconferencing system by the PBX, is routable in the public ISDN cloud and through the PBX to the appropriate videoconferencing system.

❑ The ISDN BRI lines between the PBX or other CPE and the

videoconferencing system(s) should be provisioned in the same way as ISDN BRI lines that would be connected the system(s) directly from a Telco, as described below.

The following requirements are common to all BRI deployments.

❑ ISDN BRI lines need to be configured in the same way as one of

the following two Bell Core equivalents: Capability Package R: Circuit Switched Data on 2 B channels.

Data capabilities include Calling Number Identification. No voice capabilities are provided.

Capability Package S (recommended if system is not behind a PBX): Alternate Voice/Circuit Switched Data on 2 B channels. Data and voice capabilities include Calling Number Identification.

❑ Both B channels must carry circuit-switched videoconferencing

data (voice can be added but is not required).

Integrators’ Reference Manual for ViewStation EX, ViewStation FX, and VS4000

❑ The ISDN BRI service must allow videoconferencing calls to be

dialed on either B channel or on both simultaneously.

❑ The D channel should not permit X.25 packet data.

❑ The ISDN BRI service must be configured as Terminal Type A.

❑ The ISDN BRI service must support automatic Terminal

Endpoint Identifiers (TEIs).

❑ The ISDN BRI service must be tariffed and available from the

customer’s local central office.

DCP (Digital Communication Port) On Lucent Definity ECS

Network Configuration

The Lucent Definity G3 supports DCP connectivity on V2 and later. ViewStation DCP-based systems support the Lucent Definity

DCP 2-wire configuration, and requires the DCP ports to be programmed as PDM. No NT1 devices are required with DCP-based systems.

Typically, 4-pair Cat-5 cabling is used between the Definity ECS and the network interface module of the ViewStation, terminated on RJ-45 jacks.

Installation

You can install ViewStation systems in the same room as the Quad BRI network interface module, or you can connect to the Quad BRI network interface module through the building’s wiring.

You can locate the system up to 250 feet away from the Quad BRI network interface module, with the following provisions:

❑ If the distance from the system to the Quad BRI network

interface module is less than 50 feet, no additional power is required.

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Configuration

Chapter 3 - Before You Deploy

❑ If the distance is between 50 and 250 feet, you must use a 9-volt

AC/DC transformer to boost power (such as the Digi-Key #T405-ND). Connect the transformer to the Quad BRI network interface module.

❑ RJ-45 jacks, connected to 110 blocks or 66 blocks, should be

installed in the wiring closet. You can then connect these jacks to the Quad BRI network interface module with the supplied RJ-45 cables.

The Polycom DCP-based systems connect to the Definity Communications server through 2-wire digital communications ports (DCP).

Note

Digital Trunk Services are required.

DCP-based systems require up to four 2-wire DCP ports on the Definity server. These ports should reside on the same digital station card in the system. These DCP ports are set up as personal data modules (PDMs).

Integrators’ Reference Manual for ViewStation EX, ViewStation FX, and VS4000

The following tables show how the data modules should be configured in the Lucent Definity PBX administrative console. Ports 3 and 4 are configured identically with unique extensions for each module, and different port numbers.

Table 3-5. Example Configuration, Data Module 1

Data Extension 6761

Type pdm

Port 01A0001

ITC unrestricted

Name Polycom Channel 1

COS 1

COR 40

TN 1

BCC 1

Remote Loop-Around Test? n

Secondary data module? n

Connected to dte

Table 3-6. Example Configuration: Channel 1, Secondary Data Module 2

Data Extension 6762

Type pdm

Port 01A0001

ITC unrestricted

Name Polycom Channel 1

COS 1

COR 40

TN 1

BCC 1

Remote Loop-Around Test? n

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Chapter 3 - Before You Deploy

Table 3-6. Example Configuration: Channel 1, Secondary Data Module 2

Secondary data module? n

Connected to dte

Next, you must configure any required hunt groups with a direct inward dialing (DID) numbers, or local directory numbers. This enables other systems to call your system.

Once you have configured the hunt groups, hook up the DCP ports to the system and follow the appropriate system installation procedures. Use the data module extension numbers for the port configurations on the system, and the DID/LDN number for the system’s main number.

Note

If you use Equal Access and a long distance reseller, the long distance reseller is probably not providing full 64 KBPS connectivity on long distance calls. In this case, you must set up the Definity to send long distance video calls through a long distance carrier that provides full-bandwidth connections.

You must configure a special COR for the system that uses a different ARS partition group. The ARS partition group will direct all long distance calls through separate routing patterns that have a KICK code configured. This KICK code tells the local carrier which long distance reseller to use and direct the call accordingly.

Integrators’ Reference Manual for ViewStation EX, ViewStation FX, and VS4000

Site Considerations

When you select a site for videoconferencing equipment, consider the following factors:

Table 3-7. Site Considerations

Factor For best results

Access to required connections

Room lighting Ensure that the camera will normally point toward an

Room color and decor

Items in camera range

Ensure that the equipment will be within 6 feet (1.8 m) of power and network connections.

Ensure that cables are routed in a way that does not inconvenience people who use the room.

area that is well-lit but not exceptionally bright. Lighting should be diffuse to prevent harsh shadows.

If there is a window in the room, ensure that the camera does not normally point toward it. Backlighting makes the speaker appear in silhouette.

The camera will perform best if the room furnishings are medium to dark in color and do not have polished or reflective surfaces.

Ensure that the camera normally points toward an area that is of a medium shade and does not contain detailed, patterned, or brightly-colored elements. For example, a blue or gray wall provides a more effective backdrop than a bright painting.

To prevent autofocus problems, place an object somewhere near the center of the camera’s default position.

Ensure that no confidential material can be inadvertently disclosed to callers. For example, ensure that white boards in the conference room are not used for engineering sketches.

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Table 3-7. Site Considerations (Continued)

Factor For best results

Chapter 3 - Before You Deploy

Acoustics and background noise

Microphone placement

Ensure that there is no audible echo in the room where

the camera and microphone(s) will be installed.

Carpeting, drapery, and upholstered furniture all help

to reduce echo problems. Non-rectangular rooms have

less echo than standard conference rooms.

Refer to the documentation for the specific equipment

model for information on where to place the

microphone(s).

Integrators’ Reference Manual for ViewStation EX, ViewStation FX, and VS4000

Predeployment Worksheet

This worksheet will help you get the information you need to install videoconferencing systems on your company’s LAN computer network. Complete this worksheet before you start the installation. Once you have this information, refer to this worksheet as needed.

To use your system for LAN-based system management and LAN-based software upgrades you need to know the type of addressing your network uses:

• DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) (Recommended for LAN

calls)

• Fixed IP address (Recommended for LAN calls)

IP address for the system _______._______._______.______

Subnet Mask _______._______._______.______

LAN Gateway _______._______._______.______

Check the type of configuration the system uses. Check only one:

•

Use DNS Server Configuration

• Use WINS Server Configuration

Host

Domain

PrimaryWINS _______._______._______.______

Primary DNS _______._______._______.______

Secondary WINS _______._______._______.______

Secondary DNS _______._______._______.______

To ready your system for LAN-based videoconferencing, you also need to know:

Gatekeeper DNS name or IP address (if necessary)

Alias for the videoconferencing system

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Chapter 3 - Before You Deploy

Extension (Terminal ID or E.164 number) for the videoconferencing system

SNMP Information (if necessary)

If you intend to ready your system for remote management via Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), you also need to know:

IP address for the network

_______._______._______._______

management station

SNMP community string

Dialing Directory Information (if necessary)

If you intend to use central dialing directories with your videoconferencing system(s), you need to know:

Central Directory (LDAP) Server URL or IP address

Port number (default is 389)

Directory service root

Server type

Account password (if you want to auto-publish the account name)

Document Server (if necessary)

If you intend to use the Document Server option, you need to know:

DNS name or IP address

Integrators’ Reference Manual for ViewStation EX, ViewStation FX, and VS4000

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Installing Videoconferencing

Systems

This chapter provides installation instructions for the ViewStation EX, ViewStation FX, and VS4000 and their network interface modules.

This chapter covers the following topics.

Topic Page

The Deployment Process 78

Installation Procedures 79

Network Configuration 88

Connecting the System to a PC 91

Placing Test Calls 96

Integrators’ Reference Manual for ViewStation EX, ViewStation FX, and VS4000

The Deployment Process

The diagram below summarizes the tasks involved in the deployment process. This chapter assumes that the appropriate products have been ordered, and that you have done the appropriate predeployment tasks.

Pre-deployment Deployment

Identify the site's

communication needs

Determine the site's...

 Network topology  Bandwidth

requirements

 Policies  Dial plan (includes

services plan)

Install PathNavigator and

configure it without

configuring MGC services

and DID

Install MGCManager and

use it to configure MGC

In PathNavigator, configure

MGC services and DID

Install GMS with GDS

Install WebCommander

Configure GMS and

WebCommander

Post-deployment

Place test calls:

 IP to IP  IP to ISDN  ISDN to IP  ISDN to ISDN

Install and configure

endpoints

Figure 4-1. The Deployment Process

This chapter discusses installing and configuring endpoints.

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Chapter 4 - Installing Videoconferencing Systems

Installation Procedures

For basic system installation, please refer to the installation instructions in the appropriate User Guide and the QuickStart cards.

Installing Network Interface Modules

The ViewStation EX, ViewStation FX, and VS4000 may be purchased with either of these network interface modules:

❑ Quad BRI

❑ V.35/RS-449/RS-530

In addition, PRI T1 and E1 network interface modules are available with the ViewStation FX and VS4000.

The diagram below shows a general view of how network interface modules are installed.

ViewStation EX, ViewStation FX,

or VS4000

Network

interface

module

External power

supply

(if using PRI)

Figure 4-2. Installing Network Interface Modules

Auxiliary device (such as NT-1 if

using Quad BRI,

CSU if using PRI)

UPS

ISDN

network

Power

source

Quad BRI Network Interface Module

This section provides information about installing the Quad BRI network interface module. For performance specifications, cable diagrams and pinouts, and other technical information, please refer to Technical Information

, on page 11.

Integrators’ Reference Manual for ViewStation EX, ViewStation FX, and VS4000

NT-1 Device

The Quad BRI network interface module requires an S/T interface. If your site does not use an internal telephone system (PBX), you must connect the Quad BRI module to the ISDN line(s) through a network termination (NT-1) device, which provides the S/T interface.

Cables Used with the Quad BRI Network Interface Module

The network cables are standard CAT5 cables. If you are connecting to a PBX, you may need a crossover cable.

Installation

To connect the Quad BRI network interface module to the system:

1. Make sure your system is turned off.

2. Connect the peripheral side of the Quad BRI network interface

module to the system using the supplied network interface cable. This cable is color-coded blue on one end, green on the other.

Figure 4-3. Quad BRI Network Interface Module (Peripheral Side)

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Chapter 4 - Installing Videoconferencing Systems

3. Connect the network side of the Quad BRI network interface module to the NT-1 device or to the ISDN network, as appropriate.

Figure 4-4. Quad BRI Network Interface Module (Network Side)

4. If you are using an NT-1 device, connect it to the ISDN network.

You are now ready to power on and configure the system.

Installing a PRI Network Interface Module

This section provides information about installing the PRI network interface module. This module is available for the ViewStation FX and VS4000.

For performance specifications, cable diagrams and pinouts, and other technical information, please refer to Technical Information

on page 11.

External Power Supply

If the PRI network interface module loses power, it creates an alarm condition that may result in the service provider disabling the line. The PRI network interface must be connected to the external 12-volt DC power supply so that it does not lose power when the system is powered off. Connect the external power supply to an uninterruptable power supply (UPS) if possible.

The external power supply is mandatory for installations in Europe and is strongly recommended where not mandatory.

Integrators’ Reference Manual for ViewStation EX, ViewStation FX, and VS4000

You must use an external power supply if you use the internal CSU capability of the PRI T1 network interface module.

Channel Service Unit

In North America, the PRI T1 network interface module can be connected to an external Channel Service Unit (CSU). The CSU isolates the PRI from the network, and continues to transmit a signal to the network even if the PRI network interface module loses power or is disconnected. This prevents the line from being deactivated. A CSU is normally used only when the PRI network interface module is connected directly to a telephone company switch, not a PBX.

Outside North America, CSUs are not used with PRI network interface modules.

If you use an external CSU, connect an RJ-45 cable from the CPE equipment side of the CSU to the PRI network interface module.

ADTRAN Atlas 800 Plus E1 Module

Firmware

If you are using an ADTRAN Atlas 800 Plus E1 Module, it must use firmware version G03b or later.

Channel Restarts

Wait two to three minutes after the endpoint has been powered on and the PRI status icon has turned green before making or receiving calls with the ADTRAN Atlas 800 Plus. This allows time for channel restarts on the ADTRAN Atlas 800 Plus E1 module. If you place a call before channel restarts are complete, a Network Congestion message appears on the system. Incoming calls during this time will receive a Far Site Busy message.

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Chapter 4 - Installing Videoconferencing Systems

If You Are Connecting to a PBX

❑ Some PBXs require a crossover cable.

❑ The PBX must provide the clock signal and act as the network

side for layers 1, 2, and 3.

❑ QSIG signaling (PSS1) is not supported. However, a PRI

network interface module can be connected to a PISN through a gateway using ETSI DSS1 signaling.

Cables Used with the PRI Network Interface Module

The following cables may be used with the PRI network interface module.

❑ Peripheral link cable: The peripheral link cable does not fit into

a standard RJ-45 network port. You can, however, use it to connect any Polycom network interface module to the system.

❑ PBX crossover cable: An RJ-45 crossover cable may be required

when connecting the PRI network interface module to a PBX or other third-party network access device.

❑ PRI Cable extension: You can purchase a cable adapter kit to

extend the distance between your system and the PRI network interface module.

❑ 75 Ω coaxial adapter: The PRI E1 line termination is 120 Ω. In

some areas, however, the E1 network connection is via a 75 Ω coaxial cable. The PRI network interface module does not directly support this, but you can obtain passive adapter devices from various vendors.

Integrators’ Reference Manual for ViewStation EX, ViewStation FX, and VS4000

Installation

To install the PRI network interface module:

1. Ensure that the system is powered off.

2. Connect peripheral side of the PRI network interface module to

the system using the supplied cable. Figure 4-5 shows the peripheral side of the PRI network interface module.

Port

(not used)

Figure 4-5. PRI Network Interface Module (Peripheral Side)

Input Port

LEDs

3. Connect the 12-volt DC power supply to the PRI network interface module and then to the UPS or wall outlet.

4. Connect the PRI network interface module to the ISDN network.

Network Connector

LEDs

Figure 4-6. PRI Network Interface Module (Network Side)

You are now ready to power on and configure the system.

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Chapter 4 - Installing Videoconferencing Systems

Installing a V.35/RS-449/RS-530 Network Interface Module

Cables Used with the V.35/RS-449/RS-530 Network Interface Module

The network interface module connects to the system using a cable that is not interchangeable with standard RJ-45 to RJ-45 cables.

The following optional cables used to connect the V.35/RS-449/RS-530 module to the DCE are available from the Polycom Web store:

❑ V.35 “Y” cable—HD-44M to DB-25M/RS-366 and M34

“Winchester” V.35

❑ RS-449/422 “Y” cable—HD-44M to DB-25M/RS-366 and

DB-37M/RS-449/422

❑ Ascend cable—HD-44M to HD-44M

Cable for Direct Connect. Direct Connect users can choose to have the local system answer a video call when it detects data from a remote site, or hang up when it detects lack of data from the remote si te. Th is Direc t Connec t signa l lead would be in additio n to ex isting V.35/RS-449/RS-530 signal leads that control answer/hang up call states.

Integrators’ Reference Manual for ViewStation EX, ViewStation FX, and VS4000

Installation

To install V.35/RS-449/RS-530 Network Interface Module:

1. Make sure the system is turned off.

2. Connect the peripheral side of the network interface module to

the system. Refer to Figure 4-7.

12 VDC Connector (not used)

Figure 4-7. V.35/RS-449/RS-530 Network Interface Module (Peripheral

Side)

Port (not used)

Input Port

LEDs

3. Connect the network side of the network interface module to the DCE, shown in Figure 4-8 below. If you have only one cable, connect it to port 1.

LED

Figure 4-8. V.35/RS-449/RS-530 Network Interface Module (Network Side)

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Chapter 4 - Installing Videoconferencing Systems

Note

If your DCE does not use dialing, do not use the RS-366 (DB-25M) connector.

Integrators’ Reference Manual for ViewStation EX, ViewStation FX, and VS4000

Network Configuration

The following paragraphs give information about configuring the ViewStation EX, ViewStation FX, and VS4000 systems for the ISDN network.

On a PRI T1 Network: Configuring the CSU

If you use an external CSU, you must specify the following information on the PRI Setup screen (System Info > Admin Setup

> Video Network > IMUX > PRI Network > PRI Setup):

1. In the CSU field, select External.

2. In the Line Buildout field, select the length of the cable that

connects the PRI network interface module to the CSU.

You can also configure the T1 PRI network interface module to act as a CSU. To do this, the external power supply must be connected.

To use the T1 PRI network interface module as an internal CSU, you must specify the following information on the PRI Setup screen (System Info > Admin Setup > Video Network > IMUX > PRI

Network > PRI Setup):

1. In the CSU field, select Internal.

2. In the Line Buildout field, select an appropriate dB setting. The

telephone company usually determines the dB value by measuring the characteristics of the line. If an external CSU was previously used, use the setting selected for that CSU. Otherwise, start with 0.

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Firewall and NAT Issues

A firewall protects an organization’s network by controlling data traffic from outside the network. Different types of firewalls use different techniques to provide network security, but unless the firewall is designed to work with H.323 videoconferencing equipment, it will prevent successful videoconferencing because it is designed to prevent unsolicited data from entering the network. From a functional perspective, it blocks incoming calls, and it prevents outgoing calls by blocking the call signalling from the external endpoint when the two endpoints begin the signal transaction required to set up the call.

Network Address Translation (NAT) network environments use internal IP addresses for the devices within the network, while using one external IP address to communicate with the outside world (Wide Area Network). The NAT router accepts incoming data and forwards it to the appropriate endpoint. This provides a degree of network security, as the internal IP addresses do not provide access from outside the network.

Firewalls and NAT are often used together.

Chapter 4 - Installing Videoconferencing Systems

Configuring the System to Operate Behind a Firewall

To make calls through a firewall, you must open the following ports and assign them to the videoconferencing system:

Table 4-1. Firewall Ports to Open for Videoconferencing

Port Used for

389 (TCP) ILS registration

1503 (TCP) Microsoft NetMeeting T.120 data sharing

1718 (UDP) Gatekeeper discovery

1719 (UDP) Gatekeeper RAS (must be bidirectional)

1720 (TCP) H.323 call set-up (must be bidirectional)

1731 (TCP) Audio call control (must be bidirectional)

3230-3235 (TCP/UDP)

3603 (TCP) Web interface

Signalling and control for audio, call, video, and data/FECC

Integrators’ Reference Manual for ViewStation EX, ViewStation FX, and VS4000

Configuring the System to Operate Behind a NAT

The System is behind a NAT option allows the user make calls outside the internal network.

At this time, it is not possible to make videoconferencing calls within the internal network when the System is behind a NAT option is selected. To make videoconferencing calls within the network, users must deselect the System is behind a NAT option before making the call.

1. Determine the NAT’s external (WAN) IP address.

2. Determine the IP address of the system. This can be found in the System Information screen.

3. Go to Quality of Service and Firewalls screen (System Info > Admin Setup > LAN/H.323 > H.323 > QOS).

4. Select Use Fixed Ports.

5. Select System is behind a NAT.

6. Enter the NAT’s external IP address into the NAT outside (WAN) address field.

7. Write down the Fixed TCP and UDP port numbers displayed on

this screen. The default values are: TCP: 3230 to 3231 UDP: 3230 to 3235

8. Reset the firewall’s fixed ports from step 4 to be permanently open, and redirect them to the IP address of your system.

9. To accept incoming calls, open and redirect port 1720 to the IP address of your system.

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Polycom EX4000, FX, VS4000, FX4000 User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual

Contents

List of Figures

List of Tables

About this Manual

Conventions Used in this Manual

Glossary

Technical Information

System Descriptions

Technical Specifications

RS-232 Interface

Quad BRI Network Interface Module

Indicators on the Quad BRI Network Interface Module

Quad BRI Cabling

NT-1 Information

ISDN Switches

Automatic Quad BRI Software Update

PRI Network Interface Module for ViewStation FX and VS4000

Indicators on the PRI Network Interface Module

PRI Cabling

Channel Selection

PRI E1 Channel Information

Dedicated Full PRI T1 or E1 Line

V.35/RS-449/RS-530 Network Interface Module

Indicators on the V.35/RS-449/RS-530 Network Interface Module

V.35/RS-449/RS-530 Cabling

Serial Interface Control Signals

State Machine

Crypto Resync

Other Elements of a Typical Deployment

Before You Deploy

Predeployment Overview

Video Network Security

Best Practices

Predeployment Planning

LAN/WAN Considerations

Capacity Planning

Call Processing Considerations

Gatekeeper Identifier

Default Gatekeeper

Call Routing Mode

Developing the Dial Plan

Services

Administration, Policies, and Routing

Network Topology

Neighbor gatekeepers

Addressing

Zones and Zone Prefixes

Entity Addressing

Rules for Assigning Prefixes and Numeric Aliases

Service Plans

System Services

ISDN Requirements

ISDN PRI

Determining Usage

PBX Network Configuration

ISDN BRI

DCP (Digital Communication Port) On Lucent Definity ECS

Network Configuration

Installation

Configuration

Site Considerations

Predeployment Worksheet

The Deployment Process

Installation Procedures

Installing Network Interface Modules

Quad BRI Network Interface Module

NT-1 Device

Cables Used with the Quad BRI Network Interface Module

Installation

Installing a PRI Network Interface Module

External Power Supply

Channel Service Unit

ADTRAN Atlas 800 Plus E1 Module

If You Are Connecting to a PBX

Cables Used with the PRI Network Interface Module

Installation